By Matthew Go
Catholic Church leaders in Palawan are calling for a 25-year moratorium on mining to address deforestation concerns in the country’s so-called last frontier. The appeal, issued in a joint pastoral letter, was read in parishes across the island during Sunday Masses.
The letter, signed by Bishop Socrates Mesiona of the Vicariate of Puerto Princesa, Bishop Broderick Pabillo, and Bishop Emeritus Edgardo Juanich of the Vicariate of Taytay, urges public support for a petition advocating measures to protect Palawan’s rich forest cover.
The bishops warned that large-scale mining poses a “far graver” threat than past commercial logging, citing alarming figures. In 2016, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) approved a special tree-cutting permit (STCP) allowing a mining firm to fell 27,929 trees. An additional application to cut 8,000 more trees at the same site is under review.
Another recent STCP permits the cutting of 52,000 trees to extract nickel ore in a different area. In total, 67 exploration permits across northern towns like Coron and Taytay, as well as southern municipalities like Brooke’s Point, cover more than 200,000 hectares. Palawan currently hosts 11 mining firms operating on a combined 29,430 hectares under Mineral Production Sharing Agreements.
“If approved, these applications will lead to the loss of lush forests, clean rivers, mangroves, and coral reefs,” the bishops said, highlighting the “irreversible destruction” of Palawan’s globally recognized natural beauty.
The pastoral letter criticized the mining sector as “unsustainable,” pointing out widespread ecosystem devastation and a lack of rehabilitation compliance despite legal requirements. Only 25% of the over 3,000 hectares mined in areas like Narra, Española, and Brooke’s Point have been rehabilitated, according to the Church.
The bishops called on the Provincial Board (PB) to prioritize the environment over corporate and political interests by passing an ordinance implementing the moratorium. They noted that other Mimaropa provinces—Mindoro, Marinduque, and Romblon—have already banned large-scale mining.
Planned Ordinance
Governor Victorino Dennis Socrates confirmed that a proposed mining moratorium is pending with the PB’s Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. The ordinance reflects the consensus from the Palawan Stakeholders’ Congress on Mining and the Environment in April, where most participants opposed new mining operations.
“If we allow mining to continue, with 65 applications and 13 active contracts, we’ll lose our forests and mountains,” Socrates said during a public forum on November 29. He vowed to veto new mining endorsements if necessary, citing weak enforcement and the ease of regulatory manipulation.
Socrates also emphasized that Palawan lacks the infrastructure to process raw minerals locally, leaving the province with minimal benefits while shouldering the environmental costs.