The CDPC is alarmed by the news report that the controversial Maharlika Investment Corporation (MIC) will provide a $76.4 million (roughly PhP4.4 billion) bridge loan to the Makilala Mining Company Inc. (MMCI). The MIC is the flagship project of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., where government financial assets are to be pooled and invested in profitable infrastructure and capital markets that are expected to generate higher returns. The MIC is aimed at boosting the country’s economic growth. The loan marks the second investment of MIC after its 20% stake in the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
The MMCI mining venture is located in the municipality of Pasil in Kalinga. Drilling results showed high-grade copper and gold mineralization from the surface to 600 meters below the surface. The mineral reserve is estimated at 1.6 million tons of copper and 1.3 million ounces of gold in 338 million tons of rock.
While the Marcos administration expects profitable income from the Makilala mining venture, several directly affected communities oppose the mining due to potential harm to their livelihood and the environment. The primary source of livelihood is their sustainable agroecological systems. Small-scale mining is thriving in the municipality, and the people opt to secure a permit to operate through the law on “Minahang Bayan.” While the Balatoc Council of Elders granted their consent to the Makilala mining venture, five barangays belonging to the Guinaang tribe opposed the Makilala mining since it started exploring in 2006. A manifesto of rejection and a complaint were filed at the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples’ offices and were denied. The Guinaang tribe raised issues on the fake council of elders and flawed processes. Notwithstanding the opposition by these equally affected communities, the mining permit was granted in 2023 with a Memorandum of Agreement forged with the Balatoc Council of Elders.
CDPC expresses concern regarding the unresolved issues that continue to affect the Guinaang and Balatoc tribes. Recent developments have heightened tensions surrounding long-standing inconsistencies in State and customary territorial boundaries, exacerbated by the entrance of the Makilala mining venture. The Guinaang tribe has raised serious allegations that the Makilala mining venture is encroaching upon their ancestral territory, leading to an escalation in hostilities. In a tragic turn of events, in August 2024, 27 small-scale mining houses belonging to the Guinaang tribe were reportedly burned, with accusations directed at the Balatoc tribe. The Balatoc tribe claims that the Guinaang tribe encroaches on their ancestral territory. Despite the forging of a peace pact, known as “sipat,” facilitated by the Kalinga Bodong Council and Office of the Provincial Governor, CDPC remains apprehensive that the potential for conflict may intensify as territorial disputes persist and resistance to mining operations grows.
CDPC joins others, such as the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, in denouncing the Maharlika Investment Corporation’s investment in the Makilala mining venture as having the potential to escalate tribal conflict. CDPC urgently appeals to all stakeholders and the general public to recognize the gravity of the situation and support efforts to resolve the conflicts. We must stand in solidarity with the Indigenous communities, advocating for their rights in the face of the support by the Maharlika Investment Corporation to the aggression of the Makilala Mining Company.