‘Remove Illegal barricade’ – Didipio IP community to Vizcaya LGU

Following the Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) order to dismantle an illegal blockade that has been choking fuel and supplies in Didipio, at least 1,200 residents of the barangay and its IP leaders marched yesterday calling for the provincial government’s adherence to the notice.

In the second half of 2019, Nueva Vizcaya’s local government unit set-up checkpoints to control the ingress and egress of vehicles leading to OceanaGold Philippines’ mining site, which caused a temporary disruption of its operations. In Didipio, OceanaGold employs 1,500 people and generates around 3,000 additional jobs through cooperatives, local suppliers and contractors.

The illegal blockade has since affected jobs in the mining site and local businesses. Community members have expressed their gratitude to DILG for listening to and acting on their complaints. According to the residents, they experienced harassment and their access to roads have been impeded by those manning the blockade, some of which are organizations not even based in Didipio. They have likewise said that the illegal barricade has negatively impacted their source of livelihood and employment.

DILG’s letter, issued late November, mentioned that “no authority or permit from the Philippine National Police (PNP) or the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has been obtained” by the LGU prior to the set-up of the blockade. 

DILG maintains that it is the topmost governing agency exercising supervision of LGUs and has ‘enjoined’ the Nueva Vizcaya LGU to “remove or dismantle the checkpoints” unless they decide to secure appropriate permits from the PNP and the AFP. 

In June 20, 2019, the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB) gave OceanaGold interim approval to operate pending the renewal of its 25-year Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA). 

“Sinasabi nilang naghihirap daw ang mga taga Didipio dahil sa operasyon ng Oceanagold, kaya tutol daw ito sa renewal ng FTAA. Ang totoo at katulad ng nakikita ninyo ngayon, mayorya ng mga taga-Didipio at sa mga karatig barangay ay pabor sa operasyon ng Oceanagold.”[People say that OceanaGold’s operations have made life difficult for us in Didipio. But what is apparent and true right now is that majority of us in Didipio and the neighboring communities favor OceanaGold’s operations]. 

“Ang totoo, lahat ng residente ay malaki ang naging benepisyo sa operasyon magmula sa employment hanggang sa mga proyekto nito,” [In truth, all residents  have experienced the many benefits from the mining operation be it employment or through its projects] said a statement from the community. 

The FTAA is executed between a foreign-owned mining contractor and the government of the Philippines for the large-scale exploration and development of gold, copper, nickel, and other minerals.