Fr. Robert Reyes, known in the Philippines as the “running priest”, stressed that Palawan should not accommodate the building of any shopping mall or other large establishments in the province and in Puerto Princesa City.

“Palawan is very clean and has a beautiful environment. This is what we call life,” Reyes, who joined the Bike for Nature II Feb. 15, said.

The priest was impressed by Palawan’s environment, reiterating that shopping malls might cause the destruction of the province’s natural features as well as the values of the people.

“Malls are mining in different forms. They are sucking not minerals, but the money and spirit of people,” Reyes explained.

He cited Baguio as an example of a place affected by shopping malls. According to him, he fought, together with the people of Baguio, against the establishment of a mall in the city.

“A mall entered Baguio and was constructed in the former Pines Hotel. There are so many people, vehicles, and wastes and Baguio is now slowly destroyed,” Reyes said during Bike for Nature’s dinner party.

The running priest warned that if a mall is to be established in the city or province, “I will run wherever I am and I will save the Palaweños.”

Reyes also expressed his position against mining in the province, stressing that Palawan is the greenest in the Philippines. According to him, the province should oppose mining “from north to south.”

“Mining will also be sucking minerals, resources, livelihood and agricultural productivity of people,” he said. Reyes also related that whenever people call him to ask for help on mining and environment issues, he always cites Palawan as a model province.

“Palawan have succeeded to preserve and to keep it healthy not only for Palaweños but for all the coming generations of Filipinos,” the priest said.

Reyes would return in Puerto Princesa June of this year for the annual tree-planting activity Pista Y Ang Cagueban or Feast of the Forest.