Beauty and the beast: mining in Palawan

Mangrove forests- life sustaining ecosystems

Palawan has the largest remaining mangrove forests

Mangrove forests though low lying and at shoreline, are as important as mountain forests

the beauty of mangroves seen from the air

The lush old growth forests -fragile and threatened

newly constructed roads

My past Palawan trips have left indelible images of breathtaking beauty and endless adventures above and below its clear blue (or emerald) waters. The past few weeks though, have revealed another side of palawan, as this rich but fragile paradise is under threat by the mineral industry. Since the discovery of nickel, chromite, cobalt and titanium deposits- it has been targetted by the government and mining companies for rapid development, which has attracted large and small scale operators and investors to explore and extract from the north (Malampaya’s natural gas) to south (bulk of nickel-laterite, chromite, copper etc). Mining which is a non-sustainable invasive activity, never did sit well with protection of biodiversity, respect and reverence for nature. Seeing the beauty and the destruction made on the forests has been difficult to stomach, especially when we know what mining has done to the islands of Rapu-rapu, Negros and Cebu. Irrepairable damage, the total lack of rehabilitation (except in the mining industry’s rhetoric) tales of woe from the affected people and toxic contamination are the legacy of mining, which last long after the money is gone. Why is our government hell bent on this despite the disasters? Are we digging out Palawan and going the way of Nauru?

Mangrove forests- life sustaining ecosystems