by Ben Serrano
BUTUAN CITY- Following trails of struggles and researching their plight including some personal testimonies by some of Caraga Region’s more than 200,000 indigenous people from Manobo, Higaonon, Mamanwa and others, Is the Philippine Government miserably failed to empower our brother lumads ?
The Spanish friars and their cohorts failed to conquer entirely our Indigenous People’s lair then in their more than 333 years colonization of this country.and even took some pocket revolts against the mighty Spanish empire then who mixed with religiosity (actually their front) to conquer whatever they wanted to conquer.
It is being said, that when lumads were ordered to close their eyes as a gesture or respect and adoration to mother Spain and church then at the wink of an eye, all their ancestral lands were gone.
In its entirety, Government is not also to blame after all, tribal leaders in the past also failed to lead its people to a new horizon, a new path of road as modern society and paradigm shift of living all motivated by greed, vanity and pride takes it course when Modern Man started to search ferociously even kicking others asses finding his own place in the sun.
The tribal leaders failed to trickle the imagination of its people ergo every Tom, Dick and Harry, Juan and Juana and Pedro Dela Cruzes want now to dip their dirty little fingers on the indigenous people miserably forgotten by time and neglect.
These are vicious cycle of life, harsh realties all of us have to contend with, this is not because we don’t have the choice but our leaders and followers failed to follow one path as if singing in one voice for lasting peace of this generation and the generations to come.
Of course, I am not blaming anybody here after all Filipinos have short span of memory and never learned lessons from history that are supposed to propel generations into a new civilization of hope, peace and harmony where people are supposed to live side by side in unity even with diversity
Recently, I have read separate resolutions passed by the tribal councils of Barangays Taganito and Urbiztondo in Claver, Surigao del Norte, Council of Elders of barangay Adlay, Carrascal, Surigao del Sur, Tubay-Santiago Manobo-Mamanwa Joint Tribal Council Conference Association, declaring NCIP Caraga Regional Director Atty. Jose Dumagan failed to protect their rights as tribal community.
The resolution was so serious that it even declared Dumagan Persona Nan Grata. But why Director Dumagan alone? Isn’t it that other interest groups or personalities ride on the issue because they also wanted to become NCIP Director? Is removal of Dumagan alone from office the solution of it all?
They say command responsibility well it’s alright, but what about heads and even personnel of other government agencies who have fallen in deep slumber of their jobs? I am just asking, they might have the amswers.
Said resolution claimed NCIP OIC Regional Director Dumagan have instead conspire with the wealthy mining companies operating within their ancestral domain lands by appointing some members of their tribe to counter their moves by having them signed with a new Memorandum of Agreement with Taganito Mining.
For years now, the Mamanwas in Taganito, Calver, Surigao del Norte complained mining firms such as Platinum Group Metals Corporation woned by the Ataydes, Oriental Synergy Mining Corporation and Taganito Mining Corp. operating in their ancestral domain failed to pay their one percent royalty fees
The NCIP, some government and even some mining firm officials reacted ferociously they criticized that people behind the lumads’ shout for money are not actually after all for the lumads’ benefit because allegedly people behind it, signed an agreement with the Mamanwas that should mining firms’ pay they will get 70% while the lumads get 30%.
Of what their intentions are, they will answer it anyway as we face our Creator. The proof of the eating is in the poading (actually for me is in the eating itself) truth shall always prevail. Had they (NCIP, mining firms, et al) acted on it, it could not have reached this far.
This all happened after all because concerned government agencies really failed to empower the lumads. If only they do their homework well and took care of the plight of the indigenous people, these things could not have happened.
We understand all the inequities and limitations of these government agencies but repeatedly doing it over and over again is another story.
Now NCIP, mining firms and politician allies claimed that there are other Mamanwa groups other than those who held protest rally for second week now are also claiming payment royalty fees from mining firms. Beforehand, who among the lumads did the first claim and were the ones even held talks previously and even signed a MOA with the mining firms?
I understand only one mining firm so far had signed MOA, Taganito Mining Company but still the Mamanwas claimed the MOA was not explained to them neither was written in language understood by them. Aside from the one-sidedness of the MOA, the lumads alleged it was done hastily.
We are not muddling the issues, mine is only an observation in a democratic and free society. After all, the Mamanwas are also calling my help in anyway I can to express their grievances.
They have asked help to me many times and seek advise although I knew in this country Money (not Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao) speaks louder than words, writes faster (Court TROs or Temporary Pre-arrange Operation) with fixcals and hoodlums in robes abound.
Will there be solutions on these problems? I pray there is, there is no impossible in prayers my friend. God is always good despite man’s inequities and animosities.
Oh! My, Greed has really made this World crazy and crazier every seconds and minutes of the day.
“What a man profits, if he gained the whole World but losses his soul.”
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