ADDRESS THE PLUNDER OF NATURAL AND MINERAL RESOURCES AND THE MASSIVE DESTRUCTION OF GOD’S GIFTS TO THE FILIPINO PEOPLE Statement of the Bishops of the IFI “The earth is the LORDs and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein; for he has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of his salvation.” (Ps. 24:1-5) 1. Healthy ecosystem is related to sustainable and responsible consumption of the people. God does expect His people to be good stewards of His creation and demands to protect these God’s gifts. 2. The law of God is the basis of the stewardship of God’s creation, in which the protection of all is the essence. But, in the Philippines, the Mining Act of 1995 [RA 7942] unleashes the plunderers – mining corporations and local bureaucrats – to destroy our God-given natural and mineral resources. This law contributes to the worsening climate change and geological disasters, hinders public safety and livelihood, and violates human and peoples’ democratic rights. 3. The plunderers are given the power to control not only the minerals but the water, timber and land resources of our beloved country; they are afforded tax holidays, required to pay an insignificant share to the government, allowed to expatriate their profits back to home countries, and provided security from the state forces of our land. The Mining Act of 1995 is, even as it insults the integrity of the Filipinos, remains the biggest source of the chaotic environmental degradation and ecological destructions. 4. In 2012, President Aquino issued Executive Order No. 79 (EO 79) which provides for the “institutionalizing and implementing reforms in the Philippine mining sector, providing policies and guidelines to ensure environmental protection and responsible mining in the utilization of mineral resources.” Its issuance was hailed to address the, and in response to, people’s clamor against RA 7942. But EO 79 has no basic difference with RA 7942 at all. It further encourages the plunderers to destroy the people’s lives and livelihoods, local economy and the environment. In short, EO 79 and RA 7942 perpetuate national policy of liberalizing the mining industry of our country. 5. President Aquino praised EO 79 as a tool for “responsible mining” but it is a deceptive claim because getting of an exploration permit does not require an Environmental Compliance Certificate. Farms, ancestral lands, protected areas and “eco-tourism” spots are included to be explored for mining purposes. EO 79 is thus only a paper as regard to the environmental protection. Obviously, it reinforces RA 7942 in opening the Philippines’ natural and mineral resources to plunder and depletion. 6. It has, on the other hand, an indifferent treatment to the plight of the small-scale miners of our land – the very people who eke their income from these gifts of God’s creation for their daily sustenance. Hard laws are drawn for them, short of denying them access to and use of these natural and mineral resources. The small-scale miners are directed to limit their operations in the people’s mining sites and prevented to encroach in large-scale mining sites. The use of mercury is banned which is very important in extracting the minerals in small-scale mining operations. Small-scale miners are however ought to be supported by the government because, under proper regulation, control and monitoring, they would directly benefit from these resources in order to alleviate their miserable condition, improve local economy and protect national patrimony, and sustain the environment and ecosystem since their livelihood solely depends from and derives out of mining. For ages now, the Filipinos have proven this true as our previous generation had already been extracting minerals without the detriment of our environment but rather with conscious effort to preserve them for their children’s children future use. 7. Sadly, the government’s so-called responsible mining policy only intends to offer the Philippines’ natural and mineral resources to the insatiable greed and plunder of the local and foreign capitalists. It is never meant to address the continuing destruction of God’s creation which is His gifts to the Filipino people and its succeeding generations. It is neither intended to arrest environmental degradation and ecological imbalance because in reality the policy is a camouflage of plunder and greed. Government’s mining policy should instead be framed towards the improvement of the people’s lives and domestic needs rather than for the huge profits of the plunderers in the name of responding to the demands of global market for mineral resources. 8. The mining industry in the Philippines should be part of the program for national industrialization and not of liberalization and privatization. It must be part of maximizing and utilizing our natural and mineral resources for the modernization of our agriculture, producing machines and other farm equipment to improve our agricultural outputs to ensure food supply for the burgeoning Filipino population. It must end once and for all making the Philippines just simply a supplier of raw materials to feed the developed countries but in return strangles its own economy to be dependent to global economy and stifles the growth of its own industry. 9. At present situation, the demand for national industrialization must go along with the call for the protection of the country’s national patrimony and sovereignty. The Mining Act of 1995 and Executive Order 79 must be junked and repealed, and a nationalist, pro-indigenous people, pro-environment and sustainable mining and economic policy must instead be pursued. 10. The Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) supports the people, especially the organizations of the peasantry, the national minorities and other progressive sectors, ecumenical church and environmentalist groups, in their struggle to end the plunder of the country’s natural and mineral resources and the protection of our environment and ecosystem. 11. In doing so, among others, the IFI urges the national and local government units to heed the people’s cry about the negative impact of large-scale mining operation on our environment and ecosystem and on our people and communities, and to initiate efforts to declare a moratorium on the approval of new mining explorations and of entry and operations of new large-scale mining companies in our country. 12. On the same vein, the IFI calls on her clergy and faithful to participate in the movement that advances people’s human and democratic rights, national sovereignty, right of national minorities for self-determination, genuine agrarian reform, and national industrialization and modernization of agriculture. 13. As a Church, the IFI must be true to her calling to serve God and country – Pro Deo et Patria – and be with the Filipino people in their struggle to enjoy God’s gifts as He intends it to be. Adopted during the last session of the Regular Meeting of the Supreme Council of Bishops, Iglesia Filipina Independiente held on September 2-5, 2014 in Pandan Beach Resort, Pandan, Antique, Philippines. + Antonio N. Ablon Secretary, Supreme Council of Bishops Iglesia Filipina Independiente + Rhee M. Timbang President, Supreme Council of Bishops Iglesia Filipina Independiente + Ephraim S. Fajutagana Obispo Maximo Iglesia Filipina Independiente
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 05:36:21 +0000
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