The Road to Development Justice

The heartbreaking realities in the Philippine society. Albino Lupnacan, an honest teacher in Kalinga was shot dead last year by a riding in tandem. The photos are taken during the indignation rally sometime in 2013 in the main street of Tabuk City, Kalinga

The Butbut tribe's Exodus

The Butbut Tribe’s Exodus: Surviving in a foreign land

June 22, 2014 in Cordillera, indigenous by patnugot

By ALMA B. SINUMLAG
www.nordis.net

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We could have chosen to return to our home in the upland but the terror we experienced was still lingering especially among the women and children. We chose to survive and rebuild our lives and community here, said Ama Banag during their cultural exchange with the Paiwan tribe of Taiwan on April 2013.

The Butbut tribe from Buscalan and Ngibat settled in the grass land in Anonang, Liwan West, Rizal, Kalinga on March 7, 1988 with little cash and no farm tools. The first thing that Ama Banag and other elders did was to build houses for around 60 families. They built the said houses through the practice of innamuju or helping every family to erect a house. All the houses were built after more than a month of collective efforts to finish the first house until the last one. They made use of available resources and materials specially cogon grass and bamboo and a minimal number of trees. For a month, they depended on relief goods from William Claver, the Episcopal Church and other personalities.

On April 1988, after several discussions regarding CPLA’s terror against the Cordillera peoples, the elders lead by the Binodngan Peoples Organization (BPO) which Ama Banag chaired at that time called for the dismantling of the CPLA.

Overcoming terror, rebuilding community

To overcome the terror, the community did not think of going back. They focused on building the community and living their lives anew. But in a barren land, it could not be possible without external help. They informed the Montañosa Research and Development Center (MRDC) of their situation. MRDC is a non government organization that had been working with them for rural development in their villages in Tinglayan. To be able to plant rice and legumes, MRDC gave the community P10,000 to have the grassland plowed by a tractor. This was after they have settled in their houses.

In an interview with Matthew Tauli, Executive Director of MRDC, he recalled that once they received the information, they facilitated relief operations starting June 6, 1988. The food items came from the Church and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). There were also farm tools from the Montañosa Relief and Rehabilitation Services (MRRS).

MRDC assisted the re-settling community in reforesting the barren land. Fruit trees and many other varieties were planted in the village area and in the pongod (watershed). Their former animal dispersal project in the upland was continued in Anonang. Some villagers, Tauli said, went back in Tinglayan and brought down with them carabaos for the continuation of the dispersal. Today, carabaos are serving as families’ help in the field, food for special occasions and rituals, and for selling during emergency situations.

Since drinking water was scarce, Claver mobilized support for the first unit of water pumps and the next five units came from the Episcopal Church. Moreover, a wind powered water pump was also facilitated by MRDC purposely to relieve the women and children from the hard work of pumping to bring out potable underground water.

The formation of a community organization with the assistance of MRDC and Timpuyog Dagiti Mannalon ti Kalinga (TMK) made it easier for them to access projects for their further adaptation in the foreign land. The Anonang Community Organization (ACO) managed several socio-economic projects like irrigation and water system. Ama Banag mentioned that it had many difficulties in the process but they were able to surpass it through the practice of democratic consultations, community meetings and upholding organizational decisions. Women and youth organizations were set up later in the 1990s. TMK organizers recalled that in 1990, the Anonang Youth Organization was very active in cultural work and were the majority members of Kalinga Cultural Group that presented the province’s situation during the Cordillera Day held in Conner, Apayao.

Continuing the struggle

The Butbut tribe of Anonang may have been dislocated from their ancestral land but their participation in the Cordillera Mass Movement did not stop. Elders like Ama Banag continued campaigning for the dismantling of CPLA and towards the achievement of genuine democracy and self determination. Youth joined the wider Kalinga youth movement. The vibrance of women’s organization cannot be discounted specially on their role in community’s peace keeping and solidarity with other women’s organizations in the province.

Healing scarred relations

The CPLA terror did not only displace them from their ancestral land. For Ama Banag, it destroyed his relationship with his only brother. His brother was the one who made a statement during the height of the CPLA split to kill him because he was just a hindrance to their salary as CPLA. It was a statement that deeply scarred their relationship. One generation has passed but those words were not forgotten. Since their departure from Buscalan, he never talked to his brother and never mentioned his name to his family or to his neighbors. They may see each other in tribal occasions but they never engaged in brotherly conversations since.

Today however, Ama Banag said, his brother realized how wrong he was and is starting to bridge the break he caused. They are now talking in a civil manner but it is a common understanding for both to never mention issues from that horrifying history of the tribe.

Never forget

Today, the elders of Anonang are always telling the young people to know about their history; the history of the exodus that has driven them away from their ancestral land. For the Butbut tribe especially in Buscalan and Ngibat who witnessed that history, it is still unimaginable to forget.

CPLA leadership may have weakened today but the name still sounds evil to them and every time they hear it, history is brought back.

Elders said during their cultural exchanges with the Paiwan tribe of Taiwan in April 2013 that they will never forget until CPLA is totally dismantled and will never be heard; and until genuine justice is achieve for the lives they have taken and for the tribe that has been dislocated from its roots. # nordis.net

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Kalinga shines in struggle, save the homeland vs corporate plunder

April 20, 2014 in 2014 Cordillera Day Supplement, Cordillera, Featured by editors

By ALMA SINUMLAG
www.nordis.net

Remember, our grandparents barricaded, lobbied, forged wider unity, sacrificed their lives and took arms to defend this land.

OUT OF OUR LANDS. In Tawang, Balbalan, CEXCI’s mining operations was met with rage by the people because CEXCI came to their community like thieves. Photo by Alma Sinumlag

Remembering the honor

The Kalingas in the Cordillera region have a long history of upholding their community’s honor in the defense of the people’s ancestral domain. When the Chico River was eyed for a series of mega dam projects in the 1970s to 1980s by the Marcos dictatorship and the World Bank, their tribes were never silent.

Regardless of their educational status, they were not intimidated to face government officials up to the national level in the lobby for what they want and bravely presented their dissent to the intrusions in their teritories. Their warrior tradition was reflected in a series of barricades and protests actions. The women fought side by side with men. They dismantled military and National Power Corporation (NPC) tents in Mosimos and carried these to Camp Duyan. They even bared their breasts to shame the army who were serving as NPC’s security guards.

Protest leaders were arrested including Macliing Dulag and imprisoned in Camp Olivas. The resistance was more enflamed when on April 24, 1980, Macliing was gunned down in his home in Bugnay, Tinglayan by state forces led by Lt. Leogardo Adalem. Pedro Dungoc, his neighbor, was also wounded in the same raid but was able to flee and later joined the New Peoples Army (NPA) where he continued to defend the home land, life and resources until his last breath.

Macliing’s death widened the unity of the anti-Chico dams sentiment from Mountain Province to Kalinga. A multilateral bodong was forged with the objective of defending their home land.

The courage of the venerated pangat Ama Lumbaya of the Butbut tribe of Ngibat, Tinglayan took arms to concretize his defense of the ancestral domains. He was a respected elder and a peace pact holder. The resistance in its various forms during this time successfully stopped the project.

Relive the honor

Kalinga Province has not lost its legacy of unity to resist the plunder of their land and resources. It has many vibrant sons and daughters who shall persist against all odds to defend what has been safeguarded by their forebears. This vibrance is now challenged by intensifying entry of ‘development projects’ ranging from mining, geothermal and hydro projects accompanied by widespread militarization.

Markus Bangit and Alyce Claver were killed by state assassins in 2006. The son and daughter of Kalinga who were resolute in the fight for the indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination. They were killed in the state’s aim to silence the protesting masses like they did to Macliing Dulag.

A challenge is then being posed to all i-Kalinga to bring back the honor of the ones who have gone before us by forging a wider and stronger unity against corporate plunder of our ancestral land’s resources. Hear the chant from the Chico River dams struggle, echoing the call to wake the sleeping warriors:

Pasil, Chico, Tanudan
Lumigwat tako losan ay, ay (Let’s all rise)
Ay, ay Salidummay
Ay, ay Salidum-salidummay
Sayang no dik ilaban (It’s a waste if I cannot fight)
Pita un natagoan ay,ay (for the land that has given us life)
Ay, ay salidummay
Ay, ay salidum-salidummay

Yes, the World Bank funded Chico River Dams project during the Marcos dictatorship was stopped but danger is again before us, as many foreign corporations have renewed their interest for minerals, forest, steam, and rivers of the province. The land and resources that have sustained the lives of tribes in Kalinga are threatened of being grabbed from its stewards.

Grabbing our Mt. Binulauan

In the records of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), nine ancestral domains in the municipalities of Tinglayan, Lubuagan and Pasil, a more or less 26,000 hectare land area is covered by Chevron’s geothermal exploration application. This US based giant corporation is eyeing to set up a geothermal power facility in Mt. Binulauan which is located in the tri-boundary of the three municipalities. It stands 7,641 ft and is classified by the PHILVOLCS as an active volcano with fumarole fields and hot springs on its slopes. One fumarole field is located in Dananao, Tinglayan called Suku-u’ and other two are in Balatoc, Pasil which are the Bu-ot and Bum-bag fumarole fields. Its hot springs are in Tulgao, Tinglayan called by the locals, A-attungan and Western Uma, Lubuagan’s Sun-ot.

Initial findings of Chevron from its exploration activities estimated Binulauan’s geothermal capacity between 120MW to 200MW. Chevron has even announced its timetable of setting up the facility by 2017. Despite a number of documented oppositions from various tribes affected, it has flaunted that it has secured a 100% consent from the indigenous peoples in the area.

In the research activities of the Cordillera Women’s Education Action Research Center (CWEARC) in Uma, Lubuagan; Tulgao, Tinglayan and Dananao, Tinglayan, Chevron violated numerous collective rights of the indigenous peoples. It has employed various tactics including bribery to divide the tribes just to be able to secure the required free, prior and informed consent (FPIC).

In Uma, Lubuagan, the division is highly observable with the rift between the pro and anti. Elders are co-opted and have already given their consent to the company without considering those opposed. In Tulgao and Dananao, the division is starting to cripple their unity. In the interviews made among the members of the tribes, Chevron conducted meetings not only inside their communities but in several hotels in Tabuk City with chosen attendees who are receiving perdiems in the course of the meetings. It was in these hotels that some of the memorandum of agreements (MOA) were drafted and signed.

In the consultations inside the communities facilitated by the NCIP, information divulged to the people are insufficient. The company only stresses that the project would bring development in the province of Kalinga. It has used the government neglect of social services to lure the communities for the project. It promised scholarships, roads, path ways and many others. The absence of such basic services was used to cripple united resistance of communities.

In the evaluation report, however, of the NCIP for the exploration project of Chevron, it pointed out some issues like the non compliance of the company to most of the provisions of the MOA signed with several elders. These issues include scholarships and employment. It mentioned that there were only a few students who were able to avail of the scholarship and instead of giving priority to employing locals, it has hired mostly foreigners.

It is not however unusual for a company like Chevron to violate the rights of i-Kalinga. They did it in Mountain Province, Benguet and Ifugao. They did it in various countries around the Globe. In fact, Global Exchange, an international human rights organization, labeled Chevron as the number 2 most wanted corporate human rights violators in 2012 with Bank of America as number 1. Chevron was listed number 2 in the report for damaging the ecosystem in Ecuador, and repressing protest to oil extraction in Brazil. Its pollution and neglect in the Northern Amazon, human rights abuses in its oil project site in Burma, Thailand and many other cases in North America were not included in Chevron’s sins for ranking number 2 – violator.

With the notoriety of Chevron as a human rights violator, the people of Kalinga cannot afford to give rights to this company to take control over Mt. Binulauan. Binulauan is a common term for the tribes in Kalinga which means gold or precious. This mountain is precious not only for the tribes in the three municipalities but to the whole of Kalinga.

Binulauan houses the watershed supplying numerous creeks that flows down to Pasil and Bonog rivers and unites with the mighty Chico River giving life to the rice paddies along the river banks downstream until Tabuk, considered the rice granary of Kalinga. Tulgao and Dananao tribes have expressed their strong opposition especially when they learned that geothermal facility needs large volumes of water in order to harness more steam from underneath the earth.

Makilala Mining Company

Another burning issue in Kalinga today is mining specially in Pasil where the Batong Buhay Mines once operated but was stopped by communities because of its adverse effects downstream. The renewed interest of mining companies to mine Pasil and other areas in the province started in 2005 with Makilala Mining Company and Cordillera Exploration Incorporated (CEXCI). Since then, it has triggered tension among the communities. It had even caused tribal war due to a triggered boundary dispute.

For some time, the issue was silent until today that Makilala is hell bent at pursuing the project. It covers the ancestral domains of the Colayo, Guina-ang and Balatoc tribes. Exploration activities are ongoing in Balatoc while the processes of FPIC are still being sought from two other tribes.

Recently, the FPIC processes within the ancestral domain of Guina-ang were questioned and found fraudulent. The Guina-ang Indigenous Peoples Organization (GIPO) came out with a manifesto rejecting the mining project because it is in conflict with the tribe’s other source of livelihood, small scale mining. Also, a case has been filed against the NCIP Kalinga because of the irregularities in the FPIC process.

Members of the tribe said NCIP during the consultation was manipulating the process. The Resolution of Consent was drafted by the said agency and community members signed even without a clear understanding of the project. Thus, in the manifesto, they are asking to declare the resolution void.

They also questioned the formation of the council of elders which was facilitated by NCIP. One tribe member said, a council was already in place even prior to the entry of a mining application and that council, he said, represents all the barangays belonging to Guina-ang tribe namely Guinaang, Pugong, Malucsad, Galang, Bagtayan and Dangtalan. NCIP, they said, created a council of elders for them to manipulate the consent.

CEXCI

In Tawang, Balbalan, CEXCI’s mining operations was met with rage by the people because CEXCI came to the community like thieves. The company already started its mining operations even without the conduct of an FPIC process. Tawang people then called for the immediate pull out of the company from their land.

Hydro projects

The story of a “tribe’s resurrection” became a burning issue among the Naneng tribe in Dupag, Tabuk, Kalinga when a Minanga tribe suddenly came into the picture claiming to be initiating the dam project alongsabangan (meeting point) of the Tanudan River and Chico River. Leaders of the Malbong and Naneng tribes said that Minanga was already subsumed long ago into the Naneng tribe.

This project, the Upper Tabuk Hydroelectric Power Project (UTHPP), is implemented by the DPJ Engineers and Consultants. Naneng tribe said that DPJ knows that the majority of the affected communities are opposed to a dam project considering that Dupag people were the ones who dismantled the camps of the NPC during the Chico River Dams project protests. But in the pursuit of this 10MW hydro project, they formed the Minanga ICC with the certification from the NCIP to justify that it was a project initiated by the said cultural group.

The leaders of the Naneng tribe stressed that if you are talking of Minanga today, you are not referring to a tribe or an ICC but a sitio which is part of Dupag. Leticia Bula-at, a feisty woman leader, said that Minanga cannot decide for the fate of Dupag and all that are affected by the project. Their protest reached until Congress and today the project proponents are silent. It is still recorded though in the list of awarded hydro power projects in the Department of Energy as of December 2013.

Aside from the UTHPP, major rivers of Kalinga are blanketed with hydro projects. Pasil River is applied for by PNOC-Renewables Corp with two hydros with a capacity of 22MW and 20MW. The Saltan River in Balbalan is also applied for by the same company with a 24MW hydro project. A 4.32MW mini hydro project of Pan Pacific Renewable Power Phils is eyed along the Chico line in Bugnay, Tinglayan.

Tabuk future a toilet bowl

Tabuk valley is the rice granary of Kalinga. Residents from the upland villages of Kalinga always go down to Tabuk during a rice crisis. Geographically, Tabuk is a valley shaped like a basin. With the applied projects, however, Gloria Pisipis of Innabuyog-Kalinga said the province’s basin will soon become a toilet bowl of corporations. She noted during an interview that people cannot discount the role of the tribes in the lowland Kalinga in the stoppage of the Batong Buhay Mines in the 1980s. Their rice fields were the first to be affected by the silt and chemicals that flowed through Pasil River down to the Chico River. The protest in the lowland was stronger than that in the upland before and that can happen again. She posed a challenge to all i-Kalinga to stand with them in saving the rice granary.

Kalinga shines in struggle

In this year’s celebration of the 19th Kalinga Day, “Kalinga Shine”. The celebration called for a symbolic act of unity by the Call of Thousand Gongs with the participation of all the municipalities from the upland to the lowland. The tribes played a thousand gongs in perfect harmony to the lyrics of Mauricio Patongao’s song entitled “The call of thousand gongs” with a chorus that goes: “I-Kalinga get along, together we are strong. The sound of the gongs reminds me and you that we are all one family”.

It was a very successful activity to bring together tribe members from various communities to play in harmony. The challenge is to transform this symbolic performance into concrete action on the burning issues of the province.

May the sound of the thousand gongs call Hotad to save our homeland from the threats of corporate greed. May the beat of the gongs awaken all the concerned government agencies to heed the calls of the I-Kalinga against projects that run contrary to the tribes’ right to self-determination and progressive development. Only in the unity in struggle to defend our homeland can Kalinga Shine. Let us heed the Hotad and dance together in struggle to save the land which is our life. Imagenordis.net

Refreshing Orchids in the middle of Tabuk City, Kalinga, Philippines