Mankayan, Benguet – The people of Bulalacao and Guinaoang in Mankayan, Benguet, have stood watch over a simple community barricade they established nearly a year ago to protect their ancestral domain from mining activities.
The barricade is made not only of wood and rope but also of years of frustration, unanswered petitions, and the growing belief that if they do not protect their ancestral land themselves, no one else will.
First established in October last year, the barricade remains in place today. Residents returned to it after receiving information that Crescent Mining and Development Corporation (CMDC) was preparing to bring heavy equipment into the area to resume its exploration activities.
For the affected communities, the reported move was not just another company action but a painful reminder that, despite their repeated appeals to government agencies, they believe their voices remain unheard.
In an interview with a regional media outlet, Marlo Pablo, a community leader from Bulalacao, said residents gathered once again because they feared the company would proceed with its plans despite the community's continuing opposition.
After years of filing complaints before the Commission on Human Rights, the Office of the Ombudsman, and even the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Central Office, he said the barricade had become the community's last remaining means of asserting its rights.
“Isunga adtoy, nabangon manen dagiti kakailian, naurnong kami manen ta kitaen no anya dayta nga iyegda. Talaga daytoy panagbarikada ti ultimo remedyomin ta nu umasasa kami lang iti kapapelan nga puro ket awan met isunga nga usarenmi ah ti kalintegan dagiti umili nga mairupir ti karbenganda ditoy,” Pablo relayed.
The communities' opposition stems from the renewal of CMDC's Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA), which covers 533.4 hectares within their ancestral domain.
The agreement was first granted in 1996 for 25 years and expired in 2021. It was renewed in March 2022 for another 25 years, but residents continue to question the legality of the renewal.
They pointed out that the NCIP's Certification Precondition, which certifies Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), was issued only in September 2025, more than a year after the renewal had already been approved.
Under Section 59 of the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (IPRA), no permit, license, lease, or concession affecting ancestral domains may be issued or renewed without such certification.
The issue has already reached local and provincial officials. In October 2025, Mankayan Mayor Cesar Pasiwen directed CMDC to halt its operations while concerns were being addressed, ordering all parties to maintain peace in the area.
The Benguet Provincial Board likewise questioned the renewal, passing resolutions urging a review of the FPIC guidelines to ensure they genuinely reflect the consent of the affected Indigenous communities.
However, CMDC maintained that its exploration activities would proceed, saying it possesses all the necessary permits and that the landowners and surface rights holders in the drilling site have already agreed to the project and accepted the rental arrangements.
In a statement cited by regional and local media outlets, the company said it informed the Mankayan local government and barangay officials during a June 16 dialogue that it would resume its exploration activities.
The company added that it has limited time remaining to complete its approved work program after the cease-and-desist order was lifted on April 13.
“Given that the CDO (cease-and-desist order) was lifted last April 13, 2026, and with only one year left to complete its approved work programs, Crescent is now compelled to resume its pre-approved exploration activities in the area,” the company was quoted as saying.
CMDC also reiterated that it remains open to dialogue and hopes the dispute can be resolved peacefully.
For Pablo, however, the lifting of the cease-and-desist order came as a disappointment. He said the affected residents hope the municipal government will continue standing with the communities that have consistently opposed the mining project.
Even if their resistance results in legal cases, Pablo said fear is no longer what drives the community. Instead, what keeps people at the barricade is the belief that some things are worth defending, even when the odds appear to be against them.
“No addaman ket kitaenmin to no anya diay i-complainda saminto sungbatan. Habang itatta ket saan nga isu ti pagbutengan dayta,” he said.
As CMDC moves forward with its exploration plans, social media posts showed residents of Bulalacao and Guinaoang continuing to guard the community barricade while awaiting the resolution of their concerns over the mining project and the protection of their ancestral domain.
They insist that their stand is rooted not only in opposition to mining but also in safeguarding the land they have long called home.
"Yes to sustainable agriculture, no to mining,” read a banner displayed by residents during their June 27 gathering.
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