Palawan: A Tinderbox An Assessment of Environment and Natural Resource Use (ENR) Conflicts B.C. Bagadion, Jr., E.A. Soriano, G.O. Mendoza, M.V. Leomo Draft 12.08.07 Palawan… UNESCO designated “Man and Biosphere Reserve,” home to seven protected areas; two UNESCO World Heritage Sites The last frontier of the country’s distinctive center of biodiversity

1. Palawan: A Tinderbox An Assessment of Environment and Natural Resource Use (ENR) Conflicts B.C. Bagadion, Jr., E.A. Soriano, G.O. Mendoza, M.V. Leomo Supported by: Draft 12.08.07

2. Palawan… UNESCO designated “Man and Biosphere Reserve,” home to seven protected areas; two UNESCO World Heritage Sites The last frontier of the country’s distinctive center of biodiversity Puerto Prinsesa Subterranean River National Park Tubbataha Reefs National Park

3. Palawan… UNESCO designated “Man and Biosphere Reserve,” home to seven protected areas; two UNESCO World Heritage Sites The last frontier of the country’s distinctive center of biodiversity El Nido-Taytay Resource Management Protected Area Ursula Island Game Refuge and Bird Sanctuary

4. Palawan… UNESCO designated “Man and Biosphere Reserve,” home to seven protected areas; two UNESCO World Heritage Sites The last frontier of the country’s distinctive center of biodiversity Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary Coron Island

5. CENTERS OF PLANT DIVERSITY in the Philippines areas rich in plant species, large number of endemic species, diverse range of habitats. Cox 1988, DENR-UNEP 1997 Fernando et al. (2006) 10 Palawan Island 9 Coron Island 18 Mt Apo Mindanao Island 8 Mt Halcon Mindoro Island* 17 Agusan Marsh Mindanao Island 7 Mt Iraya Batan Island 16 Mt Kitanglad Mindanao Island 6 Mt Isarog Luzon Island 15 Mt Baloy Panay Island* 5 Lobo, Batangas Luzon Island* 14 Mt Talinis + Lake Balinsayao Negros Island* 4 Mt Makiling Luzon Island 13 Mt Kanlaon Negros Island 3 Mt Arayat Luzon Island 12 Mt Guiting-guiting Sibuyan Island 2 Mt Pulag Luzon Island 11 Southern Samar Samar Island 1 Sierra Madre Mountains Luzon Island 7 2 1 6 4 3 11 5 8 12 15 9 10 13 14 16 17 18

6. 128 Key Biodiversity Areas in the Philippines E.O. 578 Establishing the National Policy on Biological Diversity throughout the country… Sec. 3 …establishment of critical habitats within Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs)… (Credit: Conservation International)

9. Philippines 88 Conservation Priority Areas for Plants ~ Important Plant Areas Based on presence of endangered species, endemism and taxon richness, habitat diversity, degree of exploration Fernando et al. (2006)

16. Brewing Tensions

20. ECAN Map of southern Palawan with the tenement mining claims

22. ECAN map of Bataraza

23. ECAN map of Brooke’s Point

26. Photo taken by Conservation International (May 2006); picture shows road construction made by Platinum Group of Metals Corporation (PGMC) in connection with small scale mining operations in Barangay San Isidro, Municipality of Narra, Province of Palawan

27. Closer view of PGMC mine site; Photo by Bandillo ng Palawan (August 2007)

28. Portion of the RTNMC mining area and HPP complex showing the adjacent Mt. Bulanjao Range (Photo by Conservation International)

29. Photo (by Conservation International) showing mining operations the foot of Mt. Bulanjao Range. Expansion of mining activities are being pursued in the Bulanjao range which is still covered with old growth and second growth forests.

31. ECAN map of Narra

32.  the associations intake dams built from NIA-loans are affected by the mining project’s siltation pond.  2 farmer irrigation associations opposing; mining area is their watershed;

33. PNNI 2007  Construction of siltation pond, Narra Nickel PNNI 2007  Intake dam of CISA in Narra

36. ECAN Map with mining projects of Paly Island

41. Tubbataha Reefs National Park

42. Consensus and trust building

51. Host communities…. “… . improvement sin community infrastructure, jobs and livelihood creation, skills trainin g..” IP Representative Farmer Representative