Haribon Foundation features women in the book STORIES from the MINES… of struggle, sisterhood and solidarity released by Alyansa Tigil Mina; these are the women “who continue to campaign for human dignity, biodiversity conservation and sustainable communities.”

The forest and ancestral domain of the Mamanwas in Jabonga, Agusan del Norte is in peril from extractive activities of the Mindoro Resources Ltd., and the Mamanwa community has long been battling against it. For almost six years now, Dandelita Palay has been a staunch anti-mining activist and a protector of their domain.

“Nais kong protektahan ang aming ancestral domain. Doon kami nabubuhay sa kabundukan. Kapag nagmina sila doon, wala na kaming kakainin. Masisira din ang pinagkukunan namin ng tubig, pagnagmina, mawawalan kami ng malinis na tubig. At baka masira ang aming lawa. [I want to protect our ancestral domain. It is within these mountains that we live. If they mine there, we will not have food anymore. Our source of water will also be destroyed. And our lake may be destroyed],” Palay shared.

The lawa refers to Lake Mainit, the fourth largest lake in the country. Lake Mainit is known for its pijanga, gabot, banak, haw-an, gi-ngaw, igi, kasili and bug-wan—rare fish species found only in this lake, and is a natural habitat to some endangered Philippine flora and fauna.. Mindoro Resources plans to mine just a few kilometers away from Lake Mainit.

Palay knows perfectly well the aftermath of extractive activities. Once she visited a relative in Surigao. She immediately noticed the river, which turned brown, comparable to a chocolate drink, because of mining. “I don’t want this to happen to us. I lost a cousin there, found lying lifeless on the street for there was no more food to eat, no clean water to drink. I don’t want that to happen to any of us Mamanwas,” Palay retorted.

Soon after, she became one of the strong voices of the Mamanwas opposing mining activities in their ancestral domain. Palay would not stop amidst death threats. According to community grapevine, should mining push through, Palay would not get anything from the company. “Is that a threat? I would not want to get a single centavo from them anyway,” Palay added.

Palay and her organization, Women’s Indigenous Group in Dinarawan, have faith in what they are fighting for. Even if family members berate her stand against mining, she continues her battle, for the sake of her three children. She believes that mining may give them bliss at the moment, but soon after these mining companies have consumed their forest, nothing will be left of them. “The pro-mining people may enjoy their present situation, but in no time, they will have no place to go. They may be little of us fighting against the mining at this point, but in the end, let’s see who will triumph.” But she still hopes that one day, all of them will unite, and work together in their war against these giant mining industries.

Palay does not know where this fight against mining will lead her, but as long as her voice is being heard, and her actions being recognized, she will continue to stand up the fight that the mining company started.

As their tribe name suggests, the Mamanwas are the first dwellers of the forest, and no one or nothing will take it from them.

About the author: Astrid C. Villanueva is the Communication Head of Haribon Foundation. Haribon Foundation is one of the lead convener of Alyansa Tigil Mina.

Source: www.jabongaadn.gov.ph