Nickel mining threatens Philippine island’s ecosystem, Vatican newspaper warns

July 09, 2025

L’Osservatore Romano devoted the most prominent front-page coverage in its July 8 edition to the “deforestation, heavy metal contamination, and health problems” that are “the main effects of nickel mining” on the Philippine island of Palawan.

In “Filippine: Ecosistema sotto minaccia“ [Philippines: Ecosystem under threat], Francesco Citterich reported that “nickel mining—essential, among other things, for producing batteries for electric vehicles and many types of stainless steel—has significant environmental and social impacts, raising concerns, especially for local communities, but also for biodiversity ... The impact on the region’s biodiversity is also devastating and is limiting people’s access to traditional natural resources.”

In his report, Citterich drew heavily on a recent Agence France-Presse article.

 

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Further information:

• Filippine: Ecosistema sotto minaccia (L'Osservatore Romano)