This story was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 5, March 6-12, 2005

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.

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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