Let's make a stand

Save Palawan Movement: Our stand on mining

The Save Palawan Movement is not against all mining. However, we believe that key biodiversity sites (Specially Island ECOSYSTEM), where there are farmlands, coral reefs, mangroves and many endemic species should be off limits. Palawan is our rallying cry.

Biodiversity is IRREPLACEABLE

Mining will always be together with logging. I've seen it with my own two eyes. I spent my childhood years in a town (Lotupan, Toledo City, Cebu) that used to be the center of mining in Cebu. (ATLAS in the old days). But recently been re-open and renamed.(I'm not living there anymore so I'm not sure on its new name).

I never saw beauty in the damage that mining have done even from my younger years. I've seen my neighbors cry over dead family members who work in mines and meet their end there. I can only hear stories from my grandfather(He was a staff of the mining company) the unusual birds, native turtles, big snakes and lizards at their natural habitats, which were very many in his time but I can only see them inside a cage now and some no longer exist. I was fortunate though to still climb the remaining trees that was left, and while sitting on a branch, I saw it every time... the damage, the eroded mountains, the stripped greens, the masterpiece that took hundreds or even thousands of years in the making, destroyed. Back then I thought the forest will just rejuvenate itself because there is no more mining going and maybe they've done some reforestation... I was wrong.  

After I finished my primary education I left that town and came back over 6 years later. That time the mine has been re-open a year before my arrival. Everything was smaller when I came back. The house, my old room, even the mango tree I used to climb up to the highest branch. I was surprised that that branch is now almost twice as smaller than my arm though the trees' height remains the same. But, there is one thing that didn't seem to be smaller than it was. I thought it should be, but no. In fact it almost tripled its size the last time I remember it. Yes, it is that hideous view.I didn't like it. I was like wth?! That new mine surely knows how to succeed its predecessor. Raping mother nature again and again denying her the chance to heal itself. You are sick! There is no way we can repair the damage that mining have done back to its original complexity. We have to face the fact that we are not GOD. The way the nature form itself cannot be done in human time. We can't imitate something that complex and intricate which its creation took longer than our lifetime. We can try but it won't be pure nature as it is and will be mixed with our flaws and corruption. True we can change our environment for our benefits but always remember that mother nature does know how to counter-punch us of our actions in a killer knock out force.

Now enough with something that we can no longer save. And focused on what we DO can.

PALAWAN.

Do you know that one of the new seven wonders of nature is here in the Philippines?

Yes, I voted for it some years ago and so happy it made itself to the rankings.

For those that didn't know what I'm talking about check this site:
http://www.new7wonders.com/

Under The Provisional New7Wonders of Nature    

You'll see our very own puerto-princesa-underground-river

Do you know which part of the Philippines it is?
Try to look at the map below:

View Larger Map

Zoom out a bit(Use the minus "-" button on the top left) and maybe it will resemble something you saw in the Philippine map.
Familiar? Yes, it is in PALAWAN. Imagine that, one of the new seven wonders of nature is in the Philippines.
Would you want that to be blemished or worst destroyed by mining? Me? NO!
But hey, How can Mining hurt that?
Well, mining is basically removing minerals from the land. To do so, they will need to cut down trees, no trees, no roots, erosion will occur, when rain comes, mine tailing which is toxic will eventually travel with the water, some go underground, some will flow to the agricultural area, making our land unusable, then of course the end part is always be the ocean and hit our coral reef and kill our fishes, then our own wonder is at risk including the wildlife and fellow men in there.

Palawan, has the majority of the only 3% remaining old growth forest of the Philippines.
That 3% percent is the home of 17 key Bio Diversity Sites, 7 protected areas and 2 heritage sites.
When damage is done, restoration is not attainable even with reforestation so it will be lost forever.
The mining company operating in Palawan boast that they planted and grown 800,000 trees in their 238 hectare of mined-out land. It could be true, and if it is, then we are screwed. Why? Surely, if that species of trees could grow in toxic land then they absorb toxic which makes them toxic as well. Therefore infecting other naturally growing trees so as herbivores and the ones connected to the food chains including us.
So yeah, whether you like it or not. You are involved. You're maybe far but it will get you eventually. How? Look at the melting ice caps, was it near? Yet you can't turn off your fan or air-conditioner anymore. That's because you're feeling it. The heat I mean. Do you eat Fish or other sea food? You know where they live right? Don't they travel? Do you know that 50% of fish supply in Manila is from Palawan? Well I live in Cebu, I should be safe. Wait..I do know some fish port for fresh fish, but I'm not sure on which sea they get them...I remember, I have a friend at High School whose father do some major fishing stuff and If memory serves me right I think I heard him saying they go to..OMG Palawan. Well I'm not sure where they sell it though....fishermen goes to a lot of places.

Now enough with that, you may think I' scaring you guys.

How do I prevent bad things to happen?

Well, of course you still can save yourself.
How?
Here are the ways online:

http://no2mininginpalawan.com/2011/04/01/5-ways-you-can-help-save-palawan-right-now/

or
Download the petition sign-up sheets and collect signatures:
english version:
          http://no2mininginpalawan.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/No2MINING-SIGNATURE-EngJRS.jpg
tagalog version:
        http://no2mininginpalawan.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/No2MINING-SIGNTagalogJRS.jpg


LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD!
SAY NO TO MINING IN PALAWAN.
SIGN and SAVE PALAWAN.
SIGN and SAVE YOURSELF.