Ka-Blog!

I almost choked on my thick Isabela “zinaga” (dinuguan) while having lunch today.  On today’s paper is an item announcing that the governor of Apayao wants to open up the province to mining.  My fragrant and inviting lunch suddenly went tasteless when I read that the governor’s announcement was given when bogus President Arroyo visited the province last Monday.

       I do not know if Elias Bulut, the governor, is an Isneg.  I find it hard to believe he is one.  A true Isneg would not want foreign rapists on his land.  But should Bulut’s plans come through, Copperfield Mining, Asia-Pacific Mining, Coolobah Mining, Cordillera Exploration, Wolfland Resources and Lambunao Mining shall be sucking out all riches in the towns of Kabugao, Conner and Calanasan in no time.

       As the CBCP rightly puts it, there is absolutely no moral nor economic nor environmental justification for the Mining Act of 1995 as passed by this country’s f*c*i*g Congress, as affirmed by this country’s f*c*i*g Supreme Court and as peddled by this country’s fucking government!  (No, I don’t care to bleep the last one.) 

       A fucking six-year tax holiday for the mining firms?  The right to ship all our minerals to their own fucking countries?  The right to exploit the people’s cheap and docile labor?

       And where has the distinction of being the world’s second biggest producer of gold (second only to South Africa) for hundreds of years brought the Philippines?  Nowhere!  So Bulut and Arroyo should spare us their lies that mining, as it is in this country, is for development and is pro-poor.  Mga tarantado!

       I call on all Isnegs to rise up and vigorously oppose this plan.  I know that some locals, including their adopted sons and daughters like Risa Jopson, are already doing something about this. 

       But Isnegs already have in their culture a most potent weapon against mining and extraction.  I learned this when I was in Apayao myself many years ago. (See “Remembering Pako Valley” posted on this blog May 24, 2005.) It’s called Sangasang/Dangadang.

      When an Isneg dies, his clan declares a portion of the forest a Sangasang/Dangadang area for a length of time.  Before strangers and migrants came to Apayao, the Sangasang/Dangadang usually lasted for a year, although the berieved may choose a longer or shorter period.  While the Sangasang/Dangadang is in effect, no human can enter the place, gather its fruits, cut its trees nor disturb it in any manner on the point of death.  A violation of the Sangasang/Dangadang is a cassus belli, a cause for war.

       When the crony loggers of the hated Martial Law regime (Enrile, et.al) wanted to cart away Apayao’s forests, the Isnegs widened the scope of their Sangasang/Dangadang and lengthened its duration to prevent the loggers from coming in.  The military dogs conscripted by the loggers and politicians came to know Isneg wrath when they violated the custom.  Marag, Pako and Zinundungan Valleys are places where the Isnegs’ heroism is a banner flying high over the graves of thousands of fascist soldiers.

       The bogus President came a-visiting; foreign mining firms are coming.  I foresee a season of Sangasang/Dangadang.