Vice Gov. Lilia Pineda shows to BCDA personnel the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title which former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took care of in July 2009. Also in photo are 2nd District board members Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab and Fritzie David-Dizon. Photo courtesy of Jun Jaso/Pampanga PIO
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Vice Governor Lilia ‘Nanay’ Pineda has expressed disappointment to the National Commission on Indigenous People’s (NCIP) Office in Region 3 over the putative ‘snail-paced’ registration of the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) of the Aetas in Porac town.
According to the Vice Governor, up to this time, the ‘snail-paced’ approach of the NCIP has resulted in non-registration of titles of thousands of hectares of ancestral domain intended for the benefi t of the indigenous people of Porac.
“The NCIP could not even identify a piece of fl at land in the ancestral domain owned and registered in the names of the Aetas that could be used as a resettlement site for the victims of a 6.1 magnitude quake in Camias, Porac.
“Bakit alang mitatagan a gabun para karing Aeta? Bakit aku pang sinaling gabun para king housing da? Samantalang sasabian da ring NCIP marakal la ancestral land ding Aetas. (Why there is no land left for the housing of the Aetas? Why I was the one who bought land for their resettlement site? While the NCIP is saying that Aetas have abundant ancestral lands)”, the vice governor asked.
The vice governor suggested that the NCIP should work hard now to find a flat land intended for the housing of the Aetas in Barangay Camias or she would question them.
In fact, she said the provincial government has already purchased a 3-hectare lot in Barangay Babo Panghulo, Porac for the relocation of the affected Aeta victims in Barangays Diaz, Inararo and Villa Maria in the same town due to the recent 6.1 magnitude earthquake that struck the province.
NCIP Response
Atty. Chester Cayabas Diwas, NCIP regional legal officer said the commission up to now failed to register the CADT of the Aetas in Porac due to several legal and policy issues that need to be resolved first.
Like for instance, Diwas said out of 18,000 hectares ancestral domain of the Aetas in Porac, 2,000 hectares were already titled and registered while the other 16,000 hectares are not yet CADT registered because 5,000 hectares of which are being claimed by the Bases Conversion Development Authority or BCDA.
“And that needs to be resolved first before the NCIP could work for the registration of the CADT of the Aetas in Porac,” she emphasized.
Asked if the NCIP could identify or provide a registered ancestral land as a relocation site for the Aetas of Camias, Porac, the NCIP legal officer said they have very limited budget and the commission has no funds for that purpose.
“All we can do is to assist the Aetas in land titling, provide educational assistance for our scholars, financial assistance and technical assistance to Aetas in times of need and even in giving relief assistance,” she said.
Nonetheless, she furthered, the NCIP has already registered the CADTs of the Aetas in the upland areas of Mabalacat City and Floridablanca.
Reaction from Aeta Leader
Regie Abuque, barangay captain of Camias appealed to the NCIP to immediately work hard for the registration of their CADT because they have been waiting for it since 2010 but nothing happens.
“Ing pakisabi ming mayap, sana ing NCIP magi yang tune kakampi ding Aeta,” (What we are really asking for is that the NCIP be a true partner of the Aetas)”, the village chief said.
Even so, Abuque disclosed that the NCIP is providing the Aetas with relief, financial assistance, among others, when needed.
For that, he said, he could give them 5 on a scale of 10 when it comes to providing the needed services.
Asked about the provincial government, the village chief said the Vice Governor Nanay and Governor Dennis ‘Delta’ Pineda are in full support when it comes to providing their needs, be it educational, health, livelihood and environment protection, among other things.
“Kang Nanay ampo kang Governor Delta, ala kaming asabi, babie da ing egana-gana para karing Aeta (We have nothing to say to Nanay and Governor Delta because they give everything for the benefit of the Aetas),” he said.
He added that when it comes to housing, the provincial government is supporting them but it should be constructed in a titled and registered ancestral domain, hence they are appealing to NCIP to work for the registration of CADT in Porac.
