The MRL Agata Nickel Mining project will expand, with a permit to expand to what it calls the Tapian Extension (which has an Exploration Permit for 6,842.28 hectares). This EP overlaps with the Mamanwa ancestral domain claim that has a total area of 8,000 hectares. (http://www.mindoro.com/s/AgataOverview.asp) Chronological events with regard to the expansion in Jabonga are as follows: May 11, 1999: MRL received certification to begin exploration in work in Agata, Santiago, Agusan del Norte, from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). |
Mamanwa Communities of Dinarawan and Bunga Asserting Ancestral Land Rights over MRL Agata Mining expansion, Philippines
Mining sites encroach ancestral lands: The Mamanwa Communities of Dinarawan and Bunga assert their ancestral land rights over the further expansion of MRL mining activities
Description:
Basic Data
| Name of conflict: | Mamanwa Communities of Dinarawan and Bunga Asserting Ancestral Land Rights over MRL Agata Mining expansion, Philippines |
| Country: | Philippines |
| State or province: | Agusan Del Norte |
| Location of conflict: | Municipality of Jabonga |
| Accuracy of location | HIGH (Local level) |
Source of Conflict
Project Details and Actors
| Project details | Mindoro Resources Limited is a junior mining company focused on nickel, gold and copper-gold explorations in the Philippines. Its headquarters are in Edmonton, Canada, and it is dual listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange Venture and Frankfurt Stock Exchange. |
| Project area: | 8,000 |
| Level of Investment: | 12,000,000.00 |
| Type of population | Rural |
| Affected Population: | 2,000-5,000 |
| Start of the conflict: | 1999 |
| Company names or state enterprises: | Mindoro Resources Ltd from Canada - mining TVIRD Resource Development Phils. Inc. (TVIRD) from Philippines Agata Mining Ventures Inc. from Philippines - mining |
| Relevant government actors: | Department of Environment and Natural Resources |
| International and Finance Institutions | Corporación financiera Internacional (CFI) |
| Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available: | Dinarawan Indigenous People’s Organization (DIPO) Philippine Association for Intercultural Development http://www.pafid.org.ph/ Alyansa Tigil Mina etc |
Conflict & Mobilization
| Intensity | MEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization) |
| Reaction stage | Unknown |
| Groups mobilizing: | Farmers Indigenous groups or traditional communities Local ejos Neighbours/citizens/communities Pastoralists Mamanwa Communities of Dinarawan and Bunga Fisher people |
| Forms of mobilization: | Creation of alternative reports/knowledge Development of a network/collective action Involvement of national and international NGOs Official complaint letters and petitions Street protest/marches Appeals/recourse to economic valuation of the environment |
Impacts
| Environmental Impacts | Potential: Air pollution, Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Fires, Floods (river, coastal, mudflow), Food insecurity (crop damage), Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Noise pollution, Soil contamination, Soil erosion, Waste overflow, Deforestation and loss of vegetation cover, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality, Large-scale disturbance of hydro and geological systems, Reduced ecological / hydrological connectivity, Mine tailing spills, Other Environmental impacts |
| Health Impacts | Potential: Exposure to unknown or uncertain complex risks (radiation, etc…), Malnutrition, Other Health impacts, Mental problems including stress, depression and suicide |
| Socio-economical Impacts | Visible: Loss of traditional knowledge/practices/cultures, Violations of human rights Potential: Loss of livelihood, Displacement, Land dispossession |
| Other socio-economic impacts | Violation of indigenous peoples rights |
Outcome
| Project Status | Proposed (exploration phase) |
| Conflict outcome / response: | In March 2012, the CAO Ombudsman concluded its process and referred the complaint to CAO Compliance for initial appraisal. |
| Proposal and development of alternatives: | Cancellation of the project expansion in ancestral lands |
| Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?: | No |
Sources & Materials
| Juridical relevant texts related to the conflict (laws, legislations, EIAs, etc) |
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| Other documents |
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Meta information
| Contributor: | Alyansa Tigil Mina |
| Last update | 18/08/2019 |
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