Foreign Scientists, Academicians Urge a Stop to Mining in Philippines’ Last Frontier

A group of anthropologists, social scientists and university professors from United States of America, France, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom and Australia who have been engaged in various studies and researches on the environment and culture of Palawan issued a statement (dated September 15, 2008) calling the Arroyo government and local government officials to stop mining in the province.

The scientists and academicians said in the statement that “We find it very disturbing that mining operations are being allowed despite the numerous policies and laws establishing Palawan as virtually a protected area, and the millions of investments poured into the province in the last twenty (20) years to protect and enhance its biodiversity and despite the fact that the negative impacts of mining activities in Palawan remain unresolved. While the so-called ‘responsible mining’ rhetoric is being promoted, we believe that the ongoing destruction of Palawan’s natural forests, protected areas and ancestral domains in clear violation of the Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) and other environmental laws is not a responsible mode of development.”

Among the signatories are Prof. Rebecca Austin of Florida Gulf Coast University, Prof. Wolfram Dressler of University of Queensland, Prof. James Eder of Arizona State University, Michael Fabinyi of Australian National University, Prof. Charles J-H Macdonald, of Marseille Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, Dr. Melanie Hughes McDermott of Rutgers University, Prof. Dario Novellino University of Kent, Canterbury, Prof. Nicole Revel of Université René Descartes, Prof. Koki Seki of Hiroshima University, and Noah Theriault of University of Wisconsin.

It was cited in the statement that the province of Palawan is known as the country’s last frontier, a description signifying abundant and untapped resources, relatively unravaged by resource overexploitation. Palawan hosts 7 declared protected areas, 11 important bird areas and is one of the 10 sites of the Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) in the Philippines. It also holds 17 terrestrial key biodiversity areas (KBA). Because of its uniqueness, UNESCO declared Palawan as a biosphere reserve, and two of its sites (Tubbataha Reef Marine Park and Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park) as world heritage sites.

The signatories were alarmed to find out that based on the report of the Provincial government of Palawan and Mines and Geosciences Burea (MGB), there are more than 300 mining applications covering the whole province. The group found out the mining activities and applications cover old growth and residual forest areas, some of which are either declared or proposed watershed areas.

The position of the international scientists is re-echoed by local scientists and environmental activists under the multisectoral-alliance Defend Patrimony! and castigated the mining liberalization policy and program of the Arroyo government and the large-scale mining projects as the main culprits of so much environmental destruction and community displacement in mining-affected areas in the country.

“The Arroyo government have remained unabashed in allowing foreign transnational mining companies (mining TNCs) to plunder and ravage our natural resources and environment. It has no qualms of opening up our remaining forests and environmentally critical areas for mining. Despite the warnings of local and international scientists, concerned individuals from different sectors and the actual failure of its flagship projects, the Arroyo administration is still adamant that mining will result to economic development,” said Dr. Giovanni Tapang, a University of the Philippines professor and chairperson of scientist organization AGHAM and convenor of Defend Patrimony! Alliance.

“Forest destruction and environmental pollution have been monitored and documented in the priority mining projects of the Arroyo government and mining TNCs. Among these are Rio Tuba nickel mining in Palawan, Lafayette mining in Albay and OceanaGold mining in Nueva Vizcaya. These cases and similar concerns have reached Malacañang and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources but just fell on deaf ears. ,” said Clemente Bautista of militant environmental group Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment and convenor of Defend Patrimony! Alliance.

Bautista also noted that, “it is only the unwavering opposition and resistance of mining-affected communities and their supporters who have derailed the catastrophic efffects of mining. We will continue to put up a fight and find ways to end the mining liberalizations policy and large-scale mining projects of the anti-environment and anti-people Arroyo administration. ”

Based on the data of MGB there approved mining concessions as of july 2008 cover almost 600,000 hectares all over the country. This is a 17% increase from 515,000 hectares of mineral lands in January 2007 Most of this mining concessions are located in forest and mountainous areas.###

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