Dear Ms. Pedrosa,
Yes the campaign is for the entire Palawan. And yes we want to give a bad name to mining in Palawan. Mining in Palawan should not be. Its island eco system is fragile. It contains part of 70% biodiversity that is needed for the planet to survive. It has two world heritage sites... eight declared protected areas. It is a thin island with 82% mountains. Mining would wreck havoc on the coral reefs.
We are not launching the 10 million signature campaign because Gerry died. We had meetings on it even while he was alive. What triggered the idea of the signature campaign was the approval of two huge mining applications near a beautiful protected area Mt. Matanglihan in December.
Ignorant poor? The ignorant poor are actually quite enlightened. One barangay captain fought because the exploration was being done in the farm to market road of his area - and he got suspended. Ignorant poor? What fuels me is the speech of a katutubo - I could feel his pain as he said: “They make our children lawyers but they take away our mountains. We will always be poor but at least we have fish in the sea, good air to breathe, land to grow food. And this is free. Mining will take away even that. “I and Gerry literally cried when we heard him talk. He talked of his angst at the approval of a mining application in his area - with lush waterfalls and endangered species of plants.
Campaign against the poor? As per official records Bataraza is one of the poorest municipalities in Palawan. It lags behind in terms of service delivery: electricity, water, social services - and Bataraza has been host to a mining site for 30 years!!!! If you are so into the economy - why don’t you look at the booming economy of Puerto Princesa which has banned mining, logging and focused on agriculture and tourism. Why don’t you look at my eco tourism sites where people’s revenues have gone up almost ten times in just three years.
Fortunes? I think you should look at the shift of fortune of officials approving the mining as compared to the communities where the minerals come from. I think you should look at the Malampaya fund - which should have gone to benefit the lives of the Palawenos - and then wonder why are the Palawenos still poor?
You think agriculture and tourism are not enough? I beg to disagree. It is totally enough if it is surrounded by corrupt free governance. Agriculture and tourism can make Palawenos very rich - provided there is no corruption. The Malampaya fund alone - P120 billion of it ... if it was used to make people’s lives better - then they would not be vulnerable to mining’s carrot on a stick approach.
Mining in a widely protected area should not be. Core zones should not be shifted to accommodate mining claims. One 50-year-old tree renders P9 million to the eco system in terms of oxygen, water, organic material, and habitat.... If you really love the country and are concerned about global warming and climate change you should sign the petition instead of consistently bringing it down.