COTABATO CITY โ Local officials, business groups, and Blaan tribal leaders have thrown their support behind a newly formed multi-sectoral body tasked with monitoring community development projects tied to the controversial Tampakan mining venture in Central Mindanao.
The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Region 12 launched the 1st Joint Monitoring Team (JMT) last week to oversee the implementation of commitments made under the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) agreement secured from Blaan communities.
The copper-gold mining project, led by the Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) in partnership with the Philippine government, spans four towns: Tampakan in South Cotabato, Columbio in Sultan Kudarat, Malungon in Sarangani, and Kiblawan in Davao del Surโareas home to the indigenous Blaan people.
Watchdog to Ensure Transparency, Accountability
In a briefing on Friday, July 11, NCIP-12 regional director Atty. Adolf Ryan Lantion emphasized that the JMTโs mandate is to ensure transparency and accountability in carrying out the projectโs promised benefits, particularly for the indigenous communities who granted their consent.
โThe FPIC binds all partiesโNCIP, DENR, SMI, and other stakeholdersโto uphold the rights of the Blaan. This team will serve as a safeguard to make sure that what was promised will be delivered,โ Lantion said.
Local leaders welcomed the initiative. Newly-elected Vice Mayors Maria Theresa Constantino of Malungon and Joel Calma of Kiblawan, along with Columbio Mayor Amirh Musali, have pledged their support to the JMT’s oversight efforts.
โThere is no problem with us supporting this monitoring team. We will help it achieve its goals,โ said Domingo Collado, a Blaan leader and IP representative to the Tampakan municipal council.
‘Respect, Accountability, Mutual Development’
Cotabato Governor Emmylou Mendoza, who chairs the Regional Development Council (RDC) of Region 12, also backed the formation of the JMT. The RDC earlier passed a resolution endorsing the mining project.
Cotabato-based entrepreneur-lawyer Ronald Hallid Dimacisil Torres, chair of the Bangsamoro Business Council, said the economic ripple effects of the mining operation could extend beyond Region 12 into neighboring Bangsamoro provinces.
โWhile weโre not part of Region 12, the economic growth from the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project will spill over into Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte,โ Torres said.
The JMT was formally inaugurated in a symbolic oath-taking ceremony at the NCIP regional office in Koronadal City. It includes representatives from NCIP, SMI, and community stakeholders.
โThis team will be instrumental in making sure that our indigenous people get what they rightfully deserve,โ said Lantion. โOur engagements with SMI will anchor on respect, accountability, and mutual development.โ
Located just under 20 kilometers from Koronadal City, Tampakan sits atop one of Southeast Asiaโs largest untapped mineral reserves. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and foreign geologists have estimated the value of its copper and gold deposits at over $200 billion.
The Tampakan Copper-Gold Project has long faced stiff opposition from environmental advocates and some indigenous rights groups, but the recent developments indicate a renewed effort by government agencies and stakeholders to establish mechanisms for oversight and accountability as the mining operation prepares to break ground.
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