Cong. Panaligan to Refile Bill on Mindoro Mining Ban

Oriental Mindoro First District Congressman Arnan Panaligan has said he will refile legislation to ban mining across Mindoro Island as environmental groups continue to object extractive industries in the biodiversity hotspot.

The Mindoreño lawmaker announced the move during oath-taking ceremonies for newly elected officials in Oriental Mindoro on June 17, 2025.

Panaligan said the two other congressmen — Second District Rep. Alfonso Umali Jr. and Occidental Mindoro’s lone District Rep. Leody Tarriela—will serve as principal co-authors of the mining ban legislation, presenting a unified front from all three representatives covering the island.

Panaligan’s original mining prohibition bill passed committee level in the 19th Congress but stalled before reaching plenary debates.

The 10,244-square-kilometer island has attracted foreign mining companies. These firms received environmental clearances to mine across 208,561 hectares – nearly 20 percent of Occidental Mindoro’s total land area.

However, mining activities have generated people’s resistance.

Occidental Mindoro previously enacted a 25-year moratorium on major excavations, though the Supreme Court nullified this ban in 2018.

Environmental groups cite issues over water contamination, lack of indigenous consent, food security threats and rainforest destruction.

The island hosts globally-recognized biodiversity and indigenous Mangyan communities whose livelihoods depend on forest and marine resources that activists say are threatened by extractive operations.

Mining contributes approximately one percent to national GDP and receives government backing as an investment driver, though critics argue benefits rarely affect people’s economic status.

Environmental advocates continue pressing for stronger protections in biodiverse islands like Mindoro, which conservation groups identify as a global priority area for endemic species preservation.