Palawan violently attacked by armed goons of San Miguel Corporation
10 July 2024 - The International Land Coalition Asia (ILC) stands in solidarity with the people of Sitio Marihangin, Bugsuk Island in the province of Palawan, Philippines, in their struggle against the aggressive actions of a large corporation known for its brutality and oppression against local communities.
On June 29th, the San Miguel Corporation, operating through its subsidiary Bricktree Properties, dispatched 16 armed and masked individuals to harass the community. Shots were fired to intimidate the residents who were resisting. Undaunted, civilians pursued the armed guards with their bodies and cellphones. A massacre almost happened.
For many years, we have worked closely with these communities through ILC member PAKISAMA (the Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka) or the National Confederation of Family Farmers, who form part of the National Land Coalition Philippines. We have witnessed the peaceful nature of the community and the hardworking people within it. Such atrocities have no place in this paradise, and we appeal to San Miguel Corporation to cease any aggressive actions and to engage in genuine dialogue with the people. We also urge the Philippine government to prioritise the welfare and safety of its people over the interests of greedy corporations, which are often aligned with individuals in positions of power.
Over the course of the next years, San Miguel Corporation plans to develop a 25,000-hectare white beach tourism area. It has already constructed an airport on the 11,000 hectares of Bugsuk Island and has cleared the mangroves to make way for a 20-km long white beach. Whatever their intentions for making Bugsuk Island a tourist destination, it will have irreversible consequences on the community and surrounding nature.
Bugsuk Island’s tropical location makes it an ideal location for cultivating seaweed, where community-based seaweed farms play a crucial role in the country's agricultural economy, providing critical livelihoods to its residents ,including Indigenous Peoples.
Furthermore, converting mangrove areas into private property will worsen the already existing effects of climate change in the country. The Philippines is particularly vulnerable to climate disasters due to its location. The island also serves as a key biodiversity area, essential for migratory birds, and a breeding ground for various marine animals.
Given these significant implications, we call upon President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take swift action and fulfil the responsibility of an honourable leader in protecting the people from those who seek to take their land, their homes, and their livelihoods.
We call on the President to revoke the decision of the Department of Agrarian Reform on lifting the Notice of Coverage over agricultural lands earmarked for distribution to the people of Bugsuk Island. We expect the President to fulfil his promise of completing the distribution of agricultural lands for farmers within his Administration, including lands in Bugsuk.
We demand that the San Miguel Corporation and its subsidiaries, as well as the National Commission of Indigenous Peoples to respect and uphold the rights of the Palaw’an, Molbog, and Cagayanen indigenous peoples to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent as it pursues tourism development projects in the island. The Islands and waters of Bugsuk belong to indigenous peoples, their rights over their territories are enshrined in the Constitution and the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act.
We, thus, demand that the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to speed up the processing of applications of SAMBILOG-Balik Bugsuk Movement member Indigenous Peoples for a Certificate of Ancestral Title. (CADT), received by NCIP-Palawan, way back in 2005.
We denounce all forms of violence in land grabs perpetrated by landed elites and cronies.
We also extend our support to the First and succeeding Civilian Peace Missions, led by local civil society leaders, in Marihangin and Bugsuk to address the violence in the area.
The International Land Coalition is committed to defending the rights of land and environmental defenders and condemns the violent and unjust actions of the perpetrators as well as the corporations that support such violence in the pursuit of profit. We will continue to closely monitor the safety and rights of the people of Bugsuk and will support efforts aimed at promoting the well-being of the community and the environment.