Resistance of residents against destructive mining and dredging have recorded victories and continued in recent weeks in Ilocos Sur, Kalinga, Nueva Vizcaya, Mindoro and Sorsogon.

In Ilocos Sur, the people’s collective action compelled the local government to speak out and order a stop to the destructive dredging operations of the Isla Verde Mining and Development Company on the province’s lower Abra River estuary. On September 2, the local government announced stopping the operation because of the communities’ united and relentless protest.

Kalinga indigenous people succeeded in junking the bogus Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for the Saltan Dam project of the Australian company JBD Water Power Inc. Residents learned about this on September 15 when they also filed petitions with the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples to cancel the FPIC for the Saltan Dam and the Upper Tabuk Hydropower Project (UTHP). They were also informed that the FPIC for the UTHP might likewise be revoked and canceled.

In Nueva Vizcaya, residents of Barangay Bitnong, Dupax del Norte barricaded their land starting September 17 to block the entry of United Kingdom-based company Woggle Corporation’s mining equipment. The people’s widespread opposition to the planned exploration temporarily suspended the company’s operation.

In Oriental Mindoro, a prayer rally was held on September 6 at the Gloria public market to oppose dredging on the island. Various associations, organizations, churches, politicians, and residents from Calapan City to Bansud joined the protest. They said dredging severely damages the coastline and threatens fisherfolk’s livelihood.

On September 10, Sorsogon residents succeeded in forcing the suspension of the Siating Construction and Development Corporation’s permit for quarrying stone and sand in Barangay San Roque, Bulusan. The governor based the decision on the position paper submitted by the San Roque Ecological Initiative of Barangay San Roque. Residents said the quarry was illegal because there was no public consultation. It was also located near Bulusan Volcano Natural Park (BVNP), which is a protected area.