Villagers to barricade Philex Mining’s entry
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, February 15, 2010—Common, peaceful folks of the sleepy village of Anislagan in the municipality of Placer in Surigao department Norte will once again form a barricade tomorrow (Tuesday) to prevent the entry of the country’s largest mining company to their village.
"What we are fighting here is not only for our rich agricultural and watershed village but also for the sake of our children and our children’s' children,” said barangay councilor Merlyn Gamus, a mother of two.
Gamus is a member of the Anislagan Bantay Kalikasan Task Force (ABAKATAF), a multi-sectoral that successfully prevented the entry of Anglo American Plc and Manila Mining Corporation (MMC) in 2001.
This time, ABAKATAF, which count as members all the residents of Anislagan, will once again form a human barricade to prevent the entry of Philex Mining / Silangan Mindanao Mining Company (Philex/SMMC) to their village.
Philex Mining started its actual mining operation in the adjacent village of Timamana, Tubod, Surigao del Norte in the first quarter of 2009.
Philex’s exploration activities in Tubod, also known as the "Bayugo Project," started as early as 1999.
Strong opposition from the Tubod people prospered for awhile. Opposition, however, soon wavered when the mining company started their community relations projects like livelihood, drainage improvement and sports activities.
In the adjacent village of Anislagan, villagers, led ABAKATAF, have sustained their opposition to mining for almost ten years now.
Ten years ago, ABAKATAF members literally blocked with their bodies the mining workers of the second largest mining company in the world, Anglo American, from conducting exploration activity in their barangay.
Anislagan is an area very rich in natural resources. It has been identified by the government as priority area in mining because of its rich mineral resources. It has first–class nickel and gold minerals. Lakes, rivers and springs also surround it.
The Anislagan environment does not only provide attractive scenic spots to communities and tourists alike, but primarily it gives sufficient food and livelihood for the communities in order to survive for the coming years.
Anislagan provides potable water to the entire town of Placer. It also provides irrigation to rice fields in the village and to adjacent villages.
Philex is trying to win the hearts and minds of the village folks by establishing a Livelihood Training Center is a one hectare land it had bought.
"We don't need a livelihood training center inside our village from a mining company. What for? We have an existing self–sustaining and community livelihood here. The mining company already affected our irrigation, our rivers, and even to our water supply from their Bayugo Project and now they are proposing a livelihood center,” Gamus said.
During the December 11, 2009 session of the Barangay Council, village chairman Manuel Tejada informed Philex assistant manager for environment Eufronio A Ortiz Jr. about the barangay’s standing resolutions “against mining and any other activities related thereto” because of its being a critical watershed area.
Despite this information, Philex still tried to enter the barangay last January 9, 2010 presumably to inaugurate the Livelihood Training Center.
But its attempt was foiled when the residents, including women, children and the elderly, blocked its entry by establishing the roadblock.
Not accepting defeat, Philex will once again try to gain entry tomorrow (Tuesday) despite the locale's strong opposition.
And the villagers are not alone in their fight. The Municipal Council of Placer recently issued a resolution supporting the local measures of Anislagan prohibiting any mining project within the barangay.
"The Barangay Council already passed a resolution as early as 2002 not to allow any mining activities in our village. They should respect it,” said Gamus. (Bong D. Fabe)
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Gamus is a member of the Anislagan Bantay Kalikasan Task Force (ABAKATAF), a multi-sectoral that successfully prevented the entry of Anglo American Plc and Manila Mining Corporation (MMC) in 2001.
This time, ABAKATAF, which count as members all the residents of Anislagan, will once again form a human barricade to prevent the entry of Philex Mining / Silangan Mindanao Mining Company (Philex/SMMC) to their village.
Philex Mining started its actual mining operation in the adjacent village of Timamana, Tubod, Surigao del Norte in the first quarter of 2009.
Philex’s exploration activities in Tubod, also known as the "Bayugo Project," started as early as 1999.
Strong opposition from the Tubod people prospered for awhile. Opposition, however, soon wavered when the mining company started their community relations projects like livelihood, drainage improvement and sports activities.
In the adjacent village of Anislagan, villagers, led ABAKATAF, have sustained their opposition to mining for almost ten years now.
Ten years ago, ABAKATAF members literally blocked with their bodies the mining workers of the second largest mining company in the world, Anglo American, from conducting exploration activity in their barangay.
Anislagan is an area very rich in natural resources. It has been identified by the government as priority area in mining because of its rich mineral resources. It has first–class nickel and gold minerals. Lakes, rivers and springs also surround it.
The Anislagan environment does not only provide attractive scenic spots to communities and tourists alike, but primarily it gives sufficient food and livelihood for the communities in order to survive for the coming years.
Anislagan provides potable water to the entire town of Placer. It also provides irrigation to rice fields in the village and to adjacent villages.
Philex is trying to win the hearts and minds of the village folks by establishing a Livelihood Training Center is a one hectare land it had bought.
"We don't need a livelihood training center inside our village from a mining company. What for? We have an existing self–sustaining and community livelihood here. The mining company already affected our irrigation, our rivers, and even to our water supply from their Bayugo Project and now they are proposing a livelihood center,” Gamus said.
During the December 11, 2009 session of the Barangay Council, village chairman Manuel Tejada informed Philex assistant manager for environment Eufronio A Ortiz Jr. about the barangay’s standing resolutions “against mining and any other activities related thereto” because of its being a critical watershed area.
Despite this information, Philex still tried to enter the barangay last January 9, 2010 presumably to inaugurate the Livelihood Training Center.
But its attempt was foiled when the residents, including women, children and the elderly, blocked its entry by establishing the roadblock.
Not accepting defeat, Philex will once again try to gain entry tomorrow (Tuesday) despite the locale's strong opposition.
And the villagers are not alone in their fight. The Municipal Council of Placer recently issued a resolution supporting the local measures of Anislagan prohibiting any mining project within the barangay.
"The Barangay Council already passed a resolution as early as 2002 not to allow any mining activities in our village. They should respect it,” said Gamus. (Bong D. Fabe)
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BARRICADE. This human barricade in Anislagan, Placer, Surigao del Norte, to stop mining firms from entering their village was set up by the Anislagan Bantay Kalikasan Task Force, a multi-sectoral group that has prevented the entry of Anglo American Plc and Manila Mining Corporation since 2001. Residents are now barricading against Philex Mining/ Silangan Mindanao Mining Company claiming they have a resolution banning mining in the area. Photo courtesy of LRC-CDO
PHILEX PUSHES ITS ENTRY INTO ANISLAGAN
PHILEX PUSHES ITS ENTRY INTO ANISLAGAN
In December 11, 2009, the Asst. Mgr. for Environment of Philex Mining/ Silangan Mindanao Mining Company (SMMC), MR. EUFRONIO A. ORTIZ, JR., wrote to the Bgy. Capt. Manuel Tejada of their intention to make a Livelihood Training Center within the 1 hectare land they purchased within the barangay.
The Barangay Council provided a venue to hear their planned project in a barangay session. It also informed the company officials that the barangay have standing resolutions pertaining to mining, and ANY OTHER ACTIVITIES RELATED THERETO, because of its being a critical watershed area, and that the people do not want such projects within their locality.
In Jan. 9, 2010, the company nevertheless pursued its way, and planned to celebrate its inaugration party in the area. But its attempt was foiled when the residents blocked it entry by establishing the roadblock. women, children and the elderly led the picket against the convoy of company's vehicles.
Not accepting their defeat, they will attempt again to gain entry, pushing its way despite the locale's strong opposition.
The Sangguniang Bayan of Placer recently issued a Resolution supporting the local measures of Bgy. Anislagan prohibiting any mining project within the barangay.
Philex is conducting mining operations affecting Bgy. Anislagan. the livelihood project is an attempt of the company to win the sentiments of the people to their mining project.
Community Victory: Mining Drillers Backed-off because of Community Human Barricade
Equipment and employees of United Philippine Drillers (UPD), the subcontractor of the drilling operation of the exploration activity of Kalayaan Copper Gold Resources, Inc. (KCGR), on their way to their mining drilling sites were prevented by the barricaders to pass though the barangay road of Anislagan. KCGR has abandoned its stock room and partly a rest house in Anislagan, as a result.
KCGR is a joint venture of Manila Mining Company (MMC) and Anglo-American, a British-owned mining corporation.
September 2002 or almost six years ago, the community organized themselves as ABAKATAF (Anislagan Bantay Kalikasan Task Force) during the height of their first human barricade which prompted the DENR Secretary to issue an open-ended moratorium of mining activities of Manila Mining Company in Anislagan. ABAKATAF is primarily organized to protect the community's land, livelihood, and life which are threatened by the entry of mining companies.
We (my family and the whole community of Anislagan) do not want mining in our community because majority of us are farmers and we are dependent on our land and our water for survival…. Later on, our land will be mined and our water will be disturbed; subsequently our livelihood will be lost and we will all die," lamented Daniel Gonzales, president of Anislagan Irrigators Association.
Because of their strong staunch against any mining activities in their community, ABAKATAF members were barraged with 23 cases filed before the regular courts from murder, frustrated homicide, to arson. But these did not weaken the community; instead these unite them. Only last year, they celebrated another victory after learning that all the cases filed against ABAKATAF members were dismissed.
Anislagan is an agricultural community of about 400 household with about 2,000 population. Most of the community is dependent on their land and their water. Anislagan is the supplier of potable water to the whole town of Placer as well as the irrigation of the rice fields in nearby barangays.
"We have a common stand of protecting our land, our water, and our mountain …. In July 2007, the Barangay Council of Anislagan issued a resolution opposing the operation of Kalayaan Copper Gold Resources," narrated Mario Tejada, barangay captain of Anislagan.
The entry of the mining company disturbed the once peaceful community of Anislagan.
"We cannot keep the fact that the mining issue created division in our own family—once a closely knit community," openly shared inside the makeshift
Because of their strong staunch against any mining activities in their community, ABAKATAF members were barraged with 23 cases filed before the regular courts from murder, frustrated homicide, to arson. But these did not weaken the community; instead these unite them. Only last year, they celebrated another victory after learning that all the cases filed against ABAKATAF members were dismissed.
Anislagan is an agricultural community of about 400 household with about 2,000 population. Most of the community is dependent on their land and their water. Anislagan is the supplier of potable water to the whole town of Placer as well as the irrigation of the rice fields in nearby barangays.
"We have a common stand of protecting our land, our water, and our mountain …. In July 2007, the Barangay Council of Anislagan issued a resolution opposing the operation of Kalayaan Copper Gold Resources," narrated Mario Tejada, barangay captain of Anislagan.
The entry of the mining company disturbed the once peaceful community of Anislagan.
"We cannot keep the fact that the mining issue created division in our own family—once a closely knit community," openly shared inside the makeshift
shelter for the barricaders by Tansing Dapar, who voluntarily manned the shelter.
"We will not stop our human barricade until the mining company will get out in our place," Gigi Dapar said.
"We know that gold lies underneath our farm lots and our water source which value millions of pesos but we value more the lives of the people here in our small community, the lives around our community and their children's children—these are unquantifiable by money," Neneng Gamos said."We will not stop our human barricade until the mining company will get out in our place," Gigi Dapar said.
Carl Cesar C. Rebuta
Team Leader
Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center
Cagayan de Oro Regional Office
088-856-5045
ANTI-MINING FARMERS ATTEMPT TO SET WORLD RECORD
A small village of around two thousand population set the Guinness World Record for the Tallest Scarecrow in the ricefiled.
Around 80 farmers who are members of Anislagan Bantay Kalikasan Task Force (ABAKATAF) installed a 15-foot tall scarecrow to scare Mining Companies planned to mine their village.
Organized themselves as ABAKATAF in 2001 during the height of rallies against the proposed mining operation of Manila Mining Corporation (MMC) in their village.
Anislagan is an interior barangay of Municipality of Placer, Surigao del Norte. It is mainly populated by peace loving migrant farmers from different islands of Visayas, which the majority was coming from Cebu and Bohol. The small village sits at the foot of Bayugo and Bagacay hills which supplies potable water in this village and the entire town of Placer. Anislagan also provides irrigation to nearby barangay of Sta. Cruz.
MMC and Anglo American, subsidiary company of the London-based transnational Lepanto Mining firm merged for a joint venture agreement called Kalayaan Copper Gold Resources (KCGR) for an mining exploration activity in Barangay Anislagan. KCGR was issued an Exploration Permit EP-XIII-014B last march 5, 2008 without community consultation and the Barangay council's endorsement. This exploration area covers 286.6 hectares in Brgy. Anislagan which is adjacent to the Boyongan project in Tubod, Surigao del Norte.
"It is so inspiring to the see the whole community help in installing the tallest scarecrow in the world and to tell to the whole world that we against mining in our agricultural village", Gigi Dapar, member of ABAKATAF narrated.
The village will not know until three weeks whether the Guinness Book of World Record recognizes its achievement.
Carl Cesar C. Rebuta
Team Leader
Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center,Inc –
Kasama sa Kalikasan/Friends of the Earth-Philippines
( LRC-KsK/FoE-Phils.)
Cagayan de Oro Office
088-856-5045
FARMERS TRY NEW WAY TO FRIGHTEN MINING COMPANY
The members of Anislagan Bantay Kalikasan Task Force (ABAKATAF) of Barangay Anislagan, Placer, Surigao del Norte, Phillippines installed a scarecrow as a symbol of community strong staunch against mining which threatens their farmlots.
Anislagan is an agricultural community of about 400 households or roughly 2,000 individuals. It supplies potable water to the whole town of Placer and irrigates the ricefields in nearby barangays.
ABAKATAF members who were mostly farmers initiated the installation of a huge scarecrow since November. Scarecrow is a common edifice in the ricefield to freighten crop destroying birds in the village but this time, the farmers construct a huge scarecrow to freighten one of the biggest mining company in the world.
Kalayaan Copper Gold Resources (KCGR) is a joint venture of Anglo-American Corporation, the world's second largest mining company and the Manila Mining Corporation ( MMC). Anglo is a subsidiary company of the London-based transnational Lepanto Mining firm.
KCGR was issued an Exploration Permit EP-XIII-014B last march 5, 2008 without community consultation and the Barangay council's endorsement. This exploration area covers 286.6 hectares in Brgy. Anislagan which is adjacent to the Boyongan project in Tubod, Surigao del Norte.
"Will show to the whole world that we are against Mining in our agricultural village. This is our source of livelihood in the community", Jesus Ormega, ABAKATAF President lamented.
Carl Cesar C. Rebuta
Team Leader
Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center,Inc –
Kasama sa Kalikasan/Friends of the Earth-Philippines
( LRC-KsK/FoE-Phils.)
Cagayan de Oro Office
088-856-5045
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