Philippines

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In the Philippines, Oxfam Australia supports poor and marginalised communities adversely affected by development bank projects such as dams or power stations and those whose livelihoods and environments are threatened by mining operations. We also respond when natural disasters strike to provide life-saving assistance to people in need.

Our focus

Monitoring the development banks

Oxfam Australia actively campaigns on development banks' impact on poor communities in the Asia-Pacific region. We do this by:

Monitoring development bank projects in Asia
Working with an international network of non-government organisations in donor and developing countries to support communities negatively affected by bank projects
Seeking to influence the policy and practice of development banks
Lobbying donor governments to development banks, including the Australian Government

Oxfam Australia is part of the Manila-based NGO Forum on ADB, which is a network of Asian and international NGOs that monitor the Asian Development Bank. The NGO Forum’s secretariat monitors ADB projects and aims to give voice to community concerns over the negative impacts of some ADB policies and projects.

The Mining Ombudsman project

Mining companies are increasingly affecting economically poor and vulnerable communities living in remote locations in the Asia-Pacific region. In the Philippines, Oxfam Australia is working with communities in the north of the country and on Marinduque Island to uphold their rights in the face of mining operations which threaten their livelihoods and local environments.

Didipio

Didipio is located in a remote region in North Luzon. Many in the Didipio community are concerned that a proposed mine – which is due to begin production in 2009 – may cause environmental damage, endanger health, displace them from their lands and destroy agricultural economic opportunities. Oxfam Australia's Mining Ombudsman became involved in the Didipio case in 2002 at the community's request and continues to work with the community to ensure their voices are heard. Find out more

Marinduque Island

When Marcopper started mining some four decades ago, local communities could not have foreseen the devastation it would bring. For more than 20 years, Marcopper dumped millions of tonnes of toxic mine waste into Marinduque's seas and polluted its rivers. As a result, local people have lost their health, livelihoods and some have even lost their lives. Find out more

Rapu-Rapu Mine (Lafayette)

The Mining Ombudsman has received a request from Sagip Isla Sagip Kapwa to conduct an investigation into Australian mining company Lafayette Mining Limited’s operations on their island following the failure of the mine’s environmental safeguards on two, possibly three, occasions. Lafayette Mining Limited’s operations were suspended in 2005 following two cyanide-laden spills at its mine site.

The Mining Ombudsman has conducted a preliminary investigation and intends to visit the communities of Rapu-Rapu Island to undertake a further case investigation in 2007.

Responding to emergencies

Oxfam has a long track record of helping people struck by natural or man-made disasters across the world.

In the Philippines, we have responded to several natural disasters over the years, most recently to the devastating typhoons that swept through the country in late 2006, affecting some 1.5 million people.

We responded quickly to this disaster, distributing emergency cash grants to evacuees, providing blankets, jerry cans and sanitation supplies, and providing safe water to the thousands of people taking shelter in evacuation centres.

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