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Indigenous youth declaration on corporate and large-scale mining

by Asia-Pacific Indigenous Youth Network (APIYN), AnakBayan, Progressive Igorots for Social Action (PIGSA), Salidummay, PINATUD, Tanghalang Bayan ng Kabataan sa Baguio (TABAK-Baguio), Children of the Cordillera (Dap-ay, BIBAK, PAGTA, KASA, AnakBayan-Agro)

Baguio City, 5 March 2005

Our future as indigenous peoples is threatened in many ways by massive corporate mining. We, as indigenous peoples, are being denied of our right over our land and resources, which is further aggravated by corporate mining. As we have already experienced, large-scale mining will not only destroy our land and resources but will also lead to destruction of our environment.

After the Supreme Court’s declaration of the constitutionality of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, the Philippine government has entered on a campaign to attract foreign mining companies to invest in the Philippines. The government is hooked on attracting foreign investments, disregarding the rights of affected communities and the protection of the environment.

We, the indigenous youth, call for immediate action that must be taken by all to stop this massive corporate mining that we are confronting.

Key Concerns:

1. Our experience of mining has been one of:

a. The invasion of our territories and lands and the usurpation of our resources.
b. Many of our communities have been forced to relocate from their lands and ended up seriously impoverished.
c. Violation of our basic human rights.

2. The Supreme Court decision is an act of social injustice to indigenous peoples, who have long been suffering from the implementation of policies and programs of this so-called “development.”

3. As indigenous peoples, we do not reject development but we demand that our development be determined by ourselves according to our own priorities.

4. We demand respect for our rights to our territories, lands and natural resources and that under no circumstances should we be forcibly removed from our lands.

5. We call for recognition of our collective rights as peoples and to self-determination.

6. Education and capacity building is needed to allow us to be trained and informed so we can participate effectively and make decisions in our own right

A Call for Action and Solidarity

We call on all the indigenous peoples, organizations and individuals to join their voices to this Indigenous Youth Summit.

We call for the scrapping of the Mining Act of 1995 and the drafting of a new Mining Policy that shall primarily address our need for national industrialization and sustainable development.

We call on the Filipino people to support our legitimate and just struggle to defend our land and to stop corporate control of the peoples’ resources. Also, we call on every Filipino people to defend our patrimony against foreign invasion in the guise of development.

We enjoin all indigenous peoples to unite in solidarity to address the threats posed by massive corporate mining.

Adopted during the Indigenous Youth Summit held on March 5, 2005 at the Philippine Nurses Association Hall, Baguio City. #

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