Benguet tribes want control of Mt. Pulag back

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — Indigenous groups in the mountain Benguet town of Kabayan have asked President Arroyo to revoke an 18-year-old executive order (EO) placing Mount Pulag, the country’s second highest peak, under the control of the national government.

Through their local officials, the Kalanguya and Ibaloi tribes have requested the President to revert their "most sacred" land back under their control and supervision.

In a resolution addressed to the President, Kabayan officials said EO 75 only deprives the indigenous folk of control and management over their ancestral property, running contrary to Republic Act 8371 or the Indigenous People’s Reform Act.

Mount Pulag, one of the country’s favorite destinations of local and foreign mountaineers, was declared a national government protected area under EO 75 issued during the administration of President Corazon Aquino.

EO 75, according to the resolution, violates the ancestral domain rights of the indigenous communities as guaranteed in RA 8371.

Besides Kabayan, which hosts Mt. Pulag’s highest peak (2,930 meters above sea level), the mountain also straddles three other municipalities — Ambaguio in Nueva Vizcaya; Tinoc in Ifugao; and Bokod, also in Benguet.

With a land area of 12,000 hectares, the mountain has been regarded as a sacred ground by mountain dwellers, who have been protecting and preserving it.

In asking the President to revoke EO 75, Kabayan officials cited the government’s move to put the control and management of Hundred Islands in Pangasinan back to Alaminos City.

Meanwhile, Gene Basilio, one of the founding members of the Nueva Vizcaya Mountaineering Club, said they are scheduled to again trek to Mt. Pulag via the more scenic Akiki mountain trail on Holy Thursday.

Basilio, a known environmentalist, said many mountaineers are interested in joining the three-day adventure, also aimed at promoting the preservation and conservation of one of the country’s major cultural and tourism destinations.