Palawan figures prominently in the Philippines and beyond for its stunning natural beauty, immense biological significance, abundant natural resources, and striking human diversity. Commanding the attention of those who study and care about Palawan, however, are some sobering concerns: the corrosive environmental and human consequences of state-sponsored corporate resource extraction, the debatable merits of government and NGO-inspired environmental governance schemes, and the struggles of everyday people to survive in the face of extraordinary global pressures on traditional livelihoods and cultures. This volume’s contributors critically engage these concerns while placing Palawan on the broad stage of an increasingly globalized world: through Palawan’s historical, geographical and religious connections, worldwide trends in economic practices, and the rights and aspirations of indigenous peoples.
Published in 2014.