Following Sibuyanons' lead, Brooke's Point folk set up barricade vs mining
MANILA, Philippines — Inspired by the fight of Sibuyanons against mineral extraction, residents of Brooke’s Point in Palawan also set up a barricade to stop the mining activities that threaten their livelihoods and way of life.
Brooke’s Point residents on Saturday put up a barricade, demanding that Ipilan Nickel Corporation (INC) halt its mining operations in the southern Palawan town.
Residents will continue barricading until the operations of the mining firm are stopped, local youth leader Mamilmar Dubria told Philstar.com in a phone call on Monday.
Dubria said they were inspired by the fight of Sibuyan Island residents whose resistance to the mining exploration activities of Altai Philippines Mining Corporation (APMC) highlighted the dangers that mining poses to the environment and host communities.
After successfully thwarting the activities of APMC on the island, Sibuyanons want the government to revoke the mining firm’s exploration permit and its Mineral Production Sharing Agreement.
Dubria added the residents of Brooke’s Point were also motivated by members of indigenous Dumagat-Remontado communities in Rizal and Quezon province who are currently marching to Malacañang to plead with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to stop the construction of Kaliwa Dam.
The China-funded project is expected to address the lack of water in Metro Manila at the expense of indigenous communities living in the Sierra Madre mountain range.
“We saw that other communities and indigenous peoples were able to take action to oppose destructive activities. So we thought: why not do the same in Brooke’s Point? Let’s show that residents of Brooke’s Point don’t like mining,” Dubria, a member of indigenous Pala’wan community, said in Filipino.
Threat to forest, agriculture
The Pala’wan community opposes the operations of INC because the extraction of nickel ore puts the forests — where they rely on for food and livelihoods — at serious risk.
The project area of INC straddles the Mount Mantalingahan-Pulot Range, which was granted protected area status in 2009. It has high floral and faunal diversity and endemism, and is considered sacred by Pala’wans.
“Forests and mountains are linked to our lives. We believe that the forest is at the heart of indigenous peoples. We consider the forest as our market, our pharmacy,” Dubria said.
Mining activities may also hurt the status of Brooke’s Point as Palawan’s “food basket.”
Pala’wans opposed to mining earlier said that the process of getting the consent of communities for INC’s operations was full of irregularities.
‘Illegal ops’
INC was ordered to stop its operations on February 6 after it was discovered that the mining company has no mayor’s permit for 2023, according to Brooke’s Point Vice Mayor Jean Feliciano.
Alyansa Tigil Mina national coordinator Jaybee Garganera also said that INC has no tree-cutting permit and no permit from the Philippine Ports Authority for the construction of the port and causeway.
“Ipilan Nickel is in effect undermining the local autonomy of the local government and clearly violating the law,” Garganera said.
In the case of Sibuyan, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources ordered APMC to stop the construction and operations of its causeway, and the transportation of nickel ore.
Residents of Brooke’s Point are hoping the government will heed their demand to immediately stop mineral extraction in their town.
“We are hoping that the president and senators who support indigenous peoples and the environment will listen to our concerns and stop the mining activities in the town,” Dubria said.
READ: DENR orders APMC to halt transport of nickel ore, causeway ops in Sibuyan
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