ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Bishops of Palawan call for moratorium on mining

Puerto Princesa (Agenzia Fides) - To protect the population, resources and natural beauty of Palawan, the Catholic Bishops of the dioceses of Palawan, one of the Philippine islands with an exceptional and unspoilt natural beauty, have launched a petition to request a 25-year moratorium on mining. The Bishops explain the initiative in a joint pastoral letter signed by Bishop Socrates Mesiona, Apostolic Vicar of Puerto Princesa, Bishop Broderick Pabillo, Apostolic Vicar of Taytay, and Bishop Emeritus Edgardo Juanich.
Addressing the faithful, Bishop Mesiona stresses: "We ask for a 25-year moratorium on new applications or expansions of mining activities. In-depth studies are needed to preserve critical areas such as ancient forests and watersheds,” said the bishop, recalling the Church's moral responsibility 'to care for the common home', as stated in Pope Francis' encyclical "Laudato Si'". The bishop stressed the importance of sustainable economic strategies with the development of local companies - and not multinational corporations - even in the field of mining, which must always put the ecosystem first, including the lives of indigenous groups and the protection of areas such as forests, rivers and seas.
The situation is worrying: in 2016, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources authorized the felling of some 28,000 trees in Palawan. And in 2024, a company received authorization to cut down 52,200 more trees, a large area of forest, while another company requested the felling of another 8,000 trees. Currently, 67 mining concession applications covering over 200,000 hectares are being reviewed in Palawan, and the government has already approved 11 contracts for the use of 29,000 hectares of land. The local Catholic faith community is therefore directly addressing the legislators of Palawan province, urging them to prioritize the environment and the well-being of the community over profit or power interests: "It will be seen whether they really care about Palawan or whether they will give in to other pressures," said the bishop. The joint pastoral letter also points out that Palawan is the only province in the Central Philippines region that does not have a moratorium on mining activities. Neighboring provinces such as Mindoro, Marinduque and Romblon have already taken similar measures. The Church joins the calls of farmers, fishermen and indigenous communities who suffer from the destruction caused by mining. "It is also the cry of those who believe in our duty to protect Palawan as the guardian of creation," said Bishop Mesiona, who urged citizens to sign the petition. In Palawan's natural paradise, deforestation and mining can increase erosion, landslides and long-term ecological damage. In this sense, controlling mining is not just a matter of profit, but should "preserve the life of nature for future generations," he stressed. This approach is gaining ground and finding acceptance and harmony in civil society that aims for sustainable development, to ensure that Palawan's extraordinary natural heritage is preserved. A moratorium on mining activity - it is noted - is more than a simple defense of the environment: it is a courageous stand in favor of the integrity of creation, the well-being of vulnerable communities and the future of one of the most precious provinces in the Philippines.
What is happening in the province of Palawan highlights the global situation of the Philippines, an archipelago with enormous natural resources, especially copper, gold, nickel, zinc and silver deposits, as well as minerals useful for the "global energy transition." According to recent statistics from the Philippine Department of Mines and Geosciences, there are 56 major mines in the archipelago with seven processing plants that employ more than 220,000 people. The main mining areas are in Luzon in the north (gold in Nueva Vizcaya, nickel in Palawan and copper in Benguet); in the Visayas in the central part of the country (copper in Cebu); in Mindanao in the south (nickel and gold in Surigao del Norte, silver in Zamboanga del Norte). The Philippines ranks fourth in the world in copper reserves and fifth in cobalt and nickel reserves.
Foreign multinationals, especially from Japan, Australia, Canada and China, play an important role and maintain relations with the government to request new mining concessions. From the point of view of these companies, the "moratorium" initiatives on mining are an obstacle, as they take into account the concerns of environmental protection, social responsibility and the fair distribution of profits from mining, so that they actually benefit the development of local communities and do not represent their destruction. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 9/12/2024)

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