Senate Hearing - Manila Philippines

Berong, Quezon (Palawan)

Bataraza, Palawan

Heavy Metal Poisoning (Marinduque)

Dead Mogpog River – Acid Mine Drainage

Healthy Rice Field which is in danger due to the acid mine drainage to be brought by Intex Resources (Oriental Mindoro)

Barren Rice Field which is biologically dead for 16 years due to mine tailings of Marcopper (Marinduque)

Other side of the river used to be a rice field, but is now dead due to the toxic chemicals from operations of Victoria Gold Mines in Benguet. Farmers built a small barrier to prevent contamination on the other side.

Used to be a healthy rice field with 7.33 M kg of rice worth US$ 2.27M per annum, but is now dead due to the toxic pollution of the rivers caused by mining. (Cervantes, Ilocos)

Mining on top of the Rice Field (Narra, Palawan)

Pictures taken by: Save Palawan Movement

Mining on top of the Rice Field

Pictures taken by: Save Palawan Movement

Farmlands with laterite soils

Pictures taken by: Palawan NGO Network Inc. (PNNI)

Normal color of water overflowing during heavy rains

Part of farmlands with laterite in Purok 2

Pictures taken by: Palawan NGO Network Inc. (PNNI)

TRACES OF LATERITE NEAR FARMLANDS

Pictures taken by: Palawan NGO Network Inc. (PNNI)

Agriculture 56.33 54.61 51.15 47.10 48.28 46.10 47.84 47.92

Mining 27.84 28.63 30.22 29.50 34.80 41.27 34.64 48.71

Manufacturing 24.29 22.13 15.71 13.72 14.96 14.51 16.19 17.79

Utilities 8.73 11.41 8.23 7.58 4.43 4.12 7.44 3.23

Construction 37.21 34.70 29.40 22.27 25.83 21.49 25.19 24.52

Trade 21.42 21.31 15.77 13.34 12.89 10.72 13.87 13.12

Transportation & Communication 27.28 20.89 18.45 14.33 15.16 12.79 15.62 18.25

Finance 10.21 9.27 4.85 3.60 7.37 4.83 4.13 2.54

Services 17.42 15.09 12.35 9.76 9.56 9.06 12.41 11.94

Unemployed 23.28 19.53 16.81 13.01 13.13 10.51 12.65 12.83

Table A1. Poverty Incidence (Population), 1988-2009, (in %)

Group 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009

A. Mangrove B. Forest C. Coral

D. Cropland

E. Human Settlement

F. River/Creek

G. Seagrass beds

The mining area with open pit is letter H. B2 represents denuded forest. The darker tint of the coral reef at the left side represents dead corals.

(Alan White, Author of Philippine Coral Reefs: A Natural History Guide)

Source: PAGASA

A total of 1128 tropical cyclones entered the PAR and 56 % of this tropical cyclone reached typhoon intensity. Each year, the Philippines is hit by an average of 20 typhoons.