Itogon folks reject MOA for ISRI to mine ancestral lands

By March Fianza and Aldwin Quitasol

ITOGON, Benguet -- Mining residents of at least three sitios namely; Dalicno, Simpa and Lolita of Barangay Ampucao in this mining town averted signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that could have resulted to approval of a pending Application for Production Sharing Agreement (APSA 103) by the Itogon-Suyoc Resources Inc. (ISRI).
    In a petition letter dated August 16, 2023 and addressed to the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the Itogon Indigenous Peoples Organization (IIPO), petitioners claimed their sitios were part of the areas inside the ancestral domain of Itogon affected by the APSA 103 of ISRI.
    Donalyn Basilio who acted as spokesperson of the petitioners said the three Ampucao sitios consisted of more than 2,000 individuals.
They feared that their water sources, small-scale mining activities, livelihood, safety of the people and properties would greatly be at risk without proper negotiations.
    A majority of Ampucao residents, particularly those whose households and properties were within the three sitios were insufficiently informed as negotiations through general assemblies and meetings were inadequate.
    To their knowledge, they were still in the process of consultation between ISRI and those concerned.
    The petitioners did not give their consensus approval of the project (APSA) on the grounds that they were not properly informed about the provisions and contents of the MOA.
    Signing of the MOA by representatives of the IPs of the ancestral domain of Itogon, the IIPO, ISRI and NCIP could have pushed through if it was not stopped.
    The proposed APSA 103 project covers 581 hectares that overlaps the ancestral domain of Itogon, particularly barangays Ampucao, Virac and Poblacion.
    If approved in a community consensus, an agreement would be signed that would allow ISRI to explore and develop the areas under a Mineral Production Sharing Agreement with certain conditions. 
    “We believe that our voice as an indigenous cultural community has been neglected since the MOA has been drafted already without the collective agreement of the community of sitios Dalicno, Simpa and Lolita,” the Ampucao residents wrote in their petition-letter.
    Dalicno elders Bonnie Arsi, Juanito Arciba and Ms. Basilio who sought the help of local and national news correspondents said they requested in their petition-letter to the IIPO and NCIP to uphold their rights as IPs of Itogon and ensure that their voices be heard prior to the signing of an agreement.
    The conduct of an FPIC (Free and Prior Informed Consent) with the physical presence of the IPs of the community affected by the ISRI project is required prior to the issuance of a certification precondition by the NCIP, certifying that a certain project does not overlap a part of an ancestral domain area.