Community leaders from Dupax del Norte, environmental groups, indigenous peoples, peasants, church people, and supporters gathered at UP Diliman in Quezon City on February 16 to formally launch the Defend Nueva Vizcaya Movement (DNVM).
The movement aims to support Dupax del Norte people who have consistently struggled to drive out Woggle Corporation, as well as other communities who have opposed destructive foreign mining in Nueva Vizcaya.
“Today we gather not merely to launch a movement, but to affirm a conviction—that land is sacred, people are sacred, and our advocacy is sacred as well,” said Bishop Elmer Macalinao of Bayombong, a DNVM main convenor.
During the activity, community leaders relayed stories of how Woggle’s personnel violated the law, such as encroaching on areas beyond their approved operations, and harassing, assaulting, and threatening residents.
The movement demands accountability from the mining company and the government agencies that allowed environmental destruction and human rights violations, and calls for the protection and restoration of the watersheds, forests, and farmlands that sustain Nueva Vizcaya and the Cagayan Valley.
They also urged adopting policies that prioritize sustainable livelihoods, ecological integrity, and the welfare of present and future generations over foreign companies’ short-term profits.
The movement encouraged the groups involved in forming DNVM to join the national protest on February 25, marking the 40th anniversary of EDSA, and the national solidarity mission in March.
The Alyansa ng Novo Vizcayano para sa Kalikasan (ANVIK Official), Dupax del Norte Defenders, Taripnong–Cagayan Valley, and the Center for Environmental Concerns–Philippines expressed their support for DNVM.
