Deal #9829 Version #92843

Members of the indigenous Pala’wan and Molbog tribes, as well as long-time resident small fishers, in the areas surrounding Bugsuk Island in the Municipality of Balabac in Southern Palawan.

Still without conducting the necessary consultations with the Affected Communities and without having introduced any substantial changes to the Original Ordinance, the Sangguniang Bayan enacted the Subject Municipal Ordinance on February 24, 2005. The Subject Municipal Ordinance purports to amend the Original Ordinance but in reality only made superficial changes thereon (such as the deletion of a specific reference to Jewelmer in designating the location of the “core or strict protection zone,” and the inclusion of a section on definition of terms). More importantly, it still failed to address the Affected Communities’ substantive concerns. Having learned of this, the Affected Communities sent another petition to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

Bound by this common plight, the Palawans, Molbogs and the non-IP fishers from the following villages formed “Sambilog (Samahan ng mga Katutubo at Maliit na Mangingisda sa Dulong Timog Palawan)” or the Association of Indigenous Peoples and Small Fishers from the Southernmost Tip of Palawan: (a) Sitio Marihangin in Marihangin Island; (b) Barangay Sibaring, which lies on a portion of Bugsuk Island not acquired by Cojuangco. This where many of the IPs and Cagayanens fled when the former acquired most of Bugsuk Island; (c) Barangays Puring, Tagnato and Buliluyan on the southern tip of the Palawan mainland. Politically, Puring, Tagnato and Buliluyan form part of the Municipality of Bataraza but are so close to Bugsuk that the IPs in those villages likewise consider the waters around Bugsuk as their ancestral waters and traditional fishing grounds. (Subsequently, the communities comprising Sambilog shall be referred to as the “Affected Communities”.)

Indigenous and non-indigenous fisherfolk from the surrounding communities caught fishing within the perimeter of the pearl farm were harassed, shot at, ill-treated and illegally detained. Thus, the fishers had to endure harassment and employ clandestine methods just to be able to fish and manage to survive. Poverty in the outlying communities worsened and became more widespread.

Local IPs had shared that the project has derailed their living conditions. They had lost access to their ancestral domain and source of livelihood in the ocean access. Their materials had also been confiscated by the investors security. In 2004, there were reports stating that a lobbying by Jewelmer pushed for the local council to declare the area as a strict, marine protected eco zone and have argued that the move was to prevent the Indigenous Peoples and the local community to stop activities as they were the responsible for environmental destruction

The Palawan NGO Network, Inc.