Palawan diverts attention from mining to tourism

The inclusion of the Puerto Princesa Underground River in the New 7 Wonders of Nature stressed the need to conserve and protect the environment, a Catholic bishop said.

Puerto Princesa Bishop Pedro Arigo maintained that mining operations in Palawan, though it may offer some temporary employment, threatens to destroy their most precious resources: water and soil.

"We don't need mining because tourism alone, using the pristine beauty of nature of Palawan creates livelihood for the people without destroying the environment," Arigo said.

The prelate said the Church and other organizations will continue its campaign against mining and other threats to the environment.

"Mining operations there are ongoing. It's just sad to say that our enemy (in this fight) is the government," according to him.

Arigo made the statement Sunday at the sidelines of the ongoing plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines in Manila.

In a press conference yesterday, Bernard Weber, president of the New 7 Wonders based in Zurich, Switzerland, announced that the PPUR is among the world's seven new wonders of nature.

Also included, Weber said, is the Jeju Island in South Korea. The rest are still being tabulated and verified.

Bishop Arigo lauded the efforts of various organizations and people who campaign and voted for the Palawan River to be one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

"We are very happy with the dwell of hands. The truth is there was really a hard work and we in the Church also helped in the campaign locally and internationally," he said. - CBCP — ARA