Activists today staged a sit-in at the offices of Metals
Exploration PLC, in protest of human rights violations and
environmental destruction linked to its subsidiary, Woggle
Corporation, a British-owned mining company operating in the
Philippines.
The protest condemns the escalating
repression faced by farming and Indigenous communities in
Dupax del Norte, Nueva Vizcaya, where residents are
resisting Woggle Corporation’s mining
exploration.
Violence Inflicted by Woggle goons at
Dupax Del Norte
Woggle Corporation has been linked to
the violent arrest and repression of local farmers and
indigenous peoples opposing its mining exploration. In June
2025, Woggle Corporation was granted an exploration permit
covering 3,100 hectares, the equivalent to approximately
4,000 football fields.
ICHRP Britain is leading the
British Mining Out of the Philippines (BMOP) campaign along
with London-Philippine Solidarity (LPS) and others in a
growing campaign coalition.
Helen Brewer from ICHRP
Britain says:
“The situation in Dupax del Norte is
emblematic of the Filipino people’s long history of
resisting foreign mining giants in the country. ICHRP
Britain
condemns these vicious attacks and stands in
solidarity with the Filipino people’s rightful defence of
land, livelihood and community.”
Sam Martin from LPS
says:
“We have staged this sit in to bring the
struggle of the people of Dupax Del Norte against Woggle
Corporation to its parent company Metals Exploration PLC,
based right here in London.
Advertisement – scroll to continue reading
I met with Florentino and
other land defenders in Dupax Del Norte in September when we
visited the community. When I was there, one thing
was
clear, the people of Dupax Del Norte – indigenous
people, land defenders, farmers, women and young people
alike – are steadfast in opposing mining on their
lands.
In the face of such overwhelming resistance,
the only thing left to do for a British company like Woggle
is to down tools and go home. We want to show the people of
Dupax Del Norte that we stand with them – while you fight
Woggle there, we’ll fight them here.”
The
Philippines is the fifth most mineral-rich country in the
world and remains the deadliest country in Asia for land and
environmental defenders. Foreign mining companies are known
to aggressively target the country, while local communities
bear the brunt of environmental harm and destruction caused
by extraction.
Mining operations in the Philippines
have long been associated with deforestation, watershed
destruction, loss of livelihoods, and disasters worsened by
climate change.
Peoples Barricade and
Resistance
In September 2025, residents of Dupax del
Norte established a physical barricade to prevent the entry
of mining equipment into their communities and
deforestation. On 23 January 2026, representatives from
Woggle Corporation and more than 300 members of the
Philippines National Police (PNP) and SWAT units violently
dispersed and arrested several land and environmental
defenders.
Florentino Daynos, a resident and local
anti-mining community leader arrested in the raid,
said:
“Why are we fighting against mining? Because it
is a battle for the next generation to come. This battle is
not only about our livelihoods, but about life. This battle
is about our children, and our children’s
children.”
Local government bodies and community
organisations are calling for the revocation of Woggle
Corporations exploration permit and an immediate halt to
mining operations in the area.
Notes:
British
Mining Out of the Philippines (BMOP)
British Mining
Out of the Philippines (BMOP) is a campaign calling for the
end to British mining operations that contribute to
environmental destruction and human rights abuses in the
Philippines.
What are the impacts of mining on local
communities?
Mining activities threaten:
The
livelihoods of farmers and Indigenous peoples
Homes,
agricultural land, and forest ecosystems
A critical
watershed that supports one of the Philippines’ key
food-producing
regions
Dupax del Norte is
considered the “breadbasket” of the Philippines and is
rich in copper and gold resources. Residents have raised
serious procedural concerns, including the lack of free,
prior, and informed consent, inadequate consultation, and
forums that exclude genuine community
participation.
Since June 2025, residents have taken
peaceful action, including forming human chains and
community barricades, to defend their land and
environment.
Calls for an investigation into Woggle
Corporation’s permit have been raised by Philippine
lawmakers, while the Dupax del Norte Municipal Council has
urged the filing of criminal complaints against Woggle
Corporation for alleged violations of the Philippine
Forestry Code.
Woggle Corporation is a British-owned
mining company and subsidiary of Metals Exploration PLC
which has obtained gold and copper exploration rights in
Dupax del Norte, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines.
Metals
Exploration PLC is a gold production, exploration, and
development company with offices in London and
Nicaragua.
Issued By:
The International
Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) is a
global network of organisations committed to justice,
accountability, and genuine peace for the Filipino
people.
London-Philippine Solidarity (LPS) is a group
acting in solidarity with the national democratic and
people’s struggle in the
Philippines.
