ALYANSA

TIGIL
MINA

PRESS RELEASE
August 16, 2010

Surigao town celebrate fiesta by opposing mining

Thousands sign petition against mining in Cantilan

More than 3,000 residents of Cantilan town is Surigao del Sur signed a petition yesterday, opposing the
entry of mining operations of Marcventures Mining Development Corporation (MMDC). During the
celebration of its town fiesta, Cantilanos expressed opposition to the mining operations after exposing
irregularities in the mining contract of MMDC, with Mayor Genito Guardo leading by example and publicly
declaring that he will continue to deny issuing a business permit for MMDC operations.

The town fiesta was also used for the launching of the Panalipdan Tubig Kinabuhi (Drive for Citizens’ Action
to Stop Mining Operations within the Critical Watershed). Baywatch Foundation President and Hermana
Mayor Emma Hotchkiss explained that the petition signing was to preserve the watershed area of Cantilan,
under Presidential Proclamation 1747, signed by then President Arroyo. “We are not only celebrating our
town fiesta, we are also asserting our right to a sound environment and ensuring that the next generation of
Cantilanos can enjoy the benefits of our rich natural resources” Hotchkiss proclaimed. The proclamation of
protecting the critical watershed and forest reserve was signed by Arroyo last March 23, 2009, and covers
43,601 hectares, encompassing the towns of Cantilan and Madrid in Surigao del Sur and three other towns
in Agusan del Norte.

Meanwhile, Mayor Guardo of Cantilan town stood firm on his earlier decision to deny issuing a business
permit to MMDC, citing irregularities in the documents submitted by the mining company. “The dates of
the mining contract and the incorporation of the company do not jibe, leading us to suspect that there was
not enough diligence and lack of transparency in the application”, he said. “We will not allow our natural
resources to be destroyed, especially if the transaction is clearly riddled with irregularities”, he concluded.
Guardo ran his campaign on an anti-mining platform, and won a landslide victory, reflecting the popular
sentiments of the residents against the mining operation in Cantilan.

“We shall continue to be proud of our heritage and rich endowments, and we see this thousands of
signatures against MMDC as our clear message to oppose mining”, said Tinty Iriberri, Baywatch Vice-
President and Chair of the Town Fiesta celebrations. Iriberri was referring to the Alimio and Panikian Rivers
and Sipangpang Falls that are located in their town. “We can only hope that the officials in higher
government levels, such as the province, the DENR and even P-Noy, will listen to our voices”, he added.

In the same light, indigenous peoples spoke against the mining project, stressing that they were never
consulted about the project, nor did they give their consent for its entry. Datu Jimmy Bat-ao, a Manobo
tribal chieftain, argued that their ancestral lands are located within the direct impact areas of the proposed
mining project. “No one from the mining company explained to us about the project, no one asked us
permission, and we never gave our consent for them to enter and do mining in our lands”, he asserted.

c/o HARIBON National Office, 2/F Santos and Sons Bldg., 973 Aurora Blvd., corner Dapdap St., Cubao, Quezon City Tel. No. (632) 434.46.42 / Telefax 434.46.96
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Non-government organizations expressed solidarity with the move of the people of Cantilan. Raimundo
Addun, a researcher from Tambuyog Development Center, said that his resource valuation study showed
that loss of fish-catch in the Lanuza Bay area has been estimated at 1,000 metric tons per year in the last
decade. “Without a doubt, mining operations will exacerbate this loss of livelihood to fisherfolks in
Cantilan”, he added. Cantilan is one the towns facing the Lanuza Bay area in CARAGA.

Similarly, Jaybee Garganera, Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) National Coordinator, challenged the mining company
to address the complaints of the LGU and marginalized sectors in Cantilan. “MMDC has clearly violated the
application procedures for its mining project. There are also evidences that it has failed to observe certain
provisions in its EIA, including encroachment in major waterways and possible destruction of irrigation
systems”, he added.

Atty. Mae Pacinabao-Galong, from the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center, also extended support by
presenting the New Rules on Environmental Cases,, “These new rules will offer the LGU and residents here
additional opportunities to protect their land and water. Hopefully, a legal track of this campaign can be
pursued, in tandem with their petition which is targeting the executive and administrative aspects of the
mining project”, she stated. The LGU officials have decided to pursue legal cases to prevent the entry of
MMDC in their area.

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. The group is calling for the scrapping of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and the enactment of
a new mineral management law. They are also pusing for the revocation of EO 270-A and a moratorium on
all large-scale mining applications and operations. ATM is convened by HARIBON Foundation, Legal Rights
and Natural Resources Center – Kasama sa Kailkasan/Friends of the Earth Philippines (LRC-KsK/FOE) and the
Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas (PhilDHRRA).

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For more information:

Tinty Iriberri, Vice-President, BayWatch Foundation, (0920) 910-20-81

Datu Jimmy Bat-ao, Manobo Tribal Chieftain, Cantilan, Surigao Sur
Atty. Mae Pacinabao, LRC-KsK/FOE, (0917) 337-81-29
Jaybee Garganera, Coordinator, ATM - (0915) 315-37-19 / nc@alyansatigilmina.net

c/o HARIBON National Office, 2/F Santos and Sons Bldg., 973 Aurora Blvd., corner Dapdap St., Cubao, Quezon City Tel. No. (632) 434.46.42 / Telefax 434.46.96
E-mail: nc@alyansatigilmina.net / alyansatiglmina@gmail.com Website: www.alyansatigilmina.net