Trip to the land of smile part 2

            Meeting people from different countries to discuss experiences on similar concern is very informative and a rich a venue of learning.

            The Ateneo School of governance was creative enough to device an avenue for an exchange of experiences and share ideas for enrichment through interactive dialogue.

            I was in Thailand last july 16 to 19 for a regional conference on extractive industries.

            The main objective of the conference centers on community scorecards and citizen report cards if they are viable tools in social accountability in the extractive industries.

            The specific objectives are sharing lessons and insights gained from the community scorecard and citizen report card experience. To develop new tools for a social accountability application at home based on the tool kit devised by the World Bank institute and to apply it on a second run in constructively engaging more stakeholders in the extractive industries.

            After the review validation and assessment of the social accountability tools in the extractive industries, tales of the researchers were shared. We all had a common experience in dealing with government people and communities.

            There are however some differences in engaging with the extractive industry people.

            In countries like Mongolia there seems to be little problem in the stake holders because before operating to extract minerals, obligations, taxes and entitlements are all in place and agreed upon by the stakeholders.

            Indonesian government sometimes does not do what is required according to the researchers from that country. While in Cambodia effects of the long time repressions are still visible and the researchers are coping up with it. Timore Leste has their particular way of dealing with their communities.

            The other researchers have their unique tales to tell and I will try to bring them out in my next upcoming article.

             The CVM, ANSA research that I Hector kawig conducted at philex mines was a complete surprise. We found ourselves in the middle of a controversy. We found out those IP leaders, LGUs and Mine officials were working cohesively promoting their self-interest at the expense of the majority of the IPs. We believe these are happening to other mining communities here in Benguet but somebody must come out and bring it in the open.  

            Proposals were made for a second run of the social accountability tools with innovations that may bring better results for a change.

            Bringing the ASEAN vision and declarations into play in dealing with our engagement to stake holders is challenging in this second run of community scoring that involves more stakeholders.

            Global standards currently applied and recognized can remake social cultural and economic justice a reality in the affected communities.

            The Philippine team devised a strategy and action plan to apply in the second run of the community scorecard to include a larger scope of its coverage.

                        Policies and decisions in the national and regional levels are not reaching the grass root level in the light of the global standard. Therefore the sentiments of the communities as determined by the community scorecards must be addressed in future constructive engagements.

The current situation in the indigenous cultural communities as to the status of the social accountability tools is in the negative. Transparency accountability and participation are interpreted by the service providers in their own terms.

            .Openness of the service providers are lip service but not in practice.

            .Access to information is not readily available.

            .Organized citizen groups exist but must level off regarding differences on the extractive industries in order work together for the good of the indigenous cultural communities.

            .The cultural context of a persistent indigenous people’s Identity surrounding the facts and situations of this IPs in the light of the destruction of the land where they have planted their roots is unacceptable. The recently concluded CSC research in Philex mining area has uncovered a concerted plot against these indigenous cultural communities. The key actors in these conspiracies are no other than the IP leaders, politicians and the company officials.    To sum it all;

  IP’s hide their feeling just like any other Filipino. But Igorots have their peculiarities that are different from place to place. The anxiety that concern us today is the vulnerability of an IP’s identity. It is so fragile that it can easily be absorbed by the mainstream molded by western standards.

Our identity differentiates us from the rest having a culture that was and should ever be. A belief at the center of a web of practices that produce an all-encompassing union with nature rooted in the harsh land we were born and nurtured.

Others dismissed this as a figment of the imagination of an ignorant and backward people but there is much to discover in the hidden feelings of an IP.

The greed of the west and fellow countrymen came to our lands and begun digging and spoiling the earth where we anchored our aspirations and dreams even our very existence.

Our fields and terraces that reflect our art and culture were inundated by the siltation of mining waste.

Now the essence of our wellbeing kept hidden in the deepest chambers are slowly being eroded and silted.

What is left is just wishing for a moment of bliss to standstill, at a wink of an eye lasting till eternity......