Mankanyan, Benguet residents stand their ground against mining project

Mankayan, Benguet – Residents of Mankayan, Benguet are standing their ground against the planned mining operations of a “64% Australian-owned company” in their area, emphasizing that the project would destroy their farms, water sources, and ancestral lands.

On October 13, 2025, around 400 residents of the town gathered for a community mass and program to bless their newly installed barricade — a symbol of their resistance. The event also marked the formal launch of the No Mines Movement of Guinaong and Bulalacao (NM-MGB), a group formed to defend the residents’ ancestral domain and assert their rights as indigenous peoples.

The protest came after the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) issued a Certification Precondition (CP) in favor of the Crescent Mining and Development Corporation (CMDC), the 64% Australian-owned company, despite opposition from local residents.

Reports from various local media outlets indicated that the residents asserted their duty to “preserve, protect, and enhance cultural values and natural resources.” Hence, they conducted the mass and installed the barricade.

The conflict reportedly began when CMDC’s Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) was renewed in 2022, covering more than 533 hectares of ancestral land. The agreement had already expired in 2021, yet it was renewed without the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) of affected residents — a process required by law.

Community elder Gary Dulag, according to Bombo Radyo Baguio, condemned the renewal of the corporation’s permit to continue mining operations, calling it a product of “corruption and deceit.”

The elder reiterated that such actions betray the government’s promise to protect indigenous peoples and endanger their social and cultural integrity.

In December 2024, as a legal response to the project, barangay officials from Bulalacao filed administrative and criminal complaints against those allegedly involved in the irregular renewal of the mining permit.

Almost a year later, residents say there has been “no accountability.”

While continuing their fight against the mining project through legal means, locals remain on guard at their barricade 24 hours a day, especially after receiving reports that CMDC is preparing to transport drilling equipment into the area.