Write a letter for the Palawan

How you can help

A Palawan hunting birds with blowpipe in Culasian. At least eight vegetable species are employed in the making of the poison.
© Dario Novellino

Please write to the Secretary of Department of Environment and Natural Resources to raise your concern about the situation facing the Palawan.

If you have time, please also write to these other addresses (pdf file) – your letters make a real difference.

Mr Ramon J.P. Paje
Acting Secretary
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
2/F DENR Bldg.
Visayas Avenue
Quezon City 1104  
Philippines

February 09, 2012

Honorable Ramon J.P. Paje

The ancestral lands of the indigenous people of Palawan island are under great threat from the numerous mining concessions that have been granted on their land. Some of these are even in areas which are supposed to be protected. Thousands of hectares of biofuel plantations, especially oil palm, are also planned, which will also devastate the forests the Palawan people need to survive.

I am particularly alarmed that the Department for Environment and Natural Resources has given the go-ahead to MacroAsia to mine on the traditional land of the Palawan tribe, despite the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development refusing to give clearance pending further investigation.

I am concerned about the future of the isolated Palawan communities living around Mt. Gantong and the Mantalingahan range, whose ancestral land is being claimed for nickel mining. Large scale mining will still go ahead, despite the moratorium on small-scale mining, and the lands of the vulnerable and isolated Palawan communities are still threatened because, despite the declaration of a protected area, prior mining claims are still valid.

I urge the National Government to revoke the 1995 Mining Act, which has been so disastrous for indigenous peoples in the Philippines, and to ensure that no further exploration, mining or plantations should be allowed, in Palawan, without the genuine free, prior and informed consent of the communities.

Finally, I urge you to ensure that the Palawan’s land is recognized and protected in accordance with the Indigenous Peoples Right Act and with international law.

Yours sincerely,

Will my letter make a difference?
Yes. Time and again, letters from Survival supporters have called governments and organisations to account. Policies have changed and lives have been saved.

Should I post, fax or e-mail?
The most powerful way is to print and post your letter. We will e-mail you a ready-to-print PDF of your letter, together with postage information.

We sometimes also publish e-mail addresses or fax numbers where there is a realistic chance of these being read. However, e-mail addresses change and fax machines get unplugged. If you can, please post your letter.

Write a letter for the Palawan

1. Write your letter, then 2. Complete it and 3. Mail it

How you can help