Locals in the Philippines' Palawan hope a moratorium will stop a nickel mining boom
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Swathes of the Mantalingahan mountains have been deforested, producing floods
Workers armed with brooms, goggles, hats and scarves sweep an access road that carries 6,000 tonnes of ore destined for China each day
Thousands of trees have been cleared since January, according to locals
While Palawan's moratorium will not stop Rio Tuba's expansion or Ipilan's operations, supporters believe it will slow further mining
Moharen Tambiling (C), his sister Alayma (R) and their mother stand on their farm next to stockpiled nickel ore in Palawan province
Legally, Indigenous residents have the right to refuse projects and share profits, but critics say the process is rarely clear
Mining company Ipilan says increased production will result in greater royalties for Indigenous people and higher tax revenues
A nickel stockpile towers over farmer Moharen Tambiling's rice paddy in the Philippines' Palawan, evidence of a mining boom that locals hope a…
A Philippine provincial government has voted in favour of a 50-year ban on new mining permits