STATEMENTS

[ENGLISH] The Working Group makes clear that States carry primary obligations. FPIC must be sought and obtained before any license or concession is issued. Autonomous FPIC protocols developed by the Indigenous Peoples must be respected as binding expressions of self‑determination.

[TAGALOG] Nagtipon ang mga Ayta mula sa Sitio Malasa, Sitio Binyayan, Sitio Kalangitan, Sitio Baguingan, Sitio Rivera, at Sitio Coop sa Tarlac upang ipahayag ang kanilang kolektibong pagtutol sa Pax Silica Initiative sa panahon ng pagbisita ni Dr. Pichamon Yeophantong, miyembro ng United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights (UNWGBHR).

[ENGLISH] Ayta from Sitio Malasa, Sitio Binyayan, Sitio Kalangitan, Sitio Baguingan, Sitio Rivera, and Sitio Coop in Tarlac City gathered to voice their collective opposition to the Pax Silica Initiative during the community visit of Dr. Pichamon Yeophantong, member of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights (UNWGBHR).

[TAGALOG] Isa ang Pook Malantic sa mga komunidad na direktang maaapektuhan ng University of the Philippines (UP) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Park. Bagama’t inilalarawan ang proyekto bilang pangunahing hakbang para sa “sustainable development,” mariing tinutulan ito ng mga residente at mga organisasyong pang‑masa, na nagbabala laban sa malawakang demolisyon, pagkawala ng kabuhayan, at pagbuwag sa matagal nang mga pamayanan.

[ENGLISH] Pook Malantic is among the communities directly affected by the proposed University of the Philippines (UP) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Park. While the project is presented as a flagship sustainable development effort, residents and grassroots organizations raised strong opposition, warning of mass displacement, loss of livelihood, and the dismantling of long‑standing communities.

[TAGALOG] Sa Smokey Mountain, ibinahagi ng mga kasapi ng Samahang Magkakapitbahay sa Upper Smokey Mountain – KADAMAY kung paanong lalo pang pinapalala ng WTE project ang banta sa seguridad sa pabahay, kabuhayan, at kalusugan, habang winawasak ang mga proteksiyon sa kapaligiran. Binibigyang‑diin ng kanilang mga testimonya ang tunay na halaga ng buhay na isinasakripisyo para sa tubo.

[ENGLISH] In Smokey Mountain, members of Samahang Magkakapitbahay sa Upper Smokey Mountain – KADAMAY shared how the WTE project intensifies threats to housing security, livelihoods, and health, while eroding environmental protections. Their testimonies highlight the human cost of a project that prioritizes profit over people.

[ENGLISH] The Indigenous Peoples, human rights advocates, environmental defenders, and members of urban poor communities held a roundtable discussion with Dr. Pichamon Yeophantong, a member of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights (UNWGBHR) for the Asia-Pacific region, August 12, 2026.