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NEWS & Updates
Defending Ancestral Domain
By Fr Shay Cullen, 21 January 2010
Aeta Groups with Fr. Shay Cullen and the Preda Staff , happy after receiving their ancestral land title recognizing their rights to more than 15,000 hectare of land in Botolan.
It was a happy day and a happier event for hundreds of the
descendants of the original inhabitants of the Philippines. They were
gathered in the covered basketball court of Botolan, Zambales, to be
recognized as the rightful inhabitants and owners of 15,000 square
kilometers of ancestral domain.
Many of them had walked thirty or forty kilometers from the edge of
their ancestral domain, Mount Pinatubo, the volcanic mountain sacred to
these peaceful people who first inhabited these islands thousands of
years ago before land bridges from the Asian mainland submerged leaving
only the islands.
The guests began to arrive, government officials, NGO lawyers and social
workers, all who helped make it possible. We took our places behind the
long table on the high stage, with huge banner, with a photograph of the
mountain and the message declaring that it was their right and the
rights of all indigenous people to occupy what is rightfully theirs
without interference. It stated the obvious of course, but in the
Philippines the obvious is not much recognized, not where there is vast
mineral wealth beneath the lands.
The speeches were made, some long, especially those of the politicians
running for office and some were short. My speech was very short, a
message to the officials to more or less read the message on the big
banner. I said the government was not giving them anything that was not
already theirs by natural law and the law of the land. The government
was merely recognizing their rights. The indigenous leaders understood
it and nodded in understanding but the officials were bowed, as one
would think in prayer, not so, they were just busy checking their emails
or text messages, but the people applauded and waved.
Such declarations of rights are very necessary these days when land
grabbers, miners invade, and loggers climb the highest peaks to cut the
remaining trees, defying law and common sense. The people are not
ignorant, illiterate tribal dwellers. Nowadays, indigenous people are
wise to the ways of the lowlanders,,the exploiters, the loggers and the
politicians. They have sent their children to school and college. Back
in the village, these educated young people can give you an eye-opening
presentation with charts on how climate change is destroying their
ancestral environment and threatening their lives and lands. Equally
outspoken are the leaders and council of elders when it comes to the
encroachments of mining corporations on their ancestral lands.
On the adjacent mountain in Maporac village, Cabangan, last August 29,
09, a local engineer Alfredo Bartido, an employee of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) allegedly entered the ancestral
lands of Maporac with a group carrying surveying equipment and began to
survey. The people of the village gathered and protested and told the
group that they were trespassing in ancestral domain and need to get
out. They kept the surveying equipment as evidence of the alleged
illegal activity and trespassing.
Previous to this, bulldozers had entered the land and began open pit
mining until the people called in the authorities and stopped it. So it
was clear to the people that the survey could be used to make a claim on
the land and get some kind of official approval for mining to resume.
Engineer Alfredo Bartido immediately filed charges of robbery in the
provincial capitol in Iba, Zambales against the people. He is claiming
almost one thousand dollars in damages to the equipment and a loss of
income. The people have counter-charged and the battle goes on.
This is just one incident of thousands nationwide that get the people
agitated and disturbed. Much more has to be done to support the
indigenous people and help them protect the environment and stop the
illegal logging and mining. They are the protectors of the remaining
forests. It’s all we have left for future generations.
[shaycullen@gmail.com]