Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Lito Atienza today (Jan. 31) ordered a moratorium on the processing of new mining applications in southern Palawan .

Secretary Atienza’s order was in response to the request of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) to impose a moratorium on the acceptance and processing of new mining applications, including small-scale mining, pending the declaration of the 120,000-hectare Mt. Mantalingahan as a protected area.

“ Mt. Mantalingahan is a key biodiversity area, and we have to evaluate first the best and optimal use of the area that would be most advantageous to the national interest,” Atienza said.

Mt. Mantalingahan straddles the municipalities of Quezon, Brooke’s Point, Espanola, Rizal and Bataraza, populated mostly by Tagbanuas who are one of indigenous peoples groups in Palawan . It is considered as one of the most important resources in southern Palawan , being the habitat of various threatened and endemic flora and fauna and its large remaining forests cover several watersheds.

“ Palawan is the country’s last frontier in forestry as well as in biodiversity thus, we need to ensure its sustainable development,” Atienza stressed.

Atienza expressed concern over reports of growing number of mining applications in the area which, if aggregated, will cover the whole of Mt. Mantalingahan .

The moratorium will affect 65 large scale mining rights applications within the proposed protected area now pending at the DENR. Covering a total of 116,999.57 hectares, the applied areas represent around 97% of the total area of Mt. Mantalingahan .

DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) records show that there are four (4) Mineral Production Agreements (MPSA) undertaking exploration covering a total area of 6,535 hectares, of which 4,472.48 hectares.

Atienza signed the moratorium during the launching of regional people’s hour in Puerto Princesa City , where some 50 local residents took advantage of his presence to bring up their problems and concerns.

The conduct of regional people’s hour, personally presided by Secretary Atienza, is one of the Department’s strategies to bring the government, particularly environmental programs and services, straight to the people, as envisioned by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Earlier, Atienza stopped the processing and issuance of environmental compliance certificates for small-scale mining projects in the whole of Palawan.