As the Cordillera continues to recover from yesterday’s magnitude 4.5 earthquake and the persistent rains that remind us of nature’s vulnerability, another crisis is unfolding in Mankayan, Benguet. The Indigenous communities of Guinaoang and Bulalacao now face a profound threat, not from a natural disaster, but from actions that place at risk their long-standing struggle to protect their ancestral lands and secure the future of generations to come.
The Center for Development Programs in the Cordillera (CDPC) expresses its grave concern over the issuance of the 72-hour Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the Indigenous leaders of Guinaoang and Bulalacao and the peaceful anti-mining barricade established by the No Mines Movement of Guinaoang and Bulalacao (NM-MGB).
While we recognize and respect the role and independence of the courts, we are deeply concerned that legal remedies may be used in ways that unintentionally undermine the legitimate and peaceful exercise of Indigenous Peoples’ rights. The issuance of the TRO raises serious questions about the protection of constitutionally guaranteed freedoms, including the rights to peaceful assembly, participation in public affairs, and the collective defense of ancestral domains.
The people of Mankayan are exercising their inherent and legally recognized right to self-determination by peacefully protecting the lands, forests, watersheds, livelihoods, food systems, and cultural heritage that have sustained their communities for generations. Their collective action reflects their commitment to safeguarding not only their present well-being but also the future of their children and succeeding generations.
CDPC remains deeply concerned over unresolved issues surrounding the proposed mining project, particularly the integrity of the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process and the renewal of the Mineral Production Sharing Agreement despite the expressed opposition of directly affected Indigenous communities. Genuine consent cannot be presumed or manufactured. It must be freely given, fully informed, and genuinely representative of the will of the Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands, culture, and future are at stake.
The Cordillera’s history offers important lessons. Across the region, large-scale mining has too often resulted in environmental degradation, damaged watersheds, declining agricultural productivity, disrupted livelihoods, and social division within Indigenous communities. Development that compromises ecological integrity, food security, human rights, and Indigenous self-determination cannot be considered genuine, equitable, or sustainable.
CDPC firmly believes that true development must be measured not only by economic gains or mineral production but by its ability to uphold human dignity, protect ecosystems, strengthen communities, and respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights and ancestral domains.
We therefore call upon the judiciary, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and all concerned government agencies to ensure that the constitutional and statutory rights of Indigenous Peoples are fully upheld, that peaceful civic action is protected, and that no mining activity proceeds without genuine Free, Prior and Informed Consent and full accountability to affected communities.
We likewise call upon churches, civil society organizations, the Commission on Human Rights, academic institutions, environmental defenders, human rights advocates, media practitioners, and all people of goodwill to stand in solidarity with the people of Mankayan. The defense of ancestral lands is inseparable from the defense of human rights, environmental justice, food sovereignty, and sustainable communities.
CDPC stands firmly with the Indigenous Peoples of Guinaoang and Bulalacao. We call for an end to all forms of harassment, intimidation, and legal actions that unnecessarily impede the peaceful assertion of Indigenous rights and community participation.
The struggle of Mankayan is not theirs alone. It is a struggle for the protection of ancestral domains, the integrity of our environment, the recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination, and the pursuit of development that places people, justice, and the common good above extractive interests.
Today, we stand with Mankayan. We stand with Indigenous Peoples defending their ancestral lands. We stand for environmental justice, genuine development, and a future where the rights of communities are protected, not restrained.