Groups, Indigenous Tribes Oppose Open-pit Mining, Ranch in Mindanao

Residents of Mount Diwalwal and members of the Panalipdan and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan stage a protest Tuesday, July 13, 2010 in front of the Philippine Mining Development Corporation in Davao City in Mindanao to protest the proposed open-pit mining in gold-rich Monkayo town in Compostela Valley province in Mindanao. (Photo by Karlos Manlupig)

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 13, 2010) – Some 200 people, backed by various civil groups, vowed Tuesday to fight off the intrusion in Mount Diwata of foreign mining firms in the gold-rich town of Monkayo in Compostela Valley province in Mindanao.

They gathered at the Holy Cross of Davao College where the Solidarity Action Group for Indigenous Peoples and Panalipdan-Southern Mindanao Region held a forum to forge unities in response to issues related to large-scale mining in Mount Diwalwal.

They said foreign firms often practiced destructive mining and urged Manila to implement a more responsible policy to protect the environment.

The forum was part of the activities that eventually turned into a large-scale anti-mining campaign launched in cooperation with the Nagkahiusang Katawhan sa Diwalwal and the multi-sectoral Bagong Alyansang Makabayan amidst the looming take-over of large scale mining corporations of in Monkayo.

“Aside from our continued advocacy and education campaign, this mining and environment protection forum aims to educate wide audience on the real costs and benefits of large scale and foreign mining and its deadly impact on local communities, their culture and livelihood,” said Francis Morales, Panalipdan Secretary General.

Participants also signed a manifesto of unity leading to the formation of the Panalipdan Mount Diwalwal alliance. They later assembled in front of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources office from where they marched to the Philippine Mining Development Corporation and held a picket to dramatize their strong opposition against the “sell-out” of Mount Diwalwal to large-scale mining corporations.

Meanwhile, a group of indigenous people in Bukidnon province belonging to the Panalsalan Dagumbaan Tribal Association slammed the issuance of a compliance certificate to a big rancher in Maramag town by the National Commission for Indigenous People Bukidnon, saying the certificate was based on an alleged fake Free and Prior Informed Consent.

The group, composed of Talaandig and Haigaonon tribes, also called for the resignation of Datu Tomme Labaon, the regional director of the NCIP, saying he was biased in favor of rancher Ernesto Villalon, a former mayor of Kibawe municipality, and was insensitive to the plight of lumads.

Datu Mahawan Alfredo Ganinay, chairman of PADATA, said Labaon refused to face them in a dialogue when they demanded the revocation of Villalon’s FPIC.

He said Labaon also refused to answer questions from members of the media who waited for him outside the NCIP office in Cagayan de Oro City. “The FPIC is a fake. The tribal leaders consulted by Villalon were not even from our place,” Ganinay said.

An FPIC is a document letter issued by a tribal group allowing a rancher to manage and develop a certain piece of land that lies within their ancestral domain.

Ganinay, 60, said that Villalon obtained his FPIC from a lumad group in Kibawe, although the 480-hectare Villalon Ranch covered by the FPIC is located in the boundaries of the villages of Panalsalan and Dagumbaan, both in the town of Maramag.

“The ranch is located in our ancestral domain. Former Mayor Villalon should have consulted us. Instead, he obtained an FPIC from a different group of lumads. This is a violation of the FPIC process under NCIP Administrative Order No. 1, Series of 2006,” Ganinay said.

He said the property is covered by their application for Community-Based Forest Management, which they filed at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in November 2007.

Ganinay and two other tribal leaders had their heads shaved Tuesday morning in front of the NCIP office to dramatize their call for the revocation of the FPIC issued to cover Villalon’s ranch. Ganinay’s group had been picketing the NCIP office since Monday and said they would continue with their protest until Labaon faces them in a dialogue. (With reports from Geo Solmerano and Becky de Asis)

Photo: Lumad of the Southern Philippines

Workers put a final touch to this beautiful statue of a Lumad tribesman in Kidapawan City in the southern Philippines. Kidapawan is celebrating its 11th Foundation Anniversary on February 12, 2009. (Mindanao Examiner Photo / Geonarri Somerano)

Ateneo de Zamboanga to document culture of Lumads

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (CBCP / Dec. 11) - Ateneo de Zamboanga University, a Jesuit school in western Mindanao, is envisioning to come up with documentation of materials about the history, culture and the present situation of the indigenous peoples of Western Mindanao, according to the university sources.

The initiative is done under the aegis of Institute of Cultural Studies for Western Mindanao (ICSWM).

It plans to produce visuals portraying the major ethnic tribes in the region, showing their costumes and habitat.

Other plans also include compilation of comprehensive biographies of prominent personalities in the history of Zamboanga City and the region and collection of artifacts such as ethnic costumes, crafts, cooking utensils, tools and equipment used in handicraft making, agriculture and weaponry.

ICSWM aims to enhance unity, understanding and acceptance among peoples and to aid in the formation and transformation of society.

The ICSWM commits itself to provide an avenue for better understanding among the multi-cultural and multi-religious peoples of Western Mindanao through increased awareness and knowledge of each other’s history and culture by: collecting books, photographs, maps and other historical and cultural materials obtained through donation, reproduction or purchase, and cataloguing such as collected materials and making them available to students and researchers.

ICSWM will sponsor seminars and workshops on various topics or issues on history, literature, culture, religion and Muslim and Christian relations in the region for the Ateneo community and other interested groups, undertaking the celebration of ethnic festivals in Western Mindanao in coordination with government and non-government agencies, focusing on cultural presentations (literary, musical, dance, and drama) on the various aspects of the socio-cultural world of the indigenous peoples.

The ICSWM was established on October 16, 1990—a step in the realization of the Ateneo de Zamboanga’s commitment to assist the people of the city and the region in accepting and working within the reality that ours is a multi-cultural and multi-religious society.

As an educational institution, the Ateneo de Zamboanga has the unique opportunity to help overcome the ignorance, prejudices and animosities of the past.

The thrust of the ICSWM is in line with the direction throughout the world of the Society of Jesus, which shows a keen interest in activities that promote inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue.

ICSWM’s collection includes an extensive bibliography, annotated vertical files and materials on the history and culture of Western Mindanao.

The ICSWM gets its financial support from donations of various organizations within the Philippines and abroad. (CBCP - Santosh Digal)

Lumads Condemn MILF Raid On Sarangani Town In Mindanao

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Are Lumads Left Out In The Quest For Peace In Mindanao?

Lumads, like these ones at a recent feast in Malasag in Cagayan de Oro to celebrate their rich culture, have a key role in the road towards lasting peace in Mindanao. (Photo by Ma. Cecilia Rodriguez)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (Philippimne Human Rights Reporting Project / September 18, 2008) – “No one informed us, nobody consulted us.”

Timuay (tribal chieftain) Nanding Mudai was adamant as he explained why his people refused to come out in support of the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) which would have created the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity, a sub-state led by the local Muslim community in Mindanao.

The proposed entity would have covered most of the Subanen ancestral domains in Zambonga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and elsewhere in Western Mindanao.

Timuay Nanding’s complaint is not an isolated case. On August 27, more than 200 other tribal leaders representing 18 major ethno-linguistic groupings in Mindanao and Palawan have signed up to a joint declaration opposing the BJE at a tribal gathering here.

But the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) insists there was proper consultation among the indigenous peoples who would have come under the BJE jurisdiction.

In news reports, MILF vice chairperson for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar maintained that consultations went on for two years as part of the process that finally led to the jointly-initialed MOA-AD.

The MOA-AD was effectively scuttled by local political opposition after the Supreme Court in Manila ordered a temporary restraining order on the eve of its scheduled signing in Malaysia on August 5.

Now as the government rethinks its framework in forging peace in Mindanao and the MILF crying foul over what they claim to be an internationally-binding agreement that the government suddenly dumped, the bigger issue for the Lumads now is: will they be granted real recognition, rights and respect in their ancestral land?

Right to self-determination

In their declaration called the ‘Cagayan de Oro Declaration,’ the 200 tribal leaders asserted their rights to their ancestral domain while calling on the MILF leadership to respect an ancient pact between their ancestors.

“We assert that Mindanao is not only inhabited by the Bangsamoro people but also by indigenous peoples and migrant settlers,” they said. “Thus we call for the respect to the right to self-determination of the indigenous peoples, the right to use our traditional governance systems, our ownership of our ancestral domains and our rights to the resources therein.”

“We promote and accord the highest respect to various traditional peace pacts done through D'yandi, Sapa, Tampuda hu Balagun, Pakang and Kandugo/Sandugo between the ancestors of indigenous peoples and of the Bangsamoro peoples,” tribal leaders said. Higaonon tribal chieftain Maticadong Angkong Limikid explained the ancient pact as the unwritten agreement between the Lumad and the Moro on territorial boundaries.

“The pact governed our ancestors on delineation of territories. It also sealed the peaceful coexistence of the Moro and the Lumad through centuries and ensured that no blood will again be spilled between our peoples,” said Limikid in the local dialect.

“It seems that the leadership of the MILF has forgotten our sapa (pact) when they enlisted our ancestral domain in the BJE,” he said.

When asked if the situation could lead to violence, Limikid said: “We are afraid to break this ancient pact because we know that breaking this will lead to further misery to our people.”
Timuay Nanding says the Lumads have always been for peace. “We have peacefully coexisted with our Moro brothers for a long time. There is always a way to dialogue.”
The tribal leaders maintain that the Lumads and the Moros have the same aspiration: self-determination.

In their declaration, the tribal leaders also recognize the right of the Moros to claim their ancestral lands in turn: “The right to self-determination of our Moro brethren is also enshrined in laws and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that we recognize their struggle and efforts to achieve recognition of this right as a legitimate cause and has historical basis.”
But Timuay Nanding sums up the apprehension of the Lumads: in drawing up the BJE, the MILF would encroach in their territories.

Respect and recognition

The word Lumad, which means ‘grown to a place’, is a generic term that refers to members of the 18 major ethno linguistic groupings in Mindanao. The tribes are the Subanen, Manobo, B’laan, Ata, Mandaya, T’boli, Higaonon, Tiruray (Teduray), Mansaka, Bagobo, Bukidnon, Dibabawon, Tagakaolo, Banwaon, Ubo Manobo, Manguwangon, Lambangian and Mamanwa.
Sub-tribes have been formed by tribal intermarriages over the years.

Latest statistics show that the population of indigenous peoples in Mindanao is around 2.5 million, or 5 per cent of the island’s population. This estimate however includes only those who have registered with the authorities. Many Lumad families do not formally register births.

The 1997 Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) or Republic Act 8379 recognizes the inherent right of the indigenous peoples to own and possess ancestral domains, the right to self-governance and self-determination, and the preservation of their culture, traditions and institutions.

These rights are also embodied in United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples (UNDRIP) which specifies that indigenous peoples can “freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development” (Article 3).

No common stand

But, in asserting their right to self-determination, the Lumads face the dilemma of unifying all tribes towards one course of action.

Janette Serrano, commissioner of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) for Central Mindanao, said groups representing the IPs have different political persuasions, as reflected on their stand on the MOA-AD and the BJE.

“One group cannot claim it represents the sentiments of the Lumad because there are others who have different beliefs, different points of view,” she said.

Lumads within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), for instance, fully support the scrapped agreement.

In their two-page statement on MOA-AD on August 17 (which MILF chief negotiator Mohaqer Iqbal allegedly received on August 18), members of the Teduray, Lambangian and Dulangan Manobo in Upi, Shariff Kabunsuan said the MOA-AD should be seen as “an opportunity to safeguard interests of the majority against erroneous systems.”

Calling themselves Lumad-ARMM, the tribal leaders also said in their statement that self-determination does not imply separating from the Moros. “Our free choice would help us preserve our self-determination, governance and ancestral domain within the BJE.”

Another Lumad group, the Kusog sa Katawhang Lumad sa Mindanao (Kalumaran), also said they support the Bangsamoro’s call for self-determination and ancestral domains but doubted the motives of the Philippine government in “rushing” the MOA-AD with the MILF.

“The pact affirms and acknowledges the Lumads’ right to self-determination by recognizing Lumad territories under the BJE. But Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the big landlords, big businesses and imperialist power have used the MOA-AD to further their interests,” Kalumaran said.

It also said that the government “took advantage” of the confusion on the MOA-AD to renew offensives against the MILF. The clashes, now in its seventh week, have already displaced more than 500,000 persons in Central and Northern Mindanao.

Victoria Tauli-Corpus, chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNDRIP), called on the tribes at the Mindanao-Palawan indigenous peoples’ consultation to organize themselves.

“Do not let your political affiliations get into the process of shaping you own broad network. The main basis of your unity will be the UNDRIP,” said Corpus.

Serrano said that the challenge to tribal leaders now with regards to the MOA-AD is to overcome political differences and unite on one definite stand.

Pursue peace talks

Despite their criticism on the MOA-AD, the Mindanao-Palawan tribal leaders said they were saddened by its cancellation and called on both the MILF and the government to return to the negotiating table.

“We are not thankful that this [scrapping of MOA-AD] happened. It would have led to peace in Mindanao. What we wanted was to be included in the review and consultation, not to scrap it,” said Limikid.

Norma Capuyan, a Higaonon babaylan (woman leader or priestess) was especially critical of the authorities in Manila.

“This only shows the insincerity of the Arroyo administration,” she said. “They have been talking for years now, and then they drop everything just like that.”

The tribal leaders admitted that the MOA-AD is a tangible expression of the right to self-determination and would have been a first step for the Moro and the indigenous peoples in Mindanao towards peace. What they merely wanted, as their declaration states, was to be included in the process.

Timuay Nanding said it was regretful that the tribal leaders knew the details of the MOA-AD belatedly. “It would have been a very good springboard towards achieving peace,” he said.(Ma. Cecilia L. Rodriguez)

Pastor Apollo Quiboloy Umani Ng Batikos

DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / May 18, 2008) – Mariing binatikos kahapon ng New People’s Army (NPA) ang milyonaryong televangelist na si Apollo Quiboloy dahil sa diumano’y tirada nito sa rebeldeng grupo dahil sa pagtatanggol sa karapatan ng mga katutubong Lumad sa Mindanao.

Inakusahan ng NPA si Quiboloy ng paggamit ng kanyang malawak na impluwensya at pagiging malapit sa militar upang proteksyunan ang kanyang interest.

Unang ibinintang ng NPA sa mga tagasunod ni Quiboloy ang pagkakapatay sa isang Lumad leader dahil sa ayaw umano nitong ibenta ang kanyang lupain sa Davao na malapit lamang sa malawak na ari-arian ng self-proclaimed preacher.

“As he tries to divert public attention from real issues that has put him in a very bad light, he further invites attention to the injustice that prevails and incites people to let out sentiments that range from ridicule to denunciation,” ani Rigoberto Sanchez, tagapagsalita ng NPA’s Merardo Arce Command.

Mabilis na ibinintang ng militar sa NPA ang pagpatay sa Lumad leader at itinanggi rin ni Quiboloy ang lahat ng akusasyon laban sa kanya. Sinabi pa ng NPA na nagbanta diumano si Quiboloy na gagamitin ang kapangyarihan nito upang banggain ang mga rebelde sa Davao.

“If he desires to be a warlord, aside from being a tree plantation owner, real estate developer, eco-tourism advocate, media mogul and padrino-traditional politicians while moonlighting as a luxury car collector, practical shooting enthusiast and aspiring helicopter pilot, then let him be.”

“If he dreams of fortifying his vast mountainous estate in Calinan by organizing a Quiboloy Brigade, shuttling from the pulpit to the machinegun post, then let him be. But to utilize his religious, economic, political and military influence to establish and expand his estate, cause the evacuation of lumads from their ancestral lands and add misery to poor peasants constitute sinister acts that justly deserve condemnation,” ani pa ni Sanchez.

Maging si Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte ay ipinagtanggol rin si Quiboloy, na kanyang matalik na kaibigan, at sinabing isa itong marangal na tao.

”The NPA has no quarrel with Apollo Quiboloy's prayerful flock. But this multi-millionaire pastor's elitist arrogance and deep-seated contempt for lumads and peasants who resist his land grabbing practices rightly deserves the public ridicule and mounting isolation that he is earning,” ani Sanchez.

Si Quiboloy ang pinuno ng “The Kingdom Of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name,” at ng ACQ Kingdom Broadcasting Network sa Davao City at president rin ng Jose Maria College. (Mindanao Examiner)

Christmas for the Lumads

A Solidarity Campaign Project of the Solidarity Action Group for Indigenous Peoples (SAGIP)PASAKA Confederation of Lumad Organizations in Southern Mindanao.

Someday at Christmas we’ll see a land with no hungry children, no empty hand...

SHARE the JOY and PEACE of Christmas...

SUPPORT PROJECT HELP!

H- Health
During the SAGIP medical missions this year many lumads (especially coming from Ata Manobo and Matigsalug Tribe) were diagnosed and almost 95% were positive of various illnesses mainly tuberculosis, malaria (falsifarum & vivax), scabies, kwashiorkor (severe malnutrition), parasitism, goiter, anemia, etc. Measles, vomiting and diarrhea had taken the lives of more than 20 lumad children in the tribal villages of Talaingod this year. Unabated logging had caused the loss of valuable herbs used in indigenous healing by the Baylan (doctor-priest).

DONATE medicines for these diseases. PROVIDE iodized salt, vitamins and clothings. JOIN medical missions and SHARE your medical skills if you are a health professional/ worker.

E- Environment

Traditionally, Lumads are hunters and gatherers. Big logging concessions, plantations and dams, however have now rendered most forestlands and rivers--- their hunting grounds--- denuded. Breeding habitats for the binaw (deer), the takubong (forest rats), and the baboy ihalas (wild boars) are constricting.

DO YOUR SHARE in reforesting the highlands. DONATE seeds (of hardwood varieties, or fruit tress like durian, native rambutan, mango, jackfruit and seeds of vegetables or food crops).

L- Literacy

The battle against illiteracy is starting at the community-level. More and more lumad organizations under PASAKA are now putting up literacy programs run by native community based teachers. Despite the reported high literacy rate of the country, illiteracy pervades most in the tribal/ lumad hinterland communities. These existing literacy schools (only one graded & formal) teach lumad children the 3Rs in the context of their culture and struggle.

SEND lumad children to literacy school. SPONSOR community literacy programs. SPARE your used/unused notebooks, pencils/ ballpens, pad papers, erasers, chalk, crayons, used clothings, etc. HELP us publish SAGIP’s literacy reading-writing-arithmetic manuals.

P- Production

Long before environmentalism became a fad, lumads already practiced environmentally-sound farming techniques. But the onslaught of logging, mining and other destructive projects have threatened their food security.

HELP lumads increased food production. DONATE farm tools such as bolo, lagaraw, guna, bairan/limbas, etc. SHARE your skills on agriculture.

TARGET BENEFICIARIES OF THIS RELIEF DRIVE/ PROJECT:
1.Ata Manobo tribe in Talaingod, Davao del Norte (Org: Salupongan ta Tanu Igkanugon)

2.Matigsalug in Sitio Bermuda, Naboc, Monkayo, Compostela Valley (Org: NABOKASA)

TARGET DATES for the CHRISTMAS with the Lumads Program in the Area:December 15, 2007 and December 22, 2007

SEND your DONATIONS to:Solidarity Action Group for Indigenous PeoplesOffice: Diakonia Center, IFI Compound, F. Torres St., Davao CityContact telephone #s: 305-0824/ 09286059209 or mail us at yutangkabilin@yahoo.com.

Look for May for inquiries.

In the first Christmas, Jesus manifested his total solidarity with the poor (He was born in an animal’s shelter and wrapped in swaddling clothes), the persecuted (He was the main target of the mass murder of “the innocents”), and the refugees of this world (He was a refugee early in life, Mary and Joseph took him to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod)Dr. Robinson Montalba

Grant Us Our Ancestral Domain, Tribal Leader Asks

KABASALAN, Zamboanga Sibugay (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 11, 2007) – A tribal leader said granting the indigenous people’s legitimate claims for their ancestral domain would be an effective tool for empowerment.

Wilfredo Sanggayan, an indigenous people (IP) representative to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Legislative Council) of Sibugay province, said the other way of looking at the several ancestral domain claims is to view it as a tool of empowering the indigenous peoples.

Sanggayan is the first Lumad representative to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan nationwide.

Zamboanga Sibugay is also the first province throughout the country to have IP representative to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. Compostela Valley province is second.

“By granting the indigenous peoples their legitimate claims for their ancestral domains is to allow them to manage and govern themselves,” Sanggayan said.

Some 35 tribal leaders last week appealed to the concerned government agencies “to respect their legitimate claims of ancestral domain in this region.”

In a recent assembly held at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University, these tribal leaders also slammed what they called government “discrimination” against the rights of the Subanons in the peninsula.

The tribal conference dubbed “Glumpuk Nog Kobogolalanan Sog Pigsungan Nog Nawan (Assembly of Tribal Traditional Leaders of Zamboanga Peninsula) was part of the activities for the Mindanao Week of Peace, which started on November 29 and ended on December 5.

Early this month, Subanons from the three villages of Zamboanga City staged protest actions before government centers here.

“Our ancestral land is our kingdom where we have the chance to self-governance,” Sanggayan said, adding that part of his priority initiatives as Lumad representative to the provincial board is to undertake the titling of some 14 identified ancestral lands in Sibugay.

The provincial office of the National Commission of Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) also held a seminar here last week about the rights of the IP to ancestral domains.

Margarita Baya, officer-in-charge of NCIP provincial office, said “we need to help the Lumad in reclaiming their lands.”

“Gani, dili na yutang kabilin ang gusto nato bawi-on kundili yutang nabilin (In fact, it is no longer the ancestral land that we wanted but just a portion of that land),” Baya told this writer in jest.

There are four ancestral domain claims that are now pending at NCIP. These claims are from the towns of Siay, Naga, Roseller T. Lim, and Kabasalan, comprising at least 80,000 hectares of land of the province.

Another priority initiative that will benefit the indigenous peoples in the province, according to Sanggayan, is the establishment of Sibugay Indigenous Peoples Economic Zone Cum Indigenous Park and Living Museum.

“But as of now, we are now working for the recognition of Lumad representatives to the 14 local Sangguniang of the province,” Sanggayan said.

Fourteen of the 16 towns of this province need Lumad representatives to the local Sangguniang as mandated by Republic Act 8371, also known as “The Indigenous People's Rights Act of 1997”, according to Sanggayan.

RA 8371 mandates that “indigenous peoples shall be represented in all Sangguniang at all levels whose representatives shall be selected in accordance with the customs and traditions of the indigenous people concerned.”

Signed into law on October 29, 1997 by then President Fidel Ramos, the IPRA underwent many years of legislative study and deliberation before it became a law.It is the result of various consultations, consolidated bills related to ancestral domains and lands, and international agreements on the recognition of land/domain rights of the IPs.

In general, the IPRA seeks to recognize, promote and protect the rights of the IPs. These include the Right to Ancestral Domain and Lands; Right to Self-Governance and Empowerment; Social Justice and Human Rights; and the Right to Cultural Integrity.

Sanggayan pointed out that 14 of the 16 towns of Sibugay are inhabited by indigenous peoples with the Subanen tribe as the largest group.

The Subanen numbered around 1.3 million as of 2000 census scattered mostly in the provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Misamis Occidental, and Zamboanga City.

At present, according to Sanggayan, there are 11 local government units who had passed an ordinance recognizing the indigenous representatives to their respective Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

“But only seven of the 11 have formally accepted and installed an IP representative as a member of their local councils,” Sanggayan, who earned the distinction as the first IP representative to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan throughout the country, lamented.

”We will continue to reiterate our request to the different local government officials concerned concerning the representation of the indigenous people in the council as mandated by RA 8371,” Sanggayan said. “We are only asking what is due us.” (Antonio Manaytay)

Mindanao Tribesmen Assail Military Offensive

SURIGAO DEL SUR, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 04, 2007) – An umbrella organization of indigenous tribes assailed Tuesday ongoing military operations in the southern Philippines, saying, it has effected more than 1,500 natives in Mindanao.

The militant group PASAKA Lumad Confederation said more than 1,500 Manobo tribesmen have been affected by the military offensive in several hinterland villages in Surigao del Sur province, where soldiers were pursuing communist insurgents since last week.

Datu Monico Cayog, one of the group's leaders, also accused soldiers of violating human rights of many natives on mere suspicion they were rebel supporters.

The military offensive was triggered by a rebel ambush Saturday of government soldiers that injured more than dozen infantrymen in the town of Lianga.

But Cayog, a Bagobo tribal leader, said: "The death of a military man due to an NPA landmine explosion was not the fault of the civilian communities, but every time there is a military casualty, civilians always suffer from the military's vengeful attacks."

He also appealed for aid to help feed natives in evacuation areas.

"The Lumad in Surigao need all the help from concerned institutions, churches and individuals," he said.

PASAKA is composed of 25 different Lumad organizations in southern Mindanao and North Cotabato. (Mindanao Examiner)

Tribesmen Say Mining Destroy Sacred Lands In Mindanao

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 15 Aug) – Lumad tribesmen on Wednesday slaughtered a white chicken in ritual to protest the destruction of their ancestral land by mining activities in the southern Philippines.

Datu Monico Cayog, the group’s leader, said mining activities have destroyed their lands and polluted rivers and mountain springs in Mindanao where large scale mining are going on.

The indigenous people, composed mostly of Manobo, Bagobo, Umayamnon, Blaan Lumad tribes, are members of the Confederation of Lumad Organizations in Southern Mindanao under the larger group called PASAKA.

They were protesting also the government’s liberal mining policies and accused authorities of human rights violations against the indigenous tribes.

“The white chicken symbolizes the peace that we demand, while the blood symbolizes death to all destructive projects in their communities, particularly mining, logging, dams and militarization that resulted in uncountable human rights abuses perpetrated against the Lumads,” Cayog said.

He said human rights abuses perpetrated against indigenous tribes escalate due to mining activities and other government projects in their communities without public consultations.

“These projects are coupled with militarization, since the government knows that the Lumads protest these destructive projects. Genuine development will only be achieved thought nationalized industrialization which is free from the encroachment of foreign or local firms which only want to plunder our natural resources,” he said.

Norma Capuyan, chairperson of the Apo Sandawa Lumadnong Panaghiusa Cotabato (ASLPC), also denounced the transfer of the Philippine Mining Development Corporation (PMDC) in the direct control of President Gloria Arroyo.

“Out of the 18 mining priority areas in Mindanao, at least 16 are inside ancestral domains of the indigenous peoples. The influx of mining companies is thus tantamount to the death of indigenous communities which depend greatly on their ancestral land for survival,” Capuyan said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.

Capuyan said that aside from mining activities, commercial and illegal logging also caused the deforestation of many Lumad communities in Mindanao, such as Ata-Manobo ancestral lands in Davao Del Norte province.

She said the ongoing construction of the Tudaya hydro-power plant in Mount Apo, a protected area, is also threatening the denudation of Bagobo and Manobo communities.

Dolphing Ogan, secretary general of the group KALUMARAN, a federation of Lumad organizations in Mindanao, said the deteriorating situation has affected the political, socio-economic and rich culture of the indigenous people.

“The Lumad people are suffering from blatant neglect from the government due to the absence of education, health and other basic social services in our communities.”

“We are grabbed of our ancestral land which is the material base of our socio-cultural, economic, and political life. Appallingly, we are also tagged as rebels or enemies of state every time we defend the mere right to our land and life,” Ogan said.

There are at least 18 indigenous tribes in Mindanao.

Lost US Federal Notes, Japanese Currencies Recovered In Southern Philippines

Filipino doctor Salvacion Kempe shows some of US treasury and foreign currencies in her collections. The notes were recovered by Lumad tribesmen in the southern Philippines and have been kept the past seven decades. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service/Ben Balce)

ILIGAN CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 13 Jul) – Billions of dollars in old Federal treasury and reserved notes and Japanese currencies have been recovered in the southern Philippines.
A Filipino doctor and head of a religious organization in the southern city of Iligan said she has in her possession some of the lost items.

Dr Salvacion Kempe, of the Gospel Ministry of the Holy Spirit for Salvation (GMHSS), said she got the treasury notes from Lumad tribesmen in the southern Philippines and kept it for a long time until now.

She said the notes have to be inspected by US authorities for its authenticity. “I cannot say it is 100 percent authentic but basing on how it is being securely kept in the black boxes including its markers and symbols, I think these are what the US government is looking for,“ she said.

But for security reasons, she said, she would only reveal the place where she hides the Federal notes to US officials. Kempe said she is willing to return the old notes which date back in the 1930s.

“There are lots of these in one of the places in Mindanao. But for now, while the US government has not yet responded to my letter on what action to take to redeem their belongings, I would not reveal where it is located,“ she said. Kempe has written US President George W. Bush on June 22 about the Federal notes, but got no reply.

“In fact, all these items need to be airlifted though a plane because they are too many and too heavy,“ she said. In her letter, Kempe said, she urged the president to send a team to check the authenticity of the treasury bonds.

Local treasure hunters and financial analysts said all these US treasury bonds were already demonetized last year and have no value at all. “They are already expired and therefore it has no more value at all,“ one expert said, but added, the notes could still be sold through auction as antique collections.

“It’s already an antique collectors items and it may have bigger value if it can be proven to be rare items.” In the past years, the Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation have arrested several people who imprinted trillions of fake foreign currencies and US treasury bonds. (Ben Balce)