Greetings of peace!
We are forwarding you the attached Solidarity Statement against Tampakan Mines from the Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace (ECSA-JP) /Caritas Philippines asking for support and signatures of the bishops and dioceses.
You may send your reply/consent through email or via text message to:
Ms. Jing Rey Henderson
Head of Communications and Partnership Development Office
ECSA-JP/Caritas Philippines
email: caritasphilippines@gmail.com / mjrhenderson@outlook.com
mobile: 0905-5469-977
Sincerely in the Lord,
Msgr. Bernardo Pantin
Secretary General
As we celebrate Laudato Si’ Week, we join with the people of South Cotabato and the surrounding provinces in expressing our strong opposition to the decision of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of South Cotabato to amend the ban on open-pit mining.
This decision threatens the ecological integrity of the place that for years provided and sustains all forms of life; putting in danger the watersheds of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, and Davao del Sur.
Lifting the ban on open-pit mining in Tampakan will hugely affect the long-term viability and sustainability of the watersheds that provide ecological services to the people of South Central Mindanao, now amplified by the effects of climate change. There is no such thing as development at the expense of the poor and the earth.
We unite our voice with the people of South Cotabato and the different sectors of civil society in appealing to Governor Reynaldo Tamayo, to veto the amendments, listen to the people, and ensure the constitutional rights of the people to a healthy and balanced ecology.
To the people of South Cotabato, to the indigenous people who participated in the public consultations, rallies, and protests against the lifting of the ban, and to those persecuted and humiliated for their stand against open-pit mining, may you find consolation with these words from Pope Francis in Laudato Si”:
“I want to recognize, encourage and thank all those striving in countless ways to guarantee the protection of the home which we share.” LS 13
This statement is inspired by the latest pastoral letter of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines in 2022, “A Call for Unity and Action amid a Climate Emergency and Planetary Crisis”, which states that the “church commits not to support any activity that leads to promoting destructive mining, recognizing the suffering it has brought and continues to bring upon the environment and affected communities.”
In this time of pandemic and climate disaster, protecting the ecological integrity that sustains and provides for all forms of life is an indispensable action to ensure the future generation.
