Mining threat to remote tribe in Philippines
The Palawan live in the south of Palawan Island in the Philippines.
Thousands of new settlers and a big mining push by the Philippine government now pose a serious threat to the tribe.
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| A Palawan climbing an aerial bridge made of rattan canes to reach a ginuqu tree canopy. © Dario Novellino |
The Palawan live in the south of Palawan Island in the Philippines, both in the mountainous interior and in the lowlands.
There are around 40,000 Palawan in total. Some of those in the interior are very isolated and have little contact with outsiders.
The Palawan are shifting cultivators, clearing a small area of forest and growing food on it before moving on and allowing the forest to regenerate.
They grow upland rice, which they believe has a ‘human-like personality’. They also collect honey and hunt wild pigs.
In 2000, a road was built around the island, attracting thousands of new settlers from other parts of the Philippines and forcing many Palawan further inland.
In 2006 there was a big mining push by the Philippine government. The President called for a revitalization of mining across the nation. This now poses an even more serious threat to the Palawan communities.
Hundreds of mining applications have been made by companies seeking nickel and chromite, as well as other resources, on indigenous peoples’ land on the island, including the areas where isolated Palawan live.
In 2008, a 25-year moratorium on small-scale mining in Palawan was passed. However, large-scale exploration and extraction are set to continue, especially in areas inhabited by the vulnerable and isolated Palawan communities.
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| A family of Tau’t Batu (People of the Cave) at the entrance of Pangi-Pangi cave, in Singnapan Valley. © Dario Novellino |
Open pit and strip mining would devastate the mountains and forests, pollute the rivers and the sea, and destroy the Palawan’s burial sites, important landmarks and spiritual places.
Survival is campaigning with local organizations to stop mining on the Palawan’s land without their genuine full and informed consent.
We are also urging the Philippine government to officially recognize and protect their territory, in accordance with Philippine law.