This healer is also a teacher

Former mining opponent now trains mining communities on traditional medicine

Inocencio Venenoso never thought he would be working with a mining company. “Not in my wildest dreams!” he says. Frank and straightforward, he never misses a beat in pointing out that his “non-negotiable” pro-environment stance and distrust towards mining began in his 40s. But fate played on him. Now 61, he has become a firm believer in mining, that is, if it’s done in a responsible manner.

“Tatay Lolong” (Father Lolong), as Venenoso is more widely known, has been conducting traditional medicine (TradMed) training for residents of Siocon, a town in Zamboanga del Norte that hosts the gold-copper mining operations of TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc. (TVIRD) at the Subanon indigenous homeland of Canatuan in Barangay Tabayo. Aware that TradMed is an effective and efficient alternative to high-priced medicines in drug stores, especially in remote rural villages like Canatuan, TVIRD asked Tatay Lolong to share his TradMed expertise with members of the company’s host and impact communities. As he is by nature an altruist, he readily agreed.

For many years Tatay Lolong worked with Father Ilario Trobbiane, an Italian missionary priest from the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions assigned at Diplahan in adjacent Zamboanga Sibugay province. It was this priest who encouraged Tatay Lolong to acquire knowledge and skills in TradMed, specifically acupressure, shiatsu (traditional Japanese hands-on therapy), reflexology, ventusa (Chinese treatment where a cup is heated on the inside to create a vacuum and then applied on the body with sleight of hand), and moxibustion (Chinese medicine therapy using moxa or mugwort herb). All these he now teaches to participants in his TradMed training sessions.

While serving as an active lay minister of the Roman Catholic Church, Tatay Lolong was tasked with conducting seminars for engaged couples who were about to get married, officiating “dry mass” in villages when priests were not available to celebrate the Holy Mass, and leading bible studies with fellow church workers and co-parishioners. And because many in the church hierarchy are opposed to mining, it was understandable for Tatay Lolong to take the same position.

He says it was a long story why he became a “convert” to responsible mining. His change of heart wasn’t easy, he stresses. He likens it to the biblical story of Saul of Tarsus, who persecuted the early Christians, but later converted to Christianity, became an evangelist, died defending Christianity and was recognized by the Catholic Church as St. Paul. Tatay Lolong had long and sometimes heated debates on environmental issues with TVIRD personnel who were assigned at Balabag, the company’s exploration site that straddles parts of Bayog in Zamboanga del Sur and Diplahan in Zamboanga Sibugay. He found the debates enriching and, despite his differing opinions from those of the employees of the mining firm, settled with the thought of “agreeing to disagree” with them. The employees, for their part, did not overlook Tatay Lolong’s expertise and tried to convince him to conduct TradMed training for TVIRD with the consent, of course, of the parish priest.

“Misugot man siya dihang nananghid ko nga motrabaho para sa TVIRD [He (Fr. Trobbiane) allowed me to work for TVIRD when I asked his permission],” he says.

It has been four months since Tatay Lolong first began his TradMed training sessions in Siocon, spearheaded by TVIRD’s Community Relations and Development Office (CReDO). The training he conducted in Barangay Poblacion was his fourth in this town, with 43 participants coming from Poblacion, Tabayo, Pisawak and D. Riconalla. A total of 107 women, including many from Canatuan and surrounding villages, have undergone Tatay Lolong’s training, says CReDO’s Noelle Nazareno.

Constantino Soriano, chairman of Barangay Poblacion, says he wanted the training be done in his community “so that my people will know that there is an activity being conducted by TVIRD in partnership with the barangay officials and the Liga ng mga Barangay (League of Barangays).”

In his speech during the graduation ceremonies of TradMed participants, Constantino – elder brother of Siocon Mayor Ceasar Soriano – said he and all the members of the barangay council have gone up to the mountain village of Canatuan to see for themselves the mining operations of TVIRD. “We personally saw for ourselves the safe and responsible mining practices that TVIRD is doing there.”

“Traditional medicine is really useful in our homes,” says Alicia Sumalin, 48, a Subanon participant from D. Riconalla. “It will help us in a big way, considering our limited household budgets and the fast-rising prices of prime commodities. Aside from TradMed’s being effective in curing minor health problems like fever, body pain, stomachache, coughs or even diarrhea, you don’t have to spend money for it. All you need are the proper skills to be able to do it.”

Lucita Yu, a participant from Barangay Malipot, agrees: “It is true. TradMed is useful not only to my family, but to my neighbors as well.”

Leonila Amarilla, who was given the “Best in Ventusa” award with a cash reward from Constantino, was profuse with her thanks to Tatay Lolong and TVIRD. “From now on, I will no longer be just another onlooker when members of my family and neighbors get sick. I can readily offer the skills I learned here.”

Another participant, Fatima Isnani, a Muslim from Barangay Malipot, relates that when her grandson suffered diarrhea the night before the graduation ceremonies, “He became my first patient. I applied to him the acupressure skill I learned here. Thanks to Allah, my grandson is now okay and we did not have to go to the doctor.”

Word about the benefits of TradMed quickly spread throughout Siocon, according to CReDO Coordinator Julma Villanueva, and TVIRD was flooded with requests for the conduct of similar training sessions in other barangays. “We are fixing the schedule so no one will be left out,” she says.

Tatay Lolong says he hopes that those whom he has already trained will always be compassionate, especially to the needy. “During every graduation I ask them to always help everyone; to share their skill. It is like TVIRD that gives and shares with its Subanon partners and residents of other communities not only because it is what the law requires, but because the company is sincere and serious about social responsibility.” (Lullie Micabalo)