Mining in the Philippines - Concerns and Conflicts

fatal to fish. The mining process can also lead to toxic metals being released from the ore. If toxic
metals, mercury or cyanide get into the food chain they can seriously damage health 85 .
Decreased productivity of farming or fishing - a widespread complaint of affected communities - has
an immediate impact on health, in particular that of children, as nutrition levels fall and families can
no longer afford health services.
The collapse of tailings dams has resulted in injuries and deaths, but can also have disastrous longer
term health effects, with contaminated water leading to skin infections, loss of food sources and
chemicals entering the food chain. The full potential direct and indirect health impacts of submarine
tailings disposal are unknown 86 . Health impacts also result from the influx of people into the mine
site. The introduction of HIV/AIDS, sometimes associated with migrant male workers, is a major
worry among local communities. In indigenous communities, the health of individuals can suffer
when their connection with the land is broken, because this limits their access to traditional sources of
food and medicine. This dislocation from their natural environment can also be detrimental to their
psychological well-being. To address these concerns the EIR commissioned by the World Bank
emphasized the importance of the health impacts of mining and recommended that Health Impact
Assessments be performed.
3.8. Militarized commerce
The EIR noted that ‘the large economic rents generated by extractive industries may help provoke or
prolong civil conflict. Indigenous peoples are particularly vulnerable.’ The review recommended that
one of the ‘core macro-governance’ criteria in relation to mining should be ‘the absence of conflict or
of a high risk of conflict’ and that in no circumstance should the World Bank support mining projects
in areas involved in armed conflict.
In the Philippines mining is currently proceeding in conflict zones. The Special Rapporteur on
indigenous peoples’ rights noted that there had been ‘extensive human rights violations by the army
in northern Mindanao’ in connection with economic development projects including mining. Both the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Abu Sayyaf are reported to have been active in the
Zamboanga provinces, where TVI is operating.
The record of the logging industry in the Philippines reveals that many logging operations in remote
areas attracted the attention of bandit and guerrilla groups and many were forced to pay protection
money. Mining operations, particularly for gold, in zones of conflict seem inevitably to draw
attention from armed groups. Records of payments made to various armed groups by Kingking
Mines in the Davao Gulf in Mindanao have been published by the Sierra club, a respected North
American Environmental group and presented to a Canadian parliamentary committee in 2005.
Militarization and conflict are widespread in the Philippines, and human rights violations are
committed by the military, private armies and rebel groups. 87 Mining in these conflict areas has led to
significant increases in militarization and an associated escalation of human rights abuses.
Peace agreements
One area of concern brought to the attention of the fact-finding team was that peace negotiations
between the government and the MILF may enable mining on indigenous peoples’ lands without
their consent.
Failure to address the concerns of indigenous peoples in the peace negotiations could lead to
instability and the denial of rights to indigenous peoples of the region. A recent statement by 26
indigenous tribes – comprising the United Indigenous Nations of Mindanao – expressed their
opposition to the inclusion of their ancestral domains and ancestral lands in the proposed coverage
16