Tribal leaders push Tampakan mine FIAA

SOUTH COTABATO, Mindanao , Philippines   --- Officials of South Cotabato Provincial Tribal Council (PTC) have endorsed the plea of the Blaan indigenous people to President Aquino to push for the implementation of the financial and technical assistance agreement (FTAA) for the P5.9-billion Tampakan Copper-Gold Project (TCGP).

In a recent resolution filed to the Office of the President, the Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) expressed their full support to the Tampakan Project operated by Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI) and strongly urges President Aquino to affirm the government’s commitment.  The tribe fears for the possible discontinuance of the project.  If this happens, it will adversely impact the lives of the ICCs depriving them from productively developing their ancestral domain.

SMI recently announced the major scale-down of its activities that resulted to manpower downsizing leaving many of their tribal members jobless after the Glencore-Xstrata Plc merger.

In an interview with the head of Koronadal City PTC Fulong Ben Dalimbang, he said he is saddened by the devastating loss of livelihood that resulted from the recent downsizing of multi-national mining giant SMI in South Cotabato.

He also added that advocacies and projects started by SMI such as road maintenance to farming villages occupied by members of the Indigenous People (IP) have been put on hold pending the takeover of SMI’s new mother company, Glencore.

However, the PTC is hopeful that through their resolution, the President can look into the status of the TCGP and ensure that it will push through on behalf of the countless IPs and Mindanaoans reaping from the benefits of this mining project.

Dalimbang also said that they have also asked the President through the resolution to look into the plight of the now jobless members of the IP.

For the meantime he said the Tribal leaders are adapting a “wait and see” attitude seeing that they have yet to meet with the officials of Glencore.

Aside from loss of livelihood, the local tribal council also fears that with SMI leaving the area, illegal small scale miners might encroach on the mineral rich identified areas and conduct operations thereon.

For the moment, the PTC is set to convene to discuss the matter further and explore the next possible options from their end.