Palawan: Do You Know This Place?

The mining in Palawan has become a very controversial environmental issue that the government as well as the Filipino people, themselves, has been facing. The issue has bring out various environmental organizations such as Save Palawan Movement, Kabang Kalikasan ng Pilipinas (WWF-Philippines) and Tanggol Kalikasan impeding the mining activities and protecting the biodiversiy in Palawan. The point that they would like to stress is that Palawan is one of the provinces in the Philippines which is very successful in terms of Tourism. It is rich of attractive places like islands and islets, rocky coves, and sugar-white sandy beaches, to name a few. Palawan is also the home of the famous Puerto Princesa Underground River, Kayangan Lake and Palawan Divers.

Puerto Princesa Underground River

It is very disgusting to know then, that the mining will destruct this very rich natural resource where the livelihood of many Palawan people depends.

Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth. It includes removal of the soil. There are different techniques in mining in which the most harmful is the mountain top removal. This technique is done through the use of explosives and big machines. It is a common knowledge that Palawan is also abundant with mineral resources such as nickel, copper, manganese, and chromite. Needless to say, the place attracts several miners, and mining, so to say, can cause a very big problem to the biodiversity and natural ecosystem of Palawan.

In the news article, we can read that President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" C. Aquino wants to have a stop on this mining activity in Palawan, or if not, minimize. At the date of press covering, he said that the government will stop entertaining applications of mining in Palawan. He is also considering the same reason that the mentioned environmental organizations are giving: to protect the biodiversity of Palawan.

The Save Palawan Movement, a multi-sectoral coalition of concerned environmental, legal religious and other civic groups launched a campaign to gather at least 10 million signatures to put a stop to mining in the province. The campaign is being done manually and even online to spread the calling of “No to mining in Palawan”. Up to date, the campaign continues and people of all ages are enticed to support. All we have to do now, student or not, young or old, the government and even ordinary citizens not only of Palawan but as well as the whole Filipino community should work hand-in-hand to stop mining in Palawan and possibly, in several places which promotes successful tourism, protection of biodiversity and normal balancing of the ecosystem.