Palawan is a biodiversity sanctuary. It is home to many of the country's endemic species, a habitat of wildlife, and a host to 40% of our remaining mangrove areas and 30% of our coral reefs. It has 17 key biodiversity areas (KBAs), 2 world heritage sites, and 8 declared protected areas.
But mining strips away these wonders from Filipinos.
Only 3% of our country's old growth forest cover remains -- an alarming fact for a nation that needs at least 45% forest cover to protect lives and regulate natural processes.
Mining is both extractive and destructive: it entails uprooting trees and digging holes on the earth. It leaves behind a barren land of absolutely nothing but a trail of tears for sorry Filipinos.
We give up generations' worth of food, livelihood, water and air for a sector that consists merely 2% of our country's annual Gross National Product. What's worse is we're only a small country surrounded by huge bodies of water. With climate change and its effects, inevitable, what makes us think that mining is our future?
Save Palawan. Save the Philippines. No to mining.
Sign up to the 10 Million Signature Drive of the Save the Palawan Movement.
3 Ways to make your voice heard:
1. Cast your vote online.
2. Download the Petition Form and ask your family, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, etc. to sign.
3. By SMS.
- Text: No2mining (space) name/age/location
- Send to 2366
* Note:Php 2.50 per text
Go Social! Advocate online.
By Facebook,
By Twitter, and
By email.
Supplemental Readings:
1. Oposa, Ana. Paradise Not Yet Lost: 10 million signatures to save Palawan. Philippine Online Chronicles.
2. Economic and Social Statistics Office, National Statistical Coordination Board. Gross National Product and Gross Domestic Product by Industrial Origin at Current Prices.
3. The Society of St. Columban. A Report from a Recent Fact-Finding Mission on Mining. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
4. Kuwait China Investment Company. Philippines' Country Profile 2010.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I had to delete your post as we have to be constructive with our criticisms. FPIC has taken accountability for the gas leak and has been doing the necessary measures in partnership with the Makati LGU.
Nonetheless, we should support the Save the Palawan Movement not for the persons involved in the campaign; rather, we should sign up and spread the word for the cause itself and more importantly, for the generations of Filipinos who will benefit from this. :-)
All the best,
Joyce Talag