Philippines: Oil Palm Expansion Threatening Indigenous Communities

Written on 22 May 2013. Posted in Philippines

• Read more on the website of Intercontinental Cry Magazine
• Read part 1 of the recent ALDAW study “The Palawan Oil Palm Geotagged Report 2013” (pdf, 3.5 MB)
• Read part 2 of the recent ALDAW study “The Palawan Oil Palm Geotagged Report 2013” (pdf, 1.8 MB)

In the Philippines, massive oil palm monocultures are tearing apart indigenous peoples’ livelihood while plundering ecological valuable areas and precious biodiversity. As of June 2009, the total area devoted to oil palm in the country had already reached 46,608 hectares, covering the islands of Mindanao, Bohol and Palawan. Currently, in Northern Mindanao alone, 20,000 hectares of agricultural land are being targeted for conversion into oil palms, and another 20,000 hectares have been set aside for the same purpose in Palawan.

Palawan island has been declared a UNESCO Man & Biosphere Reserve in 1990. In Misamis Oriental province on Mindanao, massive human rights violations have been reported committed against opponents of oil palm plantations. These escalated on October 2012 with the extra-judicial killing of Gilbert Paborada, an indigenous Higaonon activist and member of the organization "Pangalasag". Of particular concern is the encroachment of oil palm plantations on Higaonon ancestral land in the Municipality of Impasug-ong, Province of Bukidnon.

Tags: Land rights, Climate