Old Stones and Old Souls

Old Stones and Old Souls

Gems and shingles smothered with evaporated sweat and blood circumvent nearly everywhere in our society today. Mountains destroyed, trees cut, and landforms ruined just to acquire worldly materials and resources to gratify the greed and thirst of the society. Selfish interests satisfied, while the environment is being compromised. In the Philippines, humans, through mining and deep rock excavations are currently subduing a rich and biologically diverse environment to extreme ecological abuse; the dying oasis is called Palawan.

Known all over the world as the Philippine’s Last Frontier, Palawan is an island filled with natural wonders and resources. Home of lofty mountains, vast rainforests and the world’s longest underground river, it is situated between Mindoro Island and North Borneo. It harbors a massive expanse of tropical rainforests and marine wilderness; Sloping mountain ranges run the length of the mainland, with thick trees providing sanctuary to many rare fauna species. However, this sanctuary is not immune from environmental abuse and exploitation.

Since 1970, large and wealthy private mining companies have already established individual stations in Palawan. One enterprise in the said island was called Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Development Corporation (RTN). Rio Tuba is a town in Palawan known for its rich nickel mineral reserves. The primary site of RTN is located in Rio Tuba, wherein a US$180-million expanded Hydrometallurgical Processing Plant (HPP) was constructed. This machine was built to extract nickel from low-grade ores.

All of these alterations in the environment and constructions of new technological instruments in Rio Tuba made this mining firm become an influential establishment in Palawan in terms of economic and societal development. People were more than satisfied for it seemed like everything was instituted for their benefit. Schools were constructed, hospitals were built and citizens had jobs. Both the...