Professor Myfel Paluga of the University of the Philippine in Mindanao (UPMin) and chair of Sagip, an anti-mining advocacy organization, said aside from distributing relief aid to the evacuees or displaced indigenous people, they will document the prevailing conditions in the area.
"An assessment is needed in order to have a factual basis for the actions we will make and a direction for the advocacy to protect the people against the hazards of mining," Paluga said.
The group will also seek tie-ups in the local schools in order to craft an awareness program on the long-term impact of mining in the locality.
"We never can compete with the mining companies in terms of the material seduction they can employ for the people to accept their operations so it is important that we develop the views of the people to see beyond that and look towards the larger implications of their decisions now," Paluga said.
"Maayo na kung ma-realize nila na ang development na hinay-hinay pero naa sa ilang mga kamot is better than that of development nga controlled sa mining companies (good if they realize that slow development but lies in their hands is better than development controlled by mining companies)," Paluga added.
