Friday, June 06, 2008 [ manilatimes.net ]
BROOKE’S POINT, Palawan: Municipal councilors in this southern municipality of Palawan on Wednesday called on groups embroiled in a fight over the control of Mount Mantalingahan to conduct “sincere dialogues and to allow reason to prevail” in resolving their contending views over proposals to reclassify the mountain range as “protected zone,” and for the government to consequently retake control over it.
Nongovernment organizations (NGO) and environmentalists got a beating from an indigenous people’s group for pushing a proposal to reclassify the mountain range as protected zone, which they claimed will “encroach” over the very same lands where they have long-standing ancestral domain claims. The indigenous people said they were never consulted in the drafting of the NGO proposal.
Councilors Ely Crespo and Sharon Abiog, respective chairs of the committees on trade and industry and on appropriations, ways and means, said, “Brooke’s Point is just a small and striving municipality where practically almost everyone knows each other. There is no reason why dialogues and rational discussion cannot work, for the larger good of the community.”
Crespo furthered that “talks on environmental protection should be directly hinged on how to promote to the maximum the living conditions of our people. It should also center on how to best utilize the municipality’s natural resources, and, in a larger sense, how to quickly propel the development of our local economy.”
Abiog, on the other hand, said, “Today’s situation demands from all of us to become more progressive in thinking of creative ways to optimize our given resources in order to generate much-needed opportunities. We need revenues to help our poorer people.” Brooke’s Point is said to be rich in mineral deposits such as nickel, copper and gold that have huge world markets, which explains why several mining firms have been eyeing mining operations in the municipality.
Asked bluntly if they favor mining operations, the councilors said, “We are for whatever will bring progress and development to Brooke’s Point, that’s why we want to see the individual requests and studies of mining firms to squarely assess how the municipality and its people will benefit. They should also be able to show their plans on how to responsibly pursue their operations, with equal, if not greater regard on environmental concerns.”
Meanwhile, former Brooke’s Point vice mayor Danny Chan said, “It is a pity our natives have to resort to mass actions, if only to be heard and be recognized. While it is the right of everyone to air their views on certain matters, the over-arching rule should be the equal recognition of other views and rights, especially that of our natives who are practically our ancestors.”
Last week, the Brooke’s Point Federation of Tribal Councils staged a rally wherein thousands of indigenous people joined to demand “truth and respect” over allegations of some NGOs that they have “no legitimate leadership” and that they are being “manipulated” by mining firms in their fight to wrest control over their ancestral domain inside Mount Mantalingahan. -- Joyce Adra
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