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Views and Experiences of some Manobo on Philsaga mining

(socio cultural change on views on mining!! Focus on philsaga!!)

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the

Social Science and Education Division
Ateneo de Davao University

In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of

Bachelor of Arts Major in Political Science

Erven John P. Claros

Marco Antonio G. Donguines
Jaella Farbrianne J. Lumactod
Jannina Kriszia B, Santos

SEPTEMBER 2012

ABSTRACT

Using the qualitative-participatory paradigm in research, this study explores general

views and experiences among Agusanon Manobo of Brgy. Consuelo, Agusan del Sur with
regards to mining in the area. Drawn from focus group discussions and key informant
interviews, informants narratives reveal generally positive views on mining. Moreover, their
implicit approvals on the continued operations of the mining in their native soil illustrate the
productive community outreach programs by the Mining Company which gave the Mining
community a more prosperous life. Likewise, informants narratives on their views and
experiences on the mining operations highlight overarching themes the royalties provided to
the mining communities has been a source of conflict, which led to the formation of factions
among tribal groups. As an implication, this study proposes a more sustainable planning and
intensive information dissemination on hazards and sustainability of mining for the Indigent
Manobos of Consuelo, Bunawan.

Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
(change chapter 1 recraft!!!)
Background of the Study (recraft!!!!)

Mindanao is well known as the land of promise because of its abundance in natural
resources (PhilippineHistory.org). This has become a reason for foreign investors to invest
in the island. Mining corporations have been growing in many places and these have greatly
affected its surroundings. Though it may be true that these companies will give aid to our
economy through business, at what expense would it take on this part of the country.
Mining sites are usually located in rural areas with mountainous terrains and areas
where mineral deposits are found among these people are the Manobos. They are classified
into eight groups, but they are very much similar to each other, differing only in some aspects
of culture and language. These groups are the Cotabato Manobos, Agusan Manobo, Matig
Salug Manobo, Obo Manobo, Dibabawon Manobo, Sarangani Manobo, Manobos of Western
Bukidnon, and the Tagabawa Manobo. The Manobos are described according to their
political or landform division. (Varron 2009) In most cases, the indigenous person knows the
locations of the mining sites since they are familiar with such areas. They became partners in
the mining exploration conducted by miners and during its operations these people are
displaced.
The relationship between the Mining Firm and the Manobo people is political in
nature (support) Decisions within the Tribe are affected by the influence of the Mining Firm.
Politics is present in every transaction involving the mining operations. In an informal

interview with a councilor of Bunawan, the particular mining firm started as a small scale and
evolved into a large scale mining firm that made them comply with requirements necessary
for their operations. Also, the Manobos have become the direct sources of information of the
mining explorers to locate the minerals. The customs and traditions of Bunawanon Manobos
of Consuelo have been slightly affected with the advent of mining for political reasons. The
politics in mining is experienced directly by the Manobo tribe; it has affected their lives in
one way or another. (history of bunawan agusan)

Indigenous People have a special relation to their land; it had been their source of
livelihood, their home, and their sole property that served as basis for their identity as a
group. Furthermore, the study of Joel Jonson (2011) titled, Cultural Discontinuities:
Implications on the Food Provisioning of the Mansaka Tribe in the Municipality of Maco,
Compostela Valley Province proves that mining is a considerable factor that disrupts culture
of the Indigenous people. Studies all over the world show not only the hazards brought about
by mining in nearby communities but also as the main source of livelihood of the Indigenous
people - agriculture. However, it is undeniable that some Indigenous Peoples groups tend to
accept mining and its operations to perpetuate in their areas for it provides them additional
income by means of labour as they work for the mining firm. Also, the mining firm itself
provides an alternative way of livelihood as they interfere with their main source of living as
it pays more than just tilling the land. The ancestral land of the Manobos has been affected by
a certain mining plant in the Agusan area.
Pre-WWII operations (where is the source?)were mainly confined to the Surigao
District with production from high grade veins at the Mindanao Motherlode (or Mabuhay)
Mine, Tapian and Mapaso Mines, from veins at the Siana underground mine commencing in
1938, and from veins at the Placer Mine commencing in 1936. In later years, Siana became
an open pit mine and numerous open pit mines were established in the Placer Mine area

where porphyry copper-gold bodies were found adjacent to and below the high grade vein
systems. The most notable recent discovery in the Surigao District is the large Boyongan
porphyry copper-gold deposit which is undergoing further work.

In the North Davao District, the Maco (previously Masara) copper-gold deposits were
discovered in 1938 and subsequently mined. One of which that got involved in this activity
is the Philsaga Mining Corporation which had engaged in the exploration and production of
gold. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in Davao City and later on expanded in
Agusan del Sur. (Medusa Mining, ND)

Although, various laws of the country such as the Local Government Code of 1991
and Mining Act of 1995 (steps na i-undergo sa firm) have been passed and aided with local
legislation like the creation of a committee to handle the affairs of the Tribal people and
initiating several ordinances to aid them in Bunawan and the local indigenous people,
information regarding their situation, their concerns and needs seem insufficient because of
lack of budgetary support from the government to study the said group. Other than what
people hear and see from the news, they lack the knowledge of their current status with
regard their livelihood, ways of living and their culture whether it is disrupted or improved
with the advent of mining. There has been no study conducted regarding the implications of
mining activity in Brgy. Consuelo, Bunawan, Agusan del Sur (MOB-LGU) towards the
Manobo culture. The absence of pertinent information about the Agusanon experience on
mining makes it difficult to answer queries and questions on how to help the Manobo people
adjust with the situation with the presence of mining, and understand the issues and struggles
faced by these people. This study is essential in identifying the possible results of having a
mining site located in an area where indigenous people live. The experiences of the Manobo

people may be true and the same with the experiences of other ethnic groups all over
Mindanao and in the Philippines, as whole. (concentrate in bunawan!!!)

Theoretical Framework (uncertain) (change it!!!!!) (how they change their perspective
on mining)
Diffusion of innovation theory by Everett Rogers describes the process through which
new ideas, practices, or technologies are spread into a social system (Rogers, 2003). This
theory holds that innovation diffusion is a general process, not bound by the type of
innovation studied, by who the adopters [are], or by place or culture (Rogers, 2004, p. 16),
such that the process through which an innovation becomes diffused has universal
applications to all fields that develop innovations.
Diffusion is defined as the process in which an innovation is communicated
through certain channels over time among the members of a social system (Rogers, 2003, p.
5). An innovation is defined as an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by an
individual or other unit of adoption (Rogers, 2003, p. 12). Rogers (2003) asserted that there
are four main elements in the diffusion process: (a) the innovation, (b) the communication
channels through which the innovation is diffused, (c) time, and (d) the social system. Given
that decisions are not authoritative or collective, each member of the social system faces
his/her own innovation-decision that follows a 5-step process (Rogers, Diffusion of
Innovation p162): 1) Knowledge person becomes aware of an innovation and has some idea
of how it functions, 2)Persuasion person forms a favourable or unfavourable attitude toward
the innovation,3)Decision person engages in activities that lead to a choice to adopt or
reject the innovation, 4)Implementation person puts an innovation into use, 5)Confirmation
person evaluates the results of an innovation-decision already made. The most striking

feature of diffusion theory is that, for most members of a social system, the innovationdecision depends heavily on the innovation-decisions of the other members of the system.
The innovation-decision is made through a cost-benefit analysis where the major
obstacle is uncertainty. People will adopt an innovation if they believe that it will, all things
considered, enhance their utility. So they must believe that the innovation may yield some
relative advantage to the idea it supersedes (208). How can they know for sure that there are
benefits? Also, in consideration of costs, people determine to what degree the innovation
would disrupt other functioning facets of their daily life. Is it compatible with existing habits
and values? Is it hard to use? The newness and unfamiliarity of an innovation infuse the
cost-benefit analysis with a large dose of uncertainty. It sounds good, but does it work? Will
it break? If I adopt it, will people think Im weird? Since people are on average risk-averse,
the uncertainty will often result in a postponement of the decision until further evidence can
be gathered. But the key is that this is not the case for everyone. Each individuals
innovation-decision is largely framed by personal characteristics, and this diversity is what
makes diffusion possible. (Greg Orr, Review on Diffusion of Innovations, by Everett Rogers
(1995); March 18, 2003)
In relation to the case of the Manobo tribe in Bunawan in the advent of mining, their
culture which they preserve became innovated in the sense that their lifestyles and standard of
living had improved. Theyve had things which they cant have before. Many of them were
fortunate to get to college. These changes showed indirect characteristics of innovation. The
theory presented by Rogers is a helpful perspective that had help us on interpretting and
understanding the data which we had acquired during the data gathering.

Statement of the problem

The study ought to determine the views of tribal leaders and members of the Agusan
Manobo people in their area as well as local leaders describe their way of living, and their
social status before the mining operations in the area commenced. Specifically, this study
aimed to answer the following questions:

1. What was the situation of the Manobo tribe before and during the mining operations in
their area in terms of:
a. Family structure
-Tribes political structure
-Economic Structure and Gender Roles
2. Experiences of the Manobo Tribe DURING PHILSAGA!:

During the negotiation and entry of the Mining firm

During the operation of Mining

3. Views of the Monobo Tribe on mining in general. (VIEWS OF SOME MANOBOS ON

MINING IN GENERAL

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will help the tribe to cope (?) (not coping mechanism! Present na dapat! )
with the changes brought about by mining, manage their resources (royalty) properly, and

create harmony within the tribe. Moreover, the information that is acquired is hoped to help
different ethnic groups facing the same situation cope with problems arising due to mining.
This study will also provide guidance through acquired information to the local
government officials in order to address the concerns of the local ethnic groups and
minorities.
Furthermore, this study will also serve as basis for some legislative actions in the
local levels to help promote the welfare of the Indigenous peoples rights and will rightfully
educate them.
This study will add to the body of literature as well as in crafting new researches with
regard the effects of mining operations to the people. Further studies on the topic by future
researchers shall improve this research topic and possibly expand the scope of the study.
Finally, this study will benefit the Ateneo de Davao University academic community
by providing significant information on the status of the Indigenous People and the effects of
mining operations to different sets of people. More importantly, this study will benefit Social
Science students by providing awareness on the marginalized minorities and social
implications of mining activities.
(parameter on lgu!)

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS (context into philsaga!!)

This study is focused on the views and experiences of the Manobo Tribe, particularly
the Bunawanon Manobo which is located at Barangay Consuelo, Bunawan, Agusan Del Sur.
The respondents will be the Tribe leaders and some members with significant knowledge on
the issue. They are people outside the tribe with sufficient knowledge of the issue and the

local government especially the office that holds the concerns of the tribe. The result if this
study will only hold true (only be true to the respondents)to the Manobo tribe and not with
other local ethnic groups within the locality of the mining operations. (title, where, who,
methodology!)

DEFINITION OF TERMS (tanggalun ang bullet!! Basis should be objective, define

base on our study! Base on the experiences! Should be base on operational definition)
As used in the study, these following terms shall be defined as:

Indigenous People people living in an area with unique culture, customs and
practices.

Manobo Tribe is a tribe in the Philippines located mostly in Mindanao. They usually
engage in farming and agriculture for they live in the rural areas of Mindanao. This
group is male dominated. The husband is considered as the head of the family and he
is the one who makes family decisions. Polygamy is being exercised except in some
groups where polygamy is performed only by the royal blood like a powerful Datu or
a Sultan (chieftain or headmen).

Mining Firm the office/company that operates the mining process. (tanggal!)

Political Structure the construction of the Bunawan Manobo Tribes Sultanate and
its legal procedures.

Social Structure the construction of the Bunawan Manobo Tribes community.

Situation the current condition that characterizes the ways of living and the events
that occurred in the Bunawan Manobo Tribe.

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CHAPTER 2
Review of Related Literature

This Chapter includes the following: related literatures in the national and local levels.

For the past decades, there has been a shift in the attitudes of the different corporations
towards the environment. In the early 1980s the environment was generally perceived to be
of peripheral concern to industrial and commercial operations, and potential impacts were
viewed as manageable through end-of-pipe solutions (far out na ni!!!! Hyperbole!!). This
perception is a prevalent proof that the environment is now considered as a mainstream
business issue. However, the focus is mainly on the natural environment and paid less
attention to the ethical and social dimensions of corporate activities. (far out!)
The issue here is to explore the factors that support the integration of social concerns
into the planning and implementation of privately financed projects in two sectors within
developing countries, with particular emphasis on the interfaces between social and
environmental assessment processes.

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Emergence of Mining in the Philippines

Before the arrival of the Spaniards, there were small-scale trade operations and
panning for gold in the Philippines. There is evidence to show that gold was used regularly in
dealing with Chinese and Japanese traders. Mining during that period was fairly limited.
The Spaniards had a real interest in precious metals, especially gold, but it was not
until the Americans arrived that the search for mineral resources and their extraction really
got underway. There were experienced miners among the first American soldiers sent to the
Philippines, those who had taken part in the gold rushes in California and Klondike. These
soldiers-turned-miners panned for gold in Northern Luzon. Some stayed on the Philippines to
develop the metal mines at Baguio and at Paracale in Southeastern Luzon.
Lowland Filipinos took almost no interest in mineral exploitation and minerals were
of minor importance to the Filipino economy before the 1933-36 gold rush. Under the
Americans, gold became the countrys main mineral and in 1940, total production reached a
million fine ounces, which is equivalent to about 28 metric tons. During the Second World
War, gold mining suffer a severe setback. After the war and attainment of independence,
Filipinos became interested in mining and in the development of the countrys mineral
resources. Output from Philippine mines over the past 50 years, both in terms of value and
volume, places the country among the worlds leading producers of a number of metallic
minerals. In the 1960s, the Philippines was already ranked among the worlds top ten
producers of gold, copper, chromite and nickel.
The 1970s saw the development of several gold mines in the country. According to
World Metal Statistics in 1985, a gold production in the country stood at 25.2 metric tons and
in 1986, 24 metric tons. The Philippines was ranked number 10 in the world. Another source,

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Consolidated Gold Fields, London, ranks the Philippines as the eight gold producers in the
world in 1985 and 1986 with production of 37 and 40 metric tons, respectively. These figures
are substantially higher than the 25.2 and 24 metric tons reported by the World Metal
Statistics.
(Bishops-Business Conference. N.D, p.34)

The Mining Act of 1995 (provisions on royalty!)

When mining become exposed and developed in the Philippines there have been
instances that the indigenous people especially their ancestral domain was affected. And to be
able to protect their interest the government has provided laws that will cater and protect their
needs and would eventually benefit them. There have been good laws and regulations that
was proposed and introduced, however the problem has mostly been in the implementation of
these laws.
The Republic Act No 7942 has undergone 6 years of discussion in two Congresses.
And it was only in 1995 that after long deliberations in Congress it was approved and was
called The Mining Act of 1995. The act was formulated to regulate and revitalize the mining
industry, by providing a positive and competitive climate for mining investments. The act
allows for four main types of permits, agreements, and contracts for the exploration and
mining process: The Exploration Permit (EP), Mineral Agreements (MA), Financial or
Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA), and the Minerals Processing Permit (MPP).
The Mining act aside from its environmental concerns also provides for the respect
and recognition of indigenous peoples rights and benefits. Indigenous peoples (IP) are also
protected under the 1997 Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA). However, there are number
of areas of apparent conflict between the Mining Act and the IPRA; this is an area where

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efforts should be exerted to harmonize the two laws. It should be pointed out here that a
constitutional challenge has been lodged against the FTAA and the Mining Act and also
against the IPRA. While these cases are not resolved, they create and area of uncertainty in
the mining community and put a damper and the development of mining industry. This
conflict also weakens the IPs perception of a government that claims it is trying to help them
and established their rights in society.
The Philippine Mining Act needs to be looked at in the context of other acts passed by
Congress. There are a number of loose ends that needs to be tied up, and a number of clear
lines to be drawn. (CBCP 1998 p-23-28)

The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 (Republic Act No 8371)

The 6-7 million indigenous people in the Philippines belong to some 40 selfdetermined ethnic groups. Although a 1909 legal case during American colonial rule
recognized indigenous ownership based on immemorial possession, in practice indigenous
rights in land were denied after independence. This denial coupled with imposed large-scale
development schemes under the Marcos regime, provoked serious conflicts and contributed
to insurgency in many indigenous areas. Since the fall of Marcos, Philippines law has been
overhauled to promote a recognition of indigenous peoples rights to ancestral domain.
The 1992 Constitution recognizes indigenous peoples rights to ancestral domain. A
1993 Administrative Order allowed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR) to give interim recognition of these rights by the issuance of Certificates of
Ancestral Domain Claims (CADC), to afford protection against unilateral expropriation or
exploitation until ownership could be determined. The 1197 Indigenous Peoples Rights Act
(IPRA) establishes procedures for recognition of individual and communal ownership of

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ancestral domains and ancestral lands. Three million hectares now enjoy some protection
under CADC and IPRA.
The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) was passed on October 29, 1997 and its
Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) were finalized on June 28, 1998. The act
recognizes the rights of IPs to their ancestral domains and provides for the recognition of the
customary laws and traditional practices in indigenous cultural communities (ICC). It gives
the IPs the right to explore, develop, and utilize the resources within. This law provides more
security to the IPs and addresses the aspiration of tribal peoples for the greater selfdetermination and self-governance. (CBCP 1998, p-32)
IPRA: (tanggal ang bullets!)

Clearly recognizes the principal of indigenous peoples and control of their

territories;

Accepts the exercise of customary law in the adjudication of disputes and for
community decisions regarding resource management and land allocations;

Establishes the principal of free and informed consent before lands can
alienated or communities relocated;

Places certain bureaucratic trammels and defences in the way of third parties
wishing to exploit indigenous lands;

Insists on the full participation of indigenous peoples in the establishment

of protected areas and watershed management regimes on their lands.

The law has also been criticized for:

Making a problematic distinction between ancestral lands and ancestral

domains, which may encourage the fragmentation of indigenous territories;

Bureaucraticizing the administration of lands and thus weakening community

control and unity;

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Facilitating legalized access to indigenous lands by third parties, especially

mining interests.

Permitting the alienation of lands under two of the three types of title
allowable under IPRA;

Failing to make clear how the right of consent should be exercised.

Who are the Indigenous Peoples?

According to the IPRA, IP, refers to the group of people or homogenous societies
identified by self-ascription and ascription by others, who have continuously lived as
organized community on communally bounded and defined territory, and who have, under
such of ownership since time immemorial, occupied, possessed and utilized such territories,
sharing common bonds of language, customs, traditions, and other distinctive cultural traits,
or who have through resistance to political, social and cultural inroads of colonization, nonindigenous religions and cultures, became historically differentiated from the majority of
Filipinos. ICCs/IPs shall, likewise, include peoples who are regarded as indigenous on
account of their descent from the populations which inhabited the country, at the time of
conquest or colonization, or at the time of inroads of non-indigenous religions and cultures,
or the establishment of present state boundaries, who retain some or all of their own social,
economic, cultural, and political institutions, but who may have been displaced from their
traditional domains or who may have resettled outside their ancestral domain.
On the one hand, according to the MA 95, IPs refer to a group of tribe of indigenous
Filipinos who have continuously lives as communities on communally bounded and defined
land since time immemorial and have succeeded in preparing, maintaining, and sharing
common bonds of languages, customs, traditions, and other distinctive cultural traits, and as
may be defined and delineated by law.

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Moreover, the basic dynamic is self-ascription whereby people describe themselves as

IPs, cultural minorities of tribal. The common features in most of these groups is that they are
marginalized in some way. They have not integrated in the mainstream society. Yet, it can be
argued that the Waray fit the description of indigenous people, from a cultural perspective,
they do not designate themselves as such they have integrated and entered mainstream
society. On the other hand, one could ask: Are the people from the Cordilleras or the Muslims
more marginalized? They are some of the poorest provinces but they have genuine levels of
administration and autonomy in respect of their culture and have integrity as a people, not as
evident among the Aetas or Tagbanwa or Manobo. They hold their culture intact and where
they are politically and socially marginalized, they can voice it.
Aspects of culture are easily recognized and examples of cultivation, food, language,
dress and known geographic area are easily given, but a definition of culture is difficult.
Culture may be reviewed as an integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief and behavior.
It depends upon the peoples capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding
generations, usually though associated structures. It is the totality of the social not
biological or genetic inheritance, part of which can be the concept of identity of race or
ancestry collectively held. Both language and landscape are often the point of identification
from outside culture, the biggest part or not of the cash economy. This basic identification on
the basis of economic (and political) participation may be perceived or real, but the biggest
problems facing such socially marginalized cultures today is their limited ability and
opportunity to transmit their culture through social structures and communicate movements
across the cultural differences of the past. (Bishops-Business Conference, p.34)

The Manobo

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Manobo as a tribe is among the largest ethnic communities of Mindanao. The theory
of Proto-Manobo (Elkins, 1977) suggests that they were the earliest Austronesian migrants
of Mindanao and is assumed to have a large variety of languages. The studies of Thomas and
Healy (1926) have shown that three main divisions of Austronesian speakers (The northern,
southern and central Philippines groups) arrived the archipelago at various times but were
separated from each other around 1,100 B.C. It is believed that the third group entered
Mindanao in trickles at different times via Borneo and was composed of two linguistic
groups: the Manobo and the Samal. Moreover, small groups came also trickles into Mindanao
and now are the Mandaya, Blaan, Tboli and the Subaanon.
The most common lifestyle of the Manobo is one of rural agriculture. Unfortunately,
their farming methods are very primitive. For example, the Bukidnon grow maize and rice as
their principal crops. Some of the farmers have incorporated plowing techniques, while others
have continued to use the "slash-and-burn" method. The Cotabato use a farming system
called kaingin. This is a procedure in which fields are allowed to remain fallow for certain
periods of time so that areas of cultivation may be shifted from place to place. This is very
inefficient since many plots of land are not being used at one time.

Social life for the Manobo is patriarchal, or male-dominated. The head of the family is
the husband. Polygyny (having more than one wife at a time) is common, and is allowed
according to a man's wealth. However, among the Bukidnon, most marriages are
monogamous. The only exception is that of the powerful datus, or headmen.

The political structures of the Manobo groups are all quite similar. A ruler, called a
Sultan, is the head of the group. Beneath him are the royal and non-royal classes. Only those
people belonging to the royal classes can aspire to the throne. Those belonging to the non-

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royal classes are under the power and authority of the royal classes. Each class is
interdependent on the others.

The political aspects of life are often integrated with the social aspects. For example,
many social events, such as weddings, require political leaders. Whenever there is a
negotiation for marriage, both the bride and the groom must use the local datu (headman) to
make all of the arrangements.

There is a wide range in the populations of the eight Manobo groups. Many of the
groups are struggling with a changing world. Outside pressures have greatly affected their
respective cultures. (Holmlund, E, 2004-2005)

Derivation of the term Manobo

The term Manobo has several connotations. First, it is a term generically used to refer
several ethnic groups living somewhere in the mountains of Mindanao. Second, it is a
language from which other tribal and ethnic languages are derived from. Third, it is used by
other non-Manobo speakers to refer to those people living in the mountains and which they
considered to be in uncivilized and primitive. Lastly, the term Manobo is used by those
acculturated Manobo who are residing in towns, in reference to their fellow tribesmen who
live in remote regions and who are not well-off in wordly of a culture as they are (Garvan,
1929:1).
The etymology of the word Manobo is surrounded by controversies. Among the
earliest explanations the word Manobo is that it signifies robust or very numerous people

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(de Asis, 1906, 41:153). The term also like other tribal names in Mindanao like Mandaya,
Mansaka, Mamanua, etc., are of controversial nomenclature which consists of generic type
of exonyms and are of lowland origin (Lebar, 1975:31). Garvan (1929), Barrows (1910) and
Pastells (1906) seem to think that the derivation of the word Manobo means dweller of the
river. From man a malay term which means people and obo or suba which means river
or stream. However it is found that the word suba is bisayan whereas the Manobo term for
river is ayog which is found to be a significant flaw of derivation of the word Manobo.
There is another explanation by Saleeby (1911) who suggests that the term Manobo is
derived from the word tubo (to grow, growth). Accordingly, Manobo means the people
that grow upon the island. Junamarti (1892) and Elkins (1979) contend that the term
Manobowas originally Maguindanao word meaning Mountain People and that obo
means hill or mountain. The term appears to have been adopted by Spanish officials and
missionaries and was applied widely throughout Mindanao as a tribal designation (Le Bar,
1975:31). (Dr. Burton E, 1992)

The Mining Companys Perspective

The mining companies come into the situation. It is well-organized, well-funded, and
clearly focused. The mining company has done its homework and has competent and welltrained people, whether it be for political lobbying or in the technical field. The mining
company has the ability to make its case competently and convincingly at all levels. They
have people who can apparently answer all the objections regarding the dangers, the health
hazards the environment, past problems with mining in other areas and they have the Mining
Act to back them up. They can certainly persuade a section of the community to support their
operation in the area. They can even benefit from the conflicts within the community and are

20

not averse to using the old strategy of divide-and-conquer. They come into the community
offering a program that promises growth and development. In most cases, government or any
other group offers no other real viable alternative.
Mining companies have set out to answer the criticism leveled against them. Some
may even admit past mistakes. Mining technology has developed over the years and that
mining practices and procedures have improved immensely and mining can be carried out in
a manner that does not destroy the environment.
Mining companies on the one hand are well aware of the social and cultural impact of
exploration on indigenous cultures, and for that matter, on any community in which they
cooperate. They will claim that they have programs to make sure that indigenous cultures are
preserved, and that they finance minority cultural research projects and studies. Mining
company also feels that the impact of mining in IPs has been largely exaggerated. The
evidence that will support the claim of IP communities of being displaced because of a
mining project and that their way of life has been threatened was the case in North Davao
the operation has now been closed for some time where the project restricted the domain of
a Lumad tribe in that particular area. (Bishops-Business Conference. N.D p.67-77)
The Western Mining Corporation (WMC), an Australian Mining Company was one
out of the two foreign companies that have been granted permits to explore large tracts of
land under the 1995 Mining Act, admits that they spent more than A$42 million on its
exploration project in Tampakan. This would include community development and
environmental management. It would also point out that the company has won the first
Presidential Mineral Industry Award for Environment for Mineral Exploration in 1997. And
most of the managers are Filipinos. (Bishops-Business Conference. N.D p.67-77)
"Mining companies make a significant contribution to the economy, they can
rightfully claim that they bring into the community roads, schools, health services, many of

21

the amenities of modern living, that they create jobs, and that they inject a lot of money in the
local economy. They will also point out that even if there is opposition to mining, it is not
coming from the entire community and that they have supporters in the community. They do
acknowledge that they need also to take the communities seriously and prefer to work with
empowered communities because it is easier to conduct a real dialogue with such
communities. Dialogue implies that both sides are willing to listen to sound arguments and
that both sides are open to persuasion.
Mining companies can also point out that in some cases, indigenous people have
chosen not to remain isolated but have chosen an alternative path through education and have
become personalities in their own right. (Bishops-Business Conference. N.D p.67-77)

Identify Stakeholders and Acknowledge the Legitimacy of their Perspectives

Acknowledging the legitimacy of stakeholder perspectives firstly requires identifying
who the stakeholders are. The most obvious stakeholders are national or local governments,
and local communities who live or obtain their livelihood in and around the project area.
International, local and national NGOs and core business stakeholders (such as shareholders,
customers, and suppliers) may also have legitimate interests in, and concerns relating to,
projects. At this initial stage of identifying stakeholders, it is important to establish formal
communication mechanisms to encourage and ensure the effective exchange of information.
The extent to which the stakeholders are legally assured involvement in the
development process varies. But provisions for public involvement are either weak or
nonexistent in many developing countries. Furthermore, the right to develop natural resources
(including subsurface deposits or surface waters) typically resides with governments of
developing countries and overrides any customary or other laws on land tenure. From a

22

strictly legalistic perspective, therefore, the state is clearly the most important stakeholder.
However, experience has shown that acknowledging the legitimacy of all stakeholder
perspectives is critical, particularly if the social sustainability of projects is to be achieved.
Land tenure provides a useful illustration of this point. In many developing countries
land is regarded as the most precious asset and is subject to customary laws on ownership,
inheritance and acquisition. This is particularly true of indigenous cultures, where the concept
of ownership may also differ radically from the developed worlds perspective. The ability of
such cultures to sustainably exploit natural resources such as game, fish, medical plants, and
so on is often far more important than the notion of ownership. Failure to acknowledge the
legitimacy of customary laws in parallel with nation or regional laws pertaining to natural
resource exploitation will almost certainly result in conflict with the owners or occupiers of
land. The specific issue of land rights is clearly bound to the distribution of project revenues.
(McPhail/Davy,1998 p.13)

The Meaning of Social Concerns and Critical Success Factors (remove!)

The key social concerns relating to projects in the mining and oil and gas sectors,
which emerged from a review of corporate practices with respect to social and environmental
assessment in developing countries, in order of priority, are as follows:

Assessing and managing the socioeconomic risks of investments ( including the

impacts on vulnerable groups, cultural resources, social structures, and cultural
values, the use of natural resources by and the quality of life of local communities;

23

and impacts arising from failure to consult in a meaningful way with relevant
stakeholders)

Delineating institutional responsibilities between governments and the private sector

to provide support for social and community development activities (housing, water
and sanitation, health care, education, training and enterprise development, and
infrastructure such as access roads or bridges), either to mitigate potential social
impacts or to improve social cohesion.

Ensuring the long term sustainability of such investments in social infrastructure

through public involvement, partnership approaches, and the fostering of local
ownership

Respect for basic human rights, particularly those of the vulnerable groups in society
such as indigenous people

Developing internal awareness of and the capacity to manage social issues within
corporations

Managing these social concerns appears to be increasingly viewed as essential if a

corporation is to maintain its license to operate.
The critical success factors for ensuring the integration of social concerns into the
planning and implementation of private sector projects includes not only factors within the
control of the project proponent, but also political, institutional, and societal factors. The
realization of critical success factors combined with rigorous attention to the environmental
aspects of projects collectively amounts to what might be termed socially and
environmentally sustainable decision making. In the context of private-sector-sponsored
development projects, this strikes a balance between societal, environmental, and economic

24

considerations. It combines the elements of social equity, environmental stewardship, and

environmentally sustainable development. (McPhail/Davy, 1998. p.2-3)

Identify Social Risks and Opportunities

The challenge of social and environmental responsibility presents both risks and
opportunities to corporations. Opportunities emerge where environmental and social
responsibilities are viewed as conferring business advantages rather than seeing as
constraints. The business opportunities of environmentally responsible behavior include
developing innovative approaches to environmental problems, sometimes in the face of
regulation and improving efficiency or reducing wastage with associated economic benefits.
The opportunities arising from socially responsible corporate behavior are less tangible in
economic terms, but are often cited as improving the prospects of access to future exploration
concessions within the same country or elsewhere, reducing potential conflicts with local
communities, which can result in costly delays, and improving employee commitment. Such
benefits may collectively confer competitive advantage on the more socially responsible
corporations.
Failure to identify and manage the social and environmental risks of projects can have
significant adverse consequences. (McPhail./Davy 1998 p.14-15)

Experiences of Indigenous People on Mining

25

With the emergence of the mining industry, many issues were experienced by the
local communities most especially the indigenous people. During a mining activity, it was
believed that extrajudicial killings arise from it. For the past few years, many incidents
happened which were directly related to mining and land disputes. An example of it was the
death of Fr. Pops Tentorio, an Italian Missionary that aimed to help the indigenous people to
recover and to gain rights over their ancestral domain somewhere in Arakan Valley, North
Cotabato. Many witnesses saw that the men that killed the goodhearted priest were the same
men working for the mining corporation that Fr. Pops tried to deal with for the indigenous
people. Similar cases involving killings also happened prior to the killing of Fr. Pops, it was
said that a tribal leader was also killed after he explicitly opposed the activities of a mining
corporation. Until now, cases like this held no justice until now. Also, local communities
were now afraid to refuse any mining corporation because some testimonials said that with
the presence of the mining industry comes with the presence of the military. It was harder for
the community to move with their will over their ancestral domain because the community
experienced much harassment coming from the military. It was said that the military served
as a protector of the investments of the mining corporations and not protectors of the people
(Karapatan. 2011).
Though many bad experiences were presented by most communities being affected
by mining corporations, there were also instances that some had experienced a positive
experienced over it. It appears that a mining industry in Lihir, Papua New Guinea had given
more helped to the prosperity of the community. Through the help of the mining corporation,
the community was able to strengthen their ties with each other and by that, different
livelihood programs were given to the localities as well as to the indigenous people (Mining
Environmental Management. Vol. IV, no. 1, and discussion with the representatives of Rio
Tinto/ Kathryn McPhail, Aidan Davy/Integrating Social Concerns into Private Sector

26

Decision Making/p. 15/1998). Same case happened also in the Philippines after a concession
agreement happened between WMC and the Philippine Government. Though the concession
agreement placed no restriction over the company, it was the decision of the company to help
the indigenous Blaan communities to gain rights over their ancestral domain. Through a
comprehensive data-collection program initiated by WMC, they were able to pinpoint several
indigenous groups in Tampakan that had not yet submitted a registration over their ancestral
domain. With this, the company gave them a chance to register themselves so that the
company can give them royalty tax which can give a chance for the community to have a
mean to start their livelihood programs. (McPhail/Davy.1998. p.15).

The Struggles of Discrimination and Exploitation

It is not new to us that cases and issues of Indigenous People (IPs) are being
discriminated and exploited. In fact, many social movements have cried for equality and
protection of these people. There were several of people in the country who are marginalized
for not being in the mainstream culture.
According to Mansayagan, in his article Tribal Filipino Issue on the NAJFD
Communiqu Series, (1987), these are some reasons of their struggle from the past, up until
the present times.
a) The Land Question. Many villages have been affected by the entry of
multinational/transnational corporations such as the pineapple plantations (Del Monte
in Bukidnon and DOLE in Polomolok, South Cotabato) the Palm Oil plantation
(NDC-Guthrie of Agusan del Sur), and the banana plantations in Davao to name a

27

few. These projects such as logging/rattan concessions and mining affect the
ecological balance like the denudation of the mountains which result to abrupt deluge,
erosion, and silting of the rivers and the seas. Mining, on the other hand, cause
pollution to the creeks and rivers which affect not only the tribal villages but the
Filipino people as a well.
The national government has classified almost 60 percent if the entire mountain
ranges of Mindanao as forest reserves, and under the revised Forest Code, the people
are not allowed to occupy, reside, farm, hunt, or take away any forestry products in
these areas. This revision had clearly made the Indigenous People illegal occupants of
their own lands in the eyes of the law.

b) Discrimination. The Indigenous People have long been discriminated and this takes us
back to the time of the Spanish Occupation. They were labeled pagans for eluding
baptism and the colonial rule. Up until today, prejudiced attitude persists because
Indigenous People have continued their customs, rituals, and artistic traditions. Most
of the times, movies, comics, radio broadcasts, newspapers and even schools and
other institutions spread the wrong idea that the IP are backward, ignorant, filthy,
uncivilized, and primitive. Their sacred cultural heritage has also been scandalized for
commercial purposes, especially because tourism has risen and it is seen as a dollarearning industry.

Furthermore, the author had mentioned some of the distinct features of the peoples
right to self-determination in the same article.
The Peoples Right to Ancestral Domain: the IP recognize Mindanao as their physical
base, their source of life which springs their culture, economic systems, and socio-political

28

structures. The word Domain in the authors article is interpreted to mean not only land,
but also rivers, creeks, mountains and hills, forests and all natural wealth contained therein,
including wild life. Only by constituting the territorial domain for their ancestral claims can
the democratic government guarantee this perpetual and inalienable right to the Indigenous
People of Mindanao. (Bishops-Business Conference .N.D. p.78-79)

Community Concerns
In many instances when a mining company just explores an area, people in the local
communities already feel threatened. Normally people should feel threatened, if at all, only
when the mining operation starts. But the start-up of operation is at least six years down the
line from the beginning of exploration. At the very prospect of mining operation being
explored here in the Philippines, some are convinced that their land, their homes, and their
way of life are endangered. They are not sure of what is going to happen to them. Most of the
communities affected by mining exploration here in the country are poor, underprivileged
and insecure. They are faced with great uncertainty; the only word they know seems about to
be pulled apart. In many cases, they have never felt that they belong to the wider society; that
they are outsiders. Now they feel helpless and somehow sense that they are about to be
further manipulated and exploited not only by business, but even by some NGOs who are
simply using the community to further their political agenda.
However there are also people in the community who take the mining exploration
positively, that the advent of mining will give them opportunity to further improve their lives
and their family. They believe that through mining, there is a great opportunity for the
community to develop economically.

29

Communities react in different ways to all this attention from outside. Occasionally, a
community will be rock solid against mining while another community may welcome the
mining company. Another community may be divided. Regardless of how the community
reacts, it will never be the same again. A traditional culture is not static and is faced with its
own conflict of transitions in leadership, age, structure, education and health, neighboring
relations, and external opportunities. The impact of mining is one of multiple external
pressures; as communities of indigenous peoples respond they are caught in their own
transitions from isolation into mainstream socio-economic development debates and
contracts.
The community is subjected to strains and stresses that it never had to cope with
before; latent factionalism comes to the surface and the community is further fragmented.
The community has now to confront the outside world, has to deal with different government
agencies, and is much more exposed to outside influences.
(Bishops-Business Conference .N.D. p.78-79)

The Condition and Problems of Mindanao Lumads

The Mindanao Lumads are presently making efforts to unite and organize assemblies
for the problems which beset them today. Here are the major problems presented and
discussed:
1. Land reform
2. Militarization and related problems
3. Dislocation, exploitation and lack of government attention.

30

On the context of our thesis, it is the third concern that we definitely needs to address.
The discontinued hold and control of local and foreign corporations on some large
portions of the ancestral domain caused some Mindanao Lumads to live apart from their
familiar source of livelihood, land. Dislocation forced them to work for multi-national
corporations despite how low wages and the requirement to do heavier work for longer hours
without benefits or incentives.
Mindanao Lumads, whose lives are earned through gathering products from the forest
are, likewise, exploited by the business middlemen. These Lumads are offered the lowest
prices for the fruits of their labour by these businessmen. The Mindanao Lumads are also
pressured to pay all kinds of illegal taxation in the hinterlands.
Just as the Mindanao Lumads are exploited economically, they are also exploited
culturally. For instance, Lumad culture is used by both the businessmen and the government
sectors for entertainment and for grand tourist attractions. (The Lumads of Mindanao: 1987)

31

Chapter 3
Methodology
This chapter presents the design and the methods of this study. Descriptions are
provided for the research design, locale, unit of analysis, sampling, data gathering procedure,
and data analysis.
The researchers present in this chapter the procedures that they used in this study. It
includes Research Design, Locale, Unit of Analysis, Sampling Procedures, Data Gathering
Procedure and Data Analysis.

Research Design
The study is descriptive in design and qualitative in approach. This is to present the
views and experiences of the Manobo people from Brgy. Consuelo, Bunawan, Agusan del
Sur on mining operation. Furthermore, this paper seeks to inquire the approval or disapproval
of local Manobo tribesmen on mining operations. (rephrase!!)

Research Locale (why choose this? Change! Why gipili ni sa mining firm!!)

32

The researchers conducted the study at Brgy. Consuelo, Bunawan, Agusan del Sur. It
is located in the Northern part and one of the 14 barangays of the Municipality of Bunawan.
The place is a 6-hour drive from Davao City. The barangay is home to the 3,858 local
residents, which are mostly Manobos. It is also the host for a large scale mining operations
operated by PhilSaga Mining Corporation. The research locale is very famous even in
international television for its popular resident, LOLONG, the worlds largest crocodile.
During the course of the data gathering, the researchers found that in the Local
Government in the Barangay, no Manobo is an official. This is quite peculiar given the
concentration of the Manobo residents in Bunawan that comprises the majority of the
population.*
(Respondents said that it was due to vote buying capacity of a candidate that reflects the
chances of winning in the local elections. Given the fact that the mining company gives
shares (separate to the royalty of the Manobos) in the form of money to the hosts barangay,
the positions of being in a Barangay council is tempting.)
In addition, a map of Barangay Consuelo is inserted in the appendix of this paper.

Unit of Analysis (specify the local officials!!)

The respondents were members and tribal leaders native Agusanon (Bunawanon)
Manobo of Barangay Consuelo, Bunawan, Agusan del Sur together with some local officials
in the area of Bunawan with significant knowledge of their culture and tradition as well as on
mining operations.

33

Sampling Procedures
This study used purposive sampling of 24 respondents through the Barangay and is based on
the following criteria: (change the numbers)
1.

They are at least 15 years old, male or female or they have a significant
knowledge on the mining operations and the activities of such firm that directly
affects their ways of living.

2. Significant knowledge of the Culture and Traditions of the Manobo tribe.

3. Willingness to be interviewed.
4. Their legitimacy as Manobo tribe member determined through an official list from
LGU.
The researchers categorized respondents into sectoral groups: youth; womens; mens;
senior citizens; tribal leaders; barangay and Municipal officials.
For Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)
Sectoral Group

Age

Actual Sample Size

Youth

15 21

Women

22 64

Men

22 64

Senior Citizens

65 and above

For Key Informant Interview (KIIs)

Sectoral Group

Position

Sample Size

Municipal Official(s)

Municipal Councilors

34

Vice Mayor

Former Mayor (Board Member)

Tribe Chief

Former Mayor ( Municipal Tribal

Tribal Leader(s)

Chieftain)

Data Gathering Procedure

This study utilized focus group interviews and key-informant interviews as data
collection techniques.

Separate instruments, the KII and FGD guides, facilitated the

interview process. The data collection process took about 6 weeks for the researchers waited
for the availability of the Respondents as well as the transportation. The Researchers utilized
private pick up owned by one of the researchers family to reach Barangay Consuelo for a 15
minute drive.
Prior to the data collection process, one of the Researchers already established
connection with the local government of the Municipality of Bunawan considering her uncle,
aunt and mother were in the government with positions Mayor, Vice-Mayor and Municipal
Councilor, respectively. However, the researchers still complied with and underwent formal
asking of permission process by writing a formal letter to the leaders of the Municipal
government. The LGU express their explicit approval to the research data collection process.
(this is not a diary! Go back to formal writing!! Too detailed!!)

On

March

26,

2012

Monday the researchers went to Bunawan via a private car of a researchers mother. The

35

primary objective of the trip was to visit the area and schedule respondents for a possible
interview as well as deliver letters to the authorized persons. With the aid of the Former
Mayor and Municipal Tribe Chief (Janninas Grandfather), the researchers earned
connections with the entire local tribe organization in Consuelo, however during the first visit
the Current Tribe Chieftain of Consuelo was not around and the researchers had to schedule
the meeting the week after next.
April 2, Monday, the same steps were undertaken to reach the area. This time the
Local Tribe Chieftain was around. Mr. Jerry Cabriadas or Datu Macapoo 2 (dos) is his name.
Sir Jerry agreed to be interviewed and promised the researchers to aid them gather
respondents for the FGD and referred two other local tribe chieftains to be interviewed which
the researchers successfully did. The other respondents for the FGD were not available during
that time. Mr. Jerry Cabriadas said he would gather them in the Tribal Hall during the next
schedule.
On April 9, the same steps were undertaken to reach the area. The researchers went
first to the Municipal Council hall of Bunawan to interview councilors and the Vice Mayor.
The day after, the researchers went to Consuelo but however, the Tribe leader regretted to
inform the researchers that respondents were unavailable because they were busy working in
the farms. The FGD was reset one week after.
On April 16, the researchers prepared for the FGD and brought snacks for the
respondents (sponsored by Janninas grandfather). By the time the researchers reached the
area, the respondents already gathered which made the data gathering quick. When the FGD
on all sectors ended, the researchers asked some locals about the barangay officials and most
of them said that they are not from the Manobo tribe; researchers validated the information
from the local officials and confirmed the same. The day after, the researchers managed to

36

interview Board Member Gilbert G. Elorde, who was the mayor of Bunawan for 3 terms (9
years) and was very knowledgeable in the mining situation and the Manobos for he is also a
Manobo. Originally, it was the incumbent mayor who was to be interviewed but despite all
efforts exhausted, the mayor was out of reach and could not be contacted.

Data Analysis
The Data gathered were sorted and summarized into themes. These themes are the
most common responses among the respondents during the focus group discussions and the
key-informant interviews conducted particularly for data on experiences, difficulties,
conflicts and reactions of the tribe affected by mining operations.
Data analysis in this study began with the inclusion of the writing of process notes by
the researchers as facilitators and documenters after each FGD/KII. Process notes document
insights were gained as well as unique contexts of responses and pertinent nuances from the
concluded interview session. These notes served as references in the second part of the data
analysis to guide the understanding of transcription.
The second part of the analysis was divided into three stages. The first stage was data
organizing where data from reviewed transcripts were organized according to the sequencing
of questions in the instrument. That was accomplished by arranging informants separate
answers to similar questions under one question heading. The second stage was data tagging
or coding where organized data, the informants responses in particular, were tagged/coded

37

based on the concept(s) that they contain. The last stage was thematic analysis where
identified tags/codes were organized.
Review of data analysis was then conducted to integrate informants thoughts,
comments, and suggestions.

Mining
Operations
Manobo of
Consuelo

Experiences of
Manobo

their views on
Mining
operations

their needs and

concerns

38

Ethical Consideration (remove the pictures!! Of the respondents!!)

This section of the study was used to perceive the possible ETHICAL ISSUES that
the researchers encountered while doing the interview with the respective and chosen
respondents. This also ensured and assured (wrong choice of word) them that whatever
information they shared with the researchers will be treated with confidentiality and will only
be used for this study. Furthermore, since this research will cover sensitive matters, the
researchers also considered the requests of the respondents to be interviewed with any media
recorder. Requests and demands by the respondents were catered by the researchers in order
to get the desired results or information for the study. However the respondents explicitly
agreed that it is alright that their information would be disclosed and provided information for
the purpose of demographic profiling. Information that were gathered would be used for this
study alone and if used for future and/or other purposes, consent and permission from the
respective respondents must be considered as well.
Other ethical issues on the part of the researchers regarding punctuality, sensitivity
and respect were accordingly and properly observed by the researchers. The researchers also
assured before conducting interviews that they were already well informed of the situations,
issues and problems in the community including the ongoing conflict within the tribe.

39

Chapter 4
(title)
(needs sources on every objectives!!!!!!)
(change the writing process BIGTIME!!!!!!!!!!!) VERY BIAS!!!!!!!!
This chapter presents the experiences and views of the Manobo tribe of the
Municipality of Bunawan, Agusan del Sur with regards to Mining in their locality. Data in
this section are presented and analyzed according to the order of the objectives of this study.

A. The situation of the Manobo tribe before and during the mining operations:
(Lifestyles, livelihood, social organizations and economic situations) (separate the before
and during of mining)
This section describes the ways of living of the Manobo tribe situated in
Bunawan, Agusan del Sur during the negotiations of the Mining firm and its actual
operations. Some respondents explained that the current Mining Firm operating in the said
site was actually not the first to mine in the area. It is said that it evolved from a small scale
mining to a large scale mining which is now the PhilSaga Mining Corp. (confusing ang
quotes!) (remove the names!!! Codes e.g. LGU1 OR LGU 2)

The mining operation is situated in the Tribal area and the tribal land. Because
this has started 80's pa. Banahaw before then Pilmenera then Philsaga

40
-Councilor Mique
It so happened that the Banahaw mining corporation was closed due to the
peace and order situation, the mining site and the license itself. And thats why
the Philsaga mining corporation came in the late 90s. And during my term as
municipal mayor way back 2001, the company insist for the Banahaw mining
corporation but during that time it is a small scale operation
Board Member Elorde

Before the Mining Operations

The lives of the Manobo people before the advent of mining in Bunawan was
no different from those of the other tribes. Farming, fishing and hunting were the most
common form of livelihood they knew and they lived by. Their environment was also their
food source, the forests rich with wild boars and birds; the marshes that are rich source of
freshwater fishes and the healthy plains feasible to grow crops and vegetables. This affirms
the Study of Elkins (1977), where it is noted that the Manobos ways of agriculture is very
primitive and that they utilize no technology at all. Furthermore, it is proven that the
existence of some rebel groups had made the living of the Tribe worst. The researchers were
able to categorize 4 broad concepts explaining and describing the ways of living of the
Manobo people before the present mining operations came into existence namely: Chaotic,
Patriarchal, Primitive and Low Economic Prosperity. The concept map next page outlines
the different themes that emerge from the narratives of the informants. (CHANGE THE
WORDS PRIMITIVE!!!!!! ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEVICES!!)

41

42

Figure 1.A
Concept Map: Lives of Manobo Tribe before Mining Arrived

43

Primitive Ways of Living (CHANGE OF WORD!)

This area covers cited characteristics that are associated with lifestyle. Although some
would express disagreeing ideas (DO NOT EXPRESS DISAGREEING IDEAS!
HIGHLIGHTS THE DIFFERENCES!!!), most respondents would agree that life before
mining was very hard and they prefer their lives today compared to what they have before.
There was no electricity before in Consuelo, so it is very hard for people to communicate
and they sleep early during nighttime (BACK TO SOCIAL LOGIC! LESSER
APRECIATION OF WHAT THEY HAVE BEFORE SINCE THEIR LIVES WERE NOW
MODIFIED). Their ways of communication was through an instrument made of shell and
bamboos. However, their communication was very effective. In fact, as explained by Datu
Macapoo 2 (Jerry Cabriadas Jr.) in just a sound of the instrument, the rest of the tribe knows
what to do:

sa una nga higayun, naay katong mga shells gani sa dagat katong dagko
kaayo, huypun ran a siya. Magtigom dayun ang mga tao. Dili sa parehas sa
pagka karon nga sulatan tong kuan magimbitar, na ipang hatag-hatag sa mga
purok leader. Sa una lain! Pagtugtog niana ug pananglitan naay meeting,
tigom dayon ang tao ana, dili na muingon nga sunod pa adlaw, dili. Pagtugtog
ana, tigom dayon ang mga tao. Kung naa man galing, kriminal, nga matingadan man pud na sa una. Sa una nga higayon, kada balay balay balay naa nay
ginatawag ba nilang kagi kung sa Manobo pa. kanang, tubo nga kawayan.
Pagtugtog nimo niana, pananglitan naay kriminal niabot diha sa imuha,
pagtugtog ana, tiguman dayun ang balay nimo dinha. May nag mag dalag
bangkaw og sundang

before, we were using big sea shells, we blew at it to sound. Tribe people
would gather immediately upon hearing the sound. Unlike today, you will write
an invitation to call for everybody to conduct a meeting, which will be
distributed (or delivered) by the purok leader. Before it was different, when it
sounded people would come in haste because it means it is today and not
tomorrow. For example when there is a criminal, it is easily identified. When
you blow a Kagi, an instrument made of bamboo straw, it produces a loud sound

44
and it signals the rest of the tribe that there is trouble and they will come to the
house where the sound coming from bringing spears and swords

Most, if not all of the Manobo Tribe members were uneducated, primarily because of the
lack of money. (DONT AUTOMATICALLY JUDGE!! NEEDS FORMAL EDUCATION
ONLY!) The distance of their homes to the school is another major consideration. At the time
of the negotiation between the first Miners (Banahaw) and the Tribe, Tribe leaders were
uneducated.

ang mga katauhan sa unang generasyon wala gyuy mga grado, walay mga
birth certificate, so naanad lang sila ug kining balaod nga nagaingon nga
mahimo ang kasabutan sa sinulat or dili sinulat kay niadtong higayuna ang mga
tao wala gyuy grado. Dili makapirma. So mao na karon nga ang tribo nagsugod
gyud sa una nga wala pa ta matao.
KII R1

People from the generation before were really uneducated. They dont have
birth certificates. They are used to verbal agreements; they cant even write a
signature. Its very primitive
KII R1

Like any other tribes in the Philippines, Manobos have no Family Planning (CHANGE
OF WORDS!) and they ate every food they gathered on one meal unlike the mainstream
culture of eating three times a day. (CHANGE!!!!! INDIGENOUS!!) They do not plan how
to make their living sustainable. (AVOID SWEEPING STATEMENTS!!)They actually do
not save money and they spend it without direction.

45
sa unang higayuna nga magkaon kami sa one-day, one-eat. Sumala sa akong
papa nga, kung unsay makaon namo anang adlawa, pananglitan makakaon mi
arong adlawa mao ra dili miingon nga parehas sa uban nga kanang among mga
income ipamaligya, kay wala may mga commercial sa una

Before we are used to observe a one-day-one-eat scheme. According to my

father what we can eat once for this day, thats it. Unlike the others who would
sell to earn an income, we are not used to do commerce before
KII R1

Because of their tradition ba na basta naa na ang kwarta gastos gastos gastos
gastos, we cannot have it that easy ba nga pag ingun nako nga tudluan nato sila
on how to utilize their money-in all these years
-Board Member
Naanad man na sila (Tribe) nga kung unsay naa hutdon dayon, di na mghunahuna kung unsay kaunon ugma
Theyre used to consume everything they gathered for the moment without
thinking what to feed themselves in the future
KII R5
Ang tradition man gud sa Manobo, sa una, makakwarta na sila, they are
already satisfied with the number of kilos that they earn and that is one of the
traditions of the Manobo. It means to say, satisfied na sila tapos actually
dependent sila sa easy money because of the logging way back 50s-60s here in
Bunawan.
One of the traditions of the Manobos is that they are satisfied with what they
get and became very dependent on easy money way back in 50s to 60s where
there was still logging here in Bunawan
KII R4

Although there was a time when they experienced a bit of progress during the reign of the
logging business ventures in Bunawan, however it was short lived due to the regulations
made by the national government to promote sustainable development. The Manobos are
very poor because of their inability to plan and budget money. (CHANGE THIS!!!)

Chaotic due to the Presence of the Rebel Groups (QUOTE PNPS SIDE TO SUPPORT
THIS!! )

46

As described by respondents, Bunawan before especially Coo (Consuelo) was a big

forest-marshland area. It was a conducive hiding spot for the insurgents especially the New
Peoples Army. It is evident that military personnel of the government were very much
present in the area especially in the national highway. Before, the NPA were setting up there
outpost to collect toll fees. Occasionally, there were shooting incidents between the
Philippine Army and the forces of NPA, and usually people around the area especially the
natives were the ones greatly affected.
As evidences to the chaotic situation in the Bunawan area, the operations of Banahaw
Mining was ceased. It was a mining company that stopped its operations due to the peace and
order situation in Bunawan.

Patriarchal

(NATURE IN MANOBO!) ENRICH THE ANALYSIS AND THE

READINGS OF THE MANOBO!

(TASKING OF GENDERS IN THE TRIBE!) NEEDS OBSERVATION!
The Manobo tribe is amongst the groups of people that are very traditional when it
pertains to gender roles. Majority of the informants (especially the Tribe officers and leaders)
expressed the belief of male domination. In their culture, the Manobo is very patriarchal
especially when it comes to leadership and decision making. This affirms the findings of
Bethany Prayer Center in 1997 which emphasized the same. In terms of inheritance (Tribe
Leadership) when the Tribal Chieftain dies, his son will succeed him, preferably his eldest or
youngest son. Some informants expressed that women can never lead a tribe and her role is
limited to a homemaker.

dili jud makasunod (boot) ang babae. ang lalake jud. sa una pa jud na. kung
dili kinamagulangan (nga lalake) ang kamanghuran (ang mu-lider) simba ko

47
kung mamatay ang dato, ang musunod kay kamagulang nga lalaki kung dili ang
kamanghuran.
Women are never followed and they cannot lead. Only the men, even before. If
not the eldest (son), the youngest (son) will succeed the father in case of an
unfortunate event of a death of the Tribe Leader (Datu)
-KII R2 & R3

Low Economic Prosperity CHANGE THISSSS!!!!!!!!

Economics was the most common among the responses of the informants. Farming,
fishing and hunting were the means of livelihood of the people who lived in Consuelo before.
They are used to agriculture and utilizing only basic crops, although some respondents
expressed the presence of palm oil bearing trees. They do not have the knowledge to harvest
and make money out of palm oil. They planted crops like rice, corn, cassava and sweet
potatoes. It is understandable that they did not use technologies before like tractors and rice
miller because the area is too far from the city and it is very difficult to access the place. It is
unlike today that a national highway stretches through the entirety of Bunawan making it
accessible to all. Most respondents would agree that life before they actually received
royalty from the mining company, PhilSaga, was really hard that they could barely eat for a
day. (change of lens! On philsaga alone!!)

mao nay amuang trabaho sa una, manguma unya manlit-ag, mag-suyak,

mangagay
thats our job back then, farming, rice padding, go hunting
FGD Females R2
Among kinabuhian kaniadto kay mag tanom lang kami ug balanghoy, kamote,
lasang pa diri pero naa nai gitanom sa akong ugangan. Unya ang akong na
saksihan adto kay gi-asawa man ko gidala man ko diri ang akong na abtan diri
nga mga pagkaon mao na kamote, balanghoy, saging mao na among mga
gikaon ug gabi mao na ug mais. Pagka kuan adto ang mga sud-an namo mga
halu-an diri ra sa suba kay makita nimo ang suba nga ang isda maglangoy, nya
maona akong nasuta kaniadto mao na among gikaon. Pagka kuan adto niabot
na ang pag mina ni arang-arang na dili kay parehas sa una.

48

Our livelihood back then was to plant cassava and sweet potatoes. It was a
forest here and my ancestors already had used it for farming. I was taken here
after getting married and this is what I found out. They had sweet potatoes,
cassava, bananas, corn, those are what we ate. I saw some fishes too and yes,
those too were part of our meals. When the mining company came, things got
better unlike back in the days.
KII R3
Sa primero gyud nagpuyo diri mga Cabriadas family, kinalasangan pa ni. Ang
panginabuhi namo kaniadto mao ra balanghoy, kamote unya muadto mig
kalasangan mang lit-ag ug ihalas, manglugpit ug unggoy kay musulod man ang
unngoy, manglit-ag mi mga lingawon mga ihalas. Unya naa mai mangangayam.
Niadtong wa pai mina lisod lisod pa. Karon nga naa na na uswag na, na anam
anam na ug ka uswag ang panginabuhi kay gitagaan man mig royalty.
When we first stayed here as a family, it was a forest. Our livelihood was
planting cassava, sweet potato, we go hunting in the mountains and in the
forests. We catch monkeys with traps. We also catch other animals as well.
When the mining wasnt here, life was difficult. Now that its here, things
improved because we received royalty
FGD Leaders R2
katong pirmero gyud nga wala pa ang Philsaga, ang among ikakuan sa una
kusog man ang mga kamote, balanghoy, saging mao ra gyud na sa una.
Before PhilSaga arrived, what we ate were sweet potato, cassava and bananas
because it is found everywhere
FGD Leaders R5
Pangisda og pag-uma ang amuang naandan diri sa wala pa ang pagmina
Before the mining came, fishing and farming were our primary sources of
living
-FGD Males R2
Among kinabuhian kaniadto kay mag tanom lang kami ug balanghoy, kamote,
lasang pa diri
Our livelihood before was planting cassava and sweet potatoes. It was all but
forest here before
FDG Senior Citizens R3
ako gyud, kami jud sa una,didto jud mi sa bukid nagpuyo. naka-apas ko na
didto jud mi sa bukid nagpuyo jud. Bali among panginabuhi didto, nag-uma mi
kuan gani kanang kanang kuan kanang humayan, balanghuyan then akong papa
mangangayam gyud jud sya, kanang baboy gani iyang itumbak sama anang mga
iro mao ng trabaho sa akong papa sa una. Kami nagbantay sa mga humay.
Unya akong kuya sila pud mang-lit ag pud sila ug unggoy kanang kuan kanang
mga oh kanang mga baboy halat. Mao ng trabaho sa akong kuya sa una. Then
pagkahuman, kanang murag Baboy man jud among panginabuhi sa una kanang
mga duma, nabuhi pud jud mi ana. unya pagkakuan nga nagsugod na ang
mining diria so akong papa syempre mao man jud akong papa mando kay diri
jud mi nagpuyo. Oh tapos kanang mao to kanang. Gikuan akong papa ni Datu
Macapoo nga kanang mukuan sila sa kanang sector kay sectoral leader man
pud akong papa ni Datu Macapoo. tapos mao to nga naka-apil akong papa kay
kuyaw man pud siya nga mando pud kay kuyaw man pud kay dili man gud
makuha gyud ang dili jud Manobo jud gani. Dili jud siya makapasar sa kanang

49
kuan pag-in ug Kanang pag kuan dira sa unsa kay ang kuan man jud ana
kanang kuan gyud kanang pure gyud nga Manobo. Oh mao na siya. Hehe.
Back then, we lived in the farm. Our livelihood there was farming, we worked
on rice fields, we planted cassava, and my dad went hunting. We worked on the
rice field. My brothers hunted for monkeys and pigs. That was my brothers job.
When the mining arrived in our area, my father was Papa mando? Because we
lived here. Datu Macapoo recruited my father because he was Datu Macapoos
sectoral leader. My father passed the requirements because for one, you should
be a Manobo and my father happened to be a pure Manobo
FGD Youth R2

Vice Mayor Baby Elorde made mention that it was really a blessing that the Mining
company came to Bunawan and changed the lives of the people, especially the Manobos.

I think, before mining even begun here, the Manobos were.How can we say it.
Theyre really poor, because there are no other means of living like business;
others were only into farming while most dont have any means of livelihood at
all. Its a very hard life.
VM Elorde

The vice-mayor spoke truthfully as affirmed by most of the respondents. Life has
always been hard for them (except during those times that the logging business peaked in
Bunawan where they received small compensation); they cannot even send their children to
school which results to ignorance.
The narratives of the Manobos in Bunawan showed the natural oppression of their
disposition in life.( change of words!!) They experienced life in the mountains; they are used
in a culture of what the people in the mainstream culture would say as primitive. However,
these people were born to such a culture and knew no other life but the ones they grew upon.
(change of words!!)

50

B. Life during Mining in Consuelo, Bunawan

This Section presents the changes in the lives of the Manobo during the operations of
PhilSaga Mining Corp. in Consuelo, Bunawan, Agusan del Sur. The researchers categorized
changes made by the mining operations in the lives of the Manobo tribe into two major
categories namely: Improved Standards of Living and Economic Prosperity.

51

Concept Map 3
Life During the Mining Operations

52

Economic Prosperity (financial prosperity!! Change entirely) who are you referring to??
Economics, above all is the aspect that changed greatest in the lives of the Manobo when
the mining came in Consuelo, Bunawan, Agusan del Sur but it is also observed that the
quality of lives of the Manobo has dramatically changed as the mining corporation operates
in their locality. Before there were little to nothing in terms of their sources of income for the
tribe; now they can now earn money out of their own crops and they have new means of
living.

More Sources of Income

When PhilSaga Mining started its operations, it followed a certain protocol imposed
by the state and even expanded its services towards the local people of Bunawan, especially
the Manobo. They did not only focus on their operations; they also see to it that they are
accepted by the people in order to run their business as smooth as possible.
Part of their outreach programs is livelihood to the locals. They gave rubber and palm
(for Palm Oil) seedlings as alternative sources of income. (its a trade off!)

Nya kay ang kwarta pud nga ihatag sa amo paingon man pud sa among
project. Kining rubber, mabahinan mi magtanom man mig rubber.
FGD Males R2
They gave us money and rubber to plant
KII
Pagka kuan adto niabot na ang pag mina ni arang-arang na dili kay parehas
sa una
Now that the mining is here its better unlike before
FGD Leaders R1
Sa pag abot sa pagmina nkaayo jud. Naghatag silag pananum, pinansyal sa
panginabuhian.
Arsenio Mique

53

Their employment is another source of income. They are hired by various establishments
building around the mining area and in the rest of the Municipality of Bunawan.

The Royalty (make it the highlight!! Gamitin ang sa IPRA)

Above anything that the Mining Co. brought in Consuelo, the royalty is the
one thing that the Manobos cherished the most. The royalty comes in the form of money
which the Mining Company gave to the tribe people on a monthly basis based on the actual
income for the particular month. Its 1 percent of the overall income of the company that will
be given to the tribe. It is pursuant to the law that protects the indigenous people of the
Philippines, the IPRA law.
The royalty is the lifeline of the Manobos and because of this, their lives
dramatically changed and is very different from their lives before as they all expressed in
their narratives.

Mao ra na akong kuanan, nalipay jud ko sa Philsaga nahatagan mig share.

Im happy with the operation of Philsaga because we were given a share .
FGD Senior
R2

The mining company gained the approval of most of the people in Bunawan in almost all
sectors in the community. The Municipal, government, the Barangay and the Tribe expressed
their approval for the continuous operations of the PhilSaga Mining Co. because of the
benefits brought by the company and its responsible paying of taxes. (BENEFIT AGAD?)
BALIKAN ANG LAW!!!
Mining Corporation is obligated to give to the IPs a share, a 1% gross and the
Philsaga mining corporation is religiously paying the 1% gross as required by
the law

54
BM Elorde

The researchers were surprised by the results of the data gathered. As students
of an institution that is fully aware and explicitly unfavourable to mining in the country and
has relayed information of the hazards and disadvantage of mining more than its benefits, the
researchers were surprised to witness such approval by most people in Bunawan on Mining
because of the money they received that really changed their lives in one way or another.
(APPLY THE STUDIES OF OTHERS!!)

More Economic Activities DAPAT FINANCIAL! (QUOTE THE RESPONDENTS)

The economic situation in Bunawan really improved as most respondents would say that
they will now have the money to buy something and they would have something to sell in the
market to serve as additional income and source of living. Thus, the business sector in
Bunawan would likely prosper for the economic stability of most people would suffice the
survival of markets of Bunawan.
Since there are more facilities in the locality in Bunawan like big stores, markets and
other business establishments (ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUE!!), Manobos can sell their
products to the markets like Palm Oil, copra, rubber and other crops. They can also buy
supplies from the market.
Various establishments were built around Bunawan which provided not only goods to buy
but also a good venue to sell for goods local in Bunawan and of course provided employment
for the people since this establishments would need workers to operate their business.
The mining company also gave employment to the people of Bunawan especially to the
indigent Manobos. They serve as miners working in the pits of the mining tunnels. Many
Manobos were hired as miners because it was a priority to hire indigents above any others to

55

be the workers of the mining operations and many Manobos were grateful of the said policy.
(BALIKAN ANG LAW MANDATED TO THIS!)

amuang mga kuya ang trabaho mga kuan pud dinha mga miners oh diba di
makakwarta gihapon mi then apil pud ang tribo makakwarta gihapon
our brothers were employed as miners so we earned as well as the tribe
FGD Youth R3

There was a total development package in the community service extension programs
(CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY!!) by the PhilSaga mining that gave the people
benefits that they could think of nothing else but to agree to the existence of the Mining
Operations as source of milk and honey to them. The direct benefits given by PhilSaga has
created a domino effect in the economic flow in Bunawan, since people now have goods to
sell and money to buy something. The business sector in Bunawan lived. This makes not only
the people of Bunawan happy but also the Capitalists that gained more income in the
booming business in Bunawan. Several improvements were observed by the researchers in
the area including improved public markets and transportation.
Most people were really happy about the employment given by the mining company; its
another source income aside from their share of the royalty.

It (mining) generates employment to the people in the upper part of Consuelo.

It should just be a responsible mining KII BM Elorde

Improved Standards of Living (WHAT IS THE BASIS??)

The advent of PhilSaga did not only pave the roads to Bunawan but also paved the way to
the entry of modern lifestyle. Slowly, the Manobos adopted the culture of the modern world

56

and do away with their primitive lifestyle. (TRADE-OFF!! DO THEIR CULTURE

IMPROVED?~)

Educated

Members of the tribe now can go to school with the aid of Saga, for the mining company
provided schools (Colleges) and scholarships for the people of Bunawan especially the ones
who will be much affected by their operations, the Manobo.
There were schools in Bunawan before but the people from Consuelo have difficulty
accessing the nearest school because of the distance. PhilSaga provided buses and
transportation free of charge for the Manobos. With the aid of PhilSaga, they can also buy
school materials and support the education of the youth.

Na usab na gyud ang kahimtang kay niadto di man ka eskwela ang mga bata
karon nga nagsugod nga naa nai Philsaga. Maka eskwela na. Nya kay ang
kwarta pud nga ihatag sa amo paingon man pud sa among project
Our situation really changed, our youth today can go to school since PhilSaga
started its operations. And the money that they gave can be used for school
projects
FGD Senior Citizen R2
naa silay mga scholarships
They have scholarships
FGD Youth R1

Since they can now access the schools, people especially the youth became interested in
studying and eventually became educated and aware of their environment which is
manifested with the FGD with the youth where most respondents are college graduates and

57

expressed a somewhat different idea compared to the adults. They saw the global
phenomenon and the trend in mining in which the investors only benefit.
dili man lingid sa atua nga pag muingon gani ta ug mining corporation
daghan jud mga bad effects
its not a secret to us when we say what a mining corporation is, it means
many bad effects (to our environment)
FGD Youth R3
ang mga nagdumala ana katong bang mga kana bang mga tag-iya gyud
kanang parehas anang mga tao dinha sila gyud ang mas murag naka-benefit.
Mas nakabenefit jud sila kaysa sa kuan pero tungod kay kanang sa tribo mao ng
kuan nalang kay nagahatag man sila ug percent dinha sa tribo pero sila jud ang
mas nakabenefit nga dapat tana para jud na sa pinoy. Nya naa pajud tong mga
niaging panahon nga ang nagdumala ana kay mga amerkano na dapat ana sa
mga pinoy na dapat. Kay wa juy mga kwarta
The people who run the mining company benefits most, they benefitted more
than the indigents do but they are giving something for us (tribe), but its not fair
Filipinos should have a bigger share. Even before during the time when
Americans ran this mining firm, that should have been Filipinoscoz we have
no money (we earned nothing)
- FGD Youth R2

The researchers were more than glad to witness wonderful and wise responses
(very bias to the old!)from two young respondents from the youth group that expressed
implicit disapproval on the mining operations. It showed that they are already aware of what
is happening in and outside the mining operations including the politics that moved it. From
the researchers point of view, they saw that this is a very good improvement and a departure
from an ignorant mindset. This is however a good sign of improvement in the mentality of
the people in the Manobo tribe.

Improved LifeStyles
As mentioned by a Manobo respondent, a former mayor who is now a Board Member of
the province of Agusan del Sur, BM Elorde, part of the government initiative to improve the
lives of the Manobos was to educate them as to how to use their money (royalty) in a proper
way that resulted into a very good change in the people of Consuelo (and in Bunawan).

58

There are some scholarship programs, and out of along the way, they are going
to educate these people, the Manobos, to utilize wisely out of their money and
we convince them to plant crops for instance palm oil, rubber plantations instead
of borrowing money from the bank, since they get big money out of the mining
corporation, we try to educate them to use that money

This is the primary reason why the people of Consuelo or Coo have improved their
lifestyle. Instead of spending their money at will (present mindedness), they now plan and
they spend their money wisely. As a result, their ways have improved and most outsiders
(even the researchers) have difficulty recognizing them as members of an indigent tribe. They
dressed like most people in the mainstream culture do; they now have televisions, radios and
refrigerators; they now use cellphones.

na-improve ang balay naa nay tv, radyo ana gudlahi ra sa una
there is an improvement in the house we have radios and televisions unlike
before
FGD Women R5 (Janet)

Not only do they use modern equipment and gadgets nowadays that change in their lives
can be observed also in their daily routines. Since they now have a job; most men regularly
go to their work areas daily when before, its only their farms and rivers. Now they have a
routinary work as miners. Since they have more income, they do not need longer hours so
they have more time to rest. Since they have new forms of entertainment like televisions and
the like, they have a more relaxing life.

Most Manobo homes are now used to eating 3 times a day which is a complete departure
from a traditional one day, one eat scheme. They also improved their eating habits and
etiquette (they now use spoon and fork). This information was taken from an informal
conversation with a female respondent after the FGD ended.

59

Health was another improvement in the lifestyle of the Manobo. Before they would see
illness as a curse from an enchanted being and they have a person who is a specialist in this
matters he served as Doctor for the tribe. He conducts a ritual to appease the disturbed spirit
for the ill person to be well.

Panahon pud mi na naa mi masakitun katong niadtong hugayuna wala may

doctor, so ang amon nga mga kinaiyahan lagi, kanang gitawag kuyab. Puti
gihapon na nga manok. ... Naa pud daw doctor aning mga enkanto. Kay sa
unang higayun wala pa man ning mga protestante, kanang dihang doctor, wala.
Ang among ginaduulan sa una kana ra gyung panawag tawag nga tambali ang
among masakiton
At times when there is sick among us, we have no doctors the then. In our
belief we call it kuyab. A white chicken will be offered (to appease the
spirits). Before there was no Protestants (any religion), no doctors, so we call
that someone to cure our sick comrade
KII Jerry Cabriadas

Now, they totally believe and rely fully in the capacity of the modern and western
medicine and practices of health because of the presence of Doctors and the improvement of
hospitals in the municipality. Health programs of the LGU also helped a lot to this
improvement. The acceptance of the modern practice in medicine can be explained by the
dissatisfaction of Manobos in the effectiveness of their traditional health practice. This
affirms the study of Islam (2005) which states that, Often economically marginalized
people, after the failure of alternative healing practices, would seek the help of modern
physician. There were hospitals before but the doctors were scarce as well as the resources.
It was also expensive to buy medicines before considering their source of income. When the
mining came, the LGU has more money to improve its health sector to aid the unfortunate
constituents of Bunawan especially the Manobos. Also, the Manobos with the help of the
royalty can afford medicines and have an easier access to the hospitals and considering the

60

effects of modern medicine and information given by the LGU to the tribe, they embraced the
modern health practice.

Now the Manobos have their own cultural organization formalized with the aid of the
Local Government of Bunawan and the NCIP. They are now duly recognized as legitimate
members of the indigenous community of the country and is given due aid by the government
of the Philippines. It is shown through the presence of decent tribe places like their tribe halls,
ritual sites and other Manobo owned structures. Today, the organization inside the Tribe has
now scholars and employees that worked for their buildings.

The culture of Manobo nowadays in Consuelo, as the researchers would say, is diluted. It
is so in the sense that they do not fully stick to their traditional methods of living, for the
ways of life of the Manobos as they would say changed from primitive to modern .

Pagka kuan adto niabot na ang pag mina ni arang-arang na dili kay parehas
sa una
When the mining came, it is a lot better compared before
FGD Senior R1

It is very clear that Manobo tribe members who were there before the mining took place
would prefer the kind of life they have now, because they think they have more in life today
than what they had before.

New and Developed Facilities

61

Royalty in the form of money is not the only way that the Mining Co. operating in
Consuelo is trying to get civil acceptance from the people, but also in the form of
infrastructure. They improved the existing ones and gave new facilities that enjoyed by most
people and what seemed to benefit most are the Manobos.

There were several infrastructure build inside Bunawan that helped the Manobos directly
like the schools and hospitals. The roads are concreted (national highways) and the electricity
lines are extended to far flung areas especially Manobo residences those located far from the
towns.

sa community kuan daghan man japon kay daghag improvements naa man puy
usahay infrastructures diba? Kanang naa man pud silay eskwelahan, naa silay
mga scholarships, naa silay hospital
in the community, they helped a lot. Various improvements can be seen, like
infrustructures, right? There are also schools, they gave scholarship grants,
hospitals
FGD Youth R3

It is one of the most important projects given by the mining company to the locality of
Bunawan because the municipality has improved a lot physically. Everyone can say that
development is visible in the area. It is also very good for the Manobo for they are given a
better environment for living. In the near future it is of prospect by the mining company to
put up a Philippine Science School in Bunawan, which made the locals pleased and excited.

Tribes political structure

The political structure of the Manobo tribe is very much affected by the advent of the
mining operations. Even though the respondents especially the tribe leaders said that there

62

were no significant changes that occurred during the operations of mining before until today,
however the researchers were able to discover various clues and concepts that there were
indeed big changes that occurred including the splitting of the tribe into 4 groups in the entire
Bunawan area (2 groups only in Consuelo).
Below is a table presenting some changes in the leadership of the tribe based on the
narratives by the respondents.

Direct Comparison of Tribe Leadership

Of the Bunawanon Manobo
Of Bunawan, Agusan del Sur

Before

Now

Patriarchal

Women are empowered at some

Supreme

areas

Datu Leadership

Diminished power of the Datus

United

Supremacy of the ruling

family challenged

LGU agents was heard

more
Divided

The Political Structure of the Manobo was no different from some other Tribes in the
Philippines. The Leader is called Datu and he is the tribe chieftain, he is followed by the

63

members at all times. Before the era of Mining in Consuelo the Datu is superior above all
members, but there are also other Datus specialized for a certain sector its called datu
sektoral. Like the a mayor and its heads of offices, the Datu Sektoral serves as alter ego of
the Chieftain.

The role of the Datu is all encompassing; he is the ultimate leader, law maker and
judge of the tribe and is replaced only by the time he pass away. The chieftain has many
roles, as mentioned by Datu Macapoo 2 (Jerry Cabriadas) he has the power to decide what
the tribe will do for a certain period of time, he solemnizes vows of unification in marriages
and he also serve as judge for someone who committed a crime.

sa una gyud ang kanang gahum o legal power kay sa una, ang ginatawag nga
talaghurun gyud kay naa na siyay mga balaod, nga kung pananglitan usa ka
balaod sa usa ka tribo nga ang babae, pananglitan ang babae, ang babae
karon naa na silang mga balaod run nga dili gyud na nimo siya ma sipaan
..Pananglitan kanang mangawat ka, naay balaod sa usa ka leader nga niana
nga: mangawat ka, naa puy silot sa imo. Masilutan ka ana nga sa dili matawag
nga silot nga basta basta kay ila gyud ka nianang dabdaban, aw dili dabdaban,
paasuhan kung mangawat ka, hantud nga, tong niaging higayuna wa gyuy
kawatan kay kung mangawat ka, ila gyung ikuan niini sa ilang leader ining uhh
balaod.
before the power of the Tribe leader is called TALAGHURON (respected)
because he have laws (and power to impose it) example the law of the tribe not
to touch women, women should not be harmed and untouched, one should not
dare kick/hit her.
.example, when you steal, a leader have a law to settle and punished such
crime. The thief shall be punished severely, he will be smoked (until he choked),
so nobody dares to steal, if you do you will face the wrath of the chieftain

Jerry Cabriadas also told the researchers how organized the tribe was before. Under the
sound of the device they called Bud-Jung, the other members of the tribe recognize that
their leader is calling them or someone is in distress. The leader also leads the calling of the
rituals and the ritual will be led by a ritual leader.

64

There is a huge change that occurred to the Manobo tribe in terms of their political
structure when the mining started operating, in mid to late 2011 there was a conflict that
arose in within the tribe when the supreme leader of the bunawanon Manobo of Consuelo
Bunawan Jerry Cabriadas Sr. known as Datu Macapoo died. The death of datu Macapoo
leads to a new leadership, however majority of the tribe do not want that their leader will
come from the Cabriadas family the reason for such bitter rejection was a long running
oppression and greed of the Cabriadas family. When the money from the mining corporation
(royalty) reaches the hand of the Patriarch of the Tribe (Datu Macapoo) the money is split
two parts one part for the Cabriadas family and the other to the rest of the tribe. This scheme
has been very much disgraced by the rest of the tribe. Empowered by the IPRA law and with
the aid of NCIP, by the time the new leader is chosen the Manobos voted for a new
leadership outside the Cabriadas family, rejecting the long running Manobo tradition of
inheritance. The Cabriadas family retaliated and refused to recognize the legitimacy of the
leadership of the current Tribe leader. They created a separate group and claimed the right to
receive the recognition of the Mining Company and sought the right as the sole receiver of
the royalty from PhilSaga, thus the tribe division. However, despite the efforts of the
Cabriadas clan to gain control over the Tribe the other group was deemed recognized by the
government (a major reason why most respondents from the Cabriadas clan would see the
LGU as disruptor to their peaceful living) then held the rightful receiver and distributor of the
money received from PhilSaga, without prejudice to the Cabriadas clan who will also receive
part of the royalty in a just portion. The Cabriadas group, used to handle huge amount of the
pie plead to the mining corp and to the NCIP for recognition and has taken steps that lead to
escalation of conflict.

65

Today, the conflict is still ongoing and its future is clouded. Resultant to the actions of
both parties, the money that PhilSaga gave every month is now withheld under the custody of
the NCIP.
When a man is appointed as a leader of the tribe, he gains a title of a datu with a
designated name. Like Jerry Cabriadas Jr. he is called Datu Macapoo 2.

If Politics is defined as the question of who gets what, when and how (Lasswell, 1936),
then the reason for tribe division and conflict that occurred and continuously keeping the tribe
apart is highly political in nature. The question of who gets what is clearly a bigger question
here but the questions of HOW and WHEN is of equal importance. The main issue of the
tribe division is the distribution of the money the mining company is giving the tribe or the
ROYALTY. There are processes that the royalty is divided, 1% of the net income of the
Company will be given to the Tribe, it shall be remitted to the NCIP, the NCIP then take 30%
of the share (for projects and benefits of the IP) and the rest is given to the Tribe. The local
laws or custom of the tribe to rule over this matter is stated by a respondent, the benefit from
the area where a tribe resides should be exclusive only to the resident tribe (Tribong
Komunidad), therefore the money or royalty shares shall be exclusive only to the Manobos in
Consuelo, however with the intervention of the LGU and NCIP the other (Manobo) tribes
situated outside Consuelo but within Bunawan also got shares (1% of the net shares of the
IP). After the money is received by the chieftain, he now has the sole power to distribute at
his preference (with no rule or law governing over the power to distribute such resources).
The way the previous chieftain is dividing and distributing the money is seen anomalous by
most members, when the chieftain died they opted to vote for a new leadership, thus conflict
arise.

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Niadtong pirmiro nga kami pa nga kantidad pa og gatos, kinyentos ang
maadto sa amuang bulsa karun nga murag daghan daghan na krun nag-ilog na
bisan dili taga diri nakig ilog na, bisan kanang tribo tood pero taga lain pud
taga saag, taga loreto... basta kay nitibo nagdalang sila diri arun makaapil sa
amuang royalty. Pero dapat by territoryo man ta, kung taga loreto ka, didto ka
mangita og yutang kabilin. mao na amaung gituohan
Before when it was still worth a hundred pesos, we recieved five hundred pesos
directly to our pocket, now there are already a lot of claimants even people not
residing here. They may be natives but they are not from here, theyre from
Loreto and they just want to also have our royalty share. The sharing is actually
by territory but they are claiming our share of royalty here in Consuelo
KII R3

C. Experiences of the Manobo Tribe

Concept Map 3

During the negotiation and entry of the Mining firm

67

Negotiations for the mining site and proposed operations happened between the first miners
to mine in Consuelo and the tribe represented by its tribe chieftain, the late Marcelo
Cabriadas Sr. The Negotiations went smoothly for the tribe as explained by some
respondents. Marcelo Cabriadas Sr. (deceased), then the Tribe Chieftain, was the locator of
the said mining site as explained by his son Marcelo Jr. and affirmed by other members of the
tribe during the FGD.

ang akong amahan, mao toy si Datu Macapoo, Marcelo Cabriadas,

katong akong amahan, mao gyuy locator ni ining konsuelo ug kining
gioperationan sa kaun sa Philsaga.
My father was known as Datu Macapoo, Marcelo Cabriadas, was the locator of
the area here in Consuelo where the Philsaga is mining
Jerry Cabriadas.
Kanang ilang gimina dra, katong nagsugod na sila dra nakigsabot na na sila
sa amua nga tribo ang ilahang gikasabot kay katong amuang uyuan nga si
Marcelo Cabriadas si Datu Macapoo
That place they are mining today, before they started their operations they
negotiated with us, the Tribe, the one they talked to was my father-in-law
Marcelo Cabriadas, Datu Macapoo
Datu Arsenio Meque

The Manobo was well protected by the laws of the land which the mining company
duly respected. Throughout the negotiation and the process, the Manobo was assisted by the
local government to cope with the changes in their lifestyle including especially those who
will be transferred from their original home to somewhere else. Councilor Mique explained
the role of the local government that served as the middleman between the company and the
tribe.

Ang role sa local government maoy nag pa briefing nga dili ma displaced sila.
So the local government nahimong mediator between the company (and the
tribe) . So we'll allow you to operate nga area provided nga dili ma dispalced
ang mga tao. So what happen is ang company nangita gyud ug relocation area,

68
himuan silag skwelahan, himuan ug kining water supply. The local government
mao nai nag assist
Counncilor Mique

Other leaders of the tribe agreed to the agreement made by their Chieftain and the
Mining Corporations agents.

Kanang ilang gimina dra, katong nagsugod na sila dra nakigsabot na na sila
sa amua nga tribo ang ilahang gikasabot kay katong amuang uyuan nga si
Marcelo Cabriadas si Datu Macapoo. Pagkasabot nila, kami nga mga sektor
nagpirma mi nga nakigsabot mi sa ila, naa man ang kontrata
When the Philsaga started to operate mining in our area they have a negotiation
with our Auncle Marcelo Cabriadas who is Datu Macapoo. After the negotiation
we the sector along with companys representative have a signed agreement
Arsenio Mique

Although some respondents expressed that they were no displacement that occurred,
others expressed that there were some. The area where the current mining operations is
happening was timberland before and that most respondents would say that there were
nobody displaced. However, respondents from the government who facilitated the peaceful
and orderly entry of the mining firm expressed the contrary for them there were few families
who were disturbed by the mining operations.

negatively they were relocated. Their livelihood was greatly affected however
they were given just compensation. Their lifestyle has been shifted from what
they usually have.
Councilor
Mique
Those who were residence on the area of where the mining operation was built
they were in need to be displaced due to the hazardous particles, they were
needed to be evacuated.
Vice Mayor Elorde

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The mining company now (PhilSaga) is a large scale mining company that operates within
the territory of Consuelo. It has gained access peacefully by complying with the necessary
requirements by the Government and duly paid taxes and also gave just compensation to
whomever it disturbed, the Manobos. The Manobos expressed no violent and negative
reactions to such establishment of a large scale mining. Since the Manobos already
experienced small scale mining in the area and also the short lived logging industry. The
researchers keenly observed that the Tribe doesnt care much of the small scale mining,
though they exist until today, because they do not give money like PhilSaga does. In
compliance to the laws regarding mining and indigenous people the mining company setup
their extraction site by consulting the tribe, gave them royalties and employment in this way
they did not only get the approval of the government and permitted them to operate but also
they got the heart of the people.

During the operation of Mining

The mining operations in Bunawan were perceived as a gift and a blessing by the local
Manobos in the area. It gave them livelihood and a better life. Most respondents benefited
from the royalty they received from PhilSaga Mining Corp. This royalty serves as
compensation for the displacement and disturbance made by the company also in accordance
to law that protects the Indigenous People of the land.

The Manobo tribe specifically in Brgy. Consuelos changes have been, first
there was that provision in the Ipra Law that in any mining company that would
enter into a tribal land there would be a free and fair consent which was
complied by the company, now for the tribal people, they were given 1% royalty
that is also advantage to the tribe.
Councilor Mique

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Their livelihood and standards of living were already uplifted, with this, the
mining operation really helped a lot.
Vice Mayor Elorde

Some respondents said that the mining operations did not affect negatively their lives.
Instead its a great blessing. Considering the kind of life that the Manobos have before, it is
not peculiar that they would express approval for the mining to pursue its course in their area
because it has given them improvements in life. In line with this, they also thought that
mining in their area is a pure blessing without the cost.

Wala man na apektuhan sa pagmina among tribo ug among panginabuhi. Mas

ni-improve gani kay daghan natabang labi na tong mga financial problems
namo
Our tribe and our livelihood was not really affected by the mining operation.
Honestly it has been improved because they were able to help us specially in our
financial problems
FGD Youth R3

The money which the Manobo tribe is receiving monthly was used in various ways but
mainly to uplift their economic status. They planted new crops and make profit out of it.

makatanom mi nga gikan sa Philsaga nga gihatag(kwarta)

. Makatanom mig lansones, durian.
We are able to plant lansones and durian with the money we get from
Philsaga.
FGD Females R3
Na usab na gyud ang kahimtang kay niadto di man ka eskwela ang mga bata
karon nga nagsugod nga naa nai Philsaga. Maka eskwela na. Nya kay ang
kwrta pud nga ihatag sa amo paingon man pud sa among project magtanom ug
rubber. Kining rubber, mabahinan mi magtanom man mig rubber.
Our situation has really changed a lot because we are able to send our kids to
school through the help of Philsaga. And the money given to us are directed to
our projects in planting rubber. We also get a share out of planting rubbers.
FGD Seniors R1

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Conflict Arise
Today, there was a conflict going on inside the tribe. It has created turmoil and division
but above all it has disrupted the kind of living they are used to when they enjoyed the
royalty. For months now, the royalty is withheld by the NCIP since there was a great conflict
that occurred which results to shock on the part of the Manobos. Now their life is affected
considering that they are almost very dependent to the royalty.
Sa pag abot sa pagmina nkaayo jud. Naghatag silag pananum, pinansyal sa
panginabuhian. Bisan pasa naay kasamuk krun sa tribo, muuyon gihapon mi
nga magpadayon sa pagmina diri ang philsaga basta ayuhon lang pud ang
pagdumala sa pagdala pud sa kwarta. Kani krun, lima ka bulan wala mi
kadawat og royalty og kalisod ultimu gani mga eskwela wala gani ka kuan ang
uban kay walay kwarta.
When the mining company came to operate they were able to provide us
financial support for our livelihood. Even though there have been conflicts in the
tribe, we still want them to continue operating on the condition that they also
need to properly manage the distribution of money. For 5 months now we
havent received any amount of royalty from them. It has been very difficult for
us to send our children to school because of lack of money.
KII Datu Arsenio Mique

The tribe division is resultant to the conflict on the distribution of the royalty that changed
the lives of many Manobos. For some, the loss and the withholding of the royalty has been
devastation. They cant send their children to school, and they can hardly afford a decent
meal or even buy their basic necessities.

Karon ang among panginabuhian ni-abante na kay nisalig lage mi sa

madawat. Nya among kinabuhi murag na arang arang na ba. Karon sa pagka
karon nga pila na ka bulan adto nga, gi ataw ataw ba mi. Naglisod jud mi sa
among pagkaon, mahinumdum ko sa ilang gibuhat sa amoa. Kay among
gisaligan lage kay nalipay mi gitagaan mi ug panalangin or grasya gikan sa
Philsaga ug naa na mi bahin pila ra ka gatus so makapalit na mig bugas.
Ngadto pud sa among mga anak makapa eskwela mi. Kung walay Philsaga dili
mi maka patungha sa among mga anak, sa among mga apo di mi makapalit ug
gatas. Karon nag pa abot lang mi.
Our livelihood has improved a lot because we trust the amount of money we
are receiving from them. But it has been months that they made us wait for so
long that we are having difficulty again in living and that its hard to feed
ourselves. I can still remember what they did to us. We were very grateful
whatever we are receiving from Philsaga, with the small amount of money we
are able to buy rice and we are able to send our kids to school. Without them we

72
cannot afford to send our kids to school and even buy milk for our
grandchildren. And today we are still waiting for them.
FGD Seniors R5

Displaced

The conflict also opened the eyes of some Manobos to the downsides of mining. They
would say that the life before was better because in times when they do not have food to eat,
they would go to the forest to hunt or to the rivers to fish. Now, the forest area was restricted
for it has become the big part of the mining field. There are no more wild boars to hunt, they
became almost extinct due to the denudation of forest areas. Forest areas before now became
fields for plantations of rubber and palm oil, but majority is the mining area which is not any
more liveable for wild animals, although there are still parts of Bunawan, which are still
forest areas but the hunting grounds of Manobos in Consuelo are now gone. The river also is
very dirty that no fish or marine creature would survive. Residents of Bunawan mentioned
that before the river was clean that they used to swim and fish in it. Now it is muddy and
dirty because of the waste products of mining.

Kung ikumpara katong wala pa ang philsaga og sa krun para sa ako mas
arang2x pa sa una kay bisan asa mga kuan mi dra maka-pangayam krun kay
dili na sa una kay bisan makakuha mig baboy bisan mao ra ang makuha krun
naa napud sunod pero karun maglisod nkag kuhag hayop
If we compare the livelihood of people from before and now, for me it is more
convenient before because it is easy to hunt pigs and the next day you find
another one. But today it is already diffuclt to hunt pigs and other animals
KII R3

As observed by the researchers, the Manobos clearly dependend almost everything on

the royalty. When the royalty is withheld, they were devastated. Now they are back to

73

farming, and lucky for those who are employed that they still have money to spend for their
daily needs but for those who do not have jobs, its too bad for them. During the Focus Group
Discussion in the course of the data gathering for this study, reactions of some respondents to
the said subject matter were quite intense. They expressed disappointment to the government
and rage to the other group (the group who split in the tribe). The era of PhilSaga Mining has
been a catalyst for change and improvement for the Manobos but the event of the withholding
of the royalty showed that Manobos clearly did not depart from their mentality of present
mindedness. Now they are on the brink of collapse.

Views of the Monobo Tribe on mining in general.

This section talks about general views of members of the Manobo tribe on Consuelo,
Bunawan, Agusan del Sur on the current mining operations in their locality and its continued
existence or expansion in the future. The researchers categorized the collected data into two
categories positive and negative views on mining. Their views were products of their
experiences in the said operations. Below is a concept map that summarizes the entire
section.

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Concept Map 4
Views of Manobo on Mining

When asked if they wanted the mining operations to continue, all respondents in KII and
FGD answered in favour of the continuous operations of the mining company. Only in the
deep part of the discussions the researchers found negative feedbacks about the said
operations but nonetheless, they expressed support to the mining firm.

Positive View

Almost all respondents expressed approval of the mining operations and see it as a
blessing rather than a disturbance. Members of the tribe benefited from the money which the

75

Mining Corporation gave them monthly as a royalty. Their lives were changed dramatically
with the financial aid given to them by the company. It is only expected that they are grateful
and happy about the existence of mining in the area. Economic progress in the lives of the
local Manobos in Bunawan made them favour the continuous existence of the mining
operations without the thought of its cost to their environment.

Karon nga naa na na uswag na, na anam anam na ug ka uswag ang

panginabuhi kay gitagaan man mig royalty
now that we are receiving the royalty, our lives are better
FGD Senior R1
Karon ang among panginabuhian sa pagka karon ni-abante na kay nisalig
lage mi sa madawat. Nya among kinabuhi murag na arang arang na ba. . naa
na mi bahin pila ra ka gatus so makapalit na mig bugas. Ngadto pud sa among
mga anak makapa eskwela mi. Kung walay Philsaga dili mi maka patungha sa
among mga anak, sa among mga apo di mi makapalit ug gatas. Mao ra na
akong kuanan, nalipay jud ko sa Philsaga nahatagan mig share.
Our livelihood today really advanced, because of what we received.we have
shares about a few hundred pesos enough to buy rice. And our children we can
send them to school now and buy milk to our grandchildren because of
PhilSaga, that is why we are happy it is here
FGD Seniors R3
muoyon jud kay naa man pud mi bali madawat pud. Share. Bisan tuod gamay
pero kuan dako na gihapon siya nga tabang para sa amo nga Manobo, mga
Lumad.
I agree (continued operations of PhilSaga) because we received something.
Eventhough its not much but it will suffice for our needs, it helped for us
indigent Manobos
FGD Youth R1

Because of the royalty given by PhilSaga, more and more youth can now go to school and
earn a degree. Some already graduated and confirmed that the mining operations helped the
tribe a lot. They also believed that the continued operations of PhilSaga would give them
much advantage to have a better life for their tribe and family, since the company gave them
money, transportation, infrastructural development and livelihood, most importantly.

nabag-o na among panginabuhi karon tungod sa Philsaga na. murag na bentabentaha gyud. Nakapa-eskwela nagud. Kay kung wala ang filsaga, siguro naay
magundang-undang nga magskwela sa mga bata pero sukad nga naa na,

76
mutabang jud sa bisag unsa pamaagi. Bisan gani kanang naay mamatay,
mutabang sila. Basta naay muadto, muadto. Kung naay mahospital mutabang
gihapon sila maski gawas sa tribo, mutabang man gihapon sila basta naay
hangyo sa tribo. Basta ok kaayo ang filsaga sa amo.
Our livelihood changed, it changed for the better. We can send our children to
school. Without PhilSaga, maybe we cant sustain their education now that they
are here, they helped in every way they can. When someone is ill and
hospitalized they extended aid even when that someone do not belong to the
tribe. We approved PhilSaga
FGD Leaders
R1

Respondents who currently work for the Local Government Unit of Bunawan describe how
the mining company has given a lot of improvements to their municipality and reclassified
the municipality form a fifth class to a first class municipality. The mining firm does not only
give royalty to the Manobo Tribe but also paying taxes to the government allowing the LGU
to earn ample amount more than their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) annually.

It really helps sa host brgy. Consuelo millions ang nahatag sa company sa

ilang share, so nagamit nila sa ilang mga patubig naa sila'y mga livelihood,
magtanom ug mga rubber naa sila'y panginabuhi
It really helped the host barangay, Consuelo, the company shared millions (of
pesos) to them which they used in their water system, their livelihood. They can
now plant rubber, now they have a source of income
KII Board Member Elorde.
I think yes! Its because, during the arrival of mining, the Manobos were able
to gain income. Some were able to get jobs. Others have shares and also, the
government were able to get a one percent share from the company and that
money will be distributed to every Manobo with the help of the officers of the
tribe. And with that, the lives of the Manobos will be uplifted
Vice Mayor Elorde

The former mayor now board member of Agusan del Sur, Gilbert Elorde, a Manobo,
expressed a total approval on the mining operations in Consuelo. He made mention that the
companys compliance to the necessary requirements of the LGU both the Province and the
Municipality of the mining company is a great factor of its smooth business run. Bunawan

77

before was a 4th class municipality, after the mining remittance in the form of taxes, the
municipality of Bunawan is now a 1st class municipality a very big improvement on the part
of the Municipal government.

actually in terms of taxation, Philsaga Mining Corporation has given a helpful

one. Thats why in my administration, we take advantage to develop the
agriculture. Because we believe that mining has no sustainability.

-Board Member Elorde

Negative View (BE CONSISTENT!!!!)

Mining operations in Consuelo were seen by some negatively at least indirecty.
Although all respondents favoured mining, the researchers traced some disagreements from
the responses of some tribe members. The most important and most spontaneous response
heard by the researchers on the said matter came from the youth sector. Their education has
made a significant impact to their awareness totally. Despite the view of their elders that
mining is totally good, they do not buy fully that idea.

Foreigners benefit more

Prior to the data gathering, the researchers managed to find some background to the
mining company that operates in Consuelo and found that it is run by a British Company and
partnered with a local Filipino company. This was affirmed in an interview with the youth
sector of the Manobo tribe. They used the term amerikano, a general local term for
foreigners not necessarily Americans.
A female youth respondent expressed her approval to the mining company because
she graduated in college because of the royalty. However she did not see the mining
operations as clean as most people from her tribe would suppose. She made mention that

78

Filipinos should have a bigger share for it is our land they mine and our resources they
extract.

ang mga nagdumala ana katong bang mga kana bang mga tag-iya gyud
kanang parehas anang mga tao dinha sila gyud ang mas murag naka-benefit.
Mas nakabenefit jud sila kaysa sa kuan pero tungod kay kanang sa tribo mao ng
kuan nalang kay nagahatag man sila ug percent dinha sa tribo pero sila jud ang
mas nakabenefit nga dapat tana para jud na sa pinoy. Nya naa pajud tong mga
niaging panahon nga ang nagdumala ana kay mga amerkano na dapat ana sa
mga pinoy na dapat. Kay wa juy mga kwarta
The people who run the mining company benefits most, they benefitted more
than the indigents do but they are giving something for us (tribe), but its not fair
Filipinos should have a bigger share. Even before during the time when
Americans ran this mining firm, that should have been Filipinoscoz we have
no money (we earned nothing)
- FGD Youth R2

The researchers felt relief and were held in awe upon hearing such response. It is
because of the overwhelming positive responses and views of most tribe members to such
mining operations. This kind of response means the new generation of the Manobos are
already aware of the realities we have in the globalizing world. The development in Bunawan
paved way to such learnings and its a sign of improvement.
Another respondent from the youth sector gave an equally interesting answer to such
matter. She associated mining to bad effects. Although the term she used was very vague, it is
in the mind of the researchers that she may be referring to the bad effects to the environment.
Like other respondents, she expressed her approval to the mining operations despite her view
about it for it has helped the tribe, her family and herself. It made her go to school and sustain
it.

dili man lingid sa atua nga pag muingon gani ta ug mining corporation
daghan jud mga bad effects pero tungod kay tungod pud sa pinsaga mas daghan
pud nakakuan atong mga financial problem

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Displaced
It is evident also that the nature in Bunawan was slightly disturbed. Although there
was evidence to prove that it is so, for example the Bunawan River, before, it was said to be
fishable not it is not. It is now muddy and contains harmful chemicals from the mining fields.

Conflict
The conflict naturally affected the views of some Manobos on the Mining operations.
Before when there was very little money that the Manobos are receiving from the company,
there was peace and harmony now that they are receiving big time, conflict arose.
Respondents did not directly say that mining was bad because it causes conflict but
the researchers saw something in their answers that when there is no mining, there could be
no conflict and the tribe would remain as it is before, united.

With the arrival of mining, the tribe was able to benefit a lot. Many were given opportunities
to develop their lives. Mining has provided and was able to generate employment to
unemployed people in Brgy. Consuelo. Those changes that were brought by mining were a
sign of innovation.

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CHAPTER V
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS
This chapter presents the summary of findings and its implications.
A: Summary of Findings (include the discussion on the theory: either you refute it or
not!!!)) MAKE IT SHORT!!! BASED ON THE STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM!!!
The major research results were as follows:

A.1 The Situation of Manobo before and during Mining operations

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The Manobos of Brgy. Consuelo, Agusan del Sur lived a life quite similar to that of
the usual Indigenous groups of the country. Their style of living was communal. They plant,
hunt and fish to live. The area where they lived was largely forest which was also there
source of living; it was where they got the majority of their food to eat every single day. They
eat only once a day or whenever the food is available. They are less educated because of the
distance of the school to the place where they are situated. In terms of leadership, they are
very patriarchal for only the men could lead the tribe and the tribe leader was the ultimate
ruler, lawmaker and judge.
During the Mining operations in Consuelo, Bunawan the lives of the Manabo locals
improve dramatically. They now financially stable for the Mining Company that operates in
the area is giving a share of 1% to the local tribe called royalty and it is a huge amount
enough to afford a better life. The local government aided the Manobos and gave them
seminars and information dissemination to educate them on how to manage well their
resources especially the royalty fee given by the Philsaga. The Mining Company gave also
many infrastructure projects as well as alternative sources of income like rubber seedlings
and palms to the local community which benefited most the Manobos. One of the most
important contributions of the mining company to the improvement to the lives of the
Manobo is the improvement of hospitals and establishments of new schools. The youth from
the tribe can now study and earn a degree a lot easier compared before since the school is
nearer and they can afford the expenses aside from the scholarships that were granted to those
who are interested to study given by the Mining Company. They now embraced the modern
style of living (lifestyle), they now utilize cellphones, televisions, refrigerators and other
modern technologies.
There were few changes in the political structure of the Manobos indirectly affected
due to mining like the power of the Datus is now diminishing and the tribe was torn in

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conflict and was divided. Despite these setbacks the Manobos still expressed preference to
the current lifestyle they have today than what they have before.

A.2 Experiences of the Manobo during the Negotiations and Operations of

Mining

The negotiations for the establishments of the current mining operations can be traced
back to the time of the first miners of the current mining site. It was a small scale mining
operations before and the mineral deposit was located through the aid of the Tribe Chief
during that time. It was said to be a peaceful negotiation. There was contract or a
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed between the tribe and the Mining Company
containing provisions that the Mining Company will give a part of their income to the local
tribe. When the former mining company ceased its operations due to the peace and order
situation of the area as well as the permit to operate the mining site was inherited by the
current mining operators complying to the requirements of the LGU and the national laws as
well as the contract between the Tribe and the former miners. The Manobos expressed no
signs of resistance to such establishments because they can benefit from them. They also said
that they were well informed and respected during such negotiations. It was a forest area
where the mining site is located and there were few who inhabited the area so it is alright for
the Manobos.
During the operations of Mining, the Manobos are very grateful to the mining
operations not only they are receiving money from the company but they are also given
employment as miners for the mining site. The Manobos see nothing bad in the operations of

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mining in the area since the Mining Company is religiously paying its dues and obligations to
the tribe aside from the infrastructures it gives to the local community. Some complains of
some tribe members are about the area where most Manobo hunt for wild boars was restricted
for entry so the Manobos cant hunt anymore and the rivers are much polluted that no fish or
other freshwater products can survive. However the company also provided alternate sources
of living by providing new crops such as rubber, palm oil and corn. During the mining
operations in the area the Manobos experienced a life of abundance.
Although the Mining Operations in their place was largely claimed by most tribe
members as a blessing, it has also caused them trouble and conflict. The Royalty has been a
core issue in the conflict within the tribe. Its divisions and distribution facilitated by the Tribe
Chieftain was seen as corrupted by the some tribe members and when the Tribe Chieftain
died the members voted a new leader disregarding the long running Manobo tradition of
leadership inheritance. The tribe is also seen by some members as slowly diluting and less
homogenous since new members tried to join in the tribe for the benefits they can get.

Views of the Manobo on Mining Operations in General

MANOBO RESPONDENTS! DO NOT GENERALIZE!!!!
The Mining Operation in Consuelo is viewed by most if not all Manobos as beneficial
and good because it improved the lives of the Manobos in terms of their economic and
educational status. The Manobos positive views towards mining operations can be attributed
to their experience in the operations which they greatly benefited. All respondents in this
study affirmed that Mining Operations in their locality is beneficial for them; however there
were a few comments found in their narratives which states negative views on the operations

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of mining like foreigners were the ones really benefitting in such operations and the
destruction that these operations create to the environment.

B. IMPLICATIONS (WHAT DID YOU LEARN?????) ORGANIZE IT ACCORDING

TO THE STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM!! IPAKITA ANG MGA GAPS!! WHAT
ARE THE KEY FINDINGS??

This section of the study presents implications based on the results presented in the
previous section. Insights, concepts and personal views of the researchers were also presented
in this portion.
This study was conducted in Municipal Community with a divided groups of
Manobos and barangay where the study was conducted is one of the hot areas where there
were tribe factions and it the conflict was at its peak so when the researchers conducted the
study, they observed that several respondents expressed hatred to the other faction. The
royalty given by the Mining Company was now withheld under the custody of the NCIP due
to this conflict (specific reason for this was not disclosed and unknown to the researchers)
which greatly affected the lives of the Manobos in a negative way. The conflict was about
money, the two factions of the tribe seek legitimacy and recognition to gain control over the
distribution of the royalty. Findings show that the royalties provided to the mining
communities has been a source of conflict, which led to the formation of factions among
tribal groups. There were claims that greediness was apparent while others believed that
unequal distribution of the royalties has

contributed

to

misunderstandings

in

the

communities. In as much as it is easy to speculate that money affects social relationships in a

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negative way, absence of clear theoretical frames that make sense of the role of money in
strengthening and/or weakening of social relationships paralyzes intents to systematically as
well as scientifically understand narratives about the connection of money and relationships.
Thus, observations and experiences about the consequences of money or royalty to social
relationships is a fruitful area for further research and theorizing.

Interestingly, findings show contradictory thoughts between young and adult

respondents when asked about the consequences of mining. A common theme that emerged
from the answers of the youth is about the benefits that foreigners gains, which suggest that
there is an implicit connection between age and awareness on the consequences of mining.

In the course of the interviews, majority of the respondents of this study disregard the
possibility of the existence of some adverse effects of mining in their environment. They
cared more on the money they get. The Local Government of Bunawan also should conduct a
seminar or an information drive to aware the people of Bunawan especially the local
Manobos that Mining will not last forever, (NOT YOUR IDEA BUT SHOULD BE BASED
ON THE FGD!!) if minerals will be depleted the operations will cease as well as the
provision of royalty to them. It is of necessity since during the conduct of data collection,
researchers found out that they relied greatly on the money from the mining company; now
that the royalty is withheld they are in great trouble. The researchers find this very alarming;
there could be a tendency if the mining company will cease its operations, the Manobo people
will most likely to be devastated and history repeat itself when the logging business in
Bunawan stopped due to the regulation done by the national government in which they
returned from life of abundance to poverty.

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The Manobos would not see the mining operations the negative way so long as the
Mining Company is giving out royalty for the local Tribe. However, the researchers
recognized the existence of some small scale miners but in the course of the data gathering
process for this study the respondents did not made mention any of these. They would see
these small scale miners as negligible since they get nothing from them. And what would
they called bad were those business establishments installed in their areas who did not
properly get their permission to operate and is not paying royalty to them. This suggests that
the Local Government Unit of Bunawan should review its policies on local business
establishments. It should be included in its requirements for business permits the approval of
the indigenous communities if it will be located near their areas and punish those who
illegally operate.

Research findings show that the Mining Operations was perceived to be helpful
instead of destructive by the mining community in Consuelo. Primarily because they are
provided with resources to afford luxuries of life and they perceived local business
establishments standing in their areas as bad for they gave nothing to the community.
Therefore, they consider one activity as good if its financially beneficial and bad if its
otherwise. In the previous history of Manobo and business (logging) in Bunawan, what they
experienced now with the Mining Operations is quite similar, they received money for the
loggers, and they allowed them to cut trees. These observations suggest that they preferred an
activity to produced results immediately to their satisfaction. The Community also especially
the leaders failed to see the changes to their political structure and activities. They explicitly
denied that the presence of Mining Operations in their locality has not disturbed their

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practices and activities as a tribe but rather it has made them more progressive as a
community.

BE ORGANIZED!!!!!! DO NOT ASSUME!!!!!!

CUT SHORT THE PRE AND DURING!!
FOCUS ON THE POLITICS BEING PART OF THE CULTURE!
AVOID SWEEPING STATEMENTS! REMOVE THE PICTURES!
BANK ON THE PROCESS! POLITICAL SYSTEMS!
INCOME

NG

BARANGAY,

OVER-ALL

MUNICIPALITY,

GREAT

(SECONDARY DATA!) PICTURE OF BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES!

FOCUS ON PHILSAGA!!!
Limitations: conflict!!!! Wala na-consult ang other side of the group

CHANGE

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