Indigenous Benguet communities barricade against mining firm to defend ancestral land

MANKAYAN, Benguet — Indigenous residents from Barangays Bulalacao and Guinaoang in Mankayan, Benguet, have set up a new barricade as of 13 October 2025 to stop the planned operations of Crescent Mining and Development Corporation (CMDC).

The protest, organized by Kankanaey Indigenous Peoples and local vegetable farmers, is a renewed stand against what they describe as a persistent threat to their ancestral domain, agricultural lands, and water sources. The community’s action also reaffirms their opposition to the renewal of CMDC’s Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA), which they claim was “illegally granted” without proper Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) as required by the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA).

“Papano na ang aming kabuhayan at ang kinabukasan ng aming mga anak, apo kung sisirain ng minahan ang lugar namin,” lamented Bulalacao elder Gary Dulag, who vowed to guard their land for future generations.

Fellow elder Darwin Badecao emphasized that their farmlands not only sustain their livelihoods but also contribute to the region’s food supply. “Mining activities will inevitably destroy them,” he said.

Residents fear that mining operations will endanger the area’s vital water systems, which nourish rice paddies and vegetable gardens and flow into the main tributaries of the Abra River, a crucial water source for communities downstream in Mountain Province.

“The integrity of our water system is non-negotiable. It supports our entire way of life, from our crops to our health,” Bulalacao Barangay Captain Satur Anton said earlier.

Community leaders have also raised alarms over drilling equipment reportedly stationed in nearby Guinaoang despite ongoing local resistance.

CMDC’s 25-year mining permit expired in 2021, but residents allege that the company has attempted to restart operations since its “fraudulent” renewal. A previous barricade in 2022 and multiple legal complaints against officials from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) have yet to stop the company’s return.

Before establishing their new barricade, residents gathered for a Holy Mass onsite, reaffirming their collective resolve to defend their land, culture, and way of life against large-scale mining interests.