In light of the celebration of Indigenous People’s Month, environmental organizations and indigenous forest guards called for strengthened support from the government towards the protection and preservation of local biodiversity and ancestral lands.
The ongoing struggle that organizations and volunteers face in combating environmental degradation amid the lack of support from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) was highlighted through a screening of the film “Bantay Bukid” by Pia Duran and a subsequent roundtable discussion.
Bantay bukid, or forest guards, are composed of volunteers from Bagobo Klata, Obu Manuvu, and Bagobo Tagabawa indigenous groups who aim to protect, maintain, and rehabilitate Davao’s watersheds and forests such as Mount Apo.
According to Bantay Bukid Panigan-Tamugan Cluster Leader Jhony Dalapan, the biggest issue they face is the presence of illegal loggers in their lands and their ties to the government, hindering efforts to solve the problem.
“Kay tungod lagi sa mga tao pud na walay pakialam sa atong kinaiyahan, giguba nila ang mga dagkong kahoy… pero naa gyu’y nagpailalum sa ilaha, ang mga taong ginatawag natong mga kwartahan, mga kusgan na dili pud basta-basta mapahawa tungod kay lagi, naa man pu’y kapit sa atoang gobyerno pud.”
The forest guards are also bound by protocols they have to follow, further limiting their command to protect their lands.
“Igo ra gyud mi mu-monitor sa kinaiyahan kung unsay mga problema… Kung naay aktwal na among masakpan nga gabuhat ug ilegal, dili gyud mi basta-basta magpaduol, kay ang among limit diha, 15 meters. Diha ra gyud mi kutob,” Dalapan added.
When incidents of this nature are reported to appropriate authorities, the proceedings to punish these illegal loggers take time, allowing these practices to persist.
Meanwhile, Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) Executive Director Atty. Mark Peñalver said that because Bantay Bukid members started out as volunteers, they did not receive monetary compensation from both the local and national government.
It was in 2017 that they lobbied then-mayor Vice President Sara Duterte to provide allowances for these volunteers to “give dignity” for their labor.
“During the 2017 Watershed Summit, she attended that and she publicly announced na she will be providing support to Bantay Bukid.”
Peñalver also added that presently, the barangay and local government units assist the volunteers through the provision of personal protective equipment such as their uniforms, boots, and binoculars.
But while the government has provided assistance at the local level, Peñalver revealed that the DENR, the national government agency that is supposed to back initiatives like the Bantay Bukid, has been absent in providing support such as security, monetary compensation, and capacity trainings.
“They face threats every day and wala silay security. When it comes to support from the national government agency, as far as my experience is concerned, wala man jud. Wala pa man jud nag-support in terms of offering to the Bantay Bukid volunteers para sa ilang trainings,” Peñalver said.
Bantay Bukid Sitio Durian Cluster Leader Juan Lumpit Jr. said the DENR can support preservation initiatives like theirs through immediate and concrete action against illegal activities that compromise biodiversity and natural resources.
During the Eco-wentuhan Circle segment of the event, MA Anthropology student Florence Baula said that the DENR alone is not capable of protecting and preserving these ancestral domains, emphasizing the need for a collective effort among various sectors and groups to effectively carry out this goal.
With this, Baula made a point of “playing our roles,” and delineated ways that the community can actively support these preservation initiatives.
The Bantay Bukid film screening and roundtable discussion was held at the Bapa Benny Tudtud Auditorium last October 19, initiated by the Ateneo de Davao University Department of Anthropology and the Mindanawon Anthropological Society of the Ateneo (MASA).