By DOMINIC GUTOMAN
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is being urged to distribute the disputed lands of Sitio Mariahangin, Bugsuk, Palawan to the Molbog indigenous peoples, fisherfolk, and local residents.
Angelica Nasiron, a Molbog resident who joined the prayer and fasting program in front of DAR on December 2 said, “The order of DAR to revoke our Notice of Coverage (NOC) is being used against us to drive us away from our ancestral lands and community.”
In 2023, DAR revoked the NOC of the 10,821 hectares of land of the indigenous peoples in Bugsuk, Palawan which was initially issued in 2014 under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER). Residents said that this decision by DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III prompted escalated harassment and intimidation in their community in Sitio Mariahangin.
“For nine years, we waited for the DAR to execute its decision and implement the coverage of our lands. But nothing happened, and instead, they reversed it,” Nasiron said.
The indigenous people residing in Sitio Mariahangin barricaded the disputed lands on November 18 to prevent the forced entry of those introducing themselves as police officers and representatives of San Miguel Corporation (SMC).
Read: IP community prevents PNP, alleged SMC elements from entering ancestral land
During the prayer and fasting program, the residents also recalled the June 27 incident when a DAR personnel informed them of an impending demolition of their homes to make way for a large-scale eco-luxury tourism project spanning more than 5,500 hectares known as the “Bugsuk Island Resort.”
In the early morning of June 29, 16 unidentified armed men fired at the community and tried to enter their community. Residents sent a letter to Palawan governor Dennis Socraters to look into the matter but the intimidation and harassment persisted.
Nasiron said that drones were used to conduct surveillance on their community. “We are already traumatized with what they are doing to our community. We do not know where to seek help already. We are paralyzed.”
“They told us we are already defeated in Sitio Mariahangin,” she said.
After the DAR decision in 2023, residents received complaints and demand letters, asking them to vacate their lands. They were also threatened that refusing to vacate their lands could mean criminal charges. They would also be forced to give P1 million as compensation and another P1 million as lawyers’ fees.
“For your information, the DAR issued an Order on May 31, 2023, declaring your lands exempt or out of coverage from the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). Due to this, our clients have the right to order your expulsion as soon as possible,” the demand letter said.
Residents stressed that their lands remain agricultural as they maintain crops and seaweed farming as the primary source of livelihood of their community.
Randy Cirio, president of Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA) said that the decision of DAR is “legally, morally, and technically wrong.”
“We are doing this prayer and fasting program to show the pain and suffering experienced by our farmers and indigenous peoples, and to urge the public to stand in solidarity with the Bugsuk people to call for justice,” Cirio said in Filipino.
While the DAR has not yet issued a statement regarding this, Sambilog-Balik Bugsuk Movement said this is not just an attack on an individual but a chilling example of how legal systems can be weaponized to suppress the rights and welfare of indigenous communities.
“Without the NOC to secure their ancestral lands, the Molbog, Palaw’an, and Cagayanen indigenous peoples face the looming threat of privatization, displacement, and harassment. These ancestral lands are more than just property – they are the foundation of their cultural heritage and survival. Without protection, generations of history and identity are at risk of being erased by corporate development,” Sambilog said in a statement.
Nine indigenous leaders from Bugsuk have taken lead in the “Nine Days of Hunger for Justice” campaign, where they will hold fasting and prayer programs in front of DAR until December 10 (International Human Rights Day). (JJE, DAA)
