ADDU alumni support school’s mining stand

We are a group of graduates from the Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU). Owing to our work in various development agencies, we have traversed the various regions in Mindanao and have been in contact with grass-roots communities. In the ’70s-’90s, our main concerns were issues related to land ownership, ancestral domain and human rights violations. Since the ’90s, we have become more interested in pursuing ecological issues. One of these issues is mining and its implications for both the delicate ecosystem of our shared environment and the wellbeing of our people.

In monitoring media’s coverage of the mining issue, we are greatly disturbed by the way the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (CMP) is mobilizing its huge resources to further reinforce the myths of the great advantages that our country and its people will enjoy from mining, as well as to counter civil society’s opposite claims. The myths being perpetuated more and more aggressively by CMP and its allies include the following: that mining will attract and bring in more investments; that large-scale mining will generate millions of jobs, will increase government revenues; and that the mining sector will improve the quality of life in host communities while mitigating its impact on the environment.

For a number of years now, many of us have gathered facts on mining from various sources and done analyses to objectively assess its impact. We have consulted with various experts and sought their counsel as to what we need to do vis-à-vis the aggressive drive of mining companies in our country. We have gone on exposure to the countryside where there are mining explorations or actual operations and have actually seen for ourselves the impact of mining.

This is why we have the audacity to claim that despite token benefits that we can derive from mining, by and large the negative impact will far outweigh the benefits. This is the reason an increasing number of grass-roots communities have opposed mining. And thankfully, an increasing number of civil society agencies have supported them in their struggle against mining.

It is in this light that we are very much heartened by the statement issued by the Save Palawan Movement, Alyansa Tigil Mina, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines and ADDU, which appeared recently in many broadsheets. We are very proud of our alma mater for extending its influence in support of the struggle to oppose indiscriminate mining. This statement expresses our own deepest sentiments regarding mining. We support this coalition’s various calls on how to deal with the mining issue.

We call on our fellow alumni to support this call, even as we encourage all Filipinos to be vigilant regarding this issue. Let the truth be told and let justice guide our actions on behalf of our disadvantaged brothers and sisters, and for the benefit of all creation!

—LUZVIMINDA DELA CRUZ (Batch ’66), JEANETTE BIRONDO-GODDARD (’67), NORMA JAVELLANA (’67), PUREZA PURAY-BUDD (’87), CARLITO M. GASPAR, CSsR (Batch ’67), REMY GUILLENA (’67), PILAR RAMOS-JIMENEZ (’67), ELVIRA ANGSINCO (’69), REBECCA JOLITO-TIMOGTIMOG (’72), MELOT BALISALISA ATILLO (’76), AGNES MICLAT-CACAYAN (’75), BRENDA CALIDA-BUKTAW (’77), RHODA ALFAFARA MORILLO (’78), AUGUSTO MICLAT (’79), JOEY AYALA (’79), EMMANUEL ROLDAN (’82), MARILI FERNANDEZ-ILAGAN (’84), FAUSTINA CARREON (’85), ISABELITA SOLAMO ANTONIO (’86), BERNARDITA ITURRALDE-LADAW (’87), JOEL MAHINAY (’95), JENNIFER RAMOS (2000), LIEZL BUGTAY (2003), JAN ELIAS SIMBA (2005), MAHAYAG DE VERA BAJA, MARIA LUZ CONANAN, FIDES CASTAÑEDA-BERNABE, OGIE FELICIANO, JEAN SUZANNE LINDO, PERPY TIO, PENELOPE SANZ, MAYA FLAMINDA VANDENBROECK