SBMA turns over P4.9-M community facilities to Subic Ayta tribe

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) recently turned over community facilities worth P4.9 million to the Pastolan Ayta tribe here as part of the agency’s commitment to promote the welfare of the indigenous community in this free port.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma formally handed over the donations consisting of a schoolhouse and a healthcare clinic to officials of the Ambala Ayta Tribe of Pastolan, whose ancestral lands form part of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Eisma said the donated infrastructures are part of the agency’s commitment under a Joint Management Agreement signed by the SBMA, the Ayta tribe, and the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) that provides compensation for the use of part of the Ayta ancestral domain.

The health clinic is expected to serve the 330 families living in the Ayta village, while the school building will be used by students in Grades 4 to 6.

“I will do everything I can to give what is rightfully yours under the agreement,” Eisma told the Ayta community led by Chieftain Conrado Frenilla during the turnover. “There may be times when I cannot grant other favors that you ask, but I assure you that if it’s within my power, I would,” she added.

Former Hermosa, Bataan town mayor Gaudencio Ferrer, who was present in the turnover, lauded the efforts of the SBMA in providing facilities to Ayta residents, whose village falls under the political jurisdiction of Hermosa.

“Madam Chairman, thank you for giving us this wonderful school building,” Ferrer said. “It is not just a simple school that was given to you,” he told the residents, “but you received the most beautiful classroom in Bataan.”

According to Armie Llamas, manager of the SBMA Public Relations Department, barangay health workers will man the clinic, but the SBMA will also provide a medical doctor to regularly see patients at the clinic. Consultations with the doctor will be held during Saturdays, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Llamas added.

Meanwhile, school principal Jake Bautista said the new school building will be converted into rooms for Mathematics and Science classes, aside from serving as additional classrooms for pupils in Grades 4 to 6 who shared just one room previously.

Teachers added that the new school building will be more conducive to learning, and hence would encourage more local children to go to school. (CMC/MPD-SBMA))

PHOTOS:

[1] SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, along with former Hermosa Mayor Gaudencio Ferrer and Pastolan Chieftain Conrado Frenilla, formally opens the health clinic donated by the SBMA to the Pastolan Ayta tribe. (MPD-SBMA)

[2] SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma turns over the symbolic key to the Pastolan health clinic to Ayta elder Bonifacio Florentino. (MPD-SBMA)

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Ayta tribe gets title over ancestral land in Subic Freeport

After 14 years of bargaining, and hoping and praying, the Magbukun Ayta tribe of Sitio Kanawan in Morong, Bataan finally got approval on their claim for ancestral domain over some 12,000 hectares of land straddling parts of Morong town and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

During the third and final hearing on the Magbukun tribe’s petition at the Subic Park Hotel here on June 18, the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) en banc found their claim valid and passed approval of the same.

The application was approved by the seven NCIP commissioners: Chairperson Leonor T. Oralde-Quintayo, Basilio Wandag, Norberto Navarro, Ramcy Astoveza, Dominador Gomez, Boi Era España, and Roy Dabuit.

The NCIP officials met with the Magbukun tribal council here to deliberate on the latter’s long-standing application for a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT), which would formally recognize the rights of the indigenous community over their ancestral land.

According to Rodelio Tamundog, tribal chieftain of the Magbukuns, they started applying for a CADT way back in 2004.

“It feels good,” an elated Tamundog said. “Now we have the freedom to decide on the land that we inherited from our forefathers and determine our own future.”

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma Eisma, whose agency has operational control over a good part of the Magbukun territory, described the approval as a historic occasion for Subic Bay.

“It was also in June, 27 years ago, that most of the Ayta tribes in Zambales, Bataan, and Pampanga, were displaced and dispossessed by the disastrous eruption of Mt. Pinatubo,” Eisma noted.

“But despite their sad plight, they were with us in protecting and preserving Subic when the Americans pulled out of this former US Naval Base,” she added.

Eisma also called for further assistance from the NCIP in the processing of a similar title for the Ayta tribesmen of Barangay Cawag in Subic, Zambales, whose land also form part of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

The Magbukuns of Kanawan now has ownership of a total of 12,301.354 hectares. Of this, 11,769.054 hectares consist of hills and forests, while the remaining 532.300 hectares are water bodies.

NCIP officer-in-charge for Bataan Michael Baldonado said that a lot of hard work went into the Magbukun CADT. He recalled the years spent on preparing the claim, presenting proofs, producing evidences, as well as researching the tribe’s genealogies and checking available historical archives.

Betty Fielder, who heads the Subic Indigenous People Assistance Group (SIPAG) which is assisting the Kanawan Aytas, said she foresees better prospects for the tribe now that the NCIP has recognized their right over ancestral lands.

SIPAG, Fielder added, will be helping the Magbukuns in formulating a joint management agreement with the SBMA for the development of Ayta lands covered by the Subic Freeport.

The SBMA has entered into a similar agreement with the Pastolan Ayta tribe in Hermosa, Bataan, which was the first indigenous community within the confines of the Subic Freeport to be given a CADT.

The Pastolan tribe is now earning revenue for the use of their land by Subic Bay Freeport investors through remittances from the SBMA. (CAE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

Members of the Kanawan Ayta tribe of Morong, Bataan celebrate with SBMA Chairman Wilma T. Eisma following the approval of their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Subic bible park hosts mass baptism for Ayta tribesmen

At least 25 Ayta tribesmen in Subic Bay Freeport converted to Christianity on Saturday during a mass baptism held at the Holy Land Subic Sanctuary and Biblical Theme Park.

The natives, who belonged to the Pastolan Ayta community, received the sacrament at the “Jordan River” of the Holy Land theme park here, where the likeness of Jesus Christ being consecrated by John the Baptist could be seen.

The natives were baptized by Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga, Bataan, on the occasion of the 12th anniversary of the “Mahal Ka Ng Dios” Outreach Ministry of the Bethesda Springs of Hope Healing Foundation, Inc.

The event coincided with the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Joint Management Agreement (JMA) between the Pastolan Ayta tribe and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), which covered the development of the Ayta ancestral lands in Subic Bay Freeport.

It also marked the 63rd birthday of Mrs. Maribi Garcia, wife of SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia, and leading light of the Bethesda Springs of Hope ministry.

The day-long event was also highlighted by the distribution of scholarship grants for deserving Aeta students, as well as gifts from Bethesda Ministry sponsors.

“This is the best birthday gift for me,” Mrs. Garcia said, as she presented the Pastolan natives who have come for the sacrament of baptism.

Those baptized included toddlers, as well as teenagers and young adults. Among them was Neneng Pelayo, a Pastolan housewife who said she was miraculously cured of her kidney ailment after Bethesda members prayed over her last year.

The Holy Land Holy Land Subic Sanctuary and Biblical Theme Park is a unique attraction in this free port, which is otherwise known for nature-themed parks featuring exotic animals like tigers and false killer whales.

The biblical park is popular among Christian pilgrims because of its life-sized statues depicting the Way of the Cross, as well as other events in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Holy Land Subic straddles foothills and forest areas that form part of the more than 4,000-hectare ancestral domain awarded to the Ambala Ayta tribe in Subic Bay Freeport. The Ayta land also covers part of housing areas, industrial parks and tourism attractions here. (HEE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

Members of the indigenous Pastolan Ayta tribe line up to receive the sacrament during a mass baptism held on Saturday at the Holy Land Sanctuary and Biblical Theme Park in the Subic Bay Freeport. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Aetas, SBMA ratify green energy project

The Aetas of Pastolan in Subic Bay Freeport has ratified the expansion of  wind and solar energy projects in its ancestral land as part of their commitment to sustainable development.

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), through Emerging Power Inc. (EPI), a renewable energy (RE) firm, will allocate US$200M to its renewable energy project which will cover 800 hectares of Mount Santa Rita, a Pastolan ancestral land, in observance of a Joint Management Agreement (JMA).

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia signed on October, 2013 a joint management agreement covering partsof the Ayta ancestral domain in the Subic Bay Freeport with Pastolan Ayta chieftain Conrado Frenilla (right)and NCIP Region 3 director Ronaldo Daquioag. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

“We are proud that the Pastolan Aetas have been very supportive in this milestone. This partnership is a witness that preservation of heritage and sustainable development can work together without being compromised,” SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia said.

“We are helping each other by moving forward with our plans for the preservation of our future generation,” Garcia added.

The JMA was signed and witnessed on October 10, 2013 by SBMA, The Aetas, and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). The said project will generate a total of 150-megawatts of RE.

The agreement was forged to protect and preserve the rights of the Aetas along with the implementation of socio-economic and cultural development programs by SBMA.

The groundbreaking of wind and solar power farm, which happened on October 2015, was the first wave of its expansion.

Chairman Garcia assures that the Pastolan Aetas will benefit from this expansion, same with the turnover of P14.8M cheque to the Aetas as payment for lease rentals by the locators within the ancestral domain.

“We are giving a priority job hiring to the Aetas for the construction of more solar and wind power plants. The welfare of our brothers and country will always be important to us,” Garcia said.

The expansion is a collaborative action of SBMA and Indigenous Peoples to uphold RA 9513 or the Renewable Energy Act in 2008 to invest on RE projects. This also serves as their support in the global commitment of Philippines to reduce greenhouse gas emission at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21).

“As the first military base to be successfully converted into a Freeport zone, we are reaching greater heights by playing a vital role in the preservation of both cultural heritage and environment with the installation of a major clean energy project in partnership with Indigenous Peoples,” Garcia said.

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Subic a role-model for promotion of IP rights and welfare

The initiatives of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) in uplifting the living conditions of the indigenous people (IP) living within the Subic Bay Freeport has become a model for other economic zones hosting similar tribal communities.

Recently, the Ateneo De Zamboanga University (ADZU) invited SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia to the forum “From Zamboanga to Subic, In Search for Partnership” that aimed to pick up insights from the SBMA’s experiences with the Pastolan Ayta tribe with whom the agency had signed a joint management agreement (JMA) for the use and development of tribal lands.

The forum, which also sought to deepen understanding of the Zamboangueños on the two-fold issue of land use and land ownership between the Subanon tribe and the Zamboanga Economic Zone was held at the Garden Orchid Hotel in Zamboanga City.

ADZU director Loreta Sta. Teresa said the SBMA inputs will “concretize the writings and the experiences summarized in the book report” developed after conducting a study trip in Subic and Clark free ports.

The forum, Sta. Teresa added, “will be a venue to materialize what ADZU envisioned for a new Mindanao where multi-cultural communities live in peace and harmony.”

In his presentation, Chairman Garcia explained that with the signing of the JMA between the SBMA and the Pastolan Aytas, the indigenous tribe started collecting five percent (5%) of the gross income paid by the investors for rent of the land, starting May 12, 2009, the date when the Ayta’s certificate of ancestral domain title (CADT) was registered.

Above this, the SBMA also has started to give each Ayta family P20,000 annually, an amount which is increased further on the 6th, 11th, 16th, and 25th year. The agency also donates P100,000 each year for the fiesta and Christmas celebrations at the Pastolan Ayta village.

Garcia also said that able-bodied Aeta workers are given priority in any job hiring for the construction of the US$450-million solar and wind project located at a 20-hectare area near Pastolan.

He added that the SBMA also turned over the management of the Pamulaklakin Tribal Park to the Aytas after completing the transition period for management training.

The Aytas also benefited from SBMA community development assistance programs, the construction of two schoolrooms for high school, and the establishment of a community clinic with detailed medical personnel from the SBMA Dispensary.

Garcia said the SBMA initiated the establishment of the JMA in recognition of the Ambala Ayta tribe of Subic Bay’s CADT, which proves the tribe’s ownership of the more than 4,280 hectares of land covering the Kalayaan and the Binictican housing areas, the Apaliin and the Pamulaklakin forest areas, and the El Kabayo tourism area, among others.

The JMA and its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) were signed by the SBMA management and the Ambala Ayta tribal council in 2013.

The JMA upholds the rights of the Aytas to uplift the economic, cultural and social conditions of their tribe based on the programs being implemented by the government, and provide for a systematic management and development of the ancestral land, as indicated in the Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan, while ensuring the promotion of Ayta rights.

National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Chairperson Zenaida Brigida Hamada-Pawid had commented that the JMA between the SBMA and the Ambala Ayta could “serve as template for all agreements entered by all indigenous people with regards to the use of their ancestral lands by any investors and business group.”

Pastolan chieftain Conrado Frenilla, meanwhile, said the JMA has become the culmination of the tribe’s long-fought struggle to gain recognition for their indigenous heritage. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia (extreme right) explains the agency’s joint management agreement with the Ayta tribe in the Subic Bay Freeport during a forum at the Ateneo De Zamboanga University. Also in photo are (from left): Atty. Jonathan Adaci, head of the NCIP Ancestral Domains Office; Martin Guinilac, president of Labuan-Patalon-Limpapa-Subanen indigenous cultural community; Salvador Lazaro, head of the Project Office for Special Concerns; and Bonifacio Tolentino, Ayta elder at the Ambala Pastolan village in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. (AMD/MPD-SBMA, ABL/PRD-SBMA)

[2] SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia (second from left) and Subic Ayta leader Bonifacio Tolentino receive tokens of appreciation from Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, PIME, (right) founder of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement, at the culmination of a forum on cultural communities at the Ateneo De Zamboanga University. (AMD/MPD-SBMA, ABL/PRD-SBMA)

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Subic Ayta tribe okays $200-M renewable energy project

The Pastolan Ayta community has approved the establishment of a renewable energy project to be located inside an 800-hectare area of the Ayta ancestral domain in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Ayta tribal chieftain Conrado Frenilla and Ayta elder Bonifacio Florentino signed a memorandum of agreement on Friday with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia and Jobin SQM Inc. President Nancy Tan for the implementation of the energy project on Mount Sta. Rita here.

Tan also presented the Ayta leaders with a P1-million check representing the company’s donation to the tribe.

The proceeding s was witnessed by representatives from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), which oversees the welfare of native communities.

According to Chairman Garcia, Jobin SQM Inc. intends to build a $200-million facility here that will produce power from clean energy sources. The facility will produce 150 megawatts of combined solar and wind energy.

Garcia said the project is in line with RA 9513, or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, which aims to accelerate the exploration and development of renewable energy resources, increase utilization of such and promote their efficient and cost-effective commercial application. The law was also designed to effectively prevent or reduce harmful emissions to protect public health and the environment.

The alternative energy project, Garcia further said, was formally committed during President Aquino’s state visit to China in September 2011.

The development and promotion of renewable energy has been set as among the priority projects of the national government under the Investment Priorities Plan of 2012.

To carry out the Subic project, Jobin has successfully satisfied the requirements set by the Department of Energy and has engaged the partnership of HydroChina International Engineering Co., LTD. (HIECL) for a joint venture.

HydroChina, which engages in renewable energy development projects worldwide, operates projects in the fields of hydropower and water conservancy, solar and electric power, as well as ports, highways and buildings.

Garcia said the Jobin project will be a pioneering venture for the establishment of renewable energy facilities in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. (HEE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:
[1] SUBIC RENEWABLE ENERGY. SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia (center) signs an agreement for the development of renewable energy projects in the Subic Bay Freeport with Jobin SQM President Nancy Tan (2nd from right), and Ayta tribal leaders Conrado Frenilla (2nd from left) and Bonifacio Florentino. The alternative energy project—a 150-megawatt solar and wind power facility—will be located at an area covered by the Ayta ancestral domain in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. (AED/MPD-SBMA)

[2] P1-MILLION DONATION. Jobin SQM President Nancy Tan presents a check worth P1 million to Ayta tribal chieftain Conrado Frenilla, as SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia looks approvingly. Jobin SQM Inc. will develop a 150-megawatt solar and wind power facility that will be located at an area covered by the Ayta ancestral domain in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. (AED/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA cites Ayta role in Freeport development

Recognizing the contribution of the native Ayta community in the development and growth of this premier free port, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) conducted this month a series of activities to promote the welfare of the indigenous people here.

The activities were part of the celebration of the National Indigenous Peoples Month, which is being celebrated in the Philippines every October.

“This has also been a part of the SBMA tradition—the celebration of our connection in the web of life with our Ayta brethren,” said SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia.

“We know how the Aytas have been a big part of the economic success of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, so we’re trying our best to give them due respect and recognition,” he added.

SBMA’s program for the National Indigenous Peoples Month kicked off on October 13 when members of the Ayta community at the Freeport’s Pastolan village led the Monday flag-raising ceremony in front of the SBMA head office.

This was followed by a radio interview with Pastolan tribal chieftain Conrado Frenilla and the famous Ayta elder Kap Bonifacio Florentino who expounded on how the Subic tribesmen latched onto modernity ushered in by the SBMA while holding on to traditional Ayta values.

The interview was aired over the SBMA’s 89.5 Bay FM station.

The IP Month also saw the launching of livelihood projects designed to benefit the Ayta womenfolk in Pastolan and the Sitio Kanawan in Morong, Bataan. These consisted of training and funding for the production of beaded purses and bags that the womenfolk could sell to increase their income.

Meanwhile, the October celebration also became more meaningful with the conduct of a seminar on
climate change, a subject close to the hearts of Ayta tribesmen who have long served as guardians of the rainforest in this part of the country.

The seminar was conducted by the National Commission on Climate Change for the Magbikin and Amianan Aytas who roam the mountains of Olongapo City and neighboring parts of Subic Bay Freeport.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Region 3 likewise held a seminar on drug-abuse prevention at Sitio Pastolan in Hermosa, Bataan, to help prevent substance abuse among the Aytas.
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The SBMA has been helping the Aytas in terms of employment, cultural assistance, scholarship for Ayta children, health and medical assistance, as well as in providing clean, potable water for their communities.

In October last year, the SBMA signed the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of a joint management agreement (JMA) for the use of portions of the Ayta ancestral domain in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Chairman Garcia said this was the first agreement to provide the Subic Aytas with a comprehensive package of economic, social and cultural benefits since their tribal land had been occupied first by the United States as a military reservation for almost a century, and later when the Subic Bay Freeport was established in 1991.

The agreement provided for priority employment for qualified Ayta workers; annual livelihood assistance for 25 years; annual financial assistance for tribal fiesta and Christmas celebrations; scholarship and medical benefits; and the establishment of a fund for a five-percent share collected from direct business leases of land within the Ayta ancestral domain.

Early this year, the SBMA turned over P14.8 million to the Pastolan Aytas for land rental, the first time in the country’s history that an indigenous people’s group received a share of payment for the use by investors of their ancestral land SBMA, and another P1.8 million for this month. (HHE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO: The Aytas of Subic Bay

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SBMA gives Subic Aytas P14.8 million for land rental

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) achieved another milestone in improving the lives of the indigenous Ayta tribesmen in this free port when it handed over to tribal leaders on Monday millions of pesos representing payment for the use of the Ayta ancestral land here.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia handed over the check in the amount of P14,791,440.00 to Conrado Frenilla, chieftain of the Pastolan Aytas here, in the presence of other tribal elders, as well as representatives of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) headed by Regional Director Salong Sunggod.

The check represents the share of the Ayta Ambala tribe of the village of Pastolan in the lease rentals of business companies located within the Ayta ancestral domain from May 2009 to December 2013.

“This day is historical for the SBMA,” Garcia said during the turnover held after last Monday’s flag-raising ceremony. “At last we have fulfilled one of the major commitments of the agency for our Ayta brethren under an agreement that we have signed with them,” he added.

The Ayta Ambala tribe holds a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) representing ownership of the more than 4,280 hectares of land covering the Kalayaan and the Binictican housing areas in this free port, as well as the tourism areas of Apaliin, Pamulaklakin, and El Kabayo, among others.

The joint management agreement (JMA) between the SBMA and the Ayta tribe authorizes the Subic agency to undertake systematic management and development of parts of the ancestral land to help uplift the economic, cultural and social life of the tribe based on the programs implemented by the government.

Under the JMA, the Pastolan Aytas will collect 5% of the gross income paid by the investors for rent of the land starting May 12, 2009, when the CADT was registered. In addition, each Aeta family will receive P20,000 a year.

Other benefits include hiring of qualified Aeta workers; implementation of community development assistance programs; construction of schoolrooms for high school, and the hiring of four teachers; establishment of a community clinic with detailed medical personnel from the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department; and an annual donation of P100,000 each for village fiesta and Christmas celebrations.

In receiving the SBMA allocation, Frenilla said that they will use the fund to develop their community, improve the Pamulaklakin tourist facility, and send qualified and deserving students to colleges.

“Malaking bagay talaga ang itinutulong sa amin ng SBMA. Tulad ngayon, mapag-aaral na namin ang mga kabataang Ayta sa kolehiyo para lalo pang mapaunlad ang kanilang buhay,” said Frenilla.

He added that a small amount of the fund will also be used for a modest celebration in order for all tribe members to really feel the benefits from the SBMA.

Frenilla also noted that community members who initially objected to the JMA are now returning to the village after seeing the improvements in their community since the JMA was signed.

NCIP’s Dir. Sunggod said, for his part, that this was the first time in the country that an indigenous people’s group received a share of payment for the use by investors of their ancestral land.

“Ito ang unang-unang pangyayari sa ating bansa na hindi lamang kinilala ang karapatan ng mga katutubo sa kanilang lupang ninuno, kundi ibinigay pa sa kanila ang karampatang pakinabang,” Sunggod said.

He added that the SBMA could be a model for other agencies in the country in terms of providing assistance and undertaking developments to improve the lives of indigenous people. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:
[1] SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia (second from left) holds a symbolic check representing payment for the use of Ayta ancestral lands with Chieftain Conrado Frenilla (right) and SBMA Director Wilfredo Pineda. With them are (from left): NCIP Director Salong Sunggod, Mrs. Marivic Garcia, and other SBMA officials. (AED)

[2] Members of the Ayta Ambala tribe in the Subic Bay Freeport join SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia and Chieftain Conrado Frenilla, along with SBMA Public Relations manager Armie Armas and other employees, in displaying a symbolic check representing payment for the use of Ayta ancestral lands in the Subic Bay Freeport. (AED)

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SBMA, Aytas, NCIP sign joint management agreement on ancestral land

The Ayta community inside this Freeport has more reason to be joyous in celebrating the Indigenous People’s Month this October, as the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the joint management agreement (JMA) covering the use by investors of tribal lands inside this free port has been signed on Thursday, October 10.

The signing of the JMA coincided with the celebration of the National Indigenous Peoples Month, which was declared in 2009 for the purpose of heightening peoples’ awareness and participation in celebration and preservation of indigenous people’s communities.

The agreement is designed to safeguard the rights of the Ayta Ambala tribe over parts of their ancestral land inside Subic Bay Freeport, while recognizing the management mandate of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) over the free port zone.

The JMA-IRR was signed by SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia, tribal chieftain Conrado Frenilla of the Tribong Ayta Ambala sa Pastolan, and Region 3 director Ronaldo Daquioag of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP).
The simple but historic ceremony was held at the SBMA Boardroom and witnessed by members of the Ayta tribal council, SBMA officials, and representatives of the NCIP.

Frenilla said that the JMA- IRR, which was written in Tagalog for easy understanding of the tribal members, will protect their rights and guarantee that all their benefits will be given the tribe for allowing investors in the Subic Bay Freeport to use their ancestral lands.

“Marami sa mga Ayta, lalo na iyong matatanda, ang naiyak dahil ngayon lamang magkakatotoo ang aming pangarap na magkaroon ng tunay na karapatan sa aming lupang ninuno,” Frenilla said.

The Aeta Ambala tribe of Subic Bay holds a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT), representing ownership of more than 4,280 hectares of land. This covers parts of the Kalayaan and Binictican housing areas, and the tourism areas of Apaliin, Pamulaklakin and El Kabayo.

In September 2011, the SBMA and the Ayta tribal council signed the JMA, which authorized the SBMA to provide systematic management and development of the ancestral land to help uplift the economic, cultural and social life of the tribe based on programs implemented by the government.

With the signing of the JMA, the Subic Ayta tribe will collect 5 per cent of the gross income paid by investors for lands within their ancestral domain that have been leased starting May 12, 2009 when the CADT was registered. Above this, each qualified Ayta family will receive P20,000 a year in livelihood assistance.

Other benefits include priority hiring of able Aeta workers, implementation of community development assistance programs, construction of clinic and schoolrooms for the community high school, and an annual donation of P100,000 to the Pastolan village every fiesta time and Christmas.

Meanwhile, NCIP’s Daquioag said that the success story of Ayta Ambala in pursuance of their rights over their ancestral land will be used as template for other indigenous tribes all over the country.

“Ang agreement na nilagdaan ng SBMA at Tribong Ayta Ambala sa Pastolan ay magsisilbing template o pagkokopyahan ng mga kasunduan na isasagawa ng iba pang tribong katutubo kaugnay sa paggamit ng kanilang lupang ninuno,” Daquioag said.

For his part, Chairman Garcia thanked the Subic Ayta community for their support and assistance in formulating the joint management agreement.

“Nagpapasalamat tayo dahil ang IRR na matagal nating inaasam ay tinanggap na ng ating mga kapatid na katutubo upang lalong lumaki ang kanilang pakinabang sa lupain at mapabilis ang pag-unlad ng kanilang kabuhayan,” Garcia said (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia signs a joint management agreement covering parts of the Ayta ancestral domain in the Subic Bay Freeport with Pastolan Ayta chieftain Conrado Frenilla (right) and NCIP Region 3 director Ronaldo Daquioag.

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