Morong Ayta community gets P23,000 from SBMA recycling project

A total of 159 households belonging to the Magbukon Ayta community in Morong, Bataan received P23,000 worth of goods from the proceeds of a recycling project initiated by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) through its Ecology Center.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the donation included 15 sacks of premium rice, four boxes of instant noodles, 80 cans of corned beef, 30 1,500-piece boxes of face mask, and 10 gallons of isopropyl alcohol—items that were specifically requested by the Ayta tribe.

These were turned over recently by SBMA representatives at the remote sitio of Kanawan in Barangay Mabayo, and received by Magbukon Ayta Tribal Council chief Berlinda Restum and other Ayta leaders.

Eisma said the donation was funded by proceeds from recyclable materials sold in the 9th SBMA Recyclables Collection Event (RCE) held last June.

The bi-annual SBMA recycling project allows Subic Bay Freeport stakeholders to sell recyclable materials and, as an option, donate the proceeds to underprivileged sectors of the Freeport community.

“By participating in our Recyclable Collection Event, residents and business establishments in the Subic Bay Freeport are able to address their waste problem, turn recyclables into cash, and at the same time, help members of the community who are in need,” Eisma said.

“The Kanawan Aytas are the latest beneficiaries of this recycling drive that has been transformed into another CSR project of the SBMA,” she added.

SBMA Ecology Center manager Amethya Dela Llana said the RCE was initiated in October 2016 and the project had since been conducted twice a year, except last year when the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

The second RCE this year was launched today and will last until Friday with a series of online lectures on waste management and environmental protection, a “refill revolution” project where detergents and other cleaning materials will be sold at bazaar prices to those who bring their own containers, and a junk art contest that aims to promote upcycling among the youth.

Through the RCE project, Dela Llana added, owners of recyclables have the option to take the earnings from the sale or donate them in whole or in part to beneficiaries like the ABS-CBN’s Bantay Kalikasan, which help in promoting environmental protection.

Among the waste materials collected during the RCEs are plastic bottles and cardboard, busted florescent bulbs, used oil, used lead acid batteries, empty ink cartridges, and wastes from electronics and electrical equipment.

Dela Llana said those that have benefited from RCE proceeds included the SBMA Employees Association, which received P40,000 as additional Covid-19 fund from the 7th RCE; and Happy Paws, which got P23,000 from the 8th RCE to fund temporary shelter for stray dogs and cats in the Subic Bay Freeport and Olongapo City.  (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA warns illegal settlers

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) on Thursday appealed to farmers and indigenous Ayta tribesmen to stop encroaching in government-administered land and clearing forests and building illegal settlements within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the intrusion and introduction of unauthorized settlements violate the law, as well as an agreement between the Subic agency and the Ayta tribe on the use and disposition of tribal ancestral lands within the Freeport.

“Mapapagod lang po kayo sa paglilinis ng mga lupain at pagtatayo ng mga dampa kung labag naman sa batas ang inyong ginagawa. Babaklasin lang po ng mga may awtoridad ang inyong ginawa (Your efforts in clearing land and building shacks will simply be wasted if you’re activities are illegal. The authorities will simply dismantle what you build),” Eisma said.

“Matagal na pong may kasunduan tungkol sa mga lupaing katutubo dito sa Subic Freeport, at sana po ay sundin natin ito upang maiwasan ang kaguluhan (There has long been an agreement on the ancestral domain here in the Subic Freeport, and we hope you would honor it to avoid any problem),” she added.

Eisma also said the SBMA may be constrained to file legal cases against illegal settlers in order to protect government interest over the properties. 

The SBMA chief issued the warning following the discovery of two new illegal settlements at the Tipo area of the Subic Bay Freeport near the Mt. Sta. Rita Naval Link Station and the Subic Bay Expressway (SFEX). Tipo, which is the location of the eight-kilometer SFEX and some industrial park projects, is a village within Hermosa, Bataan, and adjoins Dinalupihan town and Brgy. New Cabalan in Olongapo City.

A report from the SBMA Ecology Center said that in late February, inspectors discovered an undeveloped settlement near the SFEX tunnel, which consisted of some huts built in a newly-cleared 500-square meter area. The new clearing is located along the proposed rail alignment of the Subic-Clark Railway Project, said SBMA Ecology Center manager Amethya Dela Llana.

Dela Llana said that after a meeting with the Kalayaan Ayta community revealed that the unauthorized clearing was made by a group of tribesmen from the Iram Resettlement area in Olongapo City, her office referred the matter on March 31 to Nestorio Pablo, the indigenous people’s representative to the Olongapo City council.

The notice sent to Pablo said that the SBMA will demolish the huts and confiscate the felled bamboos, wood, and other building materials found in the area.

Eisma said the demolition was carried out last Tuesday, April 13, by SBMA workers backed by officers from the SBMA Legal Department and the SBMA Law Enforcement Department.

She said the SBMA also served a “notice to vacate” to farmers who have started a new settlement at Lot 2 near Mt. Sta. Rita. The notice was received on Monday by Wilson Villas, vice chairman of the group Filipino Farmers Center Internazionale (FFCI).

Eisma said that while the Lot 2 settlement was still uninhabited, some semi-concrete structures put up by the illegal settlers there point to an intent for permanent occupancy.

The SBMA chief pointed out that the SBMA has already filed in court a case against illegal settlers consisting of about 30 families affiliated with FFCI who have occupied Lot 12, an area at the boundary of the Subic Freeport and the Roosevelt National Park in Dinalupihan.

She said the SBMA gave the FFCI five days to remove their belongings at Lot 2 and leave the area. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] SBMA workers start dismantling a hut built in an illegally-cleared area near the Subic Bay Expressway

[2] Some of the structures built by illegal settlers at Lot 2 near Mt. Sta. Rita in the Subic Bay Freeport

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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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SBMA renews pledge to help develop Subic indigenous communities

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has reiterated its commitment to help develop indigenous people’s communities in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and renewed its vow to promote the rights of the tribes to their ancestral domain here.

During the kick-off of the celebration of the National Indigenous Peoples (IP) Month here on October 8, SBMA officials led by Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma recognized the contribution of the various Ayta tribes in protecting the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and promised to help them in in both development and conservation efforts.

Among those present were representatives of the Ambala tribe of Pastolan, Hermosa, Bataan led by chieftain Conrado Frenilla; Cawag tribe of Subic, Zambales led by chieftain Antonio Cabalit; and the Magbukun tribe of Kanawan, Morong, Bataan led by chieftain Rodelio Tamondong.

“Last week (October 1) our Ayta brethren from the Magbukun tribe in Morong declared the boundaries of the 6,000-hectare Indigenous Community Conservation Area (ICCA) under a project of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP),” Eisma said. “The SBMA will continue to promote the socio-economic development of our brother Aytas in Subic,” she added.

“This is not a job for one person, but for all of us, so I reiterate my call for ‘malasakit’,” Eisma also said. “Let us not forget that we all have a job to do, and we all have the duty to protect Subic.”

In June this year, the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) approved the Magbukun tribe’s ancestral domain claim over some 12,000 hectares of land that straddles part of the Subic Freeport in Morong. A similar claim has been won by the Pastolan Ayta tribe several years ago with the help of the SBMA.

Magbukun chieftain Tamondong, meanwhile, pledged his community’s support and involvement in the SBMA’s projects to develop the area.

“Magkaiba man tayo ng kulay, wika, at antas sa lipunan, pero iisa ang dugong dumadaloy sa ating balat. Kami pong mga katutubo ay kaisa ninyo sa pag-abot ng pangarap para sa isang masagana at malayang Pilipinas (We might have different color, dialect and status in the society, but we are of the same blood. The indigenous people are with you in working towards a progressive and free Philippines,” Tamondong said.

Meanwhile, Armie Llamas, manager of the SBMA Public Relations Department, said as part of the IP Month celebration the agency would undertake on October 26 the 1st Indigenous Peoples Conference that would tackle propagation of medicinal plants, as well as government programs that tribal communities can avail of.

The SBMA has also scheduled the blessing of a clinic and high school building at the Pastolan Ayta village in Hermosa, Bataan on October 24.

A medical mission was likewise set at the Iram resettlement area in New Cabalan, Olongapo City on October 16 by St. Theresa’s College Quezon City alumni batch ’74, in partnership with the Olongapo City Medical Society (OCMS) and under the coordination of Dr. Asean Briones of the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department.

The group will similarly hold a lecture on Early Child Development for special education and day-care teachers, and parents at the James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital conference room.

Under Proclamation No. 1906 of 2009, the National Indigenous Peoples Month is observed each October in recognition of the rights of indigenous cultural communities and the preservation of these rights within the framework of national unity and development. (RFD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

[1] SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma with Magbukun Ayta children during the declaration of the tribe’s Indigenous Community Conservation Area in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone on October 1. (MPD-SBMA)

[2] Tribal leaders of Magbukun show the boundaries of their conservation area to SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma (left) and Grace Tena, program analyst of UNDP, during the declaration of the tribe’s Indigenous Community Conservation Area in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone on October 1. (MPD-SBMA)

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Subic firm turns over P250-K donation for Ayta students

Networx Jetsports, a registered business locator in this free port, donated on Wednesday boxes of school supplies and brand new electric appliances for an Ayta community school in Barangay Cawag, Subic, Zambales.

Networx representative Manuel Sequeira said the donations were from the proceeds of the recent 2018 Jet Ski and Boat Charity Fun Run held at the Silangin Cove in San Antonio, Zambales, which drew nearly 400 foreign and local jet ski and boat enthusiasts aboard 83 jet skis and 30 boats.

Sequeira said the group was able to raise P250,000 cash and decided to donate the amount to the Ayta tribal community at Sitio San Martin in Cawag.

Assisted by community officers of the Subic Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Networx formally turned over to the Cawag Resettlement Elementary School seven flat-screen television sets and 14 ceiling fans.

The group also gave away to the San Martin Ayta tribal leaders various school supplies for 34 kindergarten and elementary school pupils.

Meanwhile, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma lauded Networx Jetsports for showing “malasakit” to the indigenous people in Cawag, saying it was a good example that could be emulated by other business locators in the Subic Bay Freeport.

San Martin Ayta tribal members, headed by chieftain Antonio Cabalic, expressed gratitude to the donors during the turnover.

“Nagpapasalamat po kami sa Networx Jetsports para sa school supplies na ipinagkaloob nila sa amin. Napakalaking tulong po ang mga ito sa mga mag-aaral na Ayta na karamihan ay nahihirapang makabili ng kagamitan sa eskwela (We thank the Networx Jetsports for the school supplies they gave us. This is a big help to Ayta students, most of whom cannot afford to buy school supplies,” Cabalic said.

The Ayta tribal community at Sitio San Martini is about two kilometers away from the Cawag Resettlement Elementary School. Most of the students walk all the way to the school, as a one-way tricycle ride— the only mode of public transportation in the area— costs P27.

Cabalic said the educational equipment and supplies donated by Networx would go a long way in raising the level of instruction in the Ayta community school. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] Networx representative Manuel Sequeira turns over school equipment and supplies worth P250,000 to the Cawag Resettlement Elementary School in Subic, Zambales.

[2] Ayta school children join Ayta chieftain Antonio Cabalic in receiving boxes of school supplies donated by Networx Jetsports to the Ayta community in Sitio San Martin, Cawag, Subic, Zambales.

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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 jet ski fun ride benefits Ayta community

The Ayta community at Barangay Cawag in Subic, Zambales became the beneficiary of the 2018 Jetski and Boat Charity Fun Run, as organizers donated P250,000 collected from participants in the event held on Saturday by Freeport locator Networx Jetsports.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma and Cawag Ayta tribal chieftain Antonio Cabalic formally received the P250,000-check during a simple beach-side ceremony conducted after the event at the Silanguin Cove in San Antonio, Zambales.

Eisma said the money will be used as “seed capital” for the Cawag Ayta Tribal Cooperative, with the fund earmarked for the establishment of micro and small businesses for members of the Cawag Ayta tribe.

The Subic tribesmen, who used to live a nomadic existence, now subsist mostly on hardscrabble agriculture and gathering of forest products.

According to organizers of the Jetski and Boat Charity Fun Run, around 380 participants joined the activity that involved 83 jet skis and 31 boats.

The fun run started from the Boardwalk Area of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, and then headed towards Silanguin Cove and back.

“It was a great feeling seeing all these wonderful people coming from different places and gathering together for this one great event. We are happy to inform everyone that we have beaten the record last year which had 77 jet skis and 30 Boats,” Networx Jetsports officials stated.

This is the ninth time that the company conducted this event, showing that charity can work hand-in-hand with a water sports event, especially in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

The annual event is spearheaded by company honchos William Ang, Emmanuel “Dong” Arcilla and BJ Ang.

Established in 1997, Networx Jetsports caters to the needs of jet-ski enthusiasts. Founder Emmanuel Arcilla, an avid jet-ski racer, believed that the market was open for a superior and focused jet-ski dealership and service outfit.

In 2000, jet-ski racer and businessman William Ang joined Arcilla in spinning off Jetsports from its parent Networx Auto Detailing Corporation. Together, they expanded the business to reach more people who are into water sports.

Aside from jet skis and jet boats of different brands, Jetsports also sells various parts and accessories for jet skis. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] Subic Ayta tribal chieftain Antonio Cabalic (3rd from left) and SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma receive the P250,000-check donation from participants in the 2018 Jetski and Boat Charity Fun Run at the Subic Bay Freeport.

[2] Participants in the 2018 Jetski and Boat Charity Fun Run race to the finish at Subic Bay before handing out their donation to the Ayta community at Barangay Cawag, Subic, Zambales.

[3] Jet skis dot the beach at Silanguin Cove, in San Antonio, Zambales during the 2018 Jetski and Boat Charity Fun Run held on Saturday at the Subic Bay Freeport.

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SBMA, IP group ink accord for Ayta conservation area

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has formally signed an agreement with a non-government organization for the implementation of a conservation program to benefit the Magbukun Ayta tribesmen living within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma signed the accord with Betty Fielder, president of the Subic Indigenous Peoples Assistance Group (SIPAG), on Wednesday at the SBMA office.

SIPAG had launched its Indigenous Communities Conservation Area (ICCA) project last December under the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to help protect and preserve the indigenous Ayta environment and culture here.

The project will be implemented with the support of the local government unit of Morong, Bataan, and the Philippine Association for Intercultural Development (PAFID).

The project places the Magbukun Ayta tribe at the forefront of conservation efforts since they live in the conservation site, which forms a part of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone

Eisma said the SBMA will give its all-out support to the project because it dovetails with the agency’s conservation and environment protection program.

“We have pledged our all-out support to this project because it strengthens our fundamental advocacy to protect the natural environment of the Subic Freeport,” Eisma explained.

“Of course, part of the effort goes to the conservation of the indigenous Ayta culture and we also support that,” she added.

Under the agreement, the SBMA allowed SIPAG to use a building at the Naval Magazine area in the Freeport for the establishment of the Ayta Cultural Skills Development and Livelihood Training Center.

Under the ICCA program, residents living within or nearby the conservation area are tasked to serve as protectors of the environment, while the local government unit takes the lead in implementing conservation and protection activities.

According to the UNDP, ICCAs are spaces de facto governed by indigenous peoples or local communities with evidently positive outcomes for the conservation of biological and cultural diversity.

The UNDP also said that ICCAs can be classified as sacred areas or ritual grounds for the indigenous communities residing near it and may include forests, mountains, shorelines, wetlands, fishing areas, and other bodies of water.

Project officials said that with the ICCA program, the continuation, revival or modification of traditional practices or even new initiatives may succeed in protecting and restoring natural resources and cultural values in the face of new threats or opportunities.

Eisma said the SBMA has been successful in implementing a similar program with the Ambala Ayta tribe at the Pastolan village in the town of Hermosa, which also forms part of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

The SBMA has recently been recognized for its Ambala development program by the London-based International Finance Magazine (IFM) for having the best social responsibility initiative, Eisma also said.

Before this, the SBMA also initiated the so-called social-fencing concept at the Freeport to make residents of upland areas in the zone be part of the overall strategy to preserve Subic’s natural environment. (HEE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO

Members of the Magbukun Ayta tribe welcome the signing of an agreement by SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma (left) and SIPAG President Betty Fielder to implement a conservation program at the tribe’s territory within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. (SBMA)

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SBMA to support Ayta tribe in biodiversity conservation

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will be a partner of the Magbukun Ayta tribe here in their effort to protect and preserve their indigenous environment and culture.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma pledged the agency’s support to the Magbukun tribe on Saturday at the launching of the Indigenous Communities Conservation Area (ICCA) under the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The project, which will be implemented with the support of the local government unit of Morong and the Philippine Association for Intercultural Development (PAFID), places the Ayta tribe at the forefront of conservation efforts since they live in the conservation site, which forms a part of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

“We will be giving our all-out support to this endeavor not only because the project will be implemented within the Freeport Zone, but also because we at the SBMA consider environmental protection our fundamental advocacy,” Eisma said at the sidelines of the ceremony.

She recalled that the SBMA has initiated the social-fencing concept at the Freeport to make residents of upland areas in the zone be part of the overall strategy to preserve Subic’s natural environment.

Eisma also noted that the SBMA has been successful in a similar program with the Ambala Ayta tribe at the Pastolan village in the Subic Bay Freeport, for which the agency has been recognized as the best in social responsibility initiative.

“What we have successfully done for the Pastolan Ayta tribe, we also hope to do with the Magbukun folk,” she added.

Under the ICCA program, residents living within or nearby the conservation area will serve as protectors of the environment, while the local government unit will take the lead in implementing conservation and protection activities.

According to the UNDP, ICCAs are spaces de facto governed by indigenous peoples or local communities with evidently positive outcomes for the conservation of biological and cultural diversity.

Some ICCAs are situated in remote ecosystems that have had minimum human influence, while others encompass areas of various regulations and magnitudes within regions strongly affected modified by human occupation.

The ICCAs can be classified as sacred areas or ritual grounds for the indigenous communities residing near it and may include forests, mountains, shorelines, wetlands, fishing areas, and other bodies of water.

The UNDP hopes that through the ICCAs, the continuation, revival or modification of traditional practices or even new initiatives may succeed in protecting and restoring natural resources and cultural values in the face of new threats or opportunities. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] Members of the Magbukun Ayta tribe, assisted by some local government officials, launch the Indigenous Communities Conservation Area (ICCA) in Morong, Bataan on Saturday, Dec. 2. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[2] SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma (center, front row) join members of the Magbukun Ayta tribe during the launching of the Indigenous Communities Conservation Area (ICCA) in Morong, Bataan on Saturday, Dec. 2. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[3] SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma with elderly Ayta members of the Magbukun Ayta tribe during the launching of the Indigenous Communities Conservation Area (ICCA) in Morong, Bataan on Saturday, Dec. 2. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Subic Bay named Asia’s ‘Fastest Growing Free Trade Zone’

The Subic Bay Freeport Zone has again gained international attention when it garnered two awards in the International Finance Awards 2017 given out by the London-based International Finance Magazine (IFM), a financial market information group.

Under the Financial Awards category, the Subic Bay Freeport Zone was named the “Fastest Growing Free Trade Zone” in Asia while the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) was recognized in the same category for its “Best Social Responsibility Initiative”.

The IFM awards recognize and honor individuals and organisations in the international finance industry that make a significant difference and add value, as well as herald the highest standards of innovation and performance.

Organizers said the IFM awards make a concerted effort to shine the spotlight on organizations in niche segments and those that exhibit brilliance in the unsung corners of the finance industry.
The other winners from the Philippines are: BPI Asset Management, as “Best Asset Manager”; Omnipay, as “Best Payment Solutions Provider”; and RCBC Bankard Services Corporation, “Best Credit Card Offerings”.

The awards will be handed out next year during the IFM Annual Award Ceremony scheduled on January 26 in Singapore.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma Eisma said it is “both an honor and privilege to be counted among IFM’s roster of excellence.”

“These awards, which come on the eve of SBMA’s 25th year anniversary, inspire us not only to celebrate our past but more importantly, to forge our country’s future for the sake of our children and future generations by continuing to make a difference and adding value to Filipino lives,” she added.

Subic Bay’s first award recognized its emergence as a flagship of the Philippine economy and a catalyst of growth in the region.

To date, the Subic Bay Freeport has a total of more than 126,000 workers employed by a total of 2,897 companies variously engaged in shipbuilding and other marine-related business, tourism, ICT, manufacturing, and services. With committed investments surpassing the $1.4-billion mark in the first quarter of this year, SBMA officials expect Subic to make more significant strides in the Philippine economy in the coming years.

The second award cited the SBMA for identifying the social needs of the indigenous Ayta community in the Subic Freeport area and taking the initiative to positively impact the social status, earning potential and access to services of the members of the tribe.

Last week, the Subic Bay Freeport was also recognized as the Best Sports Tourism Destination of the Year during the Third Sports Industries Awards and Conference Asia held in Bangkok, Thailand.

In the same event, the SBMA won the silver award for Best Sponsorship of a Sport, Team or Event for sponsoring triathlon events here in 2014 to 2016.

Meanwhile, SBMA Chairman Eisma was adjudged among this year’s winners in the search for the “100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World”, which recognizes Filipino women who are influencing the face of leadership in the global workplace.

Eisma received the award during the 14th Filipina Leadership Global Summit scheduled on October 25-29 in Toronto, Canada. (JRR)


PHOTOS:

[1] Fastest Growing Free Trade Zone in Asia award

[2] Best Social Responsibility Initiative award

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Aeta "warriors" show marksmanship in sports fest

Subic Bay Freeport -- More than 100 “warriors” from six Aeta tribes trooped to a “battleground” in Hermosa, Bataan, to join this year’s "Haribol Katutubo," a sports festival using indigenous weapons.

Wearing only G-strings, locally known as bahag, the all-male participants arrived in batches from the Aeta tribal community in Iram, Old Cabalan, New Cabalan and Mampueng in Olongapo City; Tribong Ayta in Angeles City, and Pastolan in Hermosa, Bataan, the host tribe.

Col. Jeff Tamayo, president of the National College Athletic Association (NCAA), said the event is similar to the World Indigenous Games, the indigenous peoples’ sports festival held in Brazil last year.

Tamayo said aside from Pastolan, there will also be other Haribol Katutubo, Protecting the Natural Heritage games to be held in other areas.

Tamayo explained that the primary purpose of holding the event is to gather all the tribal groups in an event like this, the Haribol Katutubo, so that the young generations could blend with the adults for them to see their natural traditions.

“They, the young and the adults in the tribes, could have a common area to transfer the heritage from the adults, such as the protection of the forests,” he said.

Tamayo cited the need for the young generations to see what their ancestors did to protect the traditional heritage.

Included in the sportsfest are bow and arrow competitions that require the participant to hit the target in different distances while, standing, sitting, squatting; while standing bull’s eye. on the branch of a tree, and while running. There are also competitions on blowgun, spear throwing.

Winners from the competition will also join in UP Diliman in Quezon City with participants from indigenous communities from the North Luzon and other parts of the country. This is in preparation for the WIG to be held this year in Colombia.

When people saw a man carrying a bow and arrow, the impression is aggressiveness. However, for me, bow and arrow is part of a culture.

When you enable an Ayta boy to participate this kind of sports, he is not only joining the game but also learning what his ancestors did to hunt for food. Then we, also taking care of those heritage,” Tamayo explained. (Ruben Veloria, Peoples Tonight)

PHOTO:
Aeta tribesmen show their skill in using the bow and arrow as they compete in the tribal games held at the Pastolan Aeta village in Hermosa, Bataan Saturday (Feb. 25). Aeta tribes from Zambales, Bataan and Olongapo took part in the games which aim to promote camaraderie and the preservation of their culture. The project is sponsored by the National College Athletics Association, the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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LOOK: Subic Bay radio Epiphany Sunday community visit

Residents of Sitio Alibang, Barangay Naugsol in Subic, Zambales benefited from the annual gift giving project of Subic Bay Freeport's radio station DWSB 89.5 FM held over the weekend.

DJ MJ, DJ Jepsz and DJ Elton of 89.5 Subic Bay Radio led the giving of donations to around 100 households, including Aeta indigenous tribal members of Barangay Naugsol Sunday (January 08) morning. The activity was also participated in by donors and several radio communication volunteers.

DWSB 89.5 FM Subic Bay Radio is a public radio facility jointly established by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and state-run Philippine Broadcasting Service.

Managed by the SBMA Media Production Department (SBMA-MPD), Subic Bay Radio is aimed to serve as a medium that will promote Subic Bay Freeport Zone as an investment and tourism haven, and at the same time provide radio services for the community of Subic Bay Freeport Zone and its contiguous areas (i.e. Olongapo City and the provinces of Bataan and Zambales).

89.5 Subic Bay Radio is heard locally on your FM radio dial, and via internet audio/video streaming at www.ustream.tv/channel/895subicbay. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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LOOK: NYC chair Aiza Seguerra graces IP month

National Youth Commission Chair Aiza Seguerra delivers a message before SBMA employees and Aeta tribal representatives during the celebration of the Indigenous Peoples Month held at the activity center of Harbor Point Mall in Subic Bay Freeport.

Indigenous people's month is held every October of the year. This year's theme is "Katutubong Kabataan, Yaman ng Bayan."

The Philippine National Police also supported the celebration with the presence of PNP PD/G Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa's official mascot, adding excitement to the event. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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'Sunshine on a rainy day’: SBMA conducts Ayta outreach project in Subic town

Despite inclement weather, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) brought joy and cheer to Ayta students in Subic, Zambales, through an outreach project conducted by the SBMA Tourism Department.

SBMA Tourism Department manager Mary Jamelle Camba and her staff, along members of the Rotary Club of Subic Pearl, turned over sacks of rice, canned good, noodles, and other foodstuff to the St. Francis Learning Center Foundation, Inc. (SFLCFI), which is run by Franciscan sisters headed by Sis. Mary Francis Borje.

Camba said the project was in line with the month-long celebration by the SBMA of the 2016 National Tourism Month.

No less than 250 elementary and high school mostly Ayta students of St. Francis benefited from the project, which was sponsored by a number of business locators in the Subic Bay Freeport.

Sister Mary said the SBMA outreach project was a big relief not only to the sisters and teachers who always tried to make ends meet to feed and support the school children of the center, but also to the children from poor families.

One of them, nine-year old Aaron Ioncellas, who is on Grade 3 at the center, couldn’t hide his happiness upon receiving his box of lunch containing a piece of chicken, rice, and chocolate brownies. But Aaron didn’t take his lunch, and said he was bringing it home to his four younger siblings instead.

The SFLCFI, according to Sister Mary, was established in 1991 to help members of the Ayta community in the mountains of Sitio Nibangon, Mangan-Vaca, Subic, Zambales, whose socio-economic life was severely affected by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo.

Starting out with two small shacks built by the Aytas from donated scrap wood, a handful of Franciscan nuns started teaching mostly illiterate Ayta adults the rudiments of reading and writing, as well as some basic livelihood skills.

The Ayta elders later appealed to the nuns to accommodate their children as well.

“Today, the SFLCFI is now recognized by the Department of Education as a registered educational institution that can accept Grade 1 to Grade 6 and senior high school students,” Sister Mary said.

Taking pride in the project, SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said the Subic agency has been prioritizing outreach activities like this to help in promoting inclusive growth in the Subic Bay Freeport community.

“This is just a ray of sunshine on a rainy day, and the SBMA is happy to be a critical part in the development of the local communities year in and year out, inclement weather or not,” Garcia said.

As manager of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, which straddles parts of the provinces of Zambales and Bataan, the SBMA releases millions in semi-annual development assistance to nearby local government units through the so-called LGU shares.

Just last month, the SBMA released a total of P141.4 million to four towns and one city in Zambales, and three municipalities in Bataan as their revenue shares for the first half of 2016.

Garcia said the revenue shares are to be used for community development projects, including those for health, education, peace and order, and livelihood programs to enable communities near the Subic Bay Freeport to keep pace with developments in the special economic zone. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] SBMA tourism staff and members of the Rotary Club of Subic Pearl with the Ayta children and their mentors during an outreach project at the St. Francis Learning Center in Sitio Nibangon, Mangan-Vaca, Subic, Zambales. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[2] SBMA tourism staff and members of the Rotary Club of Subic Pearl join Ayta natives in a traditional tribal dance during an outreach project at the St. Francis Learning Center in Sitio Nibangon, Mangan-Vaca, Subic, Zambales. (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 Freeport hosts Ayta tribal games

In preparation for the second World Indigenous Games, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) conducted an Ayta Tribal Games here on Saturday to find out who among the Ayta tribesmen in Zambales are worthy to represent the country.

Five indigenous tribes competed in the archery and blow dart events, wearing their tribal attire and using traditional weapons during the competition held at the Pastolan Ayta Village in this free port.

These include the Pastolan tribe of Hermosa, Bataan; Mampweng, Libas, and Maliwakat tribes in Olongapo City; and another tribe from San Marcelino, Zambales.

Each event had variations that put the tribesmen into different situations, ranging from shooting a target at a standstill to shooting a target while climbing a tree.

POC board member Col. Antonio Jeff Tamayo said that another reason for holding these tribal games was to remind everyone of native traditions.

“These games help us embrace our heritage to the very core,” Tamayo said.

During the matches, the young athletes who joined the competition showed excitement, hoping that they would be chosen as representatives of the country.

Twenty-one year-old Wilson of the Libas tribe said he was eager to try his accuracy in the archery event.

He noted that these traditions were diminishing as Aytas become more urbanized. The games, he added, are a great way for the youth to embrace their roots.

During the opening ceremony, Pastolan tribal chieftain Conrado Frenilla welcomed the visiting tribes, saying the event also served as a reunion for the tribes in Zambales and Bataan.

“I hope that this will not be just a one-time event and that many more tribal games will be held here at the Pastolan Village in the near future.” (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Indigenous Ayta tribesmen prepare to shoot their bow and arrows during a tribal competition held at the Pastolan Village in the Subic Bay Freeport Saturday morning. Around 50 Ayta tribesmen from Zambales, Bataan and Olongapo City took part in the event. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA forest rangers stop hauling of logs in Aeta ancestral land in Bataan

Forest rangers of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), most of them Aeta natives, have stopped eight big dump trucks from hauling logs cut from their ancestral land in Hermosa town in Bataan province.

“There is no permit, that is why we did not allow them,” said Ricky Manalansan, 31, an Aeta forest ranger.

Manalansan said that five dump trucks loaded with cut trees were already impounded at the SBMA Law Enforcement Department while they are still guarding three other trucks loaded with eucalyptus, cupang and other tree species at the Pastulan village.

A big trunk of cut lawaan tree and left-over of other tree species were seen in clearings adjacent to the access road that reportedly used to be a bike trail to Pastulan village.

Pastulan, an Aeta village, is under Hermosa but became part of the former American naval base that is now the SBMA.

About 2/3 of the total area of SBMA belongs to Bataan, particularly Hermosa and Morong towns.(PNA via interaksyon.com)

Photo by interaksyon.com

read full story here - http://www.interaksyon.com/article/122413/sbma-forest-rangers-stop-hauling-of-logs-in-aeta-ancestral-land-in-bataan

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LOOK: Subic Aeta Woodcarver

Aeta tribesman Joel Baclay works on a wood carving outside a souvenir shack in Subic Bay Freeport. Baclay sells the Navy-inspired carvings to visiting US Navy servicemen whenever American ships dock at the Port of Subic Ba​y for routine port stops, as well as rest and resupply. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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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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