by Claro A.
Lanipa
BAYOG,
Zamboanga del Sur, July 2 (PIA) – To address and resolve the issue on Ancestral
Domain within the Subanen indigenous cultural communities, the First Infantry
“Tabak” Division, Philippine Army, in partnership with the National Commission
on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Region IX and the local government unit of Bayog
held a Peace Forum on June 28, 2012 at the municipal gymnasium.
Mayor
Leonardo Babasa Jr. in his message said this is the first time a peace forum
for the Indigenous people was ever held in this municipality. All of us want to
have progress and development in our town, barangay and in our tribe. But it
cannot be achieved if there is no unity and peace.
“The
first thing we have to do is to have peace and order among our tribe, in our
barangay and municipality, because everyone wants progress and development,” Babasa said.
“Today
is a historic day for our municipality, for the IPs and non-IPs, let us start
to have order and peace within ourselves to attain our goal,” he added.
Meanwhile,
BGen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, Commanding General of the First Infantry
“Tabak” Division, Philippine Army said “ang konting diperensiya ay nakitaan na
ng magandang solusyon. Ngunit ang
solusyon na iyan ay hindi magiging materyal kung wala ang suporta ng ating apat
na kagalang-galang na Timuay (tribal leaders).”
“Isa
itong senyales ng kanilang kagitingan bilang mga lider ng kanilang mga tribo,
isang katapangan na harapin ang suliranin at hanapan ito ng solusyon para sa
kanilang pamilya, mga anak, mga nasasakupan at mga kapatid natin. Kayo ang
siyang makikinabang sa solusyon na ito,” Gen. Cruz said.
The
forum was attended by more than 500 IPs and non-IPs led by four (4) Timuays:
Casiano Edal, Ramon Lumigue, Lucencio Manda and Joel Lumpinas, who presented
their Ancestral Domain (AD) claims through a prepared map of the municipality
of Bayog.
As
a gesture of support and commitment, all the stakeholders affixed their signatures
on the map led by NCIP Regional Director Salong Sunggod, NCIP Commissioner for
Northern and Western Mindanao Cosme Lambayan, Mayor Babasa, BGen Cruz and was
attested by the four (4) Timuays.
Other
national government agencies/stakeholders present were the Department of
Environment Natural Resources (DENR), Department of the Interior and Local
Government (DILG), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian
Reform (DAR), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Mines and
Geosciences Bureau (MGB), Philippine National Police (PNP), Fiber Industry
Development Authority (FIDA), and Philippine Information Agency (PIA).
(ALT/CAL-PIA9/Zambo Sur)
