NEWS

We, the Coalition of Communities for Sustainable Development of Didipio, Kasibu Nueva Vizcaya, would like to make a public statement by sharing the truth about what is happening in our community to refute the baseless and malicious innuendos against Oceanagold (Philippines), Inc. (“Company”) and the Philippine government, and to protect our community from these baseless information. This is also to respond to the United Nations and Commission on Human Rights reports regarding the alleged human rights violation related to the Company in our community. Our statement is the truth about the Company directly from the ground zero. To start with, we would like reiterate our full support to the Philippine government under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. His administration has given us so much hope and we trust that he will protect and uphold the human rights of his people.

Let us introduce our organization. The Coalition of Communities for Sustainable Development, Inc. (“Coalition”), is an organization consisting of residents of Barangay Didipio, Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, the host barangay of the Company’s mining project, and other adjacent communities. The Coalition was organized with a shared vision of promoting the general welfare of our communities. In Didipio, around 95% of the genuine residents are from the Tuwali tribe and the rest of the 5% are from other tribes. Based on the 2018 population census, Didipio has a total population of 4,231, and 931 households. The Coalition represents 90% of this IP group in Didipio. These are the indigenous people who have been born, raised, grew up and/or had home and life in Didipio. We are the ground zero of Didipio, the living witnesses of the positive impact of the operation of the Company in our community. We live side by side with the Company and other IP communities. For this reason, we have the basis to attest and declare that there is no truth to the accusations of human rights abuses supposedly committed by the Company against the IPs. The allegations are far from the truth.

We have read and been informed of these alleged human rights violations in our community brought about by the Company. We are likewise aware about the activities of non-government organizations such as Alyansa Tigil Mina, Alyansa ng Novo Vizcayano para sa Kalikasan, Samahang Pangkarapatan ng Katutubong Magsasaka at Manggagawa, Inc. (SAPAKMMI), Didipio, Earth-Savers Movement Association (DESAMA), and Kalikasan PNE among others against the Company. These aforesaid organizations are spreading information or submitting reports about alleged human rights violation in our community to various offices including the United Nations Organization. They have highlighted it again with the renewal of the FTAA of the Company. The reports submitted, or activities being conducted are tainting the good name of, and peace in our community, so, it is now disturbing. So we would like to share the truth for the world to know the real situation in our beloved community.

One of the human rights issues raised is with regard to the house of one of our own, Mrs. Rosanna Lawagan, located at Bacbacan, Didipio, allegedly burned by the Company. Mrs. Lawagan clarified the false information in various meetings she attended. In her written statement dated January 10, 2020, Mrs. Lawagan reiterated that the house was accidentally burned in 2010 and that their settlement with the Company for the surface rights acquisition of their property was made voluntarily and freely without any force and intimidation. This incident which happened years ago is being resurrected now that the Company is to renew their FTAA with the government. Clearly, this incident is being used by a few numbers of people/NGOs to oppose the renewal of the Company’s FTAA for their own vested interest. But we know the truth and are sharing the truth for everybody’s awareness and information.

There is likewise no truth to the allegations of forced eviction of IPs and other residents of the affected communities in our barangay and other outlying barangays. There was no intimidation, threat, harassment and violence done by the Company to force the IPs to sell their house and lot/properties. The IP landowners who are living and residing in this community have voluntarily and freely negotiated with the Company and vacated their properties after settlement. Agreements were voluntarily and freely signed and reasonable and satisfactory compensation were paid as mandated by law. To further reiterate this statement, the IP landowners signed a document dated January 12, 2020 to attest that all their negotiations/settlements with the Company were done voluntarily and freely without any force, harassment or intimidation. We would like to add that our economic situations and living conditions have vastly improved since the operation of the mine. The entry of the Company in our place has provided us an opportunity for other source of livelihood which keep us afloat from the hardships of the past and gave us the resources to feed our families and send our children to school. It has provided our community the opportunity to get developed and improved because of the infrastructure development (such as road improvements, construction of school buildings, health facilities, water system, concrete bridges among others) and other non-infrastructure projects and programs such as support to education program, skills trainings for the community members, support for the preservation of culture and traditions of the IPs and other. All of these are currently being enjoyed by us. Records of all the programs, projects, and activities supported/funded by the Company can be presented if required. With these benefits, we fully support the operation of the Company in our community.

Furthermore, there is no truth on the allegations that the Company violated local IP’s right to manifest their culture and identity. The Company have high respect to our culture and identity, and they have not done anything that violate or disrespect that. In fact, the Company is fully supportive of our programs or activities promoting our culture and identify such as performing “baki” even at the Mine Site and dancing our Ifugao native dance with pride and honor in almost all occasions. We are free to exercise our customs and traditions.

With regard to the issue of failure to conduct Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) by the Company as requirement prior to commencement of the project, we are fully aware as original residents of Didipio that our homeland is not part of an ancestral domain by any tribe. With this, there is no need for an FPIC. However, we attest that we have given our consent for the project. How? We, the inhabitants/residents of this community are majority from the Tuwali Tribe who migrated from Ifugao in the early 1960s. The Company conducted series of community consultations explaining about the project through public meetings, small group/purok meetings and household engagements. The majority of the IP residents gave their support for the project and thus, the barangay officials then endorsed the project. A memorandum of agreement between the barangay (represented by the barangay council) and the Company was signed containing the responsibilities of both parties, commitments of the Company to the people of Didipio and the community’s support to the project.

The controversies and hot issues generated about the renewal was the handwork of these NGOs who are opposed to the renewal of the FTAA. The human rights allegations which have been answered, clarified and refuted several times in various discussions are again being brought up. They are using this as an avenue not only to oppose the renewal of the Company’s FTAA but to rally against the Philippine government which is usually their ultimate purpose. They have capitalized on our silence before, but we are now here to speak the truth to protect our community and support the Philippine government. These NGOs are outsiders who know nothing about the situation of the IPs in our place. A few of the members consisting of not even 10% of the Tuwali tribe in Didipio, maybe residents of Didipio but their cause is based on vested/personal interest which we believe can be addressed reasonably. We are personally knowledgeable of their issues.

Speaking of violation of rights, we would like to include in here our concern regarding the operation of an illegal barricade in our community that is violating the residents’ rights. To give you a brief background, the Governor of Nueva Vizcaya issued an order to the Municipal and Barangay Councils to restrain the operation of the Didipio mine. The Barangay Captain with some barangay council together with left-leaning NGOs, have taken steps to cripple the operation of the mine by establishing an illegal barricade that has blocked supplies and products to and from the mine.

The illegal barricade has not only negatively affected the operation of the mine but more so, it has negatively affected the daily lives of thousands of indigenous people residing in Didipio, causing anxiety, fear and discomfort. We filed a complaint with the office of Sec. Eduardo M. Año due to what we know are clear violations of our rights – right to free access; right to livelihood and employment; and right to security and safety. The good Secretary assessed the situation in our barangay and has ordered Governor Carlos Padilla to dismantle the illegal barricade and to maintain status quo on the matter of the operation of OceanaGold prior to the Governor’s order. The Governor and the Didipio Council have not heeded the order of Sec. Año and the illegal barricade is still existing. We are bothered for our security in our barangay as there are people coming from other places whom we do not know to aid the barangay officials in manning the barricade. We fear that our community might be infiltrated by unlawful people or leftists. We cannot count on our current barangay officials now as they are focused on their personal agenda. Therefore, we, the Coalition, have taken action to protect the peace and order in our community and uphold and promote the general welfare of the community residents. The barricade with NGOs in it and the disturbance and anxiety it is bringing to our community is a real concern rather than the allegations of human rights which are baseless and malicious.

We value the peace and order and the welfare of our community. We will not allow our community to be used for a cause that we do not believe or will not benefit the general welfare of the community at all. Again, we express our full support to the renewal of the Company’s FTAA. We attest that there’s no human rights violation in our community.

With this, we will continue to be vigilant to protect our community against lies and deceptions that disturbs the good name and peace of our community. Further, we hope that with the truth already shared, the good name of Didipio will remain and all these alleged human rights violations are cleared. We share the vision of our dear President Rodrigo Duterte to provide the Filipino people a peaceful and orderly community.

#YEStoOGPIFTAARenewal
#UnitedIndigenousCommunities
#YEStoOceanaGold
#YEStoResponsibleMining
#FTAARenewalNowNa
#KatutuboParaSaKaunlaran
#NoToFakeNews
#NoToIllegalBarricade

Source: Coalition of Communities for Sustainable Development Facebook Page