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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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