Political Dynasties and Mining: A Toxic Mix?

Abstract

Political dynasties are ubiquitous in the Philippine local government landscape, yet none more so than in the Dinagat Islands, a province where members of one family — the Ecleos — have dominated local government politics since the province was carved out of Surigao del Norte in 2006. The Ecleos were also considered as influential figures in the politics of Surigao del Norte, with one member of its clan having served as provincial governor and another member having represented the first district of the province for at least 4 terms in the post-Marcos Congress. This case study examines economic development and governance of Dinagat Islands particularly in terms of its mining industry.

Keywords: Democracy, political dynasties, economic development

JEL Classification: D70, J45, N41, N42