THPAL Supporting Indigenous People (the Philippines) | Sustainability | Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (2024)

FAQs

How does mining affect the indigenous communities in the Philippines? ›

Mining-related disasters led to loss of lives, homes, property, schools and other infrastructure. Violation of human rights and Indigenous Peoples' rights ensued. Indigenous Peoples were displaced from their ancestral lands, which they used for residential and livelihood purposes.

The oldest inhabitants of the Philippines are the Negrito. They are a pre-Austronesian people who migrated from mainland Asia around 90,000 years ago. The Negrito population was estimated in 2004 at around 31,000.

In the mountains, systems created by indigenous peoples conserve soil, reduce erosion, conserve water and reduce the risk of disasters. In the countryside, indigenous pastoral communities sustainably manage livestock grazing and cultivation so that the biodiversity of grasslands is preserved.

The other concentration of indigenous communities is in central and southern Philippines. The Lumad tribal groupings of Mindanao include Ata, Bagobo, Guiangga, Mamanwa, Magguangan, Mandaya, Banwa-on, Bukidnon, Dulangan, Kalagan, Kulaman, Manobo, Subanon, Tagabili, Takakaolo, Talandig, and Tiruray or Teduray.

Mining operations in the Philippines reportedly have direct negative effects on the health and welfare of communities. Concerns have been raised over lack of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) of local communities and Indigenous peoples, loss of food security and destruction of rainforests.

Lopez said the destructive nature and its potential for a disaster were the main reasons why she decided to impose a ban on open-pit mining. According to the environment chief, open-pit mining is a financial liability, poses risks to host communities, and kills the economic potential of the community.

Considered the poorest in their communities, Badjaos are Sea Gypsies of Sulu and Celebes seas who are scattered in different coastal areas in Mindanao.

Filipinos (Filipino: Mga Pilipino) are citizens or people identified with the country of the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today are predominantly Catholic and come from various Austronesian peoples, all typically speaking Filipino, English, or other Philippine languages.

The indigenous peoples' Batak of Palawan is the smallest tribe in the Philippines.

Third, Indigenous Peoples help protect our environment, fight climate change, and build resilience to natural disasters, yet their rights aren't always protected. While Indigenous Peoples own, occupy, or use a quarter of the world's surface area, they safeguard 80% of the world's remaining biodiversity.

How are indigenous people treated in the Philippines? ›

Many of the 110 ethno-linguistic indigenous groups in the Philippines experience discrimination, degradation of resource bases, and armed conflict. IP communities, generally located in distinct ancestral territories, have high rates of unemployment, underemployment, and illiteracy.

Indigenous Knowledge is 1) based on millennia of observations, 2) temporal and place-based, 3) living, 4) kinship-based, and 5) wholistic —with an added “w” to emphasize that it wholly encompasses all things, covering all areas of human life such as medicine, culture, and spirituality, as well as extensive Knowledge of ...

The ancestors of the vast majority of the population were of Malay descent and came from the Southeast Asian mainland as well as from what is now Indonesia. Contemporary Filipino society consists of nearly 100 culturally and linguistically distinct ethnic groups.

This includes the right to ancestral domain/lands, right to self-governance and empowerment, right to cultural integrity and right to social justice and human rights. Before the colonizers came to the Philippines, the Filipinos were considered IPs; they owned their land and all the resources found in it.

First, Filipinos believed in the existence of parallel spirit world, which was invisible but had an influence on the visible world. Second, Filipinos believed that there were spirits (anito) everywhere - ranging from the high creator gods to minor spirits that lived in the environment such as trees or rocks or creeks.

1848: California Gold Rush brings miners and diseases

The influx of miners brings diseases that kill thousands of Native peoples. Miners also commit widespread acts of violence against Native villages and Native peoples throughout California and Oregon.

The displacement of settled communities can be a significant cause of resentment and conflict associated with large-scale mineral development. Communities may lose their land, and thus their livelihoods, disrupting also community institutions and power relations.

Large scale mining can provide temporary local employment but it also competes for the use of land, water, forests and other local resources against local communities and most likely the local communities will lose.

In the Philippines, IPs have been subject to historical discrimination and marginalization from political processes and economic benefit. They often face exclusion, loss of ancestral lands, displacement, pressures to and destruction of traditional ways of life and practices, and loss of identity and culture.