2 MIN READ

By JOSEPH GREGORIO
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY—On October 13, residents of two barangays in Mankayan, Benguet, held a mass—not in a church or hall, but on the barricade they set up earlier this month to prevent a mining company from exploring their lands.

The Kankanaey communities of Barangays Bulalacao and Guinaoang oppose the exploration by Crescent Mining and Development Corporation (CMDC), saying it threatens their residential areas, farmland, and watersheds.

Guinaoang elder Gary Dulag said they are standing guard for their livelihood and future generations. “Paano na ang aming kabuhayan at ang kinabukasan ng aming mga anak, apo kung sisirain ng minahan ang lugar namin?” he asked.

(How will our livelihood and the future of our children and grandchildren be if the mine destroys our land?)

Coinciding with the event was the launch of the No Mines Movement of Guinaoang and Bulalacao, which aims to “work for the preservation, protection, and enhancement of cultural values… [and] natural and land resources.”

The community blockade follows an earlier call by elders and leaders to cancel the renewed mining permit, citing the lack of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). The Mines and Geosciences Bureau announced the renewal of the company’s Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) in March 2022, covering 533.4 hectares within their ancestral domain after it expired in November 2021.

“The process done in the renewal of the MPSA of CMDC is tainted with corrupt practices committed by officials in government agencies tasked to protect our rights as indigenous peoples,” said the community declaration read by Dulag.

“Hence, there is a strong need for us to unite and fight against this corruption that undermines our cultural, social, economic, and political rights,” it added.

In December 2024, Bulalacao barangay officials filed administrative and criminal complaints against former and current officials of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the MGB-CAR for alleged irregularities in the company’s permit renewal.

A major concern for residents is the potential impact of the mining project on their water resources, vital to their rice paddies and vegetable gardens. The streams from the area eventually flow into the main tributaries of the Abra River.

“The integrity of our water system is non-negotiable. It supports our entire way of life, from our crops to our health,” said Punong Barangay Satur Anton of Bulalacao, whose village is at the center of the disputed MPSA area.

Residents have been preparing for the barricade since August, following reports of drilling equipment stationed near Guinaoang despite strong community opposition. In June 2022, the community also built a barricade to stop CMDC from continuing its exploration after it installed drilling equipment in Bulalacao.#nordis.net