Ayta Day 2013
Indigenous Ayta, Unite!
Defend Ancestral Lands, Culture and Self-Determination!
Oppose Plunderous Mining, Dam, Eco-tourism and militarization!
I. Rationale
At present, indigenous peoples in the country are facing exploitation and oppression, primarily through violations of their cultural rights, rights to ancestral land and self-determination. They are victims of land grabbing and displacement as result of government implementation favoring the interests of big foreign and local mining corporations, construction of dam, eco-tourism and other projects. The Aquino government realizes this by carrying out the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program and other laws and programs disadvantageous to the indigenous peoples. The National Commission on Indigneous People (NCIP) brainwash the indigenous communities to consent with the Indigenous Peoples Master Plan as packaged in the Peace and Development Plan (formerly MTPDP), to avoid opposition against programs and projects that violate their cultural rights and snatch away their ancestral lands.
It is public knowledge that Noynoy Aquino prioritzes mining, thus, mountainous areas around the country are bombarded with mining applications from foreign corporations and their local counter-parts. Mining operations in the country displace indigenous communities, grab their ancestral lands, destroy the environment and plunders our natural resources. Aquino worsened the implementation of Mining Act of 1995 by issuing the Executive Order 95, that accelerated the process and favored foreign and local mining corporations.
The whole country is aware of the adverse effects of mining. From Luzon, Visayas to Mindanao, indigenous communities, even lowland communities bear with the grave consequences of mining operations. In Northern Luzon, mining operations continue to destroy the ancestral lands of Igorot and Ibanag indigenous peoples. In Southern Tagalog, damaging effects are caused by quarrying operations in Montalban, Marcopper mining in Marinduque, grabbing of ancestral lands by mining corporations in Palawan. In Bicol, mining in Rapu-rapu island in Albay damaged the environment and ocean. In Visayas, Philex and other mining corporations continue to destroy the natural environment of Negros, and by coal mining in Semirara, Antique. In Mindanao, mountain ranges are almost flattened by foreign corporations in different areas, which are majorly ancestral lands of Lumad. Generally, mining operations violate the cultural rights and rights to ancestral lands of indigenous communities. In addition, lowland communities suffer the after-effects of mining such as flooding and landslides.
Aside from mining, indigenous communities are also faced with the detrimental implemenation of Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), National Integrated Protected Areas (NIPAs), Integrated Forestry Management Agreement (IFMA) and other related laws which the government utilize to encroach upon cultural rights of indigenous people and snatch away ancestral lands. These laws and programs aim to trample on cultural rights by imposing private ownership of used-to-be communal ancestral lands. The unity of indigenous peoples are undermined by private property to facilitate grabbing of ancestral lands by landlords and foreign mining corporations.
It is clearly that the programs and policies of the Aquino government are disadvantageous to the indigenous peoples, instead they are instrument for wide and incessant violation of rights to ancestral land, livelihood, culture, even to the destruction of the natural environment and plunder of the country’s national minerals.
In Central Luzon, indigenous Ayta dwell in mountainous parts of Pampanga, Zambales, Tarlac, Bataan and some parts of Nueva Ecija. They are confronted by miserable conditions and their communities primarily endangered by mining and land grabbing. Ayta live by farming, hunting, gathering and coal-making. They usually cultivate banan, root crops and fruits. In Porac, Pampanga, Ayta farmers harvest “puso ng saging” and sell them to a “sacadero” as they are laborous to harvest and to haul to the town center. At this stage, they are exploited as they confront underpricing dictated by the sacadero. The sacadero also underprice the coal produced byAyta, as well as their other products. The sacadero also engages in usury, which collaterals the lands of Ayta farmers.
(See appendix for issues of Ayta in Central Luzon)
Though Ayta communities are wildly disregarded and displaced, they continue to struggle for their cultural rights, particularly the defense of their ancestral lands and against mining and other projects. As the government intend to exploit the natural resources within Ayta ancestral lands, they become usual victims of human rights abuses perpetrated by government forces. Notwithstanding, Ayta communities continue to strive and clamor for an all-Ayta movement to uphold their cultural rights and ancestral lands.
In fact, Ayta communities from Pampanga, Zambales, Tarlac and Bataan are fervent to revitalize the Central Luzon Ayta Association (CLAA) as a consolidated Ayta mass organization to drum up their issues, expose the Aquino government’s neglect and oppression of Ayta people, and uphold their cultural rights. During the consultation of CLAA, some Ayta leaders shed tear as they were elated that their mass organization is being organized and claimed that they are waiting years to be again led by CLAA.
As a duty and a requirement to uphold cultural rights of Ayta, CLAA would lead the long-established “Ayta Day” this coming August. It would be an amalgamation of the unity and collective struggle of Ayta communities from different provinces, backed up by their supporters from different sectors.
The Ayta Day theme this August 12, 2013, would be:
Indigenous Ayta, Unite!
Defend Ancestral Lands, Culture and Self-Determination!
Oppose Plunderous Mining, Dam, Eco-tourism and militarization!
Ayta Day would be lead by CLAA, Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (AMGL), Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KAMP) and Katribu Partylist.
II. Objectives
a. Consolidate the Ayta indigenous people in the region, for the defense of their ancestral lands and cultural rights, against mining and militarization.
b. Advocate the issues of Ayta in the provincial, regional and national level and expose the anti-Ayta programs and policies of the Aquino government.
c. Gather broad support from different sectors to strengthen the Ayta struggle in the region
Appendix - Issues of Ayta in Central Luzon
The following are few of highlight issues that Ayta communities are presently confronting, based on the data from Central Luzon Ayta Association (CLAA), Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (AMGL) and KAMP:
Pampanga
• Mining in Brgy. Camias, Porac, Pampanga. Pisumpan Copper Mines Inc. (PCMI) and Shuley Mines Inc. threaten to mine Mt. Abo. Since 2004 up to the present, elements of the 70th Infantry Battalion of the Phil. Army (IBPA) are stationed at the area, led by a certain Col. Catapang. The basic rights of Ayta farmers are violated such as: coercing them to report daily at the military detachment; threat to be killed; Ayta homes are threatened to be assaulted in the middle of the night; showing off of the military Order of Battle including names of Ayta and accused of being members and sympathizers of the New People’s Army (NPA); constrain to movement of Ayta farmers; food blockade; house-to-house; illegal and warrantless searches; direct physical attack by mugging and use of rifle butt; gun pointing and forced recruitment to CAFGU.
• Aside from Brgy. Camias, the Dizon family operates mining and quarrying in 8,756-has. In Brgy. Aglao and Buhawen in San Marcelino, Zambales; applied for 1,107-has. In Brgy. Pabanlag, Floridablanca, Pampanga; explores 825-has. in Brgy. Mabulilat, Porac.
• Eco-tourism in Brgy. Sapang Uwak, Porac, Pampanga. A developer corporation Triple L is encroaching about 400-has. of Ayta ancestral land. Triple L is a partner of Ayala Land.
• Eco-tourism in Liitle Baguio, Bliss and Sitio Target, Angeles city and Mabalacat, Pampanga. A Korean company Donghwang grabbed 300 has. of Ayta ancestral lands. About 80 Ayta families were displaced from a 2-ha. land. Prior to this, Clark Development Corp. (CDC) grabbed the ancestral lands, claiming it is part of the Clark military reservation or sub-zone, subsequently selling it to foreign corporations. A golf course is planned to be constructed. Ayta were not compensated, instead they were employed to cultivate bermuda grass, where male Aytas were paid at P360 per day, while the women at P260. Some of the Ayta were hired as security guards.
• Eco-tourism in Brgy. Nabuklod, Brgy. Mawacat and Brgy. Camachile in Floridablanca, Pampanga. Agro-reforestation and eco-tourism projects implemented by the NCIP and Pampanga provincial government. The provincial government implemented the Agro-Tourism Upland Development project, covering 1,000 hectares (300 hectares from Brgy. Nabuklod, 300 hectares from Brgy. Mawacat and 400 hectares from Brgy. Camachile); the construction of the viewing deck covered farms and sacred lands of Ayta community. Ayta are recruited as Bantay Gubat combined with the units of Phil. Air Force. They were transformed as tour guides, masseurs, makers of souvenir items. They were barred from cultivating forest products, kaingin farming and coal making. They are harassed and threatened by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
• Eco-tourism in Brgy. Inararo, Porac and Sitio Target, Brgy. Sapang Bato, Angeles City. Eco-tourist zones and rest houses owned by Korean nationals, the construction of spa, restaurant and hot springs, resulted the drying up of local wells, thwarting crop cultivation of Ayta. Ayta working in the tourist establishment suffer low wages, contractual jobs and no benefits
• IPRA in Brgy. Nabuklod, Floridablanca. Ayta ancestral lands ranging to 10,000 hectares shrinked to only 5,000 hectares when IPRA was implemented. The lands are also the ancestral lands of Ayta communities in Zambales who opposed the titling of lands.
Tarlac
• Balog-balog dam in Brgy. Maamot, San Jose, Tarlac. The Balog-balog dam project seized ancestral lands and displaced about 500 Ayta families. The military transformed the lands as shooting ranges and set-up checkpoints to monitor the activities of the Ayta community.
• Ayta communities in Brgy. Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac are also affected by the Balog-balog dam project.
• Land grabbing in Mayantoc. The Ayta sub-tribe Aberlin were displaced from the mountainous part and were relocated along rivers. Their displacement was due to the implementation of the National Greening Program, which prohibited kaingin farming, as the lands were to be cultivated with rubber trees. Obviously, this is not a greening program but a plantation controlled by foreign and local agro-corporations.
Bataan
- Land grabbing in Bataan. About 5-has. of ancestral land in Abucay, Bataan are being grabbed by Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU). About 7-has. in Hacienda Buena, Limay and few hectares in Brgy. Bamban, Hermosa, Bataan are also being grabbed from Ayta communities.
Zambales
- Mining in San Marcelino, Botolan and San Felipe towns in Zambales. Ayta communities were displaced by black sand mining. About 20 Ayta families were forced to relocate in Sitio Target, Angeles city, where there is also a problem with ancestral land. Up to the present, military forces are deployed in Botolan.
Indigenous Ayta, Unite!
Defend Ancestral Lands, Culture and Self-Determination!
Oppose Plunderous Mining, Dam, Eco-tourism and militarization!
I. Rationale
At present, indigenous peoples in the country are facing exploitation and oppression, primarily through violations of their cultural rights, rights to ancestral land and self-determination. They are victims of land grabbing and displacement as result of government implementation favoring the interests of big foreign and local mining corporations, construction of dam, eco-tourism and other projects. The Aquino government realizes this by carrying out the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program and other laws and programs disadvantageous to the indigenous peoples. The National Commission on Indigneous People (NCIP) brainwash the indigenous communities to consent with the Indigenous Peoples Master Plan as packaged in the Peace and Development Plan (formerly MTPDP), to avoid opposition against programs and projects that violate their cultural rights and snatch away their ancestral lands.
It is public knowledge that Noynoy Aquino prioritzes mining, thus, mountainous areas around the country are bombarded with mining applications from foreign corporations and their local counter-parts. Mining operations in the country displace indigenous communities, grab their ancestral lands, destroy the environment and plunders our natural resources. Aquino worsened the implementation of Mining Act of 1995 by issuing the Executive Order 95, that accelerated the process and favored foreign and local mining corporations.
The whole country is aware of the adverse effects of mining. From Luzon, Visayas to Mindanao, indigenous communities, even lowland communities bear with the grave consequences of mining operations. In Northern Luzon, mining operations continue to destroy the ancestral lands of Igorot and Ibanag indigenous peoples. In Southern Tagalog, damaging effects are caused by quarrying operations in Montalban, Marcopper mining in Marinduque, grabbing of ancestral lands by mining corporations in Palawan. In Bicol, mining in Rapu-rapu island in Albay damaged the environment and ocean. In Visayas, Philex and other mining corporations continue to destroy the natural environment of Negros, and by coal mining in Semirara, Antique. In Mindanao, mountain ranges are almost flattened by foreign corporations in different areas, which are majorly ancestral lands of Lumad. Generally, mining operations violate the cultural rights and rights to ancestral lands of indigenous communities. In addition, lowland communities suffer the after-effects of mining such as flooding and landslides.
Aside from mining, indigenous communities are also faced with the detrimental implemenation of Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), National Integrated Protected Areas (NIPAs), Integrated Forestry Management Agreement (IFMA) and other related laws which the government utilize to encroach upon cultural rights of indigenous people and snatch away ancestral lands. These laws and programs aim to trample on cultural rights by imposing private ownership of used-to-be communal ancestral lands. The unity of indigenous peoples are undermined by private property to facilitate grabbing of ancestral lands by landlords and foreign mining corporations.
It is clearly that the programs and policies of the Aquino government are disadvantageous to the indigenous peoples, instead they are instrument for wide and incessant violation of rights to ancestral land, livelihood, culture, even to the destruction of the natural environment and plunder of the country’s national minerals.
In Central Luzon, indigenous Ayta dwell in mountainous parts of Pampanga, Zambales, Tarlac, Bataan and some parts of Nueva Ecija. They are confronted by miserable conditions and their communities primarily endangered by mining and land grabbing. Ayta live by farming, hunting, gathering and coal-making. They usually cultivate banan, root crops and fruits. In Porac, Pampanga, Ayta farmers harvest “puso ng saging” and sell them to a “sacadero” as they are laborous to harvest and to haul to the town center. At this stage, they are exploited as they confront underpricing dictated by the sacadero. The sacadero also underprice the coal produced byAyta, as well as their other products. The sacadero also engages in usury, which collaterals the lands of Ayta farmers.
(See appendix for issues of Ayta in Central Luzon)
Though Ayta communities are wildly disregarded and displaced, they continue to struggle for their cultural rights, particularly the defense of their ancestral lands and against mining and other projects. As the government intend to exploit the natural resources within Ayta ancestral lands, they become usual victims of human rights abuses perpetrated by government forces. Notwithstanding, Ayta communities continue to strive and clamor for an all-Ayta movement to uphold their cultural rights and ancestral lands.
In fact, Ayta communities from Pampanga, Zambales, Tarlac and Bataan are fervent to revitalize the Central Luzon Ayta Association (CLAA) as a consolidated Ayta mass organization to drum up their issues, expose the Aquino government’s neglect and oppression of Ayta people, and uphold their cultural rights. During the consultation of CLAA, some Ayta leaders shed tear as they were elated that their mass organization is being organized and claimed that they are waiting years to be again led by CLAA.
As a duty and a requirement to uphold cultural rights of Ayta, CLAA would lead the long-established “Ayta Day” this coming August. It would be an amalgamation of the unity and collective struggle of Ayta communities from different provinces, backed up by their supporters from different sectors.
The Ayta Day theme this August 12, 2013, would be:
Indigenous Ayta, Unite!
Defend Ancestral Lands, Culture and Self-Determination!
Oppose Plunderous Mining, Dam, Eco-tourism and militarization!
Ayta Day would be lead by CLAA, Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (AMGL), Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KAMP) and Katribu Partylist.
II. Objectives
a. Consolidate the Ayta indigenous people in the region, for the defense of their ancestral lands and cultural rights, against mining and militarization.
b. Advocate the issues of Ayta in the provincial, regional and national level and expose the anti-Ayta programs and policies of the Aquino government.
c. Gather broad support from different sectors to strengthen the Ayta struggle in the region
Appendix - Issues of Ayta in Central Luzon
The following are few of highlight issues that Ayta communities are presently confronting, based on the data from Central Luzon Ayta Association (CLAA), Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (AMGL) and KAMP:
Pampanga
• Mining in Brgy. Camias, Porac, Pampanga. Pisumpan Copper Mines Inc. (PCMI) and Shuley Mines Inc. threaten to mine Mt. Abo. Since 2004 up to the present, elements of the 70th Infantry Battalion of the Phil. Army (IBPA) are stationed at the area, led by a certain Col. Catapang. The basic rights of Ayta farmers are violated such as: coercing them to report daily at the military detachment; threat to be killed; Ayta homes are threatened to be assaulted in the middle of the night; showing off of the military Order of Battle including names of Ayta and accused of being members and sympathizers of the New People’s Army (NPA); constrain to movement of Ayta farmers; food blockade; house-to-house; illegal and warrantless searches; direct physical attack by mugging and use of rifle butt; gun pointing and forced recruitment to CAFGU.
• Aside from Brgy. Camias, the Dizon family operates mining and quarrying in 8,756-has. In Brgy. Aglao and Buhawen in San Marcelino, Zambales; applied for 1,107-has. In Brgy. Pabanlag, Floridablanca, Pampanga; explores 825-has. in Brgy. Mabulilat, Porac.
• Eco-tourism in Brgy. Sapang Uwak, Porac, Pampanga. A developer corporation Triple L is encroaching about 400-has. of Ayta ancestral land. Triple L is a partner of Ayala Land.
• Eco-tourism in Liitle Baguio, Bliss and Sitio Target, Angeles city and Mabalacat, Pampanga. A Korean company Donghwang grabbed 300 has. of Ayta ancestral lands. About 80 Ayta families were displaced from a 2-ha. land. Prior to this, Clark Development Corp. (CDC) grabbed the ancestral lands, claiming it is part of the Clark military reservation or sub-zone, subsequently selling it to foreign corporations. A golf course is planned to be constructed. Ayta were not compensated, instead they were employed to cultivate bermuda grass, where male Aytas were paid at P360 per day, while the women at P260. Some of the Ayta were hired as security guards.
• Eco-tourism in Brgy. Nabuklod, Brgy. Mawacat and Brgy. Camachile in Floridablanca, Pampanga. Agro-reforestation and eco-tourism projects implemented by the NCIP and Pampanga provincial government. The provincial government implemented the Agro-Tourism Upland Development project, covering 1,000 hectares (300 hectares from Brgy. Nabuklod, 300 hectares from Brgy. Mawacat and 400 hectares from Brgy. Camachile); the construction of the viewing deck covered farms and sacred lands of Ayta community. Ayta are recruited as Bantay Gubat combined with the units of Phil. Air Force. They were transformed as tour guides, masseurs, makers of souvenir items. They were barred from cultivating forest products, kaingin farming and coal making. They are harassed and threatened by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
• Eco-tourism in Brgy. Inararo, Porac and Sitio Target, Brgy. Sapang Bato, Angeles City. Eco-tourist zones and rest houses owned by Korean nationals, the construction of spa, restaurant and hot springs, resulted the drying up of local wells, thwarting crop cultivation of Ayta. Ayta working in the tourist establishment suffer low wages, contractual jobs and no benefits
• IPRA in Brgy. Nabuklod, Floridablanca. Ayta ancestral lands ranging to 10,000 hectares shrinked to only 5,000 hectares when IPRA was implemented. The lands are also the ancestral lands of Ayta communities in Zambales who opposed the titling of lands.
Tarlac
• Balog-balog dam in Brgy. Maamot, San Jose, Tarlac. The Balog-balog dam project seized ancestral lands and displaced about 500 Ayta families. The military transformed the lands as shooting ranges and set-up checkpoints to monitor the activities of the Ayta community.
• Ayta communities in Brgy. Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac are also affected by the Balog-balog dam project.
• Land grabbing in Mayantoc. The Ayta sub-tribe Aberlin were displaced from the mountainous part and were relocated along rivers. Their displacement was due to the implementation of the National Greening Program, which prohibited kaingin farming, as the lands were to be cultivated with rubber trees. Obviously, this is not a greening program but a plantation controlled by foreign and local agro-corporations.
Bataan
- Land grabbing in Bataan. About 5-has. of ancestral land in Abucay, Bataan are being grabbed by Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU). About 7-has. in Hacienda Buena, Limay and few hectares in Brgy. Bamban, Hermosa, Bataan are also being grabbed from Ayta communities.
Zambales
- Mining in San Marcelino, Botolan and San Felipe towns in Zambales. Ayta communities were displaced by black sand mining. About 20 Ayta families were forced to relocate in Sitio Target, Angeles city, where there is also a problem with ancestral land. Up to the present, military forces are deployed in Botolan.
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