‘Provision ket mayat. Ngem iyamak mi… nu agka-utang manen ti FCF… Ti kwa (collateral) da manen ket dagan ti Balatoc’: Balatoc resident opposes Batong Buhay mining proposal, fears history will repeat i

Balatoc, Pasil, Kalinga – For nearly a century, the Batong Buhay mining project has remained one of the Cordillera's longest-running and most controversial mining disputes, leaving a lasting mark on the Indigenous community of Barangay Balatoc.

What began with the discovery of rich copper and gold deposits in 1934 has evolved into decades of conflict over ancestral land rights, government ownership, environmental concerns, and Indigenous representation—issues that continue to divide the community as new efforts to revive the project once again raise concerns among many iBalatocs.

Like many small-scale miners in Balatoc, Ramil Dangatan, a resident of the Batong Buhay Tenement, said the community's experiences from previous mining operations remain difficult to forget, making many residents hesitant to support another large-scale mining venture.

Speaking during the community meeting held on June 25 at the Kalipi Hall, Dangatan appealed to the concerned government agencies to consider the sentiments of ordinary residents. He said the proposed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) should not move forward because many residents had not been consulted and the community remains divided.

According to Dangatan, disagreements over mining have weakened relationships within the community, creating divisions among families and neighbors because of their differing views on the project.

"...na-view yon nu anya ti mangmangyarin ditoy community mi ket piliten tayo paylang dayta nga MOA? Divided ti Balatoc- na-view yo nga kasta. How much more kanyami nga tag-Balatoc? The community of Balatoc is divided-napukawen dagidiay unity," he said.

Dangatan also recalled working at the former Batong Buhay mine when he was still young, saying many residents experienced hardships despite the mine operating within their own ancestral land.

The iBalatoc resident recounted how local residents were required to present identification cards before entering the mining area. As an orphan who relied on gold panning for survival, he said he personally witnessed security personnel confiscating or destroying locally operated milling equipment, leaving many residents without livelihoods despite their hard work.

"...uray ubingak idi, nagkwa (nagtrabaho) ak ti Batong Buhay idi. Instead nga dakami nga taga Balatoc, taga Batong Buhay-- nu sumrek kami iti minas, kaylangaan mi pay nga ag-ID nga sumrek. Imbis nga lugar mi garud, ag-ID kami pay," he said.

The iBalatoc miner later questioned why another mining agreement was being introduced when, according to him, many residents had never been consulted and remained excluded from its preparation.

Dangatan further argued that although the Batong Buhay mine eventually ceased operations, many residents managed to survive through small-scale mining and other local livelihoods. He expressed concern that reopening large-scale mining operations could once again threaten those sources of income.

He acknowledged that several provisions in the proposed MOA appeared beneficial but said many residents remain worried that history could repeat itself if another mining venture encounters financial problems.

"...nanggeg mi diay provision ket nagmayat. Ngem iyamak mi manen, nu maaramid manin dayta Batong Buhay ket nu ngay agka-utang manen ti FCF tapos adda manen ti utang ngibati da? Ti ikwa (collateral) da manen ket dagan ti Balatoc. Diyay ti maysa nga rason nga apay, ta haan mi kayat kuma nga adda manen second utang ti Balatoc," he said.

Dangatan also questioned why, after the previous Batong Buhay Mining accumulated debts that eventually resulted in government intervention, the Indigenous community continues to bear the consequences of those obligations.

Dangatan's sentiments echoed those of several residents, many of whom expressed fears that another large-scale mining project could once again displace families, disrupt livelihoods, and deepen divisions within the community.

While government agencies clarified during the meeting that no final agreement has been signed and that further consultations will still be conducted, many iBalatocs maintained that any future decision affecting their ancestral domain must first secure the genuine consent of the entire Indigenous Cultural Community to ensure that the mistakes of the past are not repeated.