Illegal logging in Philippines’ Palawan stokes fears of a mining resurgence

Since November 2020, Indigenous people have observed trees that have been illegally felled within a mining concession in southern Palawan, an island in the western Philippines.
The forests are sacred to the Indigenous Pala’wan people, who have for decades fought against plans to mine the area.
Against the backdrop of loosening restrictions on mining both nationally and locally, Pala’wan leaders and local NG0s say the logging could be a precursor for a resurgence of mining.
The concession holder has denied any link to the illegal activity, while the government’s mining agency has said it wasn’t done at the company’s initiative.