92 Nature Exploitation and Protection in Mindanao Townfolks Oppose Entry of Mining, Forms Multi-Sectoral Alliance By Ma. Theresa C. Jabon* ORE than 200 people representing various Project -Program of Infrastructure and Promotion of Msectors— indigenous peoples, farmers, the Economic Sector in Rural Areas (SRDP-PIPESRA)- fisherfolks, teachers, students, vendors, employees, Fishery Management Project in Lianga Bay, vowed to laborers, religious leaders and schoolchildren— continue their protests until SAGMEC’s application for gathered at the Marihatag Gymnasium on April 2, mining is totally stopped. They vowed further that 2005 during a Mining Consultation-Forum to draw MAEP would stand against all other mining applica- out the people’s real sentiments on the pending tions that may come in their town. application for Mineral Production Sharing Agree- The captains of 12 barangays of Marihatag ment (MPSA) of a company named Southern and members of the Sangguniang Bayan also Agusan Mining and Exploration Company (SAGMEC) attended the consultation-forum. Leaders of POs in Marihatag. The same application, covering an and LGUs of Barangays Bretania and Otieza of area of 1,920 hectares, included the municipalities adjacent San Agustin municipality, as well as of Prosperidad and Bayugan, Agusan del Sur. representatives from other NGOs and POs in The Consultation-Forum, organized by SRDP- Surigao del Sur and Caraga Region also attended. PIPESRA, the LGU of Marihatag and the Sto. Nino Atty. Tony Azarcon of the Save Surigao del Sur Parish, paved the way for the formation of the Movement gave an input on Republic Act 7942 or the Multi-Sectoral Alliance for Environmental Protection Philippine Mining Act of 1995. Other resource (MAEP) and the unification of a stand against the speakers gave their moral support to the Marihatag application for MPSA by SAGMEC. townsfolk. Sr. Lydia Lascano, Executive Secretary of All the participants to the forum signed a the Social Action Center of the Diocese of Surigao del manifesto that opposed the application, saying that Sur, spoke about the struggles of other indigenous any mining exploration, construction and develop- peoples in Surigao del Sur against mining and shared ment in the areas will have ill effects on the upland the negative impact of mining operations in Cordillera and coastal environments especially the watersheds region where her congregation once assigned her. and fishery and marine resources in Marihatag, Two leaders from Anislagan Bantay Kalikasan Task which forms part of Lianga Bay. They cannot allow Force of Anislagan, Placer, Surigao del Norte shared any damage to their agricultural lands as well as to about their local struggle in opposing and stopping their livestock and will never put at risk the health of the operations of a mining firm. the people especially their children. They believe A representative from the Davao-based that there are great sociocultural implications of Paglilingkod Batas Pangkapatiran Foundation, Inc. mineral extraction activities and the experiences of also shared the importance of legal and meta-legal many communities devastated by mining operations struggles of the local communities against mining. are lessons that should serve as enough basis for Mr. Bonifacio Ordona, the Regional Director of the them to decide against any entry of mining, be it World Bank-funded Coastal Resources Management exploration or construction and development. Project in Caraga Region also spoke about the ill The MAEP submitted protest documents to the effects of mining, especially on their sustainable Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the environmental protection projects in the upland and Department of Environment and Natural Resources coastal areas of Marihatag and other nearby towns. (DENR) in Caraga Region 13. The protest docu- Green Mindanao, another NGO based in Cagayan de ments contained thousands of signatures generated Oro City was also represented. thru an education-information campaign up to the Carlota Molinero Fuentes, Project Co-Manager Consultation-Forum. of SRDP-PIPESRA representing the Spanish NGO Mr. Rolando Bandibas of the LGU-Marihatag, IPADE, said that she understands the anti-mining representing the Upland and Coastal Resources stand of the Marihatag people and she knows that Management Project (UCRMP) and Ms. Alena many of her countrymen supports, in their own way, Pontevedra of Sustainable Rural Development such kind of advocacy of Filipino communities. * Ma. Theresa is a staffwriter of SUSDEV, a publication of CONVERGENCE. SOCIAL WATCH PHILIPPINES.