Senate Inquiry Sought Over Illegal Dump in Aeta Ancestral Domain

ODD LANDSCAPE Aeta families in Subic, Zambales, have complained about garbage dumped within the forests of their tribe’s ancestral domain since 2019, but only came to light recently, prompting calls for a Senate investigation. —Contributed photo OLONGAPO CITY, ZAMBALES, Philippines — Sen. Robinhood Padilla has filed a resolution seeking a Senate investigation into the reported operation of an alleged illegal open dump inside an Aeta ancestral domain in Subic, Zambales. In Senate Resolution No. 513, Padilla, chair of the Senate committee on cultural communities and Muslim affairs, called for an inquiry, in aid of legislation, to identify those responsible for the landfill operations, determine measures needed to rehabilitate the affected area, and assess whether existing laws adequately protect indigenous communities and their ancestral domains. “Ancestral land is not a vacant lot that can be turned into a garbage dump. It is the home, livelihood, history, and identity of our indigenous peoples,” Padilla said in a statement in Filipino. “Their rights must not be disregarded in the name of convenience or because of the negligence of any public official,” he added. The resolution cited reports that the dump had allegedly been operating since 2019 within the ancestral domain, where household waste, including used face masks, personal protective equipment, and other garbage generated during the Covid-19 pandemic, had been disposed of. It also noted claims that the community’s primary water source had been contaminated, posing potential health risks to residents. Padilla cited the findings of a 2022 investigation by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which reportedly found violations of Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. READ: As Aeta kids learn, elders fight for land in Pampanga He emphasized that the 1987 Constitution and Republic Act No. 8371, or the 1997 Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act, guarantees the protection of indigenous Filipinos and their ancestral domains, while RA 9003 prohibits the operation of open dump. The Senate inquiry, according to Padilla, aims to determine whether additional legislative measures are needed to prevent similar incidents and ensure greater protection for indigenous communities and their ancestral lands. The dump occupies a portion of the Aeta ancestral domain, where around 100 Aetas rely on farming for their livelihood. In earlier interviews with the Inquirer, members of the community said they were forced to abandon portions of their farmland after a section of the forest was used as a dump. They also claimed that their water source had been affected. The DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau earlier ordered the closure of the dump and directed the Subic municipal government to rehabilitate the area. Aeta leaders, however, have maintained that rehabilitation alone would be an insufficient response to the environmental violation. They have called for an investigation into those responsible for allowing the dump to operate and sought accountability, compensation for affected communities, and administrative and criminal sanctions against officials found liable. /cb