SUBJECT: Urgent Request to Cease Mining Activities and Revoke Disputed Permits in Mankayan to Protect Residents, Water Sources, and Ancestral Lands.

I. STATEMENT OF CONCERN

We, the residents, farmers, and indigenous cultural communities of Mankayan, Benguet—specifically from Barangays Guinaoang, Bulalacao, Colalo, and Paco—stand in unified opposition to the continued expansion and operation of large-scale mining projects within our municipality.

II. REASONS FOR OPPOSITION

We base our petition on the following critical grounds:

1. Violation of FPIC Rights: Many recent mining permit renewals (such as the MPSA for CMDC) were allegedly granted without the genuine Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) of the affected Indigenous Peoples, violating the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997.

2. Destruction of Water Systems: Mining operations threaten the vital water tables that feed our rice terraces and vegetable gardens. We are already seeing the siltation of the Abra River and the drying up of natural springs essential for household use.

3. Ground Instability and Sinking: Years of underground tunneling have been linked to ground subsidence and sinking in areas like Colalo and Poblacion, endangering homes, schools, and the physical safety of our families.

4. Threat to Food Security: Our primary livelihood is farming. The conversion of agricultural and residential lands into mining zones destroys our ability to provide for our families and contribute to the region’s food supply.

III. OUR DEMANDS

We respectfully but firmly demand the following:

• Immediate Stoppage: An immediate and permanent cease-and-desist order against all exploratory and developmental mining activities in disputed ancestral domains.

• Permit Revocation: The revocation of mining permits (MPSAs) that were renewed without proper community consultation or through fraudulent documentation.

• Independent Impact Assessment: A transparent, third-party investigation into the environmental damage and ground sinking currently affecting Mankayan villages.

• Protection of Rights: Strict adherence to the zoning classifications of our municipal Land Use Plan, which designates many of these areas as agricultural and residential, not industrial/mining.

IV. SIGNATORIES

By signing this petition, we affirm our commitment to protecting our land, our water, and our future generations.