VARIOUS sectors from Northern Mindanao celebrated the 47th Global Earth Day on Saturday, April 22, with a protest action condemning the continuing encroaching of the indigenous people’s (IP) ancestral lands by multinational agri-corporations.
Protesters criticized the administration under President Rodrigo Duterte for what they say is its failure to address the plight of the region’s Lumads by approving the expansion of oil palm plantation which will affect the tribal communities and their ancestral domain.
“In spite of the promise for change, the Duterte government has approved to convert 1 million hectares of land or oil palm expansion in the country, 98 percent of which is located here in Mindanao. Of this, 154,000 hectares are targeted in the region, particularly in Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon,” said Datu Jomorito Goaynon, chairman of Kalumbay, a tribal organization.
In the region, Goaynon said, almost 500,000 hectares have already been devoted to mono-crop plantations like sugarcane with 72,208 hectares; pineapple, 24,100.40 hectares; banana, 17,168 hectares; rubber, 8,876.31 hectares; oil palm, 4,290 hectares; and cacao, 663 hectares.
Goaynon said this planned expansion poses a threat to the tribal peoples in the region as this would impact their homes and their livelihood, and most of all, the land, which they inherited from their ancestors.
He said the government should focus on food production first and not on mono-crop plantations that will not benefit the people but huge agri-businesses.
“Instead of prioritizing basic food such as rice, corn, vegetables and fruits that we need, the Duterte administration has instead pushed for the plantation expansion,” Goaynon, adding that this resulted to the rampant encroachment of tribal lands, food shortage, environmental degradation and health hazards brought by the heavy use of petro-chemicals like herbicide and pesticide.
The problem, he said, is that the government has legitimized land-grabbing like the planned oil palm plantation expansion through a section in the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act, which requires the tribal people to partner with huge businesses.
Protesters also condemned the proposed construction of dams in Bukidnon, which will affect thousands of hectares of ancestral lands.
Goaynon said the Duterte administration must be held accountable for what they perceive as inaction to the plight of the indigenous peoples.
Also, Goaynon and Datu Felix Bollozos performed the “Panalabugta,” a Higaonon tribal ceremony to mark the 47th Global Earth Day at the Press Freedom Monument, Vicente de Lara Park in Cagayan de Oro city.
He said the Panalabugta is a ritual expressing respect for the earth as the source of life.
Another protest was held by militant, church, and indigenous peoples group from the four provinces of Caraga Region in Butuan City for the defense and protection of the environment simultaneously with Surigao City and that of Cantilan in Surigao del Sur to mark the Earth Day.
The environmental group Caraga Watch spearheaded the massive rally that gathered around 3,000 people in all three venues across the region.
“This activity is made because it cannot be denied the massive degradation and destruction of our environment here in Caraga because of the greed by the large mining companies that operate in the region,” said in the statement of Caraga Watch.
The statement added that the indiscriminate digging of the 23 large-scale mining companies in the different mountains resulted in severe deforestation and massive siltation of farms and oceans.
Caraga Watch pointed out that about five percent of the entire land area in Caraga Region or about 85,132.85 hectares are being mined for nickel, chromite and gold by 23 mining companies operating in the region. The damage it has caused has affected much wider land areas that are agricultural and for fisheries which are the main source for livelihood for the vast majority of the population.
Sammy Asay, 34, a resident of Sitio Zapanta Valley, Barangay Bangayan, Kitcharao town in Agusan del Norte of the Mamanwa IP tribe pointed out the reason why they call for the protection of the environment.
“The IP communities should be empowered to stand firm on its beliefs and tradition and to fight against injustice towards its own communities and the environment. We attended this rally today to know the facts and on-going developments regarding the present situation of our environment and its natural resources, especially the situation that concerns the indigenous people and its ancestral lands,” said Asay.
Asay also said several investors have shown interest in their lands.
“Our tribal leaders will not allow the big companies that will come in especially if they are into mining. We don’t want them to come into our lands because we know that if they start operating in our lands it will slowly destroy our beautiful environment that has been enjoy through countless generations of Mamanwa’s.
We will continue to defend the lush vegetation and forest in our mountains, the beauty and bounty it has given us since our forefathers,” said Asay.
In Surigao del Sur, around 1,000 people from different groups gathered in Tandag City then took a motor caravan towards the town of Cantilan stopping in the different towns they passed and held a short program.
In Surigao City, the massive group camped outside the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and conducted their protest rally against large scale mining operation and for not implementing the suspension and closure order issued by Environment Secretary Regina Lopez.