National government urged to expedite CADT

BALANGA CITY, Bataan – A Bataan provincial board member has urged the national government  to expedite the awarding  of the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) of  21,600 hectares of ancestral lands in 18 Aeta tribal communities located in the mountain ranges of Mariveles and Limay towns.

According to Board Member Danilo B. Salonga, Indigenous People Mandatory Representative (IPMR), pertinent documents on the delineation and titling procedures of the cultural minorities  ancestral lands were already forwarded to the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) for signature of the President.

Salonga said the province of Bataan is a home to some 18 Aeta tribal communities scattered in its eleven (11) towns and component city of Balanga with an estimated population of 15,000, however, these cultural communities are earnestly waiting for the issuance of CADT which according to them is a milestone in their pursuit to preserve their livelihood and traditional lifestyles under the Indigenous People’s Right Act of 1997.

He reiterated that then Bataan Governor Enrique T. Garcia,Jr. had granted P 10 million for the titling of ancestral domain and livelihood projects of the tribal communities as part of his ardent  aspiration to upgrade  the socio-economic progress of the cultural minorities.

He added that Governor Garcia had encouraged the Aeta tribal communities to undertake health, education, skills training and other employment programs of the government for their benefits and economic prosperity.

Salonga explained the old practices by the Aetas who derived their income from hunting wild animals, gathering of root crops and minor forest products would possibly be things of the past with the numerous financial and entrepreneurial subsidies initiated by Governor Garcia during his term as provincial executive.