Eskaya asks government to

cancel CLOA grants in ADs

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Nov 18 (PIA) –Eskaya chieftain of the Biabas Guindulman ancestral domain, Reya Sondon Jovino B. Datahan asks the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to take a look at their issued Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOA) in Biabas and nearby barangays as these are well within the Eskaya Ancestral Domains (AD).

Speaking during the immersion activity of the Bohol Association of United Development Information Officers (AUDIO) who conducted its Bisita Eskaya at one of the five areas where the indigenous cultural communities (ICC) of the Eskaya presently reside, the chief leader (Reya Sondon) Datahan bemoaned that the CLOAS can reduce their already small claim of the 3,173 hectares of ancestral domains.

The Eskayas, one of the three indigenous cultural communities in Bohol, have government-allocated 3,173 hectares of domains covering the barangays of Lundag in Pilar; Taytay in Duero; Biabas in Guindulman; and Canta-ub in Sierra Bullones.

Settled in these mountain fastness from time immemorial, the Eskayas have been accredited by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) as among the country’s 14 to 17 million indigenous peoples in over 100 ethno-linguistic groups.

According to the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act, all lands, inland waters, coastal areas and natural resources held under a claim of ownership, occupied or possessed by ICCs/IPs or their ancestors communally or individually since time immemorial, are in principle, ancestral lands.

The Eskaya ancestral domains have been officially delineated and determined according to the procedure set out by law and have been issued certificate of ancestral domain title (CADT) in the name of the Eskaya, registered before the Register of Deeds.

Meanwhile, in the interest of landless farmers and in the need to bolster the country’s food production and sufficiency, the government issues a CLOA under its Land Reform Program to farmers who have been tilling agricultural lands.

The CLOA then is a document showing ownership of the land as granted or awarded to the beneficiary by the DAR.

In the Eskaya case however, the CADT came out before the DAR has already issued CLOAs to farmers claiming new ownership in lands that would be later identified within the ancestral domains.

Over this, Datahan, who is the hailed leader of the Biabas IPs, which is the hailed cultural leader, has asked government to cancel these CLOAs and so they can retain ownership and management of their ancestral domains.

Well within the subject ancestral domains which the Eskayas claim, are also some potential tourist magnets: an overlooking perch in Mount Cambatud, bat caves with guano as local source of inorganic fertilizers and swiftlets, snake cave and Lingganayng Puti that used to sound the alarm the village of an impending disaster.

The Eskayas have also preserved and conserved their language and an interesting system of writing that features now just 26 letters but of 46 inscriptions.

Now made accessible to land transport via the newly constructed concrete road from Lungsodaan in Candijay, the Eskaya in Biabas is just a swing away from Can-umangtad Falls and the Cadapdapan Rice Terraces, all in Candijay.

For the more adventurous, the access from Guindulman town via the DPWN III access is also worth a try. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

CANCEL THE CLOAs. Reya Sondon (Eskaya Leader chieftain) Jovino Datahan points to the direction of Bud Cambatud, a lofty peak in the Eskaya Biabas domains that afford one an almost 360 degree view of the entire domains, much of it is now threatened bt CLOAs issued before the government officially delineated the indigenous people’s ancestral domains. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

TIMAMAS. Cultural bearers and teachers of the Eskaya language, culture and tradition sat with the PIA-AUDIO Bohol in a mini-townhall meeting to allow the indigenous peoples to air out their issues and concerns to the mainstream. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

Eskaya Immersion and Info-Caravan

‘AUDIO Bohol’ brings early

Christmas to Biabas Eskaya

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Nov 18 (PIA) –It was an early Christmas for kids and the indigenous people living in Biabas Guindulman as the Association of United Development Information Officers in Bohol (AUDIO Bohol) brought in last November 17, candy packs, school supplies, and boxes of gifts and wearables and relevant government information that the indigenous cultural communities (ICC) can use to access more government help.

During the 2022 Bisita Eskaya Community Immersion and Information Caravan, the indigenous cultural community led by its chieftain Reya Sondon Jovino Datahan, Barangay Chairman Cleofas Pabon, and village teachers (timamas) also prepared native delicacies, Eskaya cooking and featured their music and dances in grateful appreciation for the information officers’ visit to their community.

School kids danced two versions of the Sinarliston as teeners and some old IPS sang to guitar accompaniment.

Already the second visit to the indigenous peoples’ community to bring government information on its services to the marginalized sector of the community as well as gather feedbacks on government programs and projects, the visit to Biabas came after last year’s visit to another Eskaya community in Taytay Duero.

Information from government agencies and local government units shared to the community their ongoing programs and projects that might be applicable to the community, while the community in turn asked questions to guide them to avail of these programs and projects.

A Kapihan styled townhall meeting also featured the National Commission on Indigenous People’s help to the community even as the chieftain and the community leaders gathered to interact with the information officers.

Helping them in preserving their culture, alphabet, language, literature and traditions are village volunteer timamas (teachers) who hold Sunday classes for the elementary and high school, according to reya sondon Datahan.

While the barangay council has succeeded in giving s little honoraria for the timamas, the community is also asking help from government in getting additional honoraria to their Eskaya teachers.

Faced with a growing population and barely enough domains for the community to enjoy and continue practicing their lifestyle, the Eskaya leaders also asked the government to cancel Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOA) to patches of land to farmers, which also happen to be within their domains.

The activity forms part of the AUDIO Bohol Bisita Eskaya Community Immersion and Information Caravan, organized and hosted by the NCIP and joined by IOs from the Department of Agrarian Reform, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Philippine National Police, National irrigation Administration, Bureau of Fire Protection, PIA, Department of Labor and Employment, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Education and local government units.

This is not a relief mission, this is helping make government work with its feed-forward, feed backing of communication so new polices can be crafted from programs and projects that need tweaking and that actually work in the communities, explained AUDIO Bohol president Maria Lydia Bantugan of DAR.

The community also proposed for the tourism development of Bud Cambatud; a hill that offers a 360 degrees view of the ancestral lands and nearby areas to distant mountains, bat caves that host thousands of bats, source of inorganic fertilizer for their farms and nesting site for swiftlets, as well as Lingganay Puti, a natural formation that allows the village an early warning system against calamities as it produces a ringing sound in the approaching bed weather.

While developing these sites entail funding, the law on indigenous people’s rights does not allow people other than the IPS to manage and possess the rights to operate their economic enterprise projects.

The Eskayas however have people’s organizations that could tap livelihood assistance from the DOLE, DTI and TESDA in terms of technical education and vocational training for their people.

The National Housing Authority has recently also announced its funding with a full counterpart of the LGU in nearby Duero for the Eskaya community in Taytay. (rahc/PIA_7/Bohol)

AUDIO EARLY PAMASKO. Audio Bohol went up to Biabas Eskaya Indigenous Cultural Community to bring in relevant government information that can help these marginalized sector get mainstreamed government services. The community also performed their dances, songs and explained their alphabet. (PIABohol)

SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND GIFT PACKS. Other than relevant government information, the AUDIO Bohol also brought in school supplies and candy packs for the Eskaya Kids early pamasko. (PIAbohol)