These are the words that welcome every visitor of the No to Mining in Palawan website:
Much has been said about it and like any other hot topics in the Philippines of course this one has its pros and cons. You may wonder if every Filipinos agree? Obviously not really and most people that are against the petition are...
Guess who?
... the locals.
If you were to look at the blog of Dr. Ortega's colleague you'll be enlightened on how some people repulse on the harm that mining brought to our environment particularly in Palawan. They said it had better their lives. Mining had been their families' source of income and no damaged had been done in their place because they are doing responsible mining.
First and foremost What is Mining?
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or (coal) seam. The term also includes the removal of soil.
Mining of stone and metal has been done since pre-historic times. Modern mining processes involve prospecting for ore bodies, analysis of the profit potential of a proposed mine, extraction of the desired materials and finally reclamation of the land to prepare it for other uses once the mine is closed.
The nature of mining processes creates a potential negative impact on the environment both during the mining operations and for years after the mine is closed. This impact has led to most of the world's nations adopting regulations to moderate the negative effects of mining operations. Safety has long been a concern as well, though modern practices have improved safety in mines significantly.I know mining is also important for us because they give us essential things we use everyday. I'm also for responsible mining but in the case of Palawan...
According to Hagedorn, the ecosystem in Palawan, though, is fragile with the island's narrow shape and thin layer of topsoil that makes it prone to erosion, and this is one good reason why mining should be banned.Source: abs-cbnnews.com
People should stop being selfish once and for all in this case. Mining has a long term effect in the environment and if we were only to think about the now maybe we will never reach tomorrow if everything will be destroyed by today.
For the people who work in the mining industries specifically in Palawan I know it's hard to find jobs now but it's not impossible to venture into something else that won't include mining for a living.
Please open your eyes and just this once don't just live at the moment, look up and envision the future, the future which will may not include you but surely will include your children and your children's children. You may need to feed your children now but you can always feed them some other ways.
Filipinos are ingenious and smart enough that I know we can always survive and thrive in shaky grounds but not that too literal if you know what I mean.
Hence I support the signature campaign that was launched after Dr. Gerardo "Doc Gerry" Ortega (a civic leader, environmentalist and broadcaster) had been shot in the head and killed in January 24, 2011.
My university organization that I will be forever part of supports it too and even had a booth inside the campus dedicated solely for getting signatures.
Now I will leave you with this video and I hope it makes you ponder and realize why we should all go sign the campaign:
God bless Palawan, Men save Palawan.
2 Thoughts:
Thank you for bringing this important issue to light and explaining it to your readers in more detail.
Your welcome. This is actually my little way in helping mother earth and giving back to the community and the least I can do for now.
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