July 29, 2013 SWELLING SUPPORT FOR THE BARRICADES, IP ELDERS SAY THEY’LL DEFEND THE LAND TIL DEATH Tangway Welis, an elder of the Indigenous People of Belance, Nueva Vizcaya said, “ Pinanawan mi ti nainsigudan nga daga idiay Cordillera gapu kadagita nga dam ken pagminasan nga intulok ti gobyerno nga maitakder idi 1960’s. Induron dakami ditoy Nueva Vizcaya nga pinangrugian mi manen. Ita, idurduron dakam manen!” (We left our ancestral lands in the Cordillera because of those dams and mines that were allowed to be built by the government in the 1960’s.We were pushed here in Nueva Vizcaya where we started anew. Now, here they are again pushing us to nowhere.”). Tangway Welis was one of three elders who shared his experiences in a gathering last July 27, of more than 1,000 anti mining advocates led by ANNVIK (Alyansa ng Nagkakaisang Novo Vizcayano para sa Kalikasan) and AGRIZKAYA, a federation of cooperatives and organizations of the province which has more than 100 members. 14 delegates and 2 Australians came from Metro Manila under KALIKASAN-PNE (Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment) and KAMP (Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas) joined the activity. A motorcade was held by the groups that started from the Capital Town of Bayombong, met by group of cooperative in bambang and ended at the village of Belance, Dupax Del Norte. As the motorcade passed through the designated converging points, the queue of rides swelled including more than 50 bike riders belonging to the Nueva Vizcaya Federation of Bikers, majority coming from the Bambang Bikers Club led by Dr. Cristopher Magallanes. The bikers added to the stirring climb to the anti mining barricades found in the three sitios of Dupax del Norte and were cheered as the main body of the motorcade caught up on them. After the motorcade, a symposium was held at the Belance Plaza where Village Captain Felix Silong welcomed the group after which, Fr. Vic Tiam the Chairman of the Board of ANNVIK oriented the people of the objectives of the symposium and its significance for the people and the environment. Mr. Satur Bugnay, the former Regional Director of the NCIP ( National Commission for the Indigenous People) gave the historical account of the Indigenous People’s gradual lost of ownership to their ancestral lands that led to the promulgation of the IPRA Law in 1997 (Indigenous People’s Rights Act). How such laws along with the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 are used against the Indigenous People. He, however gave hope that with devolution of the local government units and with more power bestowed on the locals, these can be used to formulate ordinances, resolutions and agreements that are for the interests of the people. An officer of the Department of Agriculture, Mrs Selerina, presented the agency’s study on the Future Adverse Impact of Mining on Farmlands which was conducted in 2010-2011 and was presented to Congress through the office of Congressman Teddy Baguilat of Ifugao. Mrs Selerina presented the study in a nutshell mentioning that the foremost impact on farmlands is the disintegration of the soil leading to the siltation of rivers which will surely affect the irrigation of farmlands. Mine tailings will pollute/contaminate the water systems and with the Magat River as the primary source of irrigation for the provinces of Isabela and Cagayan, will be adversely affected. Atty. Fidel Santos head of the National Union of People’s Lawyers of the province presented the legal remedies which the people can collectively do and make use of against mining. An open forum followed while the people took their lunch though late, food was more than enough for everyone and tasted fresh as these were newly harvested from the local’s farms. Updates from the leading organizations manning the barricades ensued through Mrs. Paz Balinggan of ALMUSEGAM (Alliance of Multisectoral Groups Against Mining) for the 3 barricades in Dupax Del Norte and Village Captain Santos Yonga-an of KIRED (Kasibu Intertribal Response for Ecological Development) for the 2 barricades in Kasibu. The 2 were much applauded as they challenged those present to add more to their ranks as they too will be resolute in manning the barricades. Mr. Tomas-the President of Agrizcaya and Manager of Tam-an MPCI also challenge his katribu by saying “ ti mangitulok nga agawen da ti daga na ket kinatakrot..nu itulok mo nga agawan daka iti dagam ket kasla impalubos mo metten nga agawen da ti biag mo”(if you let them grab your land , as if you let them grab your life. Then, the representatives of the different organizations gave their solidarity statements and presented the material support they brought with them. Several organizations and individuals though without representatives, gave their donations (cavans of rice, goods and cash)through the others who attended, a gesture well appreciated and mentioned during the program. The elders of the indigenous people (panglakayen) from the place were recognized through their sharing and testimonies of struggles as they fought against infrastructure projects imposed on them by the government in the Cordillera specifically the Chico Dam Project and the mines in Benguet and Bontoc . Herminio Dugaysan, just like Tangway Welis, was also displaced from the Cordillera. He called for the strong unity of the people not just those greatly affected by mining but also those from the other towns of Nueva Vizcaya. Miguel Nayusan, another elder, for his part mentioned that they never waned in their conviction and that the land must be fought for and defended against the destructive forces. The three elders Tangway Welis, Herminio Dugaysan, and Miguel Nayusan were one in saying that they will defend the land til their death, a challenge left for those present which is worth emulating. ### Reference person: Mrs. Paz Balinggan, Acting Chairperson ALMUSEGAM Contact Number: 09068617227 See pictures: Supporters and locals attended the symposium, “No to Mining, Yes to Agriculture! No to Mining, Yes to Life!” in Belance, Dupax Del Norte last July 27, 2013 Members of the Bambang Bikers Club leading the Nueva Vizcaya Federation of Bikers in solidarity with the anti mining motorcade & symposium held in Belance, Dupax Del Norte last July 27, 2013
Posted on: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 09:23:10 +0000
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