Joaquim Magalhães de Castro
Priests, religious and lay people from the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino recently participated in a peaceful march and prayer celebration organized by the Social Action Commission of the Diocese of Bayombong, in the center of the Philippine island of Luzon. They thus expressed their solidarity with Bishop José Elmer Mangalinao of Bayombong and Father Christian Dumangeng, both accused and convicted in a legal process concerning mining activities in the Kasibu area.
On June 23, a hearing was held in the Kasibu Municipal Court, in the Philippine province of Nueva Vizcaya, regarding a request for an injunction in the civil case against the Bishop of Bayombong, Bishop José Elmer Mangalinao, and other activists and environmentalists who oppose a mining project in the area.
The civil lawsuit was filed by Rosario Camma, who identified herself as the “chief of the Bugkalot-Ilongot indigenous community.” At the heart of the matter, however, the case revolves around the barricades erected by local communities against the mining activities of the North Luzon Mineral Resources Corporation (NLMRC) on the ancestral lands of the indigenous population. Although the mining company is not listed as the plaintiff, the dispute is directly related to the mining project it promotes. The defendant’s lawyer, Fidel Santos, described the lawsuit as a potential “legal measure to intimidate environmentalists and opponents of mining.” In recent days, the court had already rejected a request for police intervention, thus allowing the peaceful barricades erected by local communities against mining to remain in place, at least until an injunction is granted. The controversy centers on the protest of the Bugkalot-Ilongot indigenous communities, whose territories are affected by a mining project. Bishop Mangalinao stated that the Church’s presence alongside local communities is based on a pastoral, not a political, responsibility. “As bishop of this diocese,” he explained, “I feel the responsibility to stand alongside the poor, to defend the most vulnerable, and to give voice to those whose voices are often unheard. This is not a political duty, but a pastoral one.” The bishop explained the reasons for his visit: “I went there to accompany them and offer them comfort.” He led a prayer service and emphasized that the Church will continue to listen to “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.” Meanwhile, several religious and academic organizations expressed their solidarity with the Bishop of Bayombong. St. Mary’s University of Bayombong expressed its unwavering support for the diocese and Bishop Mangalinao, reaffirming its commitment to integral human development, the protection of Creation, and the promotion of social justice. The university emphasized the need to pay special attention to indigenous peoples, recalling that the land is a gift from God and their ancestors and an essential part of their cultural and spiritual identity. The Catholic Education Association of the Philippines (CEAP), which brings together Catholic educational institutions in northern Luzon, also issued a statement expressing its support for the Bishop of Bayombong. The bishop’s initiatives, CEAP stated, should not be interpreted as political acts, but rather as expressions of the Church’s mission. “Solidarity with the poor, prayer with communities, and the defense of God’s creation are integral parts of the Gospel,” the document says. CEAP also warns of the danger of the misuse of legal instruments to intimidate or silence those who defend environmental protection and the rights of local communities. CEAP recalls that “caring for our common home” also encompasses human dignity, social justice, and the future of generations to come. It reaffirms its appeal for truth, justice, and the common good to prevail and underlines its commitment to educating young people who not only respect Creation but also courageously protect it. Several Church representatives in the Philippines expressed their support for the accused prelate. Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, Bishop of Kalookan, praised Bishop Mangalinao, stating that the bishop “never lost the courage to defend what he considers vital for his people.” Archbishop Ricardo Baccay of Tuguegarao, President of the Episcopal Commission for Public Relations of the Catholic Church, also expressed his support for the accused prelate. The Episcopal Conference of the Philippines expressed its solidarity “with all those who courageously stand up in defense of our common home” and recalled that caring for Creation and all creatures is “a moral responsibility.”
The Bugkalot are an indigenous people who inhabit the southern region of the Sierra Madre and Caraballo Mountains, on the eastern side of Luzon, in the Philippines, primarily in the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija and along the border mountainous between the provinces of Quirino and Aurora. They are also commonly called “Ilongot,” especially in older studies, but currently the endonym Bugkalot is preferred in modern ethnic research. They were formerly headhunters.
Currently, there are about 18,000 Bugkalots, according to the 2020 census. The Bugkalots tend to inhabit areas near rivers, as they provide a source of food and a means of transportation. Their native language is the Bugkalot language, spoken by about 6,000 people. Ilocano and Tagalog languages also dominate, both spoken in Nueva Ecija and Aurora, with the former also spoken in Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino.
In Ivan Salva’s 1980 study of Bugkalots, she described “gender differences related to the positive cultural value attributed to adventure, travel, and knowledge of the outside world.” Bugkalot men, more frequently than women, visited distant places. They acquired knowledge of the outside world, accumulated experiences in these locations, and returned to share their knowledge, adventures, and feelings in public speeches, in order to transmit them to others. Bugkalot men received acclaim as a result of their experiences. Because they lacked external experience on which to base their knowledge and expression, Bugkalot women had less prestige.
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