The object of contention: a housing project being proposed by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) in Barangay Kalawakan here where Dumagat communities thrive.
De la Cruz, backed by provincial board members, is against the project, saying it encroaches on the ancestral domain of the Dumagats, violating provisions of the Indigenous People’s Rights Act.
Besides, the governor said the site sits on a watershed area, which is protected by environmental laws.
But Mayor Evelyn Paulino said she is "not totally" against the project "provided the HUDCC would give the Dumagats, who are living a hard life, a chance to participate in it for them to have a more decent way of life."
De la Cruz said the HUDCC came up with the project without consulting local government officials and the residents themselves.
"This may prove to be equally detrimental to the lowlanders of Bulacan because no study has yet been made to determine the impact of the project on the low-lying areas of the province," she said.
This mountainous town has been home to Dumagat communities for generations, and De la Cruz said she would not allow such projects endangering their ancestral domain to be pursued.