By Othel V. Campos

Environment Secretary Joselito Atienza yesterday ordered a moratorium on the processing of mining applications in southern Palawan.

Atienza issued the order at the request of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development to stop illegal actitivities at the 120,000-hectare Mt. Mantalingahan, which is proposed to be declared a protected area.

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.

Mt. Mantalingahan straddles the municipalities of Quezon, Brooke?s Point, Espa?ola, Rizal and Bataraza, populated mostly by Tagbanuas who are one of indigenous 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 will cover the whole of Mt. Mantalingahan.

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

The moratorium also included small miners in the area.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau records show that there are four Mineral Production Agreements undertaking exploration covering a total area of 6,535 hectares.

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