One of Baguio’s Ibaloi clans reoccupies lost ancestral land

BAGUIO CITY — One of Baguio’s prominent Ibaloi clans, the heirs of Solomon Carantes, has re-occupied their 9.4-hectare ancestral land, which they consider as their "lost heritage."

Around 30 grandchildren and great grandchildren of Carantes gathered at the property and literally kissed the ground of their ancestors’ land.

They brought Ibaloi gongs, solibao (indigenous drum) and art works to occupy themselves as they started "guarding" their lost heritage.

But the clan, who claims ancestral ownership over the pine wood land along Loakan road here was ordered by the Cordillera offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to dismantle four Ibaloi huts for sale on display in the property.

DENR-Cordillera chief Isaias Barongan stated in his order to Andrew Carantes, eldest among the Caranteses, that the construction of the four huts were illegal.

Barongan told the Carantes clan that even if the land is ancestral domain, the latter should follow legal procedures like securing necessary permits from concerned government agencies.

DENR asserted that the land remains under the control of the government pending the processing by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) of the ancestral land claims of the Carantes family.

The Carantes family was given until June 20 to voluntarily dismantle the huts.

"How can they claim that they we are illegally constructing huts here when we have secured the necessary permits from the government? " Carantes asked.

The Caranteses were able to acquire a Certificate of Ancestral Land Title (CALT) during the Estrada administration when the newly-created National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) was chaired by lawyer David Dao-as.

After Estrada’s fall in 2001, a new chairperson lawyer Evelyn Dulnuan ordered the review of all the CALTs issued by Dao-as claiming they were "midnight issuance".

Before the deadline on Friday, Carantes said they will ask a temporary restraining order (TRO) from a court here if only to temporarily fight back Barongan’s order.

And while the court may grant it, the "heritage" might again be lost in a never ending fight between legalities and indigenous ways of ownership.