Palawan is composed of a long main island lying in a northeast to southwest axis and surrounding it are clusters of lesser islands. The main island has a tall steep mountain spine running down its length fringed by narrow coastal plans protected from storm waves by fringing coral reefs and mangrove swamps. Although seemingly lush and bountiful, the environment of Palawan is fragile and its topsoils are relatively thin, poor and prone to erosion.
The company’s road is already causing serious environmental damage such as landslides, soil erosion and deforestation of the watersheds. Under a provincial government initiative, many thousands of hectares of oil palm and other agro-fuels have been planted in Palawan. This is having a devastating impact on the biodiversity of the region and is limiting people’s access to customary natural resources. The Palawan have not been properly consulted about either the mining projects or the oil palm plantations. The Philippine government is also delaying the implementation of the country’s Indigenous People’s Rights Act (IPRA), which provides for the identification, delineation and recognition of indigenous land. The mining projects on Palawan Island clearly violate this and other Philippine laws.
Last 3 February 2011, the Save Palawan Movement, a multi-sectoral coalition of concerned environmental groups, launched the “No to Mining in Palawan” signature campaign. The group hopes to put an end to mining activities in the place it calls the “Philippines' Last Ecological Frontier.”
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