Philippine tribes revive reforestation to defy coal mining expansion

SOUTH COTABATO, Philippines — It’s been three years since production began at a coal mine in the mountain village of Ned, some 1,500 kilometers, nearly 1,000 miles, south of Manila, on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. Since then, more than 2 million metric tons of deposits have been carved out of the earth, leaving a wide brown scar through land once teeming with green vegetation. Since operation plans were announced, the mine has faced opposition from local Indigenous residents, farmers, and church and community organizations in the area, citing environmental and health concerns. A community consultation organized by the regional office of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), a government agency, in Lake Sebu this September revealed that resistance to the project has only hard