Dear friends at the Cordillera People's Alliance, provincial chapters, peoples’ organizations and the CDPC network of supporting NGO's,
Greetings of solidarity from New World at this 28th Cordillera Day Celebration!
28 years of Cordillera Peoples Alliance and 28 years of uninterrupted organized struggle for land, life and rights of the indigenous peoples of the Cordillera, it deserves our respect, solidarity and support. New World is pleased to have been in solidarity with your endeavors for the past 18 years through its multi-sectoral programs on food security, health, organizing and advocacy, co-financed by the Province of East Flanders and the Belgian Development Cooperation, and through its educational work. Despite decades of government neglect, destructive projects and human rights violations the Cordillera people still survive and honor their past, their land and their culture, and we are pleased to have been able to make our contribution to this.
32 years ago, Macliing Dulag lost his life in his struggle against the World Bank funded Chico dam project. This 1st ever stopped World Bank project testified to the strength and determination of the Cordillera people to not let them get wiped out for the profits of foreign investors. Macliing's murder by the Philippine army inspired the Cordillera People's Alliance to further organize the Cordillera people in their struggle against imposed environmental and socially destructive projects.
Many struggles have followed since then taking the lives of many more, several of them well known at New World and the Belgian Solidarity work. At present, many challenges remain to be faced. Aside of the ongoing mining activities of Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company, Benguet Corporation and Philex Mining Corporation, 4 out of every 10 hectares of the Cordillera lands remain covered by mining applications. Several dam projects are in the planning to still make up for the failed Chico river dam.
To have these projects pushing through, military intervention has increased attempting to break the resistance among the people. The forest burning in the project areas in Bangilo, the confiscation of agricultural tools in Lacub and the occupation of the multi-purpose building in Mankayan testify to the increasing aggressiveness of the military.
This 28th Cordillera Day is special to New World since for the first time the Cordillera Day will be covered in a video documentary for projection in East Flanders and beyond. With this video project we hope to further project the situation of the Cordillera people in Belgium and to gather more solidarity and support.
Dear friends, stay firm in your struggle for your land. Because fighting for your land means fighting for your lives. And because fighting for your lives mean fighting for your honor as indigenous peoples.
Agbiag ti Kordilyera!
Agbiag ti tignayan dagiti umili!
Agbiag tayo amin!