When Forests Hold, Communities Hold: Palawan’s Floods and the Rights of Nature
As floods test Palawan’s resilience, ELAC reflects on the link between forest protection, local governance, and the growing call to recognize nature’s right to thrive.
November 2025 | Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC)
As Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) brought heavy rainfall and flooding across northern Palawan, local governments in Coron, El Nido, Taytay, and Roxas issued preemptive evacuation orders and flood alerts. Once again, Palawan’s communities are reminded that intact forests and healthy watersheds are the island’s first line of defense against worsening storms and disasters.
In Sitio Carayan, Taradungan, Roxas, Palawan, debris carried by Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) clogged a culvert, disrupting drainage and worsening local flooding.. Photo by Jaime E. Arceo Jr.
While there is no large-scale mining in northern Palawan, ongoing quarry operations, road cuts, and land clearing have increased erosion and surface runoff in several barangays, compounding flood risks. Residents and civil society groups have repeatedly called for stronger environmental oversight to prevent further damage to slopes and waterways.
Science is clear: forest destruction magnifies flooding. Forests and mangroves slow down water flow, trap sediment, and reduce the impacts of heavy rainfall. When they are lost, the soil’s natural sponge collapses—and communities downstream pay the price.
Against this backdrop, the recent endorsement by the Brooke’s Point Municipal Council to renew the Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) Clearance of Ipilan Nickel Corporation (INC) sits uneasily beside the province’s 50-Year Mining Moratorium and the SEP-ECAN Law (RA 7611). These laws were designed precisely to keep Palawan’s upland and watershed forests intact—because what happens in the south affects the island’s ecological balance as a whole.
Read ELAC’s full press statement on Brooke’s Point here.
Beyond policy: affirming the rights of nature
The growing climate crisis is also a moral reminder. As ELAC Palawan notes, it is time to start promoting the rights of nature—the recognition that forests, rivers, and ecosystems have an inherent right to exist, regenerate, and thrive, independent of human use.
While the Philippine Environment and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS) Law mentions this principle (Section 12) and a bill on the Rights of Nature is still pending in Congress, Palawan’s leadership can act now. Upholding the 50-Year Moratorium, enforcing ECAN zoning, and stopping destructive extractive activities already affirm nature’s right to heal and sustain life.
This moral shift was echoed globally at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, where the Rights of Nature framework gained momentum as a foundation for ecological justice. For Palawan, adopting this perspective means viewing the province not merely as a resource base, but as a living island of life with intrinsic value.
A landslide along a coastal road in Sitio Carayan, Taradungan, Roxas, Palawan, after Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi). Soil erosion and fallen trees blocked the route, revealing how fragile upland slopes become when forest cover is lost. This is just a glimpse of the damage left by Typhoon Tino.
Photo by Rez O. Arceo
From law to action: a call for coherence and care
From law to action: a call for coherence and careELAC calls for:
- Full enforcement of the 50-Year Mining Moratorium (Provincial Ordinance No. 3646, s.2025);
- Stricter quarry regulation and monitoring in northern municipalities;
- Stronger forest protection and reforestation in upland watersheds;
- and the mainstreaming of the Rights of Nature in local environmental planning and education.
Protecting nature’s rights means protecting people’s rights—to safety, food, water, and a livable future.
When forests hold, communities hold.
When we protect nature, we protect ourselves.
Together, let’s keep Palawan’s forests standing. 
