stop the rape and plunder of the Filipino natural resources
It's time for a new mining law in the Philippines.
The Alternative Mining Bill was filed in Congress on May 13th to replace the existing anti-Filipino and foreign friendly Mining Act of 1995 (R.A. 7942). It is high time to replace this law that has become so disadvantageous to the the welfare of Philippine economy and the Filipino people.
Mining revitalisation program – a land grabbing tool
The government’s mining revitalisation program became a land grabbing tool by mining companies, encroaching and displacing indigenous peoples and rural poor in the countryside. Mining has brought more problems in the already impoverished rural communities; fertile agricultural lands were bulldozed and wasted just to extract the minerals that will only be exported for the huge profit of transnational mining corporations.
FTAA and MPSA – a badge to commit Human Rights Violations
The Financial and Technical Assistance Agreements (FTAA’s) and Mineral Production Sharing Agreements (MPSA’s) have been extremely harmful to the native peoples. These agreements have resulted in the displacement of indigenous peoples and rural communities, demolishing their houses as in the case of the Ifugao and Hinaki tribes in Didipio, Nueva Viscaya and Tubay, Agusan de Sur. They have also caused the harassment and killings of anti-mining activists by goons and private armies of mining companies. And with the government's creation of the 'investment defense force,' an outfit designed to provide security to mining investments against the opposition of the people, there is a likely possibility that the military are condoning these acts.
Rape and plunder
The negative impacts of mining are proven to destroy not just the environment but the livelihood and welfare of the people as well. Marinduque island province suffered the worst ever mining disaster as a result of Marcopper mining. Marcopper destroyed the two major rivers in the island with its toxic mine tailings, and no living organisms can survive in the rivers to this day.
Mining has been practised for more than 40 years in the island province of Marinduque but the province remained a fourth class municipality and one of the poorest province in the country. Marcopper left the people in misery with their toxic wastes and unpaid billions of pesos in taxes due to the local government of Marinduque.
A New and Nationalist oriented mining law
The Alternative Mining Bill should be passed into law to protect the remaining Filipino natural resources. The bill recognises the need to steer away from the export oriented and import dependent economy has driven the Philippine economy to more debts and poverty.
Stop the plunder of the Filipino natural resources: scrap the Mining Act of 1995!
For more information, contact Ronald A. Gregorio (Campaigns Officer, Legal Rights & Natural Resources Center); 926-4409; 434 4079, 41-B Mapagsangguni St., Sikatuna Village, Quezon City
