COLUMBAN MISSION

Philippines Mining Shocks MP
by Frank Nally ssc

Nearly two decades ago, I was based in St Joseph’s parish, Midsalip, on the Philippine island of Mindanao. There I joined local people to stage a five-month blockade to stop illegal logging of the tropical forest in the area. We were experiencing climate change, flooding and land slides, and realised that we had to act before it was too late. We felt isolated. We needed solidarity. The forests needed our protection and we needed them for our water, food and livelihoods.

The situation, especially for the local indigenous Subaanen people, worsened in the 1990s when the 1995 Philippine Mining Act virtually handed over the country’s mineral resources to foreign mining companies. The Subaanen, supported by the country’s Catholic bishops, uphold the right of local communities to say 'No' to the extractive industries. In January 2006 the bishops urged Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to repeal the 1995 Act and cancel all concessions already granted. Again, the need for international solidarity was expressed.

I did not know British MP Clare Short in the 1980s, but I found myself attending mass with her in the Midsalip parish, on the morning of 30 July 2006. She was part of a fact-finding trip to the Philippines, which I organised with the assistance of CAFOD. The people celebrated the Eucharist and presented a moving drama about their fears regarding the mining plans of the Philippine government. Meeting the Subaanen, it was evident that Clare Short was touched by their stories of intimidation, and bribery.
All the fact-finding team were amazed at the beauty of the country. The Philippine islands are still so beautiful

even after being pillaged for their resources over many years. The seas are as blue and warm as the people. Clare Short was impressed with Catholic Bishops Jose Manguiran of Dipolog and Dinualdo D. Gutierrez of Marbel, who presented the strong stand of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines against mining. They have seen the devastation that it has wrought already in many dioceses. Midsalip has rich volcanic soils, yet, 75 percent of the municipal land is under application for exploration and mining rights.

The MP for Birmingham Ladywood said she had "never seen anything so systematically destructive as the mining programme in the Philippines". She saw polluted rivers, destroyed mangrove forests, damaged coral and damaged agriculture. She felt that "a decent strategy is needed for mining which takes in the criteria for sustainable development". She said both the Philippines government and the mining companies are failing to comply with national laws and international standards and the country is in danger of losing its rich biodiversity as well as destroying indigenous cultures. Bishop Gutierrez told her: "Isn’t it ironic that an Australian mining company is collecting royalties from the T’boli tribe in my diocese?"

Clare Short tackled representatives of the World Bank. She told them they could wash their hands of "the mess you have visited on this country”. The World Bank financed the framing of the 1995 Mining Act and also bankrolled the 'consultation' that gave it credibility. None of the 24 priority mining projects of the government are without major problems. The Rapu-Rapu project, for example, has already had three cyanide spills. Environmental degradation is a constant element of World Bank Country Reports for the Philippines, but they are ominously silent on mining and its environmental impacts!