SDO, ADZU CCES, NCIP, Ecozone, Silsilah Dialogue Movement, and Subanon Leaders conduct Joint Study Tour in Subic

SDO, ADZU CCES, NCIP, EcoZone, Silsilah Dialogue Movement, and Subanon Leaders conduct Joint Study Tour in Subic

The Center for Community Extension Services (CCES) together with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Region 9, Zamboanga City NCIP, the Zamboanga Special Economic Zone (Ecozone), Sisilah Dialogue Movement, and Subanon Leaders conducted a joint study tour at Subic Olongapo City on January 8 to 12 2014.

The purpose of the trip was to conduct a learning visit to Subic to give the team members, particularly those from the Ecozone and the Subanon tribal group, an opportunity to discuss their differing views on land ownership.

The land ownership conflict between the Zamboanga Ecozone Administration and the Subanon tribal organization has been going on for a number of years. The SDO-ADZU mediated in the dialogues conducted and the group eventually agreed to have a joint study tour in Subic Bay and Clark Freeport Zones.

The purpose of the tour was for the participants to learn how the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and the local indigenous communities work together to resolve land ownership issues. In addition, the participants also met with some leaders of the Aeta organizations and other indigenous communities about the status of their ancestral domain. This exposure helped the participants identify best practices that can be applied in the local situation between the Subanens and Zamboanga Ecozone.

The group will once again convene to discuss the results of the study and to come up with a concrete action plan for resolving the issue faced by the two parties.

The participants of the team were: