WHEN Republic Act 7611 or the 'Strategic Environment Plan (SEP) for Palawan Act' became a law, the province acquired a strong foundation for clear policies on the protection of the environment – Palawan being touted as the country's 'last biodiversity frontier.'

SEP then created the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), giving the local government of Palawan direct jurisdiction over its natural resources.

The agency is seen driving the efforts to uphold and implement sustainable development in Palawan, taking advantage of newly-available scientific data, while establishing a system that controls, protects and develops Palawan's natural resources.

Two contentious national issues push the role of PCSD under the microscope – one, that some of the province's fishing grounds, particularly in Kalayan, form part of the West Philippine Sea; The second contentious issue that PCSD has to address arises from the new policy pronouncements on mining agreements.

According to Teodoro Jose Matta, Executive Director of PCSD, 'on Palawan's shoulders lie that task of showing how to strike a balance between the desired social and economic growth and the preservation of the country's natural resources.'

Matta explained that PCSD develops methods in order to achieve this 'balance.'

One method is the Environmentally Critical Areas Network, which provides a graded system of protection and development control over the terrestrial, coastal and marine components of the province.

While some dissent against mining is expected, the fact that environmentally sound mining practices (or responsible mining) exist should also be considered.

According to Harry Roque, Presidential Spokesperson, a recent visitor to Rio Tuba Mining in Palawan, 'in a period of economic struggle, responsible mining should be treated as a promising economic contributor that can bring development especially to the local communities where economic stimulus is needed the most.'

Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Philippines is one of the world's richly-endowed countries in mineral resources.