Farmers demand for food security on World Food Day Call on the passage of new minerals management bill

On the commemoration of World Food Day today, farmers reiterate on their demand for food security and that government prioritize this rather than the promotion of mining investments.

From the Pampanga leg, the caravan will arrive at Malolos, Bulacan mid-morning of today to meet with the other contingents and hold a program at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)before pushing for the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in Commonwealth, Quezon City late afternoon today.

“Clearly, the extraction of minerals and food security will never be a good mix. It is incompatible. We have seen over the years the destruction of agricultural lands due to mining and the water within the area is no longer beneficial due to the pollution caused by mining,” said Gerry Arances, AMMB Coordinator of Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center.

Findings of a 2009 study entitled, “Philippines: Mining or Food?,” already showed evidences of the impacts of mining, which led to the worst food crisis in Philippines history. Mining is also a contributor in making the Philippines into the world’s biggest importer of rice despite of being an agricultural country. As a result of this, it drains the country’s foreign exchange, which gives justification for the government to further boost the mining industry and catch up with the lost foreign exchange. All these have a spiraling effect to poverty. And the promises of economic grandeur claimed by the mining industry are delusional because it only creates few jobs.

The Likas-Yaman Caravan for the Alternative Minerals Management Bill(Likas-Yaman Caravan para sa AMMB) is a 4-day caravan that started from Bayombong in Nueva Vizcaya last October 14 and will culminate in Mendiola on the 17th.

Farmers call to action

Rene dela Cruz, president of the organization Aniban ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (AMA), said that large-scale mining not only destroys the environment but also pollutes water that is the lifeblood of agricultural lands, thus, threatening our food security.

The caravan will be at the doorstep of the House of Representatives midday of October 17 in time for the deliberation and consolidation of the minerals management bill of the Technical Working Group of the Natural Resources Committee of the 15th Congress. The aim of the group is to hold a dialogue with Representatives in support of the push for the passage of the AMMB.

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SOS-Yamang Bayan Network is a national, multi-sectoral movement is composed of mining-affected communities, national peoples alliances, environmental organizations and networks, church-based organizations, human rights organizations, national NGOs, sectoral organizations from the indigenous peoples, youth, women, farmers, Congressional representatives, known leaders and personalities advocating for the repealing of the Mining Act of 1995 and the enactment of the
Alternative Minerals Management Bill.

For more information, contact the SOS-Yamang Bayan Network Secretariat through
Gerry Arances, 0939.241.5575, gerry.arances@lrcksk.org
Farah Sevilla, 0915.331.3361, policy@alyansatigilmina.net

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