Kelly Denn Venancio Tomas

21/07/2026

update:
TRO extension for another 10 Days as Injunction Hearing Shifts to August 6.

Duting today's earlier hearing before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 64 in Abatan, Buguias, both parties agreed to extend the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) for another 10 days, setting a new expiration date of August 8, 2026.

Under the agreed terms, Crescent Mining and Development Corporation (CMDC) remains PROHIBITED from bringing heavy machinery and drilling equipment into the contested sites. In turn, community members are barred from erecting additional barricades or physical structures along access roads.

While CMDC stated that the extension provides room to explore a potential settlement, affected reaffirmed their firm to the proposed mining operations. Local residents emphasize that the protection of their vital water sources and agricultural livelihoods specifically vegetable farming. This remains non-negotiable.

Among the many primary environmental concerns is a proposed drilling site located directly adjacent to a community water tank, which faces potential contamination risks from the company’s mud dump site.

Concurrently, the court rescheduled the hearing for the Writ of Preliminary Injunction from its original date to August 6, 2026.
We Stand with Bulalacao & Guinaoang.

20/07/2026

Di na umabot sa Flag Ceremony. 😅
Ngem back in Atok na, feeling renewed and reconstructed.

We spent our last week networking in for from Atok GAP Practitioners, and Atok Arabica processed by Caliking Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative in Pasig City, advocating with AHF Philippines' call to better manage, check and account our , and learning from the youth & speakers of Project PoliNation in Mauban, Quezon Province.
Also happy to share insights last Saturday online with Cordillera CivicAdemy.
Happy Monday, Go go go for this week! 🌞

19/07/2026

In solidarity.
Salamat po sa paninindigan, Gov. Trina Firmalo-Fabic, Kons Kaila 🥰🙏

14/07/2026

July 15, 2026: UNITY call on local governments, civil society, and every Cordilleran to act today.

As the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) commemorates its foundation anniversary on July 15, Atok Municipal Councilor Kelly Denn Tomas calls on the public to draw strength from the region's historic roots to combat today's escalating crises.

Ti panaki-anak ti CAR idi 1987 was a hard-won victory fueled by indigenous communities defending our Ancestral Domains against destructive mega-projects, such as the Chico River Dam and Cellophil logging operations.

Today and beyond, the spirit of remains urgently needed to confront the evolved exploitation of Cordilleran lands and people.

Ti inlaban dagiti "ap-apo" tayo was about securing a dignified life for every Cordilleran.

Banoran tayo kuma dagiti sakripisyo ti naun-una kenyatayo babaen ti napudno nga panang sango ti status tayo.Gapo ta ti laban for our ancestral domain, our farmers, and our health did not end in the 1980s. Inggana tadta gayam paylang.

The historic defense of the land mirrors today's ongoing barricades in Barangays Bulalacao and Guinaoang in . Indigenous residents are fiercely opposing the Crescent Mining and Development Corporation (CMDC), whose exploration of 533.4 hectares of ancestral land threatens vital water systems and farms.

Despite community rejection and an process, the community faces legal maneuvers, including a recent 72-hour Temporary Restraining Order intended to dismantle their peaceful defense, extended for 17 days.

Agpayso apo nga ada ti ken tayo. Highland farmer-IPs are squeezed by market instability, smuggling, and soaring costs. Driven to rely heavily on to secure yields, farmers face a quiet but devastating health crisis, with prolonged exposure directly linked to abnormal kidney, lung, neuro, and other diseases in Benguet. (With studies)

Kasta met, compounding pressures take a severe toll on well-being, while the fight for safe homes continues.

Although "reported" gender-based violence (GBV) complaints in the Cordillera significantly dropped to 437 cases in 2025 from a spike of 1,186 in 2024, domestic violence still accounts for a staggering 59% of these reported incidents. Additionally, it is not a secret that many are Masapol kitaen tayo kuma daytoy tapno matulungan tayo nga osto dagiti survivors.

Victim-survivors of prostitution and trafficking are online, in Baguio, and in Abatan. .

Dagiti inutang ti gobyerno nga pondo ket makurkurakot, nakita tayo siguro daytoy ti addo nga articles ijay news.

NGEM our history proves that when the Cordillera , no corporation or oppressive system can break us.

Let us stand in united in solidarity with the defenders in Mankayan.

Let us unite in securing better partnerships for our local farmers and advocate for fair trade. Solidarily continue advocating for &

Ituloy ti United nga panangisakit by checking the mental health of our neighbors, and actively protect the women and youth in your communities.

Leaders, agdenggeg tayo.

Let us apply our fierce to build a Cordillera that truly serves its people.

13/07/2026

Kas bantayan tayo jay the mining exploration ti CMDC ijay Mankayan, I think it is also nice to be on tract. We call for unity, partnerships among YBenguets, and beyond Cordillera..

Yes po, the Abatan Court has extended the TRO against barricade for 17 days, with an agreement to stop mining exploration machinery being moved. Our Indigenous Farmers' peaceful and meaningful, full of effort and harworks nga barikada ket agtuloy ladta.

Also Yes po, a formal petition has been filed idi paylang piman (months ago) with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples challenging the consent process; this requires the Commission’s immediate and transparent attention. WHEN? When When?

Also Yes po and yesterday, CMDC presented "resumption" of operations in Mankayan to our Sangguniang Panlalawigan by representatives.
Often, history tells us that they usually highlight economic promises and advantages (only?).

Will it also matter if advantages are also weighed against the lived realities and legal challenges on our farmers?

Our watersheds and farms transcend beyond municipal lines. Will it be good if weighed whether it only affects Mankayan, or us all including din adin maila (tan mai-anak paylang iman)?

I invite colleagues to unite in pursuit of equity and justice. Let us verify the facts, listen to the community, and stand together for the long-term protection of our farms.

Here is the final song in one of the masses in Guinaoang. “Walang sinuman ang nabubuhay para sa sarili lamang.” Apologies ta in-crop ko, for security purposes.

13/07/2026

12/07/2026

Salamat, Pasig City ❤️

11/07/2026

A Humble Call for our Religious Leaders and the Faithful for Prayers

PRAY FOR MANKAYAN: Defending Our Water, Protecting Our Future

As we approach tomorrow, Monday, July 13 and the coming days, we humbly reach out to all our friends, families, and the faithful of Benguet.

Our brothers and sisters in Bulalacao and Guinaoang, Mankayan, are at a critical juncture regarding the protection of their ancestral domain, farms, residential areas, and our shared waters.

The community has been in the barricade for almost 300 days now, practicing what true "Inayan" is.

As they prepare for the legal proceedings in the Regional Trial Court, we invite everyone to join in a collective prayer for justice, truth, and the welfare of our people.

This is not just a legal battle; it is a moral struggle to ensure that the stewardship of our land is respected and that the voices of our indigenous communities are heard.

Please include these intentions in your prayers:
🙏 For Wisdom and Justice: We pray for the court to be guided by the truth, and for the wisdom to uphold the rule of law—specifically the IPRA—that protects our indigenous communities.

🙏 For the Strength of our People: We pray for the residents of Bulalacao and Guinaoang. May they remain steadfast, calm, and dignified in their pursuit of due process. May they be protected from fear and division.

🙏 For Transparency: We pray that the truth regarding the consent process be revealed, and that all decisions made are rooted in honesty and genuine respect for the people.

🙏 For Our Watershed and Land: We pray for the mountains and rivers of our province. May we be responsible stewards of the natural resources that sustain our farms, our homes, and our future generations.

🙏 For Peace and Unity: May this challenge bring us closer together rather than pull us apart. Let us move forward with a heart for justice and a spirit of cooperation.

“Justice will not be denied; the law will be upheld.”

11/07/2026

"The strength of a democracy is measured by how it protects the collective voice of its community."
Let us amplify Brgy. Bulalacao & Guinaoang ' voice.

Media contact: Ms. Irma Pangsil - 09122993660 (kindly text her first)

10/07/2026

HAPPENING NOW IN MANKAYAN:

Indigenous farmers, leaders, and elders of Barangays Bulalacao and Guinaoang are standing their ground at a barricade, blocking Crescent Mining Corporation’s attempt to bring in their drilling equipment for exploration in Sitio Colocol and Caew.

The community- they themselves with their vegetable delivery car, is validly and bravely holding the line after receiving a 72-hour Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) from the court, and even amidst the heavy rains and the harsh effects of Typhoon . 🌧️✊🏽

Ayaw ng Indigenous Communiy please.

Our stand as Indigenous neighbors and human rights advocates:
Legal mechanisms must never be weaponized to break the , barricades of Indigenous peoples defending their ancestral farms and .

We stand in resolute solidarity with the residents of Guinaoang and Bulalacao.
📷 Habibi igorota