By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter
THE provincial council of Palawan approved a 50-year moratorium on new mining applications, with the measure now going before the governor for signing.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan-approved moratorium covers all new mining applications, regardless of mine size.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had not replied to requests for comment at the deadline.
The council also urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to proclaim Palawan a “no-mining province” and an “agri-tourism zone.”
The effort to secure the provincial-level ban was led by Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), which said the effort originated in a 2024 pastoral letter by the Catholic bishops of Palawan, followed by a signature petition by Save Palawan Movement and other non-government organizations.
The letter singled out 67 exploration permit applications in Coron, Taytay, Araceli, Dumaran, and Roxas in northern Palawan.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau lists 16 mining firms holding approved mining tenements and contracts in the province.
“The ordinance is a clear legal expression of Palawan’s opposition to mining, which the Marcos administration and the DENR must fully respect,” ATM said.
“It reflects the lack of consent by stakeholders for mining contracts and operations in the region,” it added. “We hope this will pave the way for a total halt to mining operations in the region.”
The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines said the decision is short-sighted, noting that a 1995 mining law and other regulations “provide stringent environmental safeguards that ensure environmental sustainability in communities.”
As of December 2023, mining companies in the Mimaropa region have planted 3.79 million seedlings in more than 502 hectares of mined-out and other areas, with a survival rate of nearly 90%, and have committed P22 billion for environmental programs, according to the Chamber.
“While approved mining tenements — most of them not operating — occupy only 3.8% of Mimaropa’s total land area, the industry accounts for 7.5% of gross regional domestic product,” it said. “The bulk of the contributions come from operating large-scale metallic mines in Palawan.”
It said assessments of sustainability must also take into account investments “in the well-being and development of people, including their health, education, and skills as passports from poverty and a vital component of a long-term sustainable future.”
“Mining companies are mandated to do just that. Apart from employing thousands of local workers and encouraging the flourishing of other businesses that also create jobs, mining projects in Mimaropa have spent a total of P350.47 million for their Annual Social Development and Management Programs,” it said.
“We maintain that through mining, local governments are greatly supported in their programs that promote a well-educated and skilled workforce — essential to develop sustainable technologies to address environmental challenges.”
The DENR last month issued an order requiring miners to adopt the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Mining companies need to incorporate sustainability efforts into their operations, including biodiversity conservation and climate action. The vehicle for doing so is in the miners’ Social Development and Management Programs (SDMPs).
“Unlike in the past, they must now include programs for enhancing biodiversity conservation and protection, and institutionalizing climate action of host and impact communities, among others,” the DENR said following the release of the order.
An SDMP is a five-year comprehensive plan required of mining companies for the “improvement” of the living standards of host and neighboring communities in their areas of operation.