Defend Apayao! Respect IP decision to reject mines and dams in ancestral lands!

KATRIBU stands with the people of Apayao in their strong defense of ancestral land against large-scale and destructive mining and dam projects.

We have seen in the past months the strong opposition of the people of Kabugao against the large dams being pushed by Pan-Pacific in their domains, as well as the growing mass movement of the people of Conner against large-scale mining applications primarily by  Oceanagold-Copperfields and Titan Earth Mining Inc. that cover a significant portion of their municipality. The people of Apayao have made their stance clear not once but several times against unwanted, encroaching, and destructive mining and dam projects through community mass actions, petitions, dialogues with government units, consultations, and other forms of collective action. Their rejection of these projects is unequivocally clear, and must be respected and upheld.

The rejection of a project by Indigenous communities is itself an exercise of their right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and their right to self-determination. FPIC is not merely a process for companies and government agencies to fulfill before proceeding with a project; it is the right of Indigenous Peoples to decide for themselves whether a project enters their ancestral lands or not. Neither companies nor the NCIP and other state agencies have the right to override or undermine the collective decisions of Indigenous communities.

We support the struggles of the peoples of Apayao and enjoin Indigenous Peoples, organizations, and advocates to stand with them. It is important that we remain vigilant against the aggressive and fast-tracked entry of mining and renewable energy projects into ancestral lands, especially amid recent developments in the country’s extractive and energy framework.

Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 122 last August, which offers the country’s mineral resources and facilitates investments in the global military supply chain. It follows the US-Philippines Critical Minerals Memorandum of Understanding signed in February this year, which seeks to support critical mineral supply chains in line with US needs and interests. Marcos Jr.'s energy plans likewise aim to intensify the entry of mining and renewable energy projects across the country, with ancestral lands being the first to be impacted. All of these further cement the Philippines’ role in the US agenda to secure critical resources for its strategic and military interests.

The US-led Pax Silica Initiative is one such manifestation of this role. It will not only threaten the displacement of Ayta communities in Tarlac, but will also facilitate the increased entry and expansion of energy and mining projects for critical minerals in Indigenous territories. Marcos Jr.’s subservience to the US war agenda is a reason we are seeing the current struggles of the people of Apayao against the aggressive land-grabbing and the blatant disregard for genuine FPIC processes and the collective decisions of Indigenous communities.

Marcos Jr. has turned his back on Indigenous Peoples and continuously violates our rights to ancestral lands and self-determination. We demand the complete halt of unwanted and rights-violating projects in Apayao, particularly the dams being pushed by Pan-Pacific and the mining applications of Oceanagold-Copperfields and Titan Earth Mining Inc.

Defend Conner!

Defend Kabugao!

Defend Apayao!

Defend Cordillera!

Reference: Funa-ay Claver, Secretary-General