Newsbreak
independent journalism
 

The Menovu-Pulangiyen and Menovu-Dunnguanen tribes of Southern Bukidnon, particularly the Municipalities of Damulog, Kibawe, Dangcagan,Kitaotao, and Pres. Roxas of North Cotabato gathered 4000 signatures as a manifest of their strong opposition and objection of the proposed Pulangi V hydro-Electric Project.

The opposition was filed and officially received by the Department of Energy (DOE) Central office in Taguig City, Metro Manila today.

The proposed Pulangi V Hydro dam is the biggest in Mindanao which would generate at least 300 Megawatts. The project is expected to kick-off by 2010 generated strong opposition from the indigenous peoples which would submerge their entire ancestral domain. The hydro dam would inundate 22 Barangays in 7 Municipalities of Bukidnon and Cotabato provinces.

“The project will gravely impact and alienate our cultural rights over our ancestral lands and territories”- narrated by Bhobong Ampuan, Chairman of NATABUKFed, a federation of southern Menovu tribe in Bukidnon in the forefront of defending their land from development aggression.

The law mandates for the protection of their rights by aligning the policies and programs of the government with due respect and recognition of their rights as Indigenous Peoples or Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICC’s/IP’s). No less than the Philippine Constitution provides such mandate to the State and its institution (Art II, sec.22). Likewise, the Government is also to pursue, or formulate and implement, any plans or projects without the consent and consultation, of the free prior and informed consent (FPIC) of the communities directly affected ( R.A. 7610, Sec. 26-27; R.A. 8371, sec. 2 and 17).

“We put equal emphasis to the fact that the Philippine Government is a signatory, has ratified, and therefore, has acceded to the provision of the United Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous peoples (UNDRIP) and United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UNCERD) to respect and protect our rights to determine and decide our priorities for development. We believe that the construction and development of the said Pulangi V dam project violates the fundamental rights granted to us by law and international convention.” – Victor Bantao, tribal chieftain of Mikasili, Damulog, Bukidnon.

The petition initiated by the IPs brought after the massive mobilizations and consultation processes conducted by First Bukidnon Electric Cooperative (FIBECO) in partnership with Greenergy Development Corporation within the IP communities.