“Respect, don’t desecrate indigenous peoples’ ancestral domain.”
This was the appeal of a vice chairperson of the House committee on indigenous cultural communities and indigenous peoples after a recently aired documentary showed the plight of an Aeta community in Subic, Zambales.
“The deplorable conversion of ancestral domains for the convenience of others must stop. Let us respect and not desecrate the ancestral domain of our IPs. May karapatan po silo na mamuhay nang tahimik, ligtas, at hindi ginagambala ng iba,” Solid North Party-list Rep. Ching Bernos said.
The lawmaker called on the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples to immediately investigate whether other IPs’ ancestral domains had also experienced similar incidents of encroachment.
Bernos was reacting to a recent “I-Witness” documentary titled “Ibinasurang Paraiso” that revealed that a portion of a mountain in Sitio Tibag –an Aeta community– had been turned into a dumpsite by the Subic local government since 2019.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had supposedly investigated the incident in 2022 and, by 2025, issued a cease-and-desist order against the Subic LGU.
The lawmaker called on the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples to immediately investigate whether other IPs’ ancestral domains had also experienced similar incidents of encroachment.
“We have to find out if the Sitio Tibag situation is an isolated incident or simply the tip of the iceberg,” she said.
Bernos also appealed to LGUs not to be “first violators” of IP rights.
“It is our sworn duty to serve the people and protect their interests. Hindi po labas sa sinumpaang tungkulin natin ang ating mga katutubo. Kasama po sila sa dapat nating pinaglilingkuran at pinoprotektahan,” the solon said.
