On January 5th of this year, secondary to the heavy rains and Typhoon Sendong (December 16th), a landslide atop an “illegal” gold mine killed more than 50 people and sent the remaining survivors in search of the hundreds missing. This disaster adds to the already catastrophic Sendong typhoon that struck less than a month ago, whose death toll now stands at over 1800 with close to 50,000 people displaced and thousands missing. 

If you’re a Pilipino here in the United States, you may have heard your parents comment on the typhoon: “Oh, it happens all the time in the Philippines…” True. This natural disaster known as a typhoon does strike the tropical island cluster of the Philippines often. Still, the frequency of landslides is alarming and does naturally lead one to question whether there is another reason for the incessant collapse of soil. Well, if you dig deep enough, you may find that the existence of “illegal” mines and heavy deforestation to be the crux. Simply put, trees and other vegetation aid in the land’s ability to hold together. When you begin to remove the trees, vegetation and/or burrow a hole into a mountainside, the soil becomes weak — weak enough for a heavy dousing of rain to break up and cause a landslide. Why would anyone want to destroy these forests? Why would anyone want to dig giant holes into such a beautiful landscape? 

Easy: besides being rich with beauty and spirit, the Philippines is also wealthy in natural resources — like gold. In order to get to those resources, companies who want access to them will purchase the land and hire the people who live on the land to mine and ultimately destroy the land in search of these resources. I use the word “hire” very loosely, because rarely are these exploited people put on a payroll or “taken care of” by these companies. The land of their ancestors sits on top of minerals that are making these companies (usually of foreign origin) rich beyond belief, yet they still live in extreme poverty. Not adding up, huh? I’m sure the government of the Philippines, whose establishment is to secure the well-being of its people is taking the proper steps to prevent this blatant manipulation from running all over the country… Right? They wouldn’t pass an Act or law that could aid a foreign company in the raping of the land… Right? They did and have for many years (ie. Mining Act of 1995). But why? 

Great question. It all goes back to keeping the few wealthy families of power in the Philippines… Well, wealthy and in power. These foreign companies know that the Philippine government is selling it off like a basehead. Come through and buy the land cheap, buy the labor cheaper and profit like a mu’ufukkuh with NO interference and, again, NO regard for the people. This is real shit. Study up. Let’s build up and bring awareness to this brazen act of disservice to the people of my parents’ home. Only then can we organize the people away from a semi-colonial/semi-feudal system and toward a democracy that is truly dictated by its people. Build up. Study.

Thanks for reading.

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