Despite the January 22 cease and desist order (CDO) by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Region 1 against the mining activities, the mining companies did not heed the said order and instead continued with their operations.
Elders from Mankayan town refused to be included in the list of representatives made by the National Commision on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Cordillera for the Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes regarding mining applications and land conversions affecting the area.
The City Council of Itogon urged the Department of Health Cordillera Administrative Region (DOH-CAR) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources -CAR (DENR-CAR) to conduct a joint investigation and evaluation of the refinery plant of Benguet Corporation at Balatoc Virac Itogon, Benguet.
By ACE ALEGRE Northern Dispatch BAGUIO CITY – Tribal folks in barangay Balatoc, in Pasil town, Kalinga denied the entry of Carrascal Nickel Corporation (CNC) into their ancestral domain. “There was no Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC),” said Balatoc villager...
By DELIA BAGNI Northern Dispatch NATONIN, Mountain Province – Residents here demanded the pull out of soldiers stationed in their community, citing threats to their life and security. In their petition, residents called on the National Commission on Indigenous...
“Even you cannot endure the stench,” Dr. Conrado Rotor Jr., Philippine Science High School director told Northern Dispatch. The garbage dump is a few meters the newly built four-storey, 16-classroom building of the government-run secondary school servicing students in the Cordillera and the rest of Northern Luzon.
By GWEN GAONGEN Northern Dispatch SAGADA, Mountain Province – As a way of asserting people’s ownership of the Kiltepan tourist spot, some 100 guides and residents of Sagada destroyed the newly-installed gate and fence of the property that is now being claimed by...
Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) chairman Windel Bolinget pointed out that despite the Philippine government's adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and other human rights treaties, the escalating human rights violations perpetrated against indigenous peoples in the country are alarming
“Ka Bel left a legacy for the activists of today especially the new ones to serve as a shining example to emulate as they continue the struggle.”
Benguet Provincial Police Office (PPO) Provincial Director Rodolfo Azurin admitted lapses in the investigations conducted in relation to the disappearance of activist James Moy Balao.
By ALDWIN QUITASOL Northern Dispatch BAGUIO CITY — Anakpawis regional coordinator Michael Cabangon said that as it is, poor workers cannot feed their families due to meager wages and here comes the impending hike on the member's premium contribution to the Social...
By ALMA B. SINUMLAG Northern Dispatch TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Angered and disgusted with the recent intrusion of Cordillera Exploration Company Inc. (CEXCI) in their hometown, residents of Tawang village, Balbalan sought help from the office of Cordillera Peoples...
“The LCMC's mining operations will mean the grabbing and destruction of hundreds of hectares of agricultural lands, forests and other parts of the ancestral domain of the indigenous peoples of Mankayan and Tadian." -- NPA-Benguet
"Disappointingly, the investigative efforts of the Special Investigation Task Force Group-Balao falls way below acceptable standards given today's available technological and sophisticated measures." -- RTC Branch 63
The Tinoc folk called for the pull-out of the Alpha Company of the 86th Infantry (Highland) Battalion of the 5th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army in Tinoc. They also called for the prosecution and punishment of erring soldiers and particularly mentioned Capt. Danilo Lalin who allegedly raped a minor in their headquarters in Tinoc.
By JANUARY A. TURLA Northern Dispatch BAGUIO CITY — Members of Youth for Change Movement (YCM) joined the rest of the world and took part in celebrating the 43rd Earth Day at People’s Park, April 22. The theme for this year's Earth Day is "The Face of Climate...
"The people of the region like in other parts of the country are suffering from worsening economic crisis." -- Cordillera Peoples Alliance
“He missed to celebrate four of his birthdays with us. This is the fifth. Nevertheless, we never forget to celebrate it with or without him. It feels empty to celebrate a birthday without him though. But what can we do? He was taken away from us forcefully and we were left with no choice but to deal with this emptiness.” -- Nonette Balao.
“We are not against mining. We recognize the need for mining. But it’s different if foreigners are the ones utilizing our mining resources…”
“What have we gained from the Philippine Mining Act of 1995? Environmental disaster, economic dislocation, food insecurity and militarization that wreak havoc in communities.” -- Cordillera Peoples Alliance
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