Typhoon sendong: lessons on accountability from a man-made disaster

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BALSA Mindanao ( Bulig alang sa Mindanao/Help for Mindanao) is a broad

Mindanao-wide network of church and church-based organizations, schools, disaster

response NGOs, local executives, professional groups, youth and students, women,

partylists, and concerned individuals. It is a citizen-led response to the immense

humanitarian crisis brought about by Typhoon Sendong.

BALSA takes off from the efforts of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-

Northern Mindanao and Panday Bulig NGO which pioneered the humanitarian

campaign for Northern Mindanao. It takes inspiration from, and is therefore a

continuation of, the national citizen-led disaster response called BALSA (Bayanihan

alay sa Sambayanan) in the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy in Luzon in 2009.

It is a people’s mobilization for disaster response and climate justice. It relies on a

stream of volunteers from all over Mindanao, who bring with them various expertise

and contributions needed to help empower and rebuild affected communities.

Prepared and produced by

Balsa Minanao

February 2012

Cagayan de Oro City





A s we go through the ruins of Typhoon

Sendong, nagging, persistent ques-

tions arise: Why this? Why so many

deaths? Why such a devastation? Could we have

mitigated or even prevented such a disaster? Who is

accountable and why? What must we do so we can be more prepared when tragedies like this happen?

In order to exonerate themselves, high-rank-

ing government ofcials and responsible agencies

wrangle over the real reasons for the death and de-

struction wreaked by Typhoon Sendong. They say

it was all because of nature’s wrath and there was

nothing we could do about it – a heavy downpour

which should have taken a month happened in just

a few hours. Others pinpoint the narrowness of theCagayan River’s outlet to the sea and the high tide

which coincided with the ood. Some blame the vic-

tims for having lived near the river though many of

them had been there for decades.

Not until the real reasons are uncovered, and

studied, could we start to rectify our mistakes. In

the case of Typhoon Sendong, it is quite important

that we arrive at the scientic and correct under-standing of how and why it happened so as to avert

or mitigate a similar disaster in the future. Though

some lessons are learned the hard way, we can at

least pinpoint the real reasons and try not to repeat

the same mistakes all over again.

This primer is an effort to elucidate what mother

nature has been trying to tell us all along. Its con-

clusions and recommendations are based on a se-

ries of researches, interviews, data gathered in thecourse of our organizing work in Bukidnon, Cagayan

and Iligan. It may be used as an educational tool for

organizing and mobilizing the victims of Typhoon

Sendong as we work collectively to save our ecosys-

tem and try to repair the damage done as a result of

the wanton plunder of our environment.

...themudslide was

the devil ona rampagecoming in

on us inthe dead of

night.”

— a reugee romMacasandig,recalling the night oDecember 16, 2011 in

Cagayan de Oro City



3

In a nutshell, what exactly are the main reasons for theDecember 16-17 disaster in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan?

B

ased on our initial investigations and data culled from years of

peasant and community organizing in the outlying barrios of

Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, there are ve main reasons for thetragedy of December 16-17. First is forest denudation which has caused

extensive damage to the Mt. Kitanglad and Mt. Kalatungan watersheds. Second

is the uncontrolled expansion of pineapple and banana plantations at the foot of

Mt Kitanglad, located above the city of Cagayan de Oro. Third is the continu-

ing mining operations in many areas of Lanao and Bukidnon aggravating the

siltation of the rivers and their tributaries. Fourth is climate change, a phe-

nomenon which has brought storms and oods all over the world. Fifth is gov-

ernment’s failure to seriously address the phenomenon of environmental disas-

ters (despite the experiences of Typhoon Ondoy, Ormoc ashood, Ginsaugonlandslide and many others and despite the fact that the Philippines is one of

the countries in the world with

the greatest number of environ-

mental disasters).

These reasons have their

roots in the insatiable greed

of big business to extract our

natural resources– logs, min-erals like copper and gold, and

export crops such as pineap-

ple, banana and sugar– at the

expense of the environment.

Everything that mother nature

could give, they get. They plun-

der our natural wealth

and leave the people

poor and exploited.Plantations, log-

ging, mining and

gross government ne-

glect have caused the

Sendong tragedy; it is

man-made.

Cagayande Oro City Iligan City Other Areas TOTAL

Killed 737 693 42 1,472

Missing 555 466 53 1,074

Total Washout 5,801 5,246 3,786 14,833

Partial Washout 12,635 14,874 10,043 37,552



Tears rolled down

Nanay Estella’s eyes

as she recalled the

events of December 16-17,

2011. A resident of Tambo,Macasandig one of communi-

ties heaviest hit by Sendong’s

path of destruction, Nanay

was lucky enough to survive

the deluge. “Pasalamat ga-

yud ko og daku sa Ginoo

nga buhi pa ko ug walay na-

matay sa among pamilya”

(Thank God I am still aliveand no one in the family perished),

says she.

She tells that the ood waters

came very quickly, describing it as a

demon-like entity which engulfed the

entire community in a sea of mud and

logs in a matter of minutes. “Paspas

gayud kaayo ang pagsaka sa tubig

kay pagka alas 10 taga hawak na

man ang tubig nga naa sa silong

sa among balay” (The water rose so

quickly; at ten pm the water was al-

ready up to my waist), she adds.

Nanay Estella recalled that

around midnight she woke up to

screams of her daughter saying

“Mama! Bangon na mo! Naa naaang tubig! Mangamatay mo diha!”

(Mama, wake up! The water’s here.

You will die inside!) Rattled, she im-

mediately rose up only to nd that

she could no longer open their front

door because of the pressure from the

ood waters. She wondered how she

was able to jump out of their house

through the windows with two grand-

children in her arms.

While out in the open, the dark-ness made their escape difcult.

“Lisud kaayo ang among paglangoy

kay ngitngit. Igo ra nako ginapa-

minaw kun asa modiretso. Samtang

sa layo, madungog nimo ang buto-

buto sa tubig, mabati sad nimo ang

pagbuto-buto sa imong kasing-kas-

ing sa kakulba.” (It was difcult in

the dark. I just listened very hard to where I should go. We could hear the

rush of mud and stones; my heartbeat

seemed louder.)

Nanay said that even the rooftops

could not provide absolute safety. The

rst rooftop, says she, was not safe as

the oodwaters kept on rising. With

the help of their boarders who worked

at Dakay construction she and her

family had to cross over a total of

seven houses to get to their neighbour

Noni Roa for refuge.

Nanay Estella, together with her

family and several other individuals

were rescued from the rooftop on the

morning of December 17. She says

that it was the longest night of her life.She was much thankful to God and to

her neighbours for her survival. The

memory of Sendong shall forever be

etched in her memory. (picture of

people on top of house or of Nanay

Estella and her two grandchildren).



5

Added to this is the hap-

hazard urban development

of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan

where subdivisions, informal

settlements, dams, and condo-

miniums have been allowed tomushroom without due regard

for a rational, urban plan includ-

ing a system of risk reduction

and disaster preparedness.

What is the connection between the denuded forest and

damaged watershed to Typhoon Sendong?

The Philippines is a beautiful, mountainous archipelago. It is

one of the 18 megadiverse countries in the world. It used to have

vast forests with more than 50,000 species of plants and animals, most

of which can only be found here. During the Spanish colonization, the Philippine

forest totaled 27 million hectares; in 1917 it still had 17 million hectares or more

than 50% of its total land area. In 2002 we had only 5.2 million hectares and

many experts have warned us of the dire consequences of this situation. It is theonly country in Southeast Asia with the thinnest forest cover. The watersheds,

the source of our rivers and the most important buffer zones for oods have

dwindled to a very precarious state. (Remollino, Desertication in the Making,

Bulatlat Dec 2004.)

In Bukidnon, only 25% of the forest is left; the loggers have taken most of the

trees in the Talakag-Bukidnon rain forest. They have also denuded the Kapai-

Digkilaan-Rogongon rainforest in Lanao Sur – the most important buffer for the

oods in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City.

Ecologists in the Philippines and all over the world have expressed con-cern over the unbridled abuse of our forests. As early as the ‘80s we have been

warned of the dire consequences of denudation but the big loggers in Northern

Mindanao like Oloy Roa, Valderama, NALCO, Enrile to name a few, went on to

ravage the forest. From 1961 to 1992, a total of 540,012 hectares in Bukidnon

and neighboring provinces were covered by Timber License Agreements. The

Marcos dictatorship and the succeeding administrations gave them the right to



thousands of hectares of

prime forest lands and to

export logs – making them

millionaires overnight.

Yet, it is usually the illegal

loggers and kaingeros whoare blamed for denuding

the forest; the big legal

loggers are never in the

line of re and DENR of-

cials who abet and collude

with the loggers are never

critized nor reprimanded.

Laws that are sup-

posed to protect the forestare used to degrade the

forest. While the govern-

ment has ceased issuing

timber license agreements

more than two decades

ago, these have evolved

into better-sounding, sug-

ar-coated tenurial instru-

ments in the essence of socalled community integration but actually just euphe-

misms of the former TLAs. A case in point is the Integrated Forest Management

Agreement (IFMA) granted to six big companies covering 53,578 hectares in

Northern Mindanao, and the 298 Community Based Forest Management

Agreements (CBFMA) covering

213,770 hectares. All have been is-

sued Resource Use Permits or the

right to engage in logging by no less

than the DENR. And they say wehave a log ban?



7

Why did so much mud, stones, and debris pound thehouses and communities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan?

E

arlier, the heavy rains had al-

ready started in the mountains of

Bukidnon and Lanao. Since thereare very little trees left in the watershed to

retain the water, mud and stones came rush-

ing down with the heavy downpour. In a few

hours, the Cagayan River was inundated, its

banks overowed to more than a hundred me-

ters on each side. The force of the ood was so

much that in just a few hours, the communi-

ties along the river banks were devastated.

In an account by a survivor from Kala-kala, Cagayan de Oro: “Alas onse sa gabii

naabot na sa tubig ang among higdaanan.

Pila ka minutos taga hawak na ang tubig

sulod sa among balay. Dili na maabli ang

pultahan sa kakusog sa tubig. Mikatkat mi

sa atop apan sige gihapon saka sa tubig ug

napugos mi mobalhin sa atop sa silingan

nga mas taas ug mas lig-on. Daw ginahigopmi sa kusog nga lapok ug mga bato ug gap-

nod. Maayo na lang nakaabot ra gyud mi sa

atop. Uban sa akong tulo ka anak didto mi

nagpaabot nga mohupa ang baha.” (“I saw

the [ood]water had already reached our beds

around 11 pm. In a few minutes, it was up to

my waist. We couldn’t open the door because

the water pressure was strong. We climbed

up the roof, but the water kept rising so wetransferred to the neighbors’ house which was

bigger and stronger. It was as if we were being



swallowed by mud and stones. Thank God we were able to reach the roof and

there we fearfully waited for the water to subside.”)

The mud which inundated the communities of Cagayan de Oro was so much

that even after a month, inches of mud were still evident on many streets and

especially near the river banks. Most affected were the communities of Kala-

kala, Isla de Oro, Balulang, Macasandig, Consolacion and Kauswagan. A resi-dent emphatically points to the mud and the debris which inundated his house:

“Naggikan sa bukid ang lapok ug bato nga gianod sa baha ug midaut sa akong

balay ug mipatay sa daghang tawo. Tungod seguro kay wala nay kakahoyan

nga makapugong, mao nga pagbunok sa ulan, apil nabanlas ang yuta.” (“The

mud and stones that destroyed our house and killed a lot of people came from

the mountains. Maybe because there are no more trees to hold the earth so when

the rains came, the soil went with it.”)

The extent of the mudslide illustrates how damaged our watersheds are. The

province Bukidnon where lies the headwaters of Mindanao’s major rivers has aremaining natural forest cover of 24.9%, with the following breakdown: 14.23%

mossy forest, 2.79% primary forest, and 7.87% secondary forest.This percent-

age of forest cover is already far lower than the ideal minimum requirement

forest cover to maintain an ecologically healthy environment. According to the

US Vegetation survey, a healthy forest ecosystem can give its ecological func-

tion at 56% forest cover, others say at 40% forest cover for an island ecosystem.

With the disappearance of trees, what we can nd in the denuded landscape of

Bukidnon are vast plantations of pineapple, banana, and sugar.

Fr. Raluto, goes on to elucidate on the

deforestation of Bukidnon. “As Science

has repeatedly taught us, water and for-

ests are intimately linked because forests

actually serve as efcient watersheds.

Expectedly, many provinces in Mindanao

are plagued by various forms of ecological

disasters as a consequence of severe de-

forestation in Bukidnon. Moreover, withthe severe deforestation in the upland

of Bukidnon, its watersheds are also ex-

pected to be degraded and this means an

eventual drop in the levels of water sourc-

es, as well as shortage of water supply in

the lowland provinces of Mindanao. Thus,



9

with this critical ecologi-

cal condition, we are highly

susceptible to soil-related

disasters as our remain-

ing forest cover could no

longer sufciently containand absorb the amount of

water brought about by ty-

phoons and monsoon rains.

For us, the incidence of an-

nual typhoons and heavy

monsoon rains could always

mean serious soil erosion,

ash oods, and disastrous

landslides.” (The Sendongtragedy in Mindanao and

the ecosystem services

of the Bukidnon forests,

MindaViews, 31 Dec. 2011)

In Iligan, the mudow

also carried thousands of

logs which pounded and de-

stroyed the houses. Dead

bodies were found under

the logs and rescue opera-

tions were impeded because

there were so many logs and

debris oating on the river.

“There are two water-

sheds that drain to Iligan,

one that has an area of approximately 65,000 hectares and one with around

7,800 hectares (estimated only through GE Path). The bigger watershed drains water from as far as Talakag in Bukidnon and Kapai and Tagoloan II in Lanao

del Sur. The smaller watershed drains partly the towns of Tagoloan, Baloi, and

Pantaran in Lanao del Norte. All of these watersheds drain into an area approxi-

mately 1,500 hectares within Iligan proper. It is like having two large buckets

pouring their contents to a very small one.” ( Marcos Mordeno, Unprepared for

the Worst, Mindanews, 31 December 2011.)



How important is the watershed to the ecosystem?

A watershed is an area of land that feeds all the water running under it and

draining off of it into a body of water. It combines with other watersheds to

form a network of rivers and

streams that progressively

drain into larger water areas.Topography determines

where and how water ows.

Ridge tops surrounding a

body of water determine the

boundary of a watershed.

Imagine turning an open

umbrella upside down in the

rain. Rain that hits anywhere

within the umbrella's surfacearea would go to the bottom

at the center of the umbrella.

Any rain that didn't hit the

umbrella would fall to the

ground. The umbrella is

like a watershed; it collects

everything that falls into

it. (source: Environmental

Protection Agency)

Do you know how manygallons of water a tree

can retain? As much as a thousand

gallons, depending on the

size and kind of the tree. Trees

and forests are still the best

solution to foods.

WATERSHED HECTARES HOST MUNICIPALITIES

Taoloan 151,870.84 Malitbog, Manolo, Fortich, Sumilao,Impasug-ong and Malaybalay City

Caaan 110,631.06 Talakag, Baungon and Libona

Mariuao 57,362.27 Don Carlos, Pangantucan, Kalilangan,Kadingilan and Talakag



11

How big are the plantations in Bukidnon? Why arethey considered as a major factor in the killer oods ofTyphoon Sendong?

The current plantation area in Mt Kitanglad is estimated at

80,000 hectares. These are the areas planted mainly to the del Montepineapple and the Stanlco Dole bananas. The del Monte pineapple plan-

tation has been in the area since 1926; now it is in the municipalities of Manolo

Fortich, Libona, Baungon and Talakag – all overlooking Cagayan de Oro. The

Stanlco Dole bananas are more recent but also spans a considerable area (more

than 21,000 has.), aggressively expanding further into the Bukidnon watershed.

With the prospect of big prot and the encouragement from the government, more

plantations have been built into the denuded landscape of Bukidnon. Based on

the land use

map from thep r o v i n c i a l

government,

agricultural

p r o d u c t i o n

a c t i v i t i e s

(mostly pine-

apple and ba-

nana produc-tion) happen

even within

forestlands.

(see Annex 1

for the list of

plantations

in Bukidnon)

Situated on plateaus with elevations ranging rom 1,600 to 2,200 eet, the del Montepineapple plantation covers an area o 23,000 hectares that includes at least our

municipalities in Bukidnon Province o Mindanao. Harvested ruits are sent to Del Monte

plant in Bugo, Cagayan de Oro City or processing and canning. Products such as sliced

pineapple and pineapple juice carrying the household brand Del Monte are sent to dierent

countries like the United States, Japan and European and Middle Eastern Countries. In 2008

Del Monte announced a net proft o P$39.8 million (rom http://noelautor.hubpages.com/

hub/The-Del-Monte-Pineapple-Plantation-in-Bukidnon-Philippines )



The high amount of rainfall which the soil cannot absorb quickly leaches out

nutrients. Water that is not absorbed by the soil becomes runoff and erodes the

soil. As the soil becomes compacted by the intensive cropping, machinery, tram-

pling of soil, removal of organic material, and pounding of rain, the soil’s abil-

ity to absorb water decreases and runoff and erosion increases. The removal of

vegetation along streams destabilizes their banks and increases lateral erosion.The result is rapid erosion of the land and increased sedimentation in streams

and water bodies.

In an environmental investigation mission conducted by the Center for

Environmental Concerns on the intensive agricultural practices of the Dolel

pineapple plantation in Polomolok, it was found that the plantation greatly af-

fected the watershed of the Matutum catena causing the ashoods in nearby

towns and as far as General Santos City. According to the investigation, Dolel's

plantation contouring and diverting natural waterways caused land scouring

that caused the loss of about 380,000 cubic meters of soil or close to 2.53 mil-lion hectares furrow slice. The hydrology of the region was also extensively al-

tered with the deposition of the drainage lines and spring waters and articial

dissection of landscape because of gullying… Water from the plantations was di-

verted to the trail resulting to land wasting and erosions which also ate up size-

able portions of the farms.”The expansion of monocultured pineapple planta-

tion by Dolel was said to be the cause of about 65% of ashoods and erosions

in the area. (Center for Environmental Concerns, Environmental Indicators in

Mindanao,in a powerpoint presentation , 8 November 2011)



13

Are there mining and quarrying activities near Cagayan

de Oro and Iligan, adding to the siltation of the rivers?

A ccording to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) as

of February 2011 a total of 12 mining companies are cur-

rently operating in the Sendong-affected areas in Region 10.

Exploration permits have also been given to nine (9) companies, which total

more than 42,000 hectares.

MINING TENEMENT IN NORTHERN MINDANAO

COMPANIESCURRENTLYOPERATING

HECTARESEXPLORATION

PERMIT

HECTARES FOREXPLORATION

PERMIT

Iligan 7 979.24 1 761.00

Misamis Oriental 4 537.57 3 17,535.00

Cagayan de Oro 4 10,040.65

Bukidnon 1 1,152.00 1 13,756.68

TOTAL 12 2,668.81 9 42,093.33

Source: Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region – 10 Web: http://www.mgb10.com

However, according to a research conducted by the Rural Missionaries of the

Philippines (RMP) there are 51 companies which applied for exploration permits

in the province of Bukidnon alone. ( Blood Money, Plunder and Militarization of

Lumad Communities in Mindanao 2011)

Current mining exploration have been observed in Brgys Guihian and

Calabugao of Impasug-ong town, near Tagoloan river.



Mining, as we have experienced, has caused disasters like landslides, oods

and pollution in many parts of the country. Barely two weeks after Typhoon

Sendong, a landslide killed at least 40 people in the mining areas of Brgy

Napnapan, Pantukan, Compostela Valley. And yet, the government has tena-

ciously implemented the much-hated Philippine Mining Act of 1995 which al-

lows the unmitigated exploitation of our lands by the foreign multinationalmining companies. In the name of “progress” or additional investment for the

Philippine economy, the government has turned to mining as a solution. But

in the long years of having offered our mineral resources to the foreign mining

companies, has there been any progress at all?

BROWN WATERS. An aerial view rom ahelicopter o the heavysiltation in the Agusan

River in BarangayAgusan, Cagayan deOro City as it emptiesinto Macajalar Bay,on August 31, 2011.MindaNews photo andtext by Froilan Gallardo

(http://www.mindanews.com/photo-o-the-

day/2011/09/04/brown-waters/)

Are there no government policies and programs for theprotection of our forest, watershed and rivers?

T

here are programs to protect the environment; but on paper

only. And sometimes the law on environment itself is used to

destroy the environment.For instance Mt. Kitanglad which has been declared a National Integrated

and Protected Area (NIPAS) and is a major watershed providing water for power

generation, irrigation, and domestic use for the provinces of Bukidnon, Misamis

Oriental and Davao is also the place where the vast plantations are located.

Our environmental laws are crafted with so many loopholes and these are

usually used by politicos and big business for their own ends. In the Revised



15

Forestry Code, there is no clear, workable dermacation or boundaries of wa-

tersheds. In this way, forests and watersheds have dwindled because of the en-

croachment of logging, mining and plantations into “protected areas.”

Environmental laws and ordinances also contradict each other. For instance,

Circular 2005-05 by former environment secretary Michael Defensor adopt-

ed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which declared that “a forest is an area of land with a minimum size of 0.5 to

1 hectare, with a tree cover of more than 10-30%, with trees in the potential to

reach a height of 2-5 meters at maturity in situ.” In effect this declares the ba-

nana plantations as “forest” and is an invitation for more plantations to be built

in Mt Kitanglad and other “protected areas”.

The list below is a sampling of how our laws and policies on environment

have been used or manipulated by big business in connivance with corrupt gov-

ernment ofcials, further degrading the environment:

LAW OBSERVATIONS

Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines – basic

forestry standards such as mulple use, forest

ulizaon and management, and criminal oenses

and penales. Amended by PD 865, PD 1559, PD

1775, BP 83, RA 7161 and EO 277.

On paper only. In actual fact, legal and

illegal logging have been rampant in many

watershed or protected areas

Nanal Intgratd Prtctd Ara Systm

(NIPAS). This is the principal law on protected

areas, encompassing outstanding remarkable

areas and biologically important public landsthat are habitats of rare and endangered species

of plants and animals, biogeographic zones and

related ecosystems, all of which are designated as

protected areas. The protected areas include strict

and nature reserve, natural monument, wildlife

sanctuary, protected landscapes and seascapes,

resource reserve and natural bioc areas. (hp://

pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADL681.pdf)

Bkidnn Prvincial Cd n Mt. Kitanglad

(Rpblic Act N. 8978, datd Nvmbr 09, 2000)

The boundaries of the forest lines have not

been dened. This despite Arcle XII, Sec. 4

of the 1987 Philippine Constuon which

states: “The Congress shall as soon as

possible, determine by law the specic limits

of forest lands and naonal parks, marking

clearly their boundaries on the ground.

Thereaer, such forest lands and naonal

parks shall be conserved and may not be

increased nor diminished, except by law. The

Congress shall provide, for such period as it

may determine measures to prohibit logging

in endangered forests and watershed areas”.

(http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADL681.

pdf)

Indigns Ppl’s Rights Act (IPRA) Sec. 58.

Environmental Consideraon– ancestral domains or

parts of the ancestral domain which are considered

as watershed, mangrove wildlife sanctuary,

wilderness, protected areas, forest cover and or

reforestaon must be protected by the tribe in

coordinaon with the concerned agency (NCIP).

Many tribes of indigenous peoples have

peoned the government to scrap this law

because IPRA has actually been used as the

very mechanism for the entry of largescale

mining and agribusiness plantaons with the

able assistance of the NCIP



As early as 2010, scientists had already warned of apossible disaster due to the siltation of the CagayanRiver. Why didn’t the government heed this?

The Climate Change Conference of the Philippines (CCCP) in

2010 already warned of possible oodings in Cagayan de Oro.

According to Dr Esteban Godilano, a space technology expert, “Alam na

nila 'yan. Tatlong beses akong nag-present doon. Una noong National Summit

on the Impact of Climate Change sa buong Mindanao, sa Cagayan de Oro din

… Siguro naghahanap pa ng pondo, kaya lang inabot na ng delubyo.” (inter-aksyon.com, 22 December 2011)

The maps of CCCP showed the extreme denudation of the Cagayan water-

shed, “... so it was but natural that water, mud and debris will directly ow into

the Cagayan de Oro river. Even if there were no rains in Cagayan de Oro and

Iligan, if there are heavy rains in Bukidnon and Lanao, it will surely ood in

Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and adjoining lowlands,” Dr Godilano said.

LAW OBSERVATIONS

Agricltr and Fishris Mdrnizan Act

(AFMA) RA 8435, Secon 12 Protecon of Wateshed

Areas All watersheds that are sources of water for

exisng and potenal irrigable areas and recharge

areas of major aquifers idened by the Department

of Agriculture and the Department of Environmentand Natural Resources shall be preserved as such at

all mes.

AFMA gave way to the extensive land

conversion of many areas of agriculture and

sheries for giant mulnaonal companies

which lead to the loss of peasant lands and

more poverty and suering for our farmers

and shermen.

Indstrial Frst Managmnt Agrmnt (IFMA)

a producon sharing contract which gives the right

to develop, manage, protect and ulize a specied

area of forestland and forest resources therein for a

period of 25 years and may be renewed for another

25-year period, in accordance with an approved

Comprehensive Development and Management

Plan (CDMP) and under which both pares share in

its produce. (DENR AO No. 99-53).

Fast growing trees like gemelina, bagras,

falcaa are planted mainly for the purpose

of logging and not for reforestaon. Aer

7-8 years these fast growing trees must be

harvested and the deforestaon connues

all over again. Many loggers have further

enriched themselves not only from the

industrial tree plantaon but from the

remaining trees in their IFMA areas.

Writ f Kalikasan a legal mechanism for

environmentally endangered communies and

individuals to seek judicial assistance. (Rules of

Procedure for Environmental Cases A.M. No. 09-6-

8-SC Rule 7, Sec. 1).

Only two cases have yet led the Writ of

Kalikasan; the stoppage of the 117 km. oil

pipeline of the First Philippine Industrial

Corporaon (FPIC) in Maka and the closure

of the Irisan Dump in Baguio City.



17

No one in government

heeded the CCCP warn-

ings. More priority was giv-

en to other programs like

Oplan Bayanihan and the

Conditional Cash Transfersor 4Ps. The SMS based

early warning system estab-

lished through a memoran-

dum of agreement between

telecommunication compa-

nies and the NDRRMC was

not utilized in the duration

of Typhoon Sendong. The

proposed Php 5 billion bud-get for calamity prepared-

ness was vetoed by Pres.

Benigno Aquino III from the 2011 national budget, which Aquino rationalized

by stating that the calamity fund should be used for actual calamities and not for

preparatory activities.”

Should the people hold the government accountablefor the death and destruction of typhoon Sendong?

The government is accountable for gross negligence and lack of

concern for the people’s safety and disaster preparedness in

the event of a calamity such as Typhoon Sendong.

More damning is the fact that it is government itself which has become the

instrumentality through which acquisitive foreign multinational companies and

local capitalists and landlords extracted our natural resources, destroyed the

environment and exploited our people.Pres. Benigno Aquino III with his “matuwid na daan” (righteous path) has

continued to carry out the same environmentally destructive policies of past

administrations, to wit, the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 which allows

and encourages multinational companies to extract our rich mineral resources,

the Investment Incentives Act and Export Incentives Act which gives

a lot of leverage in favor of foreign investors and colonial trade; the policy on



Land-Use Conversion which has cleared the way for the unimpeded entry

of big agribusiness monocrop plantations, and all the policies and programs at-

tendant to Globalization which nailed our country to inequitable and unfair

agreements at the expense of our people and the environment.

What is the local government’s accountabilityin the Sendong tragedy?

In January 2009, the Cagayan River overowed in torrential cur-

rents and also claimed lives and damaged property. But nobody,

including the local government, learned from that incident. The LGU could

have at least informed the people of what the January 2009 ood entailed.

Instead, it allowed informal settlers to increase rapidly in areas like Isla de Oro.

It also allowed the construction of “golden mile,” a tiny boulevard which closedthe river channel between the delta and the eastern bank, narrowing further

the Cagayan River’s outlet to the sea. The local government also failed to con-

duct serious dredging of the heavily-silted Cagayan River despite the presence

of dredging machines and earlier warnings from the DENR and other agencies.

During the tragedy it-

self, a lot of rescue teams

of the AFP and govern-

ment agencies were so busy retrieving the dead

but allegedly no rescue

boats were dispatched to

save the lives of people

oating on Macajalar Bay

and as far as Camiguin

island and Bohol. As one

survivor puts it: “Daghan

pa man ang buhi nga na-glutaw sa dagat. Daghan

ang namatay tungod

wala na sila kaagwanta

sa katugnaw ug kagutom.

Ang mga buhi unta ang

unang gitabang. Seguro,



19

daghan pa gyud unta ang ma-

salbar kun may common sense

and gubyerno nga magpadala

og rescue teams didto sa dagat.”

(There were still a lot of people

oating on the ocean. Many perished because they could

not stand the cold and their in-

juries. It should have been the

living who were given priori-

ties. They would have survived

if only the government had the

common sense to immediately

send out rescue teams to the

open sea.)The LGU’s height of insen-

sitivity and total lack of concern

was the dumping of unclaimed

bodies in the city’s garbage dump of Cagayan de Oro.

The local governments of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan were so ill-prepared

and so inept to be able to respond to the killer ood of Typhoon Sendong.

Obviously, and as bitter experience has shown, not a single system of workable

disaster preparedness and emergency response has been established. With the

constant threat of oods, landslides and other disasters in our country, would

the national and local governments really and truly do something about this?

Has the government done any relief work asimmediate response to the calamity? Are the relieffunds from our kababayan and from friends abroadaccounted for?

R elief efforts have been made by the DSWD, the LGU and other

governmental agencies. Substantial relief work has also been done

by the private sector, the NGOs, the churches and the progressive peo-

ple’s organizations.

Foreign relief aid as of January 6 has already reached $22.444 million.

(PINAS.NET, 12 Jan 2012). The question is, have the funds been spent to where

?



they should really go– to the victims and survivors languishing in evacuation cen-

ters all over the city? Or has it found its way to the coffers of our ‘good politicos’?

Is there a possibility of a disaster like Typhoon

Sendong happening again in Mindanao or in anypart of the country?

God forbid, but yes, there is a possibility of another similar di-

saster happening in any of our towns and cities. If we don’t sin-

cerely listen to what mother nature has been telling us all along, another

CDO-Iligan tragedy is in the making. And things may be too late.

Now is the time for us to make decisive moves in order to avert or mitigate the

onslaught of nature which is the direct result of long years of environmental abuse.

; We must educate each and everyone in our community and in our planeton the environment and how to protect it.

; We must teach our people the ramications of disaster preparedness or

what to do in the event of a calamity.

; We must organize self-help groups, community organizations,

neighborhood committees and other “pagtinabangay” formations in

case a disaster occurs.



21

What are our demands to the Aquino administrationin order to mitigate or avert tragedies such astyphoon Sendong?

a.

Cancel all large scale mining activities and

programs in the Philippines. Do not allow the entry of multinational mining companies. Clarify and enforce strict

regulation on sustainable mining and punish all those who do

not follow such regulations. Repeal the Philippine Mining Act

of 1995. Enact the People’s Mining Bill.

b. Immediately rescind the expansion of export crop

plantations. Nationalize the pineapple and banana

export industry owned, controlled or operated by the foreign

transnational companies like del Monte and Dole-Stanlco.

Encourage the planting of food crops like rice and cornand vegetables for the food security of the nation. Allot

substantial funds for agricultural subsidies for small farmers

and cultivators.

c. Enforce the logban. Protect the watersheds and set their

clear dermacation. Enjoin the populace to reforest our

mountains through a denite program of action. Discourage

swidden agriculture (kaingin) and educate the people on

forest conservation.d. R epeal the land conversion policy and create

a rational rural and urban planning for all

communities. Regulate the construction of subdivisions,

dams, condominiums and other infrastructure which could

be inimical to the overall rational plan of the area.

e. S ystematize and implement a viable, practical

program for disaster preparedness. Mobilize the

academe, the church, the private sector and the people’s

organizations in a serious and extensive education on theenvironment and environmental care and protection.

f. R emove from ofce and punish all corrupt ofcials

who are in cahoots with big business in exploiting our

natural resources and our environment. Have the political

will to do what must be done in order to save mother earth.



What are the survivors’ demands to thegovernment?

a. Indemnication. Families who have been directly hit by thestorm must be indemnied for the loss of their loved ones, the

destruction of their homes and crops. Those who are responsible

for the destruction of the environment particularly the loggers, the

miners and the agribusiness companies must indemnify.

b. Relief and rehabilitation. Priority must be given to those who

are presently in the evacuation centers. Rehabilitation and re-

construction must be started now in a place that is not only safe

but also accessible to the residents’ livelihood. A clear accounting

must be made on how relief assistance has been implemented.Opportunists and corrupt ofcials who ride on the people’s mis-

fortune must be exposed and meted punishment.

BALSA MINDANAO

3 February 2012



23

Bibliography

1. Mordeno, Marcos Tokenism in environment conservation? Mindanews 21 April

2011

2. Accountability in the Typhoon Sendong Experience , Position paper by the Ka-

likasan Party List January 13, 2012

3. http://www.josemariasison.org (http://s.tt/154oR)4. http://pd.usaid.gov/pd_docs/PNADL681.pd Philippine Forest and Wildlie Law

Enorcement ( a paper submitted to the USAID)

5. http://orestry.denr.gov.ph/primer.htm

6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kitanglad

7. http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=IFMA(Phils)

8. http://www.cecphils.org/eedback-2011-ish1-national-patrimony-and-peace

9. http://www.chrisporr.net/row2/chrisphil7/neocolonial/neocolonial.htm

10. http://www.mindanews.com/special-reports/2011/12/31/special-report-mindanao-

oods-unprepared-or-the-worst-2/

11. Remollino, Alexander Desertifcation in the Making, Bulatlat December 200412. Center or Environmental Concerns, Environmental Indicators in Mindanao,in a

powerpoint presentation , 8 Nov2011.

Photo Credits

1. BALSA MINDANAO, www.balsamindanao.net

2. GALLARDO, Froilan, MindaNews website, http://www.mindanews.com/photo-o-

the-day/2011/09/04/brown-waters/

3. JOSE, Coleen, Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, http://pulitzercenter.org/slide-

shows/philippines-mindanao-agusan-del-sur-logging-industry-extraction-resources4. NACALABAN, Joey P., “40 days ater Sendong: Grieving and letting go”, Sun-

star Cagayan de Oro website, http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/

eature/2012/01/26/40-days-ater-sendong-grieving-and-letting-go-202721

5. NIGERIA NEWS ONLINE, “Philippines Typhoon Washi: Pictures show the carnage

wrought on communities”, http://news2.onlinenigeria.com/world/uk/128759-phil-

ippines-typhoon-washi-pictures-show-the-carnage-wrought-on-communities.html

with copyrighted images and texts rom EPA, AFP Getty Images and Reuters.

6. YAP, Anthony rom Phantom Maelstrom blogspot, http://phantommaelstrom.

blogspot.com/2011/12/mass-burials-prepared-in-iligan-and.html, downloaded 13

February 2012



PERMIT HOLdERTyPE Of PERMIT/

AgREEMENTLOCATION HECTARES COMMOdITIES

Mcwealth Mining Corp. Mineral processing

permit

Digkilaan Iligan City Copper minerals

Platinum Group Metals MPP Manticao, MisamisOriental Ferronickel

MCCI Corp. MPP, MPSA Illigan City, Lanao del

Norte

26.78 Ferronickel, Limetone

Singtech Mining and

Trading Co. Ltd., Inc.

MPP Naawan, Misamis Oriental Copper

SYH Trading Corp. MPP El Salvador, Misamis

Oriental

Mining Phil. Inc. MPP Iligan City, Lanao del Norte Copper

Alsons Cement Corp. Mineral Production

sharing agreement

Lugait, Misamis Oriental;

Talacogon & Dalipuga

Iligan City

537.3774 Shale / Limestone

Mindanao Portland Cement Corp. MPSA Kiwalan, Kalubihan,Tagulbo Iligan City


Iligan Cement Corporation MPSA Sta. Filomena, Bunawan,

Kiwalan Iligan City


Holcim Phils. Manuacturing Corp. MPSA Dalipuga, Iligan City;

Lugait, Misamis Oriental

433.4240 Shale

Eagle Crest Mining and Dev’t Corp.

Pres: Ms. Zenaida Arellano

Exploration Permit Dansolihon Cagayan de

Oro City

1,961.2546 Iron and orther

minerals

Cypress Mining and Dev’t Corp.

Pres: Ms. Ava Maria de Dios

Exploration Permit Dansolihon, Cagayan de

Oro City

3,341.7473 Iron and other

Minerals

Glendale Mining and Dev’t Corp.

Pres: Rudy C. Tan

Exploration Permit Dansolihon, Cdo 1,561.4608 Iron and other

minerals

Linkstone Park Resources, Inc.Pres: Cesario P. Magsaysay

Exploration Permit Opol, Naawan, ManticaoMisamis Oriental.

13,954.374 Chromite and otherassociated minerals

Woland Resources, Inc.

Pres. Anders West

Exploration Permit Mainit, Iligan City 761 Gold and others

CEKAS Dev’t Corp. Exploration Permit Cagayan de Oro, Misamis

Oriental

810 Chromite and others

APC Mining Corp. Exploration Permit Lourdes, Alubijid Misamis

Oriental

2,367.62 Chromite, Gold,

Copper and oters

San Cristo Mineral Exploration Exploration Permit Iglosad San Fernando

Bukidnon

13,756.679 Gold, Silver, Copper

and Associated

Minerals

Mountain Range Resources Corp. Exploration Permit Awang, Opol:

Hinagdanan, El SalvadorMisamis Oriental

1,606.72 Chromite and other

associated mineralsS

Firestone Ceramic Lease contracts Ticalaan, Talakag 1,152 Feldspar, white clay

SouRCe: Mins and Gscincs Bra - Rgin 10 Website at hp://www.mgb10.com/mgb10/,

accessed by Balsa Mindanao on January 22, 2012

Appendix 1: List of Mining and Quarrying Companies

in Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental and Lanao



25

COMPANy LOCATION LANd AREA (HAS.)

PINEAPPLE PLANTATIONS

Del Monte Phils Malaybalay City 1,800

Lapanday Diversifed Malaybalay City 900

Del Monte Phils Impasug-ong 1,471.28

Skyland Division Impasug-ong 800

Lapanday Diversifed Manolo Fortich 1,435

Dole Phil Dangcagan 1,500

Davao Agri-Ventures Corp Don Carlos 1,500

Southern Fresh products Inc Don Carlos 1,500

Dole Phil Kibawe 3,470

Dole Stanflco Baungon 500

Del Monte Phils Sumilao 748

TOTAL 15,624.28

BANANA PLANTATIONS

AMS Farming Corp Malaybalay City 3,200

Dole-Stanflco North Skyland Malaybalay City 1,000

Dole Stanflco Valencia City 1,500

Manupali Agri-Development Corp Valencia City 600

Dole-Stanflco Skyland Division Impasug-ong 1,300

Dole-Stanflco Dangcagan 500

Dole Stanflco South Skyland Don Carlos 1,000

Unifed Group o Panabo Coop Quezon 300

Agrinanas Development Co. Baungon 1,000

Dole Stanflco North Skyland Zone Baungon 1,000

Dole Stanflco Skyland Zone Lantapan 800

Dole Stanflco North Skyland Zone Lantapan 1,100

Highland High-Valued Crops Producer

Multi-Purpose Coop

Lantapan 550

Mt. Kitanglad Agri-ventures, Inc Lantapan 2,000

Agrinanas Dev’t Co., Inc Libona 800

Dole Stanflco Skyland Zone Maramag 1,600

Dole Stanflco South Skyland Zone Maramag 600

Ray Manigsaca Maramag 300

Dole Stanflco Panangantucan 1,000

Dole Stanflco Skyland Zone Sumilao 504

Agrinanas Dev’t Co., Inc Talakag 4, 367

TOTAL 21,025

Total number o land devoted to sugarcane = 55,279.

SOURCE: Bra f Agricltral Stascs website at countrystat.bas.gov.ph.,

accessed by Balsa Mindanao on January 23, 2012.

Appendix 2: Partial List of Agribusiness Plantations in Bukidnon



Documents

Typhoon sendong: lessons on accountability from a man-made disaster