Fighting for the forests

Social media has been flooded with photos of visitors posing on the recently completed Philippine Eagle statue in Barlig, Mountain Province. Ah, it’s such a wonderful sight, especially with the captivating views of surrounding rainforests and rolling clouds. Even famed blogger Kulas dropped by and made stunning shots of the site.

Browsing through the comments, a lot are expressing elation that the statue echoes the call for conserving the eagles and their forest habitat. After all, Barlig hosts one of the last old-growth forests in the country, from mystical mossy forests to dipterocarps with critically endangered hardwood trees and the elusive rafflesia, the biggest flower in the world!

But just some minutes away from the viewpoint is a surprisingly fully paved, two-lane road cutting through eroded mountain slopes and felled trees. From the jump-off, one can wonder where it leads as there are no houses nearby but old-growth forests, much of which have been ravaged with dumped earth.

The said road is a project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) supposedly aimed at connecting missing links. In 2020, the first phase of the project began without community knowledge, a clear violation of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) Law which requires public consultation before implementing any project within ancestral domains. It was only when a complaint letter was lodged with the DPWH that they organized a hasty consultation. But the damage has been done. Forests were cleared. Big trees were felled. And huge chunks of soil dumped below, burying more forests, and destroying rice fields downstream. Despite all these, no one was held accountable, and the contractors got away with their cash. Do they even have a conscience?

Now, the project continues, as a survey conducted by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) shows that majority of the community members approve of the road project. But as a local, I know there’s something fishy going on. And the survey does not entirely reflect the stand of the community.

Even the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), whose mandate is to protect the country’s resources for future generations, gave a permit for continuation. This is the part that deeply disturbs me. If the very institution that is supposed to protect the forest is facilitating permits of approval, what role can we, ordinary youths, do in the face of powerful contractors and greedy politicians?

Surely, contractors are eagerly anticipating the millions they can make regardless of the destruction such project poses. Money talks, after all.

And so, it goes. Bulldozers continue to dig slopes while workers incessantly cut trees.

Still, all is not lost.

The advocacy continues.

Sure. The fear is there. But we march on.

Deciding to take a stand on the issue takes a lot of courage.

I clearly remember how I was incessantly attacked and vilified online when I published an article about the project and exposed its irregularities. Even my family was not spared from this online fiasco.

Thankfully, there are community members who have reached out to me and expressed their support. Some, however, shared that they cannot do so publicly out of fear of political repercussions, considering how some local officials have a direct stake on the project.

Yet, I choose not to waiver.

So much that I fear on the possible attacks against me, I fear more on the irreversible consequences the project may bring.

After all, Barlig’s vast rainforests are not only critical sanctuaries for countless wildlife species but are also important buffers against the devastating impacts of climate change. Thanks to these forests, numerous communities benefit from continuous water supply for both household and irrigation use. These forests have nourished the rice terraces of not only Barlig but also its neighbouring provinces and lowland farms of Isabela and Cagayan. Since time immemorial, the forests have also provided the locals with abundant wildlife, including deer and warty pigs. Of course, we cannot ignore how these have protected Barlig’s communities from deadly landslides and river overflow.

But with the road project, who knows how much longer these ecological services will last?

Some may argue: what about development?

For me, that is not even the issue.

The issue lies on the kind of development that proponents are undertaking without considering the consequences, especially for the future generations. It’s a fact that killing the environment is tantamount to killing the future. That is why the United Nations has been echoing sustainable development, the kind that respects people, nature and culture.

In fact, many communities and countries across the globe are taking that to heart. Bhutan, for example, has declared that 70 percent of its entire land area should be dedicated to conservation. Costa Rica has been pioneering ecotourism to restore forests and protect ecosystems while generating income for the communities.

Here in the Philippines, we are seeing countless models of sustainable development emerge, thanks to impassioned grassroots advocates.

Barlig is no different. With its treasure trove of alluring natural wonders plus the people’s rich cultural heritage, it can also become a champion of development interlinked with conservation. So many possibilities can happen. All it takes is the initiative on the ground and the crafting and implementation of policies to support such trend.

The past has shown us the devastation that can happen should we continue to destroy our forests and nature as a whole. It’s high time we remind ourselves of the conviction of our indigenous ancestors that, “Land is life.”

Hopefully, DPWH will also take that conviction to heart. Instead of just doing projects for the sake of records, it should focus on interventions that truly matter and such that respects nature and culture.

So please, DPWH, don’t be the reason why our children and grandchildren can no longer witness the beauty and bounty of Barlig. We want them to see the Philippine Eagle soar once more, not just a statue of it.

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Daniel Maches is the founder of Barlig Rainforest Coffee and advocates agritourism and ecotourism. Follow his blog: danielsecotravels.com.