HON. FATIMA VALDEZ
Secretary for External Affairs
Office of the President
Malacañang Palace, Manila
  

Dear Secretary Valdez,

This is to bring to your attention for appropriate and urgent action the unresolved problems of the Mangyan indigenous peoples in Mindoro. Our pastoral responsibility dictates that the Church gives special attention to the neglected sectors of society. For the indigenous peoples, the Church commits “to actively support, promote and accelerate the process of law on their behalf, and be on their side so that their ancestral domains, their cultures, rights and the integrity of their environment be defended, preserved and promoted” (Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, Acts No. 379).

The province-wide federation of Mangyan organizations, Kapulungan Para sa Lupaing Ninuno (KPLN) sought my intervention to help them address the growing frustration over the failed promises of the government agencies to fast-track the processing and recognition of their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Titles (CADTs) as provided in the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA).The release and issuance of CADT No. 123 for the Tadyawan Mangyans had long been awaited, as it was promised by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself during her visit here in October 2008. Other pending applications include CADT Nos. 085, 086, 124 and 130, and another direct application for the Hanunuo Mangyans.

The problem of indigenous peoples’ land tenure and security is compounded by the entry of large-scale mining in their communities. There are more than 92 mining applications now in Mindoro, located mostly within the ancestral domains of the indigenous peoples and affecting our critical watershed, as in the case of the proposed Mindoro Nickel Project of Intex Resources. On October 16, 2008, the Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan submitted a position paper to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, signed by all our priests, expressing our opposition to the proposed mining in the province, critically threatening the food security and ecological integrity of our province.

The Mangyans will be adversely affected since the mining concession is located within their territories. To gain entry, consent was fraudulently obtained by the company in collusion with some officials of the National Commission on the Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). The Mangyan Mission, a Church-based NGO had already filed several complaints regarding the anomalous transactions and irregularities committed by the NCIP in obtaining the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of the Mangyans, however, the issues raised were not substantially addressed and the investigation conducted was deemed defective and lopsidedly partial to the mining company.

The KPLN is planning to stage a three-day camp-out protest before the NCIP and the DENR Offices in Manila to call government’s attention to their plight. But we want to believe that we can explore better avenues for dialogue and the Office of the President can provide appropriate solutions more than empty promises.

We hope your office can make necessary arrangement to facilitate a top-level meeting of heads of government agencies responsible for the preparation and issuance of the CADTs, together with the leaders of the Mangyan organizations. We can come to Manila for this dialogue or we will be more than willing to host the event here at the Bishop’s Residence, Calapan City. 

We suggest to invite the following concerned officials and agencies: Commissioner Noel Felongco and Director Myrna Caoagas for the NCIP, Benedicto Ulep, Administrator of the Land Registration Authority (LRA), DENR Regional Director for Region IVB, and other key officials that you know that can decisively act with authority to address the issues and to resolve the seeming deadlock.

We regret that we need to bring this matter to your level. But our people, particularly the indigenous peoples, would like to see sincerity and concrete actions from the government in pursuing our agenda for sustainable and integral development and in ensuring IPs’ rights to their ancestral domains.

Hoping for your immediate and positive reply on this request.

In our Lord,

(sgd)
+ WARLITO I. CAJANDIG, D.D.
Apostolic Vicar of Calapan
Bishop’s Residence
Salong, Calapan City