Saving a Watershed Save Bulanjao Initiative Presentation Environmental Legal Assistance Centre, Inc. (ELAC)

1. SAVING A WATERSHED:
Save Bulanjao Initiative
ENVIRONMENTAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE CENTER, INC. (ELAC)

3. MINING

5. Adverse Health Impacts
• Skin lesions
suffered by a kid
from Sitio
Tagdalongon, Brgy.
Rio Tuba, Bataraza,
Palawan

6. Masamang Epekto sa Kalusugan
Skin lesions suffered by residents of Brgy. Rio Tuba, Bataraza

7. Masamang Epekto sa Kalusugan
Skin lesions suffered by residents of Brgy. Rio Tuba, Bataraza, Palawan

8. BULANJAO INITIATIVE
• Awareness Sessions, Seminars and Trainings
• Survey of Watershed
• Formation of Community Alliance (IPs and
farmers)
• Engagement with local officials and government
agencies (DENR, PCSD, COMELEC)
• Pursuing People’s Initiative or Referendum
• Legal Actions
• Identifying Alternative Strategies (CADT
application)

9. Some updates
• Initial presentation
of the draft
ordinance to the
local community.
• The draft ordinance
shall be the subject
of the proposed
people’s initiative
and referendum

10. Some updates
• Facilitated the
drafting of the
proposed
ordinance for
submission to the
local constituents
through people’s
initiative and
referendum

11. Some updates
• Initial presentation
of the draft
ordinance to the
local community.
• The draft ordinance
shall be the subject
of the proposed
people’s initiative
and referendum

12. Some updates
• Distributed copies
of the primer to
the local
community for
them to better
understand the
provision of RA
7160 on “People’s
Initiative”

13. Some updates
• The case filed by the
community against
RTNMC was dismissed
by the PCSD
Adjudication Board
citing that there was
“no road construction”
and “there were no
boulders thrown to the
cliff or trees cut down”

14. Some updates
NO ROAD CONSTRUCTION ON TOP OF
BULANJAO??

15. Some updates
“PROGRESSIVE
REHABILITATION”

16. Some updates
A Municipal Kagawad and Chair of
Committees on Environment and
IP Concerns is currently applying
FGLA within the ancestral domain
of the Pala’wan tribe particularly
Pipineten Falls . He named the
Falls after his name: “Kennedy
Falls”
Pipineten Falls

17. Insights
• Strengthen Efforts to Support Community
Livelihood Activities
• Continuing Dialogues with government
officials and personnel who are neutral and
can appreciate the community issues, the
value of watershed vs. mining
• Continuous Strategizing with Partners
• Identifying Possible Champions
• Need for Persistence and Resilience