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

Natividad Nagutom or Naty, 61, is a resident of Barangay Magapua, Mogpog in Marinduque. She is married to Julio Nagutom and a mother of eight children. She is a member of Marinduque Council for Environmental Concern (MACEC) for over 13 years.

Now, she is the chairman of MACEC chapter in their barangay. Her involvement in MACEC had developed her to become a tough advocate of human rights and a safe and peaceful community.

Like most members of MACEC, Naty has her own share of struggles with the impact of mining in their town. In 1993, the Maguila-guila Siltation Dam of Marcopper Mining Corporation collapsed and caused a flashflood that gushed to the Mogpog River. The heavy surge of water and mine spill had shaken their house and almost drowned them to death. Naty and her husband tied themselves with their eight children, so that they can support each other and avoid drowning.

That traumatic experience drove her to be involved in the campaign against mining in their community and the entire province. She actively participated in many seminars, trainings, and mobilizations in and out of the province which are usually sponsored by MACEC. With support from MACEC and other organization, she took the lead in filing the case against Marcopper Mining Corporation.

In 2005, she attended a Mining Conference in Baguio City organized by Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center. In the conference, she shared her experience during the 1993 flashflood and her contributions to the anti-mining actions. The participants felt her struggle; almost all of them cried after realizing that they were not alone in the fight for justice. That experience made her an even stronger advocate.

Her integrity was challenged by the attempts of mining company to buy off her stand and discontinue. But she never thought of withdrawing the case even though sometimes it frustrates her to think that it is moving slow.

But they cherish victories and milestones in their campaign—the 50-year mining moratorium in the province is one. To Naty, mining is a destructive industry that causes people to live in fear and exposes them to so much threat. For her, mining has no place now in Mogpog and in the entire province of Marinduque.

The writer, Elizabeth Mangol is the mining and environmental officer of MACEC.

Alyansa Tigil Mina is an alliance of mining-affected communities and their support groups of NGOs/POs and other civil society organizations who are opposing the aggressive promotion of large-scale mining in the Philippines.