The whirring of the President’s helicopter heralded her arrival. Of the many places I have been an audience to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, I never expected it to be in the middle of high mountains and gurgling currents of Sibulan River.
Upon the invitation of the Mayor Joel Rey Lopez of Sta. Cruz, we attended the visit of President GMA to the Hedcor Sibulan Inc., a run-of-river power plant in Barangay Sibulan, Sta. Cruz, Davao Sur.
We met the Bogobo tribal leaders there, proudly attired in their katutubo costumes, distinctive of a colorful culture. Unlike the stories in old history books of a quiet, timid indigenous group, the Bagobos of today have evolved into well-educated, confident and respectful people who are proud of their heritage and are serious caretakers of their ancestral domain.
Tribal Chieftain Boy of the Bagobos in Barangay Sibulan gained the admiration of the president when he was called to join her at the stage during her visit to this Aboitiz Company. A retired military serviceman, Boy now served fully as the tribal chief and dedicated his life to working for his tribesmen. Even with his children, all professional and gainfully employed in various parts of the world, Datu Boy has remained in the hinterlands of Sibulan to lead his people.
Hedcor Sibulan Inc. gave the Bagobos a better chance to improve their lives, having paved for them 45 kilometers of roadways that bettered the farm to market access ways. A grateful Datu Boy acknowledged the contribution of Hedcor Sibulan Inc. to the indigenous people in Sta. Cruz through the share taken from the royalties of P.01 per kilowatt hour. “It is the first time that the IPs can receive a royalty” he said, and appreciated being part of the allocation from the Municipality of Sta. Cruz and the barangay. He promised the indigenous people in the area that he would work for the betterment of their groups.
Aside from these, the other good programs of Hedcor Sibulan Inc. include watershed management and reforestation, rural electrification, potable water supply, scholarship programs, and medical missions. Other benefits that Hedcor Sibulan Inc. has given to Davao del Sur have reached over seventy million (70M) pesos in taxes and land rentals annually.
Due to this venture, the president is expecting that more and more investors will cultivate their business in Davao Sur. With a “welcoming environment for investment” the president said, eventually Mindanao will come to its full bloom.