By RONALYN V. OLEA
“The killing of Kitari will fuel the hatred and the determination of the Blaan to defend themselves and their territories.” – Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas
Another tribe leader opposed to mining killed
Tags: large-scale mining
Philex, progressive group agree tailings dam collapse spells disaster
By KIMBERLIE OLMAYA N. QUITASOL Northern Dispatch BAGUIO CITY — A top official of the Philex Mining Corporation admitted that a greater disaster would happen if tailings pond 3 (TP3) collapses. Earlier, leaders of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) called for the decommissioning of Philex mines’ TP3, pointing out that the dam has outlived its…
Tribe members celebrate first year of barricade against mining
By ALDWIN QUITASOL Northern Dispatch BAGUIO CITY — On January 23, 2012, residents of sitio (subvillage) Madaymen, Tabio Mankayan set up their barricade against the drilling activities of Far Southeast Gold resources Inc. (FSGRI) and Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (LCMC). Determined to save the remaining natural resources, the indigenous people invoked their rights to their…
Mindanao lumad, green groups blame Aquino’s mining policies for devastation wreaked by typhoon Pablo
By MARYA SALAMAT
Progressive groups in Mindanao describe the devastation caused by typhoon Pablo as “an environmental apocalypse not simply caused by nature’s wrath but by the Aquino government continuing puppetry to foreign mining interests and the government’s greed and corruption in general.”
Read also: DENR hand in degrading environment, human rights as dirty as the military’s – IP and green groups
Mothers of the struggle against ‘development’ aggression
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Three women from different tribes in Mindanao have come to Manila to share their stories with the hope that the national government will heed their calls.
Bai Bigkay Biyaon, a woman tribe leader ready to die for her land
By RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com MANILA – Even without speaking, Bai Bigkay Biyaon exudes an air of authority. The 67-year-old woman is regarded as a datu (head) of the Ata Manobo tribe in Natulinan subvillage, Palm Hill village, Talaingod, Davao del Norte. She has chosen not to marry to look after the welfare of her…
Canadian PM Harper met by protest of environmental groups
By MARYA SALAMAT
‘If Harper truly respects the Filipino people’s sovereignty, he should be instrumental in the immediate pullout of Canadian mining corporations. We ask him to ‘mine his own business,’ if their capital will not benefit our communities and be detrimental to our ecological integrity and community welfare.’ – Kalikasan
See also: Open letter of Filipino groups in Canada to Canadian PM Harper
Irreversible: Environmental costs of large-scale mining
IBON Features / November 2012 Through the years, large-scale mining has caused deforestation and pollution as well as irreversible destruction to the ecology IBON Features – For spilling more than 15 million cubic meters of mine sediments from its Padcal mine tailings ponds in August, the Philex Mining Corporation figured in the news again. The…
Police defend mining companies, clash with Mankayan locals
By ALDWIN QUITASOL Northern Dispatch BAGUIO CITY — “Why are the police guarding the interests of big mining companies? Instead of keeping peace and order— their mandate to serve and protect the people— they attacked and tried to break up our barricade as they escorted the employees of the mining company so they could bring…
No such thing as ‘responsible large-scale mining’ – Cordillera Peoples’ Alliance
By KIMBERLIE OLMAYA NGABIT-QUITASOL Northern Dispatch BAGUIO CITY—The Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) reiterates call for a total mining ban saying that the recent leakage of toxic waste from Philex Mining Corporation’s tailings dam 3 during the onslaught of incessant monsoon rains in Luzon is enough proof that responsible large-scale mining is a myth. On August…
Aquino government’s job generation failure traced to lack of industrialization plan
By MARYA SALAMAT
The increase in underemployment rate from 18.8 percent in 2010 to 19.3 percent in 2011 – which translates to more than 186,000 – shows that it is low-quality jobs which account for the slight increase in employment under Aquino.