A regional trial court in Nueva Vizcaya served OceanaGold with an injunction last week, halting the company’s demolition activities on Didipio lands. It will only be in effect for 20 days, but it’s nonetheless a great victory for the community. They been trying to stop OceanaGold from destroying their land since 1994.

Members of the Didipio Earthsavers Multi-Purpose Association (Desama) filed for the injunction (Temporary Restraining Order, TRO) on February 27, saying the company was not providing “just compensation” or even relocation sites for the displaced people.

In a statement, Desama said …

Indigenous Communities in the Philippines have been recently forced to step up their efforts to defend their lands against foreign mining interests. There were two separate blockades last month, both in Nueva Vizcaya, Northern Luzon.

The first blockade was set up on Thursday, December 10th, shortly after the Ifugao, Ibaloi and Kalanguya got word the Australia firm OceanaGold would soon arrive to start exploration operations on their land. Sure enough, the workers arrived the following day. Fortunately that’s all they did—at least until the 100-strong group escorted the workers …