Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Mt. Apo lumads oppose Tudaya power project
KIDAPAWAN CITY - Thousands of lumads whose ancestral lands are located at Mount Apo, the country's highest peak, are opposed to the harnessing of Tudaya Falls for a hydro-power project in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, saying the project poses 'virtual death' to their tribe.
Norma Capuyan, chairman of the Apo Sandawa Lumadnong Panaghiusa in Cotabato (ASLPC), alliance of different tribal groups in North Cotabato, said the construction of a hydro power plant in Tudaya does not only threaten the lives of the tribes but might also destroy the biodiversity of the forests in Mount Apo.
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Tudaya is adjacent to Makilala, a town in North Cotabato, which is also, inhabited by Manobos and Bagobos.
Last week, the group of Capuyan joined hundreds of lumad leaders from southern Mindanao in a bloodletting ritual in Davao City as proof of their strong resistance to any project that might endanger their existence.
The lumads are not only opposed to the construction of a hydro-power plant in Mount Apo, they are also up against mining, logging, and militarization, especially in areas they claimed as their ancestral lands.
During the 'sandugo', the lumads used the blood of a white chicken, which for them symbolizes peace, to drumbeat their dissent over mining and other anti-lumad policies of the Arroyo government.
Of the 18 mining priority areas in Mindanao, 16 are ancestral lands of the indigenous communities.
"This influx of mining is, thus, tantamount to the death of the indigenous communities, which depend greatly on land for their survival," said Capuyan.
Development projects, including the hydro-power plant in Tudaya, she said, are coupled with militarization, "since the government knows the lumads protest these destructive projects."
When Hedcor, a private construction company, started constructing the dam in Tudaya, the 10th Infantry Battalion of the 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, together with paramilitary units, was deployed in the area.
"When the Manobos opposed the hydro power plant project, the military 'encircled' the area, which resulted to the massive displacement and harassment," she said. (Malu Cadelina Manar)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (August 22, 2007 issue)
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