Environmentalists demand repeal of Philippine Mining Act of 1995
By Viggo Sarmago
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — Environmental groups along with residents of mining affected communities trooped to the Senate on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 to mark the 31st year of the enactment of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 or Republic Act 7942.
The groups demanded the repeal of RA 7942 and called for the enactment of the People’s Mining Bill.
For environmentalists, the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 only enabled both foreign and local corporations to plunder natural resources through large scale-mining, displaced Indigenous and farmer communities while having no significant contributions to the national economy. Groups further stressed the compounding effects of large-scale mining from contaminating water systems with heavy metals and poisoning agricultural lands that can affect the nation’s food supply.
Community representatives from Dupax Del Norte in Nueva Vizcaya and from the Cordillera region joined the protest and shared their experiences against large-scale mining.
Lory Aguada of the Dupax Del Norte Environmental Defenders recounted her experiences in the people’s barricade and demanded for the permanent cancellation of the exploration permit of Woggle Corporation.
“As long as the threat of destructive mining remains, so will the people’s barricade, in order to ensure that our lands will still be here for future generations,” Aguada stated.
She also linked the RA 7942 to the continuing struggle of ordinary Filipinos against exploitation. “I was taught that the Philippines is a rich nation, but who benefits from it? The capitalists, while the [communities] suffer,” she said during the program.
Juan Dammay of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance-Kalinga called for the withdrawal of the Makilala Mining Company stationed in Kalinga.
“Communities across the Cordillera continue to defend their ancestral lands against large-scale mining that prioritizes profit over rights…We stand firm in asserting our right to self-determination and rejecting destructive mining in our lands,” he said.
He ended by urging Filipinos to join the fight against the broader corporate-driven extraction and plunder.
The groups expressed support for the People’s Mining Bill that aims to replace the extractive and pro-corporate system with a policy that champions environmental and human rights protection and to re-orient ownership, management and governance for national industrialization and local development. The bill was formally filed with the House of Representatives after the protest.
By the end of the program, the protesters held an action symbolizing their demand for former Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla, Ferdinand Marcos Jr and various mining companies to be held accountable. (AMU, RVO)
Photos by Viggo Sarmago/Bulatlat
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