In Filipino culture, there has always been a great reverence for women. In pre-colonial society, the babaylan were highly regarded for their irreplaceable ability to heal and bridge the earthly to higher spiritual beings, cementing that feminism has long been integrated into our Filipino identity; women were at the forefront of the revolutionary movement against colonial forces, as exemplified by Agueda Kahabagan and Gabriela Silang, among others, that earned the Filipino nation independence from maltreatment in occupation; opposition leaders who foster good governance and lobby for mass-oriented policy like Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who has gained popularity among the youth; and, the women who fight silently against misogynist battles on a daily basis, whether it be in the workplace, academe, or at home.
Art by Joseph Alicna
One of the things that the Spanish occupation’s Catholic indoctrination left Filipinos with is the insurmountable value placed on mothers. Credited for their natural ability to hush a baby’s deafening sobs all while maintaining order in households and admired for their innate resilience to just endure through it all, it is safe to say that they have all grown a special space in our hearts—a shape that we know only they will be able to possibly fill.
This, however, does not discount the fact that women have been subjected to centuries of abuse rooted in the patriarchal Philippine system. We still see the same kind of mindset instilled in many, freely thriving in our current society: microaggressions, discrimination, violence. The patriarchy, in hopes of tearing down women-led empires, lights a fire and sets into flames skyscrapers that women built from the ground up. Known for their adaptive schemes, women resist—they don’t extinguish the fire; instead, they light their torches, march forward, and fight.
The same kind of notion is what the Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) desires to emphasize as they celebrate Women’s Month with their kapihan session, Mga Ilaw sa Kabundukan: IP Women Leaders, last March 17, 2023. Led by their Urduja Women’s Desk, they come forward with their objective to showcase the integral role of women in the resistance movement across different sectors of society.
Members of the Ateneo Law School (ALS) and AHRC communities were joined by Conchita Calzado of Samahan ng mga Katutubong Agta, Dumagat, Remontado na Binabaka at Pinagtatanggol ang Lupang Ninuno (SAGIBIN-LN) and Ma. Clara Dullas of Ang Kababaihang Dumagat ng Sierra Madre (K-GAT) who both shared their experiences as women leaders who are at the very forefront of their respective organizations. Tapping into various themes, from motherhood to conflicts encountered within their communities, profound insights were provided to supplement their anecdotes on relentlessly defending their ancestral lands against brutal forces from the above.
Left, right, and center: a 360ª situationer of the Kaliwa Dam
The Sierra Madre is more than just a mountain range that serves as the habitat for the Philippines’ rarest and most prized species. Known for spanning over 540 kilometers worth of land, it acts as Luzon’s backbone for calamities such as typhoons and homes many indigenous communities throughout its entire area.
With many households residing in Metro Manila still falling victim to endless water shortages, the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte devised a response to the aforementioned issue: the Kaliwa Dam Project costing around Php 12.2 billion, mostly funded by the Chinese government of President Xi Jinping.
Given the country’s increasing population and worsening climate conditions, the government finds it all the more imperative to construct a dam that is able to ensure that the needs of those residing in urban areas are met and continually sustained. They also deemed that the Angat Dam—another structure built to respond to the same issues—would no longer be enough to respond to the needs of cities, municipalities, and provinces across the Luzon area.
At 60 meters high at 291 hectares worth of cover, it is expected to affect residents from the Quezon and Rizal provinces. It must also be noted that given how it is being worked on in such locations, lasting tangible and cultural damage to the Sierra Madre and IP tribes’ ancestral domains is due. Nevertheless, the build continues; it is said that it is now 30% complete and set to finish by the end of Marcos Jr. 's term.
Heeding and hearing
Both Mx. Dullas and Mx. Calzado open their talks by discussing how they, alongside 300 other Dumagat-Remontados, marched all the way from Quezon to Malacañang, hoping to spark some dialogue with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on permanently halting the construction of Kaliwa Dam. After walking for about 150 kilometers over a span of nine days, they were met with no response or acknowledgment whatsoever.
People may question or even belittle the intentions that IP communities have as they journey to Manila beneath the blazing sun. However, it is crucial that they acknowledge that their willingness to walk amidst blood, sweat, and tears shows only the littlest fraction of their commitment.
“Walang katumbas na kayamanan ang aming kultura at sagradong lugar,” Mx. Calzado says, highlighting that their ancestral domains are more than its sentimental value, “daig pa namin ang mga milyonaryo’t milyonarya.” After all, their space is not only laced with hundreds of years worth of defining and significant cultural history, it is also because of the rich amount of resources that can be scouted in their areas—something that is of equal importance, especially in a country like the Philippines.
(No amount of wealth will ever be as valuable as our culture and sacred lands. We feel richer than millionaires themselves.)
The record must be set straight: IP communities are all for ensuring that people of urban areas like Manila and its surrounding provinces have access to clean water, free from all the hassle and hindrance. Still, as Mx. Dulles put it, “[sila] ay mga taong uhaw sa makataong desisyon”—it must be acknowledged that there are ways to move forward that minimize the detriment inflicted upon the issue’s key stakeholders.
(“They are people who thirst for a more mass-oriented decision.”)
There is more to the Php 160 million disturbance fee for its members than what meets the eye. While it is acknowledged that the construction of the Kaliwa Dam will bring forth much damage, the authorities in charge of constructing the water source were also not entirely transparent to the public about its consequences. Aside from suffering from the loss of culture and biodiversity, as the dam reaches its finish, a huge scope of villages with households and schools from Daraitan, Rizal and Queborosa, Quezon shall also be permanently submerged under water. There is not even the least amount of reverence towards their ancestors as their teachings and memory are disregarded. Moreover, residents from affected communities are also forbidden to harvest their crops nor enter their areas as uniformed men and foreign businessmen have infiltrated their lands.
Involved agencies talk of obtaining the community’s Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) from IP tribes as a mandate under the Indigenous People’s Rights Act of 1997 (IPRA). While such claims have been made, much light must be shed on how it was retrieved: guised as instructions to fix their organization during the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement without being properly oriented of the document’s contents, community members unknowingly granted them permission to use and privatize their lands.
A faulty process to obtain the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the Kaliwa Dam—and eventually, an environmental compliance certificate (ECC)—was also undertaken by key stakeholders from the government. This is ultimately due to the intimidation tactics that uniformed men enforced among community members, thus hindering them from visiting the construction site for the infrastructure. Furthermore, meetings with other integral stakeholders were also limited in number before they were forced to submit comments upon being pressured.
“Hindi kami maka-sarili,” Mx. Calzado talks about the construction of the Kaliwa Dam in their ancestral domains. As mentioned previously, members of IP communities are not against water accessibility to people from the metro.
(We are not selfish.)
However, the aforementioned is no longer the point that is in question—especially when native culture, rich resources, community development, and human lives are on the line.
Lighting the path, paving the way
We have bore witness to the significance of women in resisting oppressive forces throughout the course of Philippine history. From the likes of Gabriela Silang and Melchora Aquino during colonial times to prominent and catalytic individuals like Maria Lorena Barros and Liliosa Hilao during the Martial Law, they have truly embodied the axiom, “abante, babae,” and inspired many to do the same.
Mx. Calzado, Tribal Leader of SAGIBIN-LN, and Mx. Dullas, President of K-GAT, are only a small part of an even bigger movement that ultimately champions and empowers women and their capabilities. Being leaders of their respective communities, their roles and responsibilities inevitably add weight to their shoulders; yet, in spite of moments inciting emotions that make them want to give up, they stay not only because it is not kin to their culture to say no, but also in the name of giving both their people and the environment what they deserve: fair treatment, justice, and respect.
Throughout their talks, both Mx. Calzado and Mx. Dullas talk about their struggles upon leading their respective organizations. After all, they are not just leaders but mothers as well; at the end of the day, they still have a family they must come home to and care for. Such all the more fortifies their role as the “ilaw ng tahanan,” whose meaning also doubles and deepens upon further understanding the kind of duties they hold—they radiate brightness unto their families and light the path for their community.
“Ipaliwanag sa mga katutubong kababaihan [ang] halaga ng kanilang ginagawa,” Mx. Dullas says, underscoring the influence of making women and thus enabling them to realize their full potential—their fuel to fight and empower others. Furthermore, they also utilized the slang, marites, to accurately depict the anecdotes they share amongst themselves on environmental abuses are indeed general truths.
(“Explain to women the importance of their actions.”)
Their advocacy to further amplify the voices of women is not only evident in their proactive practices to uplift their cause. They extend beyond the confines of the issues revolving around the Kaliwa Dam and tap into the multi-faceted struggle that they continually face against the prevailing and overpowering patriarchal system. “[Mag]patuloy [at] ‘wag matakot as kahit sino pang nananakot,” Mx. Dullas emphasizes, placing great importance to resistance in the face of oppression and abuse.
(“Keep marching forward and do not fear those who inflict fear.”)
“Lahat ay apektado ng mga [nangyayari],” Mx. Calzado raises the point that social issues, at its very core, are intersectional. Regardless of whether its consequences are felt directly or indirectly, there is a huge impact on the citizens of the country and, in the grander scheme of things, societal functions.
(“Everyone is affected by what is currently happening.”)
As leaders, a lot of value is also regarded towards unity within their community; as such, with the divisions created by the construction of the Kaliwa Dam, Mx. Calzado, and Mx. Dullas hope to reconcile with members they have disagreed with while remaining firm in their belief of preserving and, better yet, cultivating the riches of indigenous tribes.
The question of honor and excellence: now what?
Given that the 1987 Constitution is built on democratic principles, it is ideal that the policies imposed by the administration cater to the masses and promote social justice and environmental protection, among others. However, because the ruling class wants to remain in authority, they bend their back to oppose legislations and proposals that aim to diffuse the different facets of power to the marginalized. Such is exemplified in the Kaliwa Dam issue, with numerous violations across different aspects; still, they pushed through with construction in the name of development and at the cost of the lives of the oppressed.
A common point shared by Mx. Calzado and Mx. Dullas is the relevance of propagating the truth, especially when it comes to circumstances that determine the conditions of the environment and future generations. Oftentimes, the news circulating on members of indigenous tribes and organizations is fabricated to feed into the powerful’s narrative.
Given such, a crucial way to combat the spread of disinformation is to uplift factual information, empower the voices of the oppressed, and stand alongside them in their cause—this is where we step in. At the heart of campaigns and cases won has always been the undeniable power of the truth, which is all the more fortified by other social institutions outside of ours, ranging from religious bodies to experts in different fields.
The masses continually lose to the elite because of the struggle to achieve consciousness in society and, eventually, move forward. Perhaps standing with, defending, and upholding the truth is merely the bare minimum; we have so much more that we can do and offer by marching alongside indigenous communities and other oppressed sectors of society towards genuine respect and fighting for a faith that does justice.
After all, the core of honor and excellence is to ensure that we recognize the lights that shine atop and beyond mountains and stand alongside them in their struggle. Only then will we achieve genuine empowerment where no one is left behind—and that starts with us.
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