A Tribute to Ama Alibcang, 74
Who is this old man who
is revered by the people of Mankayan and other anti-mining activists?
BY ABI TAGUBA BENGWAYAN
Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat
|
BAGUIO CITY – He was
no Fernando Poe, Jr. but he was still considered a “king.” Revered by the
people of Mankayan, he was called Lakay or community elder whose wisdom
was sought and stature respected. Not surprisingly, his people who knew
him mourned his untimely death when he passed away on February 22 due to
pneumonia. He was 74. |
Ama Alibcang |
Last February 28, the
Bulalacao community huddled in a small space outside the family house of
Lakay Alipio “Alibcang” Pasiteng. Their eyes were fixed on a small TV
screen set up some two feet above the ground. People’s organizations in
Baguio City prepared a 15-minute video tribute for Lakay, an anti-mining
activist. That night, at least 1,000 individuals gathered to honor Ama
(father) Alibcang as he is popularly called.
Video clips of Ama
Alibcang speaking in community meetings and taking part in mass actions
were shown. In one clip, he is shown in an interview with The Probe
Team on large-scale mining. A curtain of Mankayan clouds serves as the
backdrop, with the afternoon sun filtering through. Speaking gently but
firmly, he imparts a vision for the people of Mankayan. They watched the
video several times, now and then smiling at the memories of the old man.
“Nalabes unayen ti
araramiden ti kompanya a Lepanto (Consolidated Mining Corporation or
LCMC) iti panangdadael na iti ili tayo a Mankayan. No mabalin, isardeng
da koma dayta nga expansion da. Kasanonto ti masakbayan dagiti anak ken
apo mi. Uston dayta nasurok 66 years nga negosyo da a minas ditoy ili
mi.Ginundawayan ken inusar da laeng ti kinabaknang ti ili mi tapno
agpabaknang da. Kasukat daytoy ti adun nga naksaksakit a paspasamak ken
didigra inted na kadakami nga umili kas iti panakapukaw ti danum,
panakarsood ti ili, panakapoison ti angina, dagiti adu a kaso ti sinking
ken panakabetak dagiti pagardenan ken residential a lote. Adu pay dagiti
naapektaran nga umili a pagayusan ti rugit ken basura dayta a kompanya ti
Lepanto. Mabiag kami kas umili ti Manakayan uray awan dayta a
pagminasan basta saan a mapukaw ti danum ken madadael dagiti bantay ken
kaarayan mi” (Lepanto is doing worse damage to our town of Mankayan.
If possible, they should stop their expansion. What is the future of our
children and grandchildren? Sixty-six years of mining business here in our
village is enough. They only exploited our resources to enrich themselves.
This, in exchange for painful experiences and calamities like water
shortage, land erosion, air poisoning, sinking and cracks in gardens and
residential lots. There are more people affected by the dirt and garbage
of the Lepanto Company. We people of Mankayan will survive even without
the mines and as long as the water does not disappear and our mountains
and rivers are not damaged.), said Ama Alibcong in one of his past
interviews.
Indispensable role
Members of people’s
organizations like Alyansa Dagiti Pesante iti Taeng Kordilyera (APIT TAKO,
or Peasant Alliance in the Cordillera Homeland) and Cordillera People’s
Alliance (CPA) revered Ama Alibcang during the tribute, recognizing his
indispensable role in wielding unity and determination among Mankayan
communities against large-scale mining and its devastating effects.
Leaders from Mankayan, Quirino, Tadian, Cervantes Danggayan a Gunglo (MAQUITACDEG,
an inter-municipal alliance of communities along the Abra River) and other
Mankayan-based organizations recalled that Lepanto, when it tried to
suppress the growing opposition by filing civil cases against Ama Alibcang
and other community leaders. In the end, the cases were dismissed.
Lakay Pasiteng’s
involvement in the struggle against large-scale mining sharpened his
political views, stressed Windel Bolinget of the Cordillera Peoples
Alliance (CPA).
Lakay Pasiteng played
a significant role in the series of municipal environmental summits
relative to the devastating impact of the copper and gold mining
operations of the LCMC-Lepanto Mine Division. As a community spokesperson,
he confidently discussed large-scale mining as development aggression that
destroys and exploits community resources.
“Ti arapaap ko a
ket sumardeng ti dakkel a panagminas tapno haan a mariribuk ti umili”
(My vision is that large scale mining should be stopped so that the
communities will not always be threatened.), he stressed in an interview
by the The Probe Team (ABC 5) in December 2004.
Poem
A poem was read later
in the evening. In the family house, other community elders chanted the
day-eng (mourning chant) deep into the night, fending off sleep. Of
his 34 grandchildren, the more able ones kept themselves busy with chores,
serving coffee and cooking. A humble array of mountain flowers and
personalized crepe blossoms were given to the family. Despite the evening
chill, people simply kept coming, offering their condolences with Ama
Alibcang’s family and recognizing his contributions to the community.
Ama Alibcang is
survived by his wife Martina Caslangan and their 10 children—Berto,
Corazon, Marlet, Paquito, Walter, Agosto, Marcelino, Sofia, Junio, and
Carmen.
“As a father, he was
firm, always guiding and teaching us children to do what is right”,
recalls his son Walter. “Ama was always convinced to run for office, but
he refused for he always believed he can still serve his kakailyan
(fellow villagers) without holding public office. And he did.”
Ama Alibcang, who had
in him a strong sense of community has left behind tasks that others will
continue, leaders of community organizations said during the tribute.
With the kind of leadership Ama Alibcang exemplified, that sense of
community is well and alive in Bulalacao and beyond.
Bulatlat
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