Press Release
Published by MAC on 2002-10-11
Press Release
For verification, please contact:
Dennis Lalata, LRC-KsK National Office
Tel. (02) 928-1372; 436-1101 or Cel. No. 0919-3696457
Jo Villanueva, LRC-KsK Cagayan de Oro Office
Tel. (0882) 272-9853
Anti-mining advocates to launch "The Dapitan Initiative" on October 11
Anti-mining advocates from all over the country will gather at the Rizal Shrine in Dapitan City on October 11 to participate in what has been dubbed as "The Dapitan Initiative". "The Dapitan Initiative" seeks the scrapping of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 (Republic Act No. 7942) and the formulation of an alternative "People's Mining Act".
The activity is organized by the DIOPIM Committee on Mining Issues (DCMI) - composed of church groups from the cities of Dipolog, Iligan, Ozamiz, Pagadian, Ipil, and Marawi, thus the acronym DIOPIM - and the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan (LRC-KsK), a non-government organization which has been involved in the issue of mining for many years.
A highlight of the event is the signing of "The Dapitan Declaration" by prominent individuals representing various sectors of Philippine society. Some of the anti-mining advocates who have already confirmed their participation include the following: Chin-Chin Gutierrez, award-winning actress and environmentalist; Teddy Casiño, activist and BAYAN Secretary General; Dapitan City Mayor Rodolfo Carreon; Bishop Jose Manguiran, Bishop of Dipolog and DCMI Bishop-in-Charge; Bishop Warlito Baldomero, Philippine Independent Church-Ozamiz City; and Atty. Marvic Leonen, Executive Director of LRC-KsK. Leaders of communities adversely affected by mining will also share their experiences.
A ritual calling on the good spirits to be led by the Subanen, an indigenous peoples group in Zamboanga del Norte, will open the event at 8:00 am.
According to the organizers, "The Dapitan Initiative" seeks to encourage discussions among advocates, particularly local community organizations and NGOs on how to address the problem of large-scale mining. They added that the event will be the starting point of a signature campaign seeking to scrap RA 7942.