The Tribong Cuyonon is aiming to collect a 1% share of the P100 billion from the Malampaya gas to power project once they receive their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT).
The group lodged their petition applying for CADT before the provincial office of the National Commission on Indigenous People. It covers a total area of 47,809,348 hectares of Palawan waters that includes the location of Malampaya Natural Gas Field.
The petition was submitted last December 13, 2019, barely two months after Palawan Provincial Government lost the battle on Malampaya before the Supreme Court.
Cuyonon Chief Datu for Northern Palawan Andrie “Toting” Acosta is the initiator of the petition.
Acosta group believed that the companies behind Malampaya gas project like Shell, Chevron and Philippine National Oil Company will honor and give their 1% share.
Malampaya gas field project was started way back in 1998 while the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act was approved in 1997.
“Wala naman kami sinasabi na makukuha namin yan, it could be a bottleneck. Di kami pupunta sa court, marami silang pera, marami silang abogado. Lahat ng ECC ngayon dapat may approval ng katutubo, may consent, eh wala silang consent, lahat ng negosyo dapat may consent ng katutubo kung sakop ng katutubo,” Acosta added.
The said tribes are known seafarers that will be used as basis to have CADT.
Acosta emphasized that the share they will get from Malampaya will be divided into two—-half for Cuyonons that will be used for different programs and projects, while the other half will be distributed to all the Indigenous People Structures (IPS) in the Philippines thru NCIP.
“Gusto namin i-claim yung mga oil fields na yan kaya inaplayan natin ng malaking CADT. The purpose of that, the Cuyonon tribe will be the treasurer of all tribes in the Philippines. Walang sino-solo dyan kami lang yung treasurer, kami lang yung collector. Kalahati nyan ibibigay sa lahat ng katutubo,” Acosta said.
Acosta further explained that the idea behind it started after they gathered all Cuyonon to appoint their Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR).
That was when they researched and started collecting more historical facts and data, reviving their Indigenous Peoples Structure, creating and appointing datus all over Palawan, and unanimously agreeing that Higenio “Buddy” Mendoza will be their supreme leader or Dumara.
Cuyonon has 5 chief datus. Acosta is the Northern Palawan Datu, there is one from Roxas, San Vicente, Puerto Princesa to Brooke’s Point, and one from Balabac.
He said that there are over 300,000 Cuyonon folks all over the world, and almost 200,000 of them are still living in Palawan.
“Yung mga chief datu na yan nag-eelect ng dumara. Out of the 5 chief datus, sino ang magpre-preside sa kanila? Yung magiging supreme datu o dumara, so in 2015 the Chief Datu of Puerto Princesa ay sya ang na elect na dumara, si Sir Buddy Mendoza. So sya ang pinaka head ng lahat ng Cuyonon all over the world,” Acosta shared.
Acosta said that he is already in talks with NCIP Regional Office that is currently assisting him to complete all requirements needed to have that CADT be issued soon.
“Maraming katutubo sa Palawan wala pang CADT title nila pero kumukuha na ng royalty nila like Berong. For 15 years, every year kumukuha ng royalty, yet wala naman silang CADT, kasi naka-base yan sa tribal title. Yung tribal title is their belief na kanila yun, so ang government naniniwala naman sa tribal title,” Acosta explained.
He also answered issue tagging Cuyonon that is not a solid tribe compared to other known tribes of Palawan such as Tagbanua, Batak, Palaw’an and Tau’t Batu.
“There is no such word as tribe in IPRA law. Ang naka word dyan ay IP at ICC. Ang IP ay indigenous people. Sino ang magsasabi na ang Cuyonin ay not indigenous of Palawan, kasi hindi naman kami indigenous ng Panay, hindi kami indigenous ng Mindoro, hindi rin kami indigenous ng Mindanao, nabuo kasi ang Cuyo from the word Cuyo. It’s an island in Palawan, it’s a name of the place so indigenous kami, hindi na yan puedeng kwestyunin nasa IPRA law naka enumerate na kung sino yung mga IPs,” Acosta clarified.
Chief Datu for Northern Palawan Acosta is an active member of Gacqued Y Ang Mga Cuyonon since 1989 in Palawan State University. He spent two decades in doing research and study about Cuyonon culture and history. Dumara Datu Mendoza appointed him as Tribal Chief Executive Officer for Tribong Cuyonon.
Discussion about this post