Defend Ancestral Lands! Oppose Large-scale Destructive Mining in Benguet!

[TAGALOG] Lupang Ninuno, Depensahan! Dambuhala't Mapanirang Minahan sa Benguet, Tutulan!

Panaghiusa Philippine Network to Uphold Indigenous Peoples’ Rights stands in firm solidarity with the Indigenous Peoples of Itogon, Benguet, who are resisting the imposition of Itogon-Suyoc Resources, Inc.’s Application for Production Sharing Agreement (APSA) 103. We echo their calls to defend ancestral lands, protect vital water sources, and uphold Indigenous Peoples’ right to genuine Free, Prior, and Informed Consent. We call for the immediate suspension and nullification of APSA 103 and related permits, recognition of community petitions and resolutions, and accountability from government agencies and corporations that colluded to bypass Indigenous Peoples’ rights.

For more than a century, Benguet has been subjected to the destructive impacts of large‑scale mining. The province is currently hosting four of the country’s biggest mining corporations—Philex Mining Corporation, Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company, Benguet Corporation, and Itogon‑Suyoc Resources, Inc. (ISRI). These companies have extracted immense wealth from the land while leaving behind irreversible damage, such as poisoned rivers, destabilized mountainsides, and communities forced to live with heightened disaster risks. The scars of mining are not just environmental but cultural, eroding the foundations of Indigenous Peoples' life and sovereignty.

The municipality of Itogon, covering nearly one‑fifth of Benguet’s territory, is home to close to 60,000 residents. Its economy is shaped by both agriculture and mining, but beneath this dual character lies a deeper truth: the abundance of gold, copper, and silver has long made the municipality a target for corporate extraction, often at the expense of Indigenous Peoples’ communities. ISRI’s application for APSA 103, filed in 2012, seeks to control 581 hectares across Brgy. Ampucao, Brgy. Poblacion, and Brgy. Virac. These areas include homes, schools, churches, cemeteries, and water sources. These are spaces of life, culture, and memory, yet they are still encompassed within the company’s application.

The most directly threatened community is Sitio Dalicno in Brgy. Ampucao, where remaining gold deposits lie beneath a watershed that sustains households in Sitio Dalicno and Brgy. Poblacion. If mining proceeds, ecosystems will be destabilized, disaster risks heightened, and water sources depleted. ISRI’s pursuit of an 82‑hectare Special Mining Permit in 2024 reveals its intent to fast‑track operations despite strong community opposition. This maneuver demonstrates how corporations exploit loopholes and regulatory complicity to advance their projects even when people resist.

The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) has been accused of issuing permits and signing agreements without genuine FPIC. Elders and community members were excluded, while the Itogon Indigenous Peoples’ Organization misrepresented affected residents, prioritizing narrow interests over collective rights. These actions violate the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act, the Philippine Mining Act, and constitutional guarantees. The petitions, resolutions, and appeals of the people were ignored, leaving them in the dark about the progress of the application. This is a betrayal and not a consultation.

Even the scoping process itself was designed to exclude. The Environmental Management Bureau gave only thirteen days’ notice for communities to review a 170‑page technical document that was inaccessible online and never distributed to barangays and sitios. Without smaller, community‑level meetings to explain the impacts, residents were denied the chance to form informed opinions. This lack of transparency underscores the pattern of exclusion that has characterized APSA 103 from the beginning.  

The people of Dalicno even sought relief from the courts, but their case was dismissed on technical grounds, leaving the substantive issues unaddressed. This judicial failure highlights how institutions continue to side with corporations rather than Indigenous Peoples defending their survival. 

What is at stake is not only land and water, but the very survival of Sitio Dalicno and surrounding communities. The springs and aquifers that sustain life are threatened by underground dewatering operations. The fragile ecosystem faces irreversible damage. The people demand the nullification of APSA 103 and related permits, and Panaghiusa echoes this call.

We demand that government agencies, such as the NCIP and Department of Environment and Natural Resources, stop acting as brokers for foreign corporations and instead uphold their mandate to protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Small‑scale mining, rooted in indigenous practice, must be recognized as a legitimate livelihood. Programs and policies must prioritize the long‑term well‑being of the environment and the people, ensuring that development is truly sustainable and community‑driven.

Panaghiusa affirms that the struggle in Itogon is part of the broader fight of the Indigenous Peoples across the Philippines. Mining projects that prioritize profit over people erode not only ecosystems but also cultures and communities. We will continue to amplify the struggle of the Indigenous Peoples and urge the state to fulfill its duty to protect ancestral lands.

The calls of the Itogon people are our calls. Defend ancestral lands! Defend the future! Oppose the APSA 103! #