A nickel group dominates the rice field that the family of Moharen’s pordillación has grown up in Palawan for generations: on this island of the Philippines, the authorities hope to dominate mining thanks to the adoption of a moratorium. “They told us before the beginning of their operations that would not affect us, but the effects are undeniable today,” he told AFP.
The island of Palawan, an idyllic tourist destination for west of the Philippines, has large nickel deposits, necessary for the manufacture of electric vehicle batteries and many types of stainless steel. In March, the Government Council of the Island unanimously approved a 50 -year moratorium on new mining operational applications. “We are witnessing the effects of long -term mining in southern Palawan,” said AFP Nieves Rosento, a former advisor who fought for his adoption.
In 2021, the country of Southeast Asia raised a nine -year licenses prohibition, which published hundreds of applications and allowed the presentation of news. However, four years later, mineral exports still represent less than 2% of GDP. And despite job promises, the reluctance of projects grows locally. According to the iPilan operational company, the increase in production will result in larger royalties for local populations and higher tax revenues.
Deforestated mountains
But Alayma, Moharen’s sister also loses confidence. This single mother of six children once won between 1,000 and 5,000 pesos of the Philippines per day (around 15 to 75 euros) selling captured lobsters where the dock is today. A single compensation of 120,000 pesos was offered (just over 1,800 euros). Offer that describes as insulting. “The livelihoods of all indigenous peoples depended on this area,”.
On the rice field of the Pama Moharen, entire mountain sections have been deforested, which causes floods that describes as “formidable, deep and fast.” The iPilan mine was sanctioned to have demolished trees in “maximum protection areas”, but its activities continue. Complaints to your parent company, Global Ferroníckel Holdings, remained unanswered. It is certainly “possible to eliminate pollution through the use of electric vehicles,” testifies to Jeminda Bartolome, a shameful who militates against mining. “But you also have to study what is happening in the region,” he adds.
Southwest Brooke’s Point, in Río Tuba, the oldest nickel mine in the country is expanding. The company’s vice president, José Bayani Baylon, proudly insists that mining has transformed a swamp previously difficult to access a “premium locality.” “You have an airport, you have a port (…), a hospital, you have infrastructure that many other communities do not have,” he explains. It rejects criticism, saying that mining only refers to a small part of Palawan and is strongly regulated.
219,000 lost hectares
Thousands of trees have been killed since January, but José Bayani Baylon says that “according to the law, for each cut tree, it is necessary to plant 100”. According to the NGO Global Witness, the operation and prospecting of mining refer to a fifth of the aboriginal land of the Philippines. “Some indigenous peoples have not received royalties in the last ten years,” said Nieves Rosento. Kennedy Coria, a resident who declares that he cannot read or write, said he had to sign a document every year.
Grizelda May-Anda environmental lawyer says that this moratorium could stop 70 projects that cover 240,000 hectares. Between 2001 and 2024, the province of Palawan lost 219,000 hectares of forest, according to Global Forest Watch. The Palawan moratorium will not prevent the expansion of Río Tuba or iPilan activities, but its supporters think it will reduce the speed of mining. However, the drings are coming on the horizon: a recent decision of the Supreme Court has canceled the prohibition of mining in the neighboring province of Western Mindoro.
Source: BFM TV
