An indigenous group in the Cordillera region has formally requested the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to evaluate whether Makilala Mining Company, Inc. (MMCI) is fulfilling its commitments regarding employment, health programs, and financial benefits for local residents.
Representatives of the Balatoc Indigenous Cultural Community (ICC) submitted a two-page letter to the NCIP-Cordillera Administrative Region urging the creation of a monitoring team. This team would oversee MMCI’s adherence to the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) governing the Maalinao-Caigutan-Biyog (MCB) Copper-Gold Project.
The community emphasized that the agreement covers essential welfare provisions, including livelihood opportunities, infrastructure development, royalties, and social development initiatives.
“The MOA is not merely a ceremonial document but a legal commitment stipulating socio-economic rights and benefits to the Balatoc ICC,” the letter stated.
The group requested that the monitoring team explicitly evaluate whether the project has remained dormant or inactive for a period of at least one year to protect the rights of the indigenous community. They also called for the activation of a Grievance Committee to address disputes fairly.
In addition, the community expressed concern over internal legal disputes among the companies implementing the project, stressing that local residents should not bear the consequences of corporate conflicts.
“Thus, we humbly seek NCIP’s institutional intervention to ensure that the Balatoc ICC shall not remain uncertain and that a concrete and reliable pathway in the realization of the commitments made to the community should henceforth be accorded to them,” the group added.