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Kalinga folk oppose corporate mining

BAGUIO CITY (Nov. 4) — Two hundred fifty delegates representing the municipalities of Tabuk, Bulanao, Pinukpuk, Lubuagan, Pasil, Tinglayan of Kalinga and Conner of Apayao held a two-day mining conference on October 22 to 23 at the St. Luis Gym in Bulanao, Tabuk with the theme “Defend Kalinga Homeland against Destructive Corporate Mining”. The conference led to the formation of Kalinga Agkaykaysa Salwadan Aglawlaw ken Gameng (KALSAG), an alliance for the defense of land against corporate mining.

“We have all the valid reasons to oppose the entry of mining companies. Once they intrude into our territories, we will lose everything. Our productive farmlands, our rich forests, and our rivers will disappear,” declared Ama Baguingan, an elder peasant from Balbalan, who attended the conference.

The conference served as a venue to discuss openly the advantages vav. the disadvantages of mining operations to the people of Kalinga. The Timpuyog ti Mannalon Iti Kalinga (TMK), one of the sponsors of the said activity said the conference aimed to bring the mining issues to the to all the sectors and for the delegates to come up with resolutions to address the said issues.

To provide the participants a better understanding on the mining issue itself, resource speakers from the Alyansa Dagiti Pesante Iti Taeng Kordilyera (Apit Tako) shared the international, national and regional mining situation.

According to Apit Tako, host countries or host communities of mining operations remain to be impoverished with poverty rates pegged at 49 to 86 percent and failed to boost the economy and provide employment or host communities as opposed to of mining companies and the government claims.

The Philippine mining situation is an example of an impoverished host country. Data from the National Statistic Office (NSO) reveal that big mining companies in the country employed 100,000 individuals, small-scale mining employed 300,000 and the agriculture industry employed 11.6 million individuals in 2002. NSO data also showed that agriculture contributed 14.8 percent gross domestic product, while the mining industry contributed 1.0 percent.

Apit Tako data also showed that in the Benguet mining experience, people gained nothing but the destruction of their once productive lands and other sources of livelihood. Some peasant participants who have seen Itogon and Mankayan as part of their farmers’ exchange program stood as witnesses to the devastation brought about by Benguet Corporation’s mining operations in Itogon the ongoing operation of Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company in Mankayan.

On October 23, the delegates staged a march-rally along the national roads to register their opposition to the entry of big foreign mining companies in their provinces. Around 300 delegates representing the peasant sector, professionals, church people and some local government units joined the march-rally.

After the rally, the delegates also signed a declaration against the Mineral Action Plan of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) for considering Kalinga as one of the priority mining sites in the country.

In the said declaration, the delegates condemned the implementation of Executive Order 270 dubbed as Revitalizing the Philippine Mining Industry, the re-opening of the Batong Buhay Gold Project and the applications for Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) and Exploration Permits among others.

Delegates are also opposed to the entry of elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and paramilitary groups to ensure the implementation of mining projects.

The declaration also calls for the improvement and development of small-scale mining as an alternative for corporate mining. Small-scale mining is one of the leading sources of livelihood in Kalinga, the declaration stated.

According to APIT TAKO, reports small-scale mining productions accounts for 54 to 59 percent of gold remitted annually to the Central Bank of the Philippines while large scale mining productions accounts for 41 to 46 percent.

After the conference, the delegates resolved to broaden the unity to prevent corporate mining in their respective communities; advance the campaign to scrap EO 270, Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and GMA’s Mineral Action Plan; and conduct wide education and information drives on the ill effects of corporate mining in the province. # Jimmy Suwagon and Virgie Dammay for NORDIS

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