Thursday, April 03, 2008 Cordi day celebration goes to Abra By Rimaliza Opiña
MINING and the government's approval of explorations in minerals rich areas in the country will be theme of this year's celebration of 24th Cordillera Day Celebration.
To be held in Abra on April 23 and 24, the event will be hosted by the local chapter of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA), the Kakailian Salakniban Tay Nagtaudan (Kastan).
This celebration of Cordillera Day is one of the three celebrations spearheaded by several groups here, two of which are led by the Cordillera Regional Assembly and local government units.
The event will also advance the call for the immediate implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) for it to be meaningful in the recognition of indigenous peoples' collective right to self determination, the CPA said in a statement.
The CPA is a staunch oppositionist of mining activities in the region because of its impact on environment as well as it displaces indigenous peoples in areas where mine exploration are done.
Pending mining applications of local and global mining giants cover 1.2 million hectares or 66 percent of the Cordillera land area, the CPA said.
Celebration of Cordillera Day has also expanded abroad in Hong Kong, Belgium, Macau, Taiwan, and Japan. These are organized by migrant workers together with international solidarity partners and advocates of Cordillera struggles and indigenous peoples' rights.
"More than just a gathering, Cordillera Day is a political statement on present realities by the militant Cordillera people's movement. It carries with it the historical advances of the mass movement for self determination and national democracy," the CPA stressed.
