By KIMBERLIE QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY— The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples Cordillera Administrative Region (NCIP-CAR) has ordered Yamang Mineral Corporation (YMC) to cease its mineral exploration activities in Abra, citing its failure to secure consent from the affected indigenous communities.

“We advise you to cease and desist from any operations related to the above-mentioned projects within the ancestral domain of Abra to avoid legal repercussions and prevent possible violent incidents in the community,” NCIP-CAR Director Roland Calde said in a November 8 letter, which Nordis obtained on November 12.

He was referring to the activities in the Manikbel site, an area in the southern portion of the tenement along the Manikbel River in Sallapadan. The company applied for the exploration of 16,200 hectares.

Calde stressed that even with authorization from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, the company must still secure the CP before it can start exploring. However, he noted that YMC had already transported exploration equipment to several towns, including Lacub, Sallapadan, Malibcong, Bucloc, and Licuan-Baay.

Under Section 59 of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), corporations must first secure a Certification Precondition (CP) from the NCIP before operating in indigenous communities. Section 72 of the law further states that companies operating without a CP face penalties according to the customary laws of the affected indigenous peoples.

The NCIP issues the CP only after the company obtains free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) from the affected indigenous communities.

Calde’s letter to YMC followed a request from Sallapadan Mayor Fernando Semanero, Jr., to DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga on November 4. to suspend YMC’s exploration authority. The chief executive cited protests from the town’s indigenous communities.

In his letter, the mayor said residents’ reports indicated that YMC had begun some activities before securing MGB’s authorization.

Metal Exploration, YMC’s parent company, announced on October 29 that Philippine authorities had granted YMC final approval to explore tenements in Abra. # nordis.net