"Philippines’ ‘last ecological frontier’ battles demand for nickel", 31 July 2025

Home to several endemic species like the endangered Philippine pangolin, the province of Palawan has faced threats to its biodiversity for decades from illegal wildlife trafficking to deforestation.

Now the island’s forests and communities are vulnerable to mining for its nickel, with the Philippines ramping up operations to meet global demand for metals and minerals to support the green energy transition.

“When you mine nickel, you have to remove the topsoil and forest vegetation, displacing wildlife and causing deforestation,” said Grizelda Mayo-Anda, director of the Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC), a legal group promoting environmental rights.

In response, Palawan Gov. Dennis Socrates signed a 50-year moratorium … on all applications for mining agreements and exploration permits in the province…

“There should be strict no-go zones… stricter and more rigorous social and environmental due diligence assessments and respect for the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities,” Lea Guerrero, director, Greenpeace Philippines

Nickel in the Philippines is primarily mined from laterite deposits commonly found near the surface and extracted through open-pit mining methods, and Mayo-Anda said thousands of trees have been cleared in Palawan for mining.

… The Philippine government must “develop its mineral resources responsibly for the good of the many,” and Palawan “cannot and should not limit the national government’s ability to do so,” it said.

Jose Bayani Baylon, senior vice president of Nickel Asia Corp., said mining-related impacts are “designed to be temporary” and differ from permanent land conversion such as urban development and agriculture…

Greenpeace Philippines Director Lea Guerrero said critical mineral mining must be controlled to ensure it respects human rights and that alternatives are developed such as above-ground and recycled minerals.

“There should be strict no-go zones…, stricter and more rigorous social and environmental due diligence assessments and respect for the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities,” Guerrero said…