Ancestral domain survey to start part of military camp in Panay to be ceded

ILOILO CITY, Philippines  â€” The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division announced this week the immediate start of the survey of ancestral domain of indigenous people (IP) in central Panay, in preparation for the military’s giving up to them a portion of its reservation here.

The impending start of the survey came after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) late last week between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

AFP Chief of Staff General Emmanuel Bautista and NCIP chairperson Brigida Zenaida Pawid were the main signatories of the MOU, which will be submitted later to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin for approval.

Major Gen. Jose Zabanta, 3rd ID commander, and Col. Arnold Quiapo, commander of the 301st Infantry Brigade, also signed as primary witnesses, together with Phil. Army vice commander Maj. Gen. Essel Soriano, NCIP executive director Basilio Wandag, NCIP-6 director Alfonso Catolin and tribal elder Norma Chavez.

Mabanta told The Freeman it was the first time the military was involved in an MOU signing for the purpose of giving up a part of its military camp for indigenous cultural communities (ICCs)or IPs here in Panay.

The MOU’s approval will mark the start the survey of the ancestral domain where the AFP, through the 3rd ID commander, shall allow entry into the camp of the NCIP survey team to determine the boundaries between the IPs and the military.

Under the MOU, a designated committee shall submit findings and recommendations to the higher authorities in the AFP, NCIP en banc and the general assembly of legitimate claimants for appropriate actions related to the application for a certificate of ancestral domain t (CADT) by the ICCs/IPs beneficiaries.

Both Mabanta and Quiapo assured the public that the military will work for development for the Ips’ benefits. Mabanta also called on Bayan-Panay, Karapatan-Panay, Migrante-W. Visayas and other rights advocates to support the undertaking and join the AFP in its crusade to help the IPs.

The 33,100-hectare camp of the Phil. Army, covering what the Tumandok tribe claimed was its ancestral domain, was established as a military reservation in 1962 pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 67. The reservation, which covers 16 of the 22 upland villages of Tapaz and seven villages of Jamindan, is considered the country’s biggest military camp next to Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.

The NCIP passed a resolution asking then President Gloria Arroyo to amend PP 67 and to reduce the reservation to the land area currently used and occupied by the 3rd ID.

In 1996, the “TUMANDUK” (Tumandok nga Mangunguma nga Nagapangapin sa Duta kag Kabuhi) was organized purportedly to strengthen their claims. However, the NPA took advantage of this issue and used it to agitate some IPs to join the armed struggle.

Last 2005, a total of 252 CADTs have been served to beneficiaries of Barangay Masaroy and Alcalaga of Calinog town in Iloilo, or a total land area of 1,748 hectares.

In Panay Island, there are four groups of IPs: the Ati (mostly found in communities in Antique, Barotac and Calinog in Iloilo and Dumarao, Capiz); the Akeanon (found at the mountains of Libacao in Aklan); and the Pan-ayanon and Jalawodnon groups (found at the mountainous boundaries of Capiz and Iloilo), which have the largest population of about 18,000. (FREEMAN)