Transcription
Clear water, fresh air, green mountains, for a long time. [music] This is the home of the indigenous Ata people. But in an instant, everything changed. The former paradise now has a proper road going up to Sitio Tibag, Subic, Zambales. Simple is the livelihood here of the indigenous people. Far from luxury but close to nature. It is a beautiful place, ma'am. We used to rest there. To tell the truth about my life, ma'am, we used to rest there when it got dark before we would climb up to our farm. We used to rest there and we used to sleep there. A hill in the middle of the forest is what Erlinda is referring to. We traveled the path going to this place. For a long time, this forest served as the home and livelihood of the Aetas here in Sitio Tibag, Barangay Naugsol in Zambales. They plant many trees here. They get various food from here. But 7 years ago, the local government entered here and built a road for them. The Aetas thought this road was good. It would be easier for them to bring down their goods. But the local government had other plans for why they built this road. [music] While walking, I noticed some trash scattered on the side of the road. From here, there is already a bit of a smell. Oh my God. Oh my gosh. And there are many flies. We are near the end of the road now. Oh, there is the end of the road. And as we get closer to the end of the road, the trash keeps increasing. The smell becomes more pungent and the flies increase. Oh, we have reached the end of the road. >> [music] [music] >> Erlinda quietly walked away. She felt heavy-hearted. There was anger in her chest. I feel angry, I can't understand myself, ma'am. I also pity the place, why did they do this to it? It is painful to the feelings, ma'am. It is very painful. [music] Erlinda rarely goes to this place now. The mountain of happy memories before. Like a pungent smell. Now there are plantations here. That's down below on the side of this mountain, ma'am. This mountain, ma'am, it's like that mountain you can see there, ma'am. That's how it is. That's the mountain. Yes, ma'am. That. This is just this. Just this. That's what it looked like. Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. Like that. That's what it looked like before. That >> that green color. >> Yes, ma'am. Like that [music] it was. This is just like this, ma'am. This is a cliff. This is a cliff. This was a cliff back then. As deep as that cliff is, that's how the cliff is. It is deep [music]. They have flattened it by doing that with the bulldozer. Oh my god. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Wait, huh. [gasping] The soil is a bit soft here in this part because if you look, you'd think it's just flat ground. But the truth is, if you see this pile of trash, where I am standing is all like that, so the soil is soft in this part. Oh. Oh my gosh. I don't want to go further. The Aetas told us this place was a cliff before. But now the ground is almost flat because they kept piling and piling and piling trash. [music] The indigenous people still remember when the lowlanders first entered their mountain bringing their large trucks. Because, ma'am, we have a mountain there. Our farm is there. Yes, ma'am. Now, every time we come out from that mountain, we wonder why they flattened it. What did they say? Why are they flattening? That's what they said, they will make it beautiful there. They said they will beautify it. Then, after counting several months, ma'am, that was already fixed. Large trucks climbed up that >> had trash inside. According to the indigenous people, they said they were summoned by Mayor John Conhon, the mayor of Subic, Zambales. The mayor allegedly promised that this dump site was only temporary. They said they would make it a dump site. I said, "Why make a trash dump?" Oh, how wasteful the trash is. They said, "They will put plastic that is... something. Then they will put >> plastic, they said. >> I don't know what kind of plastic they said they would put. And >> where will they put it? >> There at the dumping area of the trash. Then every time trash is dumped there, they will cover it with soil so that the trash won't scatter. >> What else did they say? >> They said they will put a wall along the creek so that the leachate from the trash won't seep through. They said they will separate the smelly ones and separate the non-smelly ones and separate whatever else, of course, what they throw, cans [music] and whatever, they said they will separate. But the trash seen here [music] is mixed. And they told us even hospital waste, all the trash that accumulated during the [music] pandemic, some of it was placed here. So that is dangerous because hospital waste is included and placed here. They really dumped everything here. [music] It was the year 2019 when the dump site was established in Sitio Tibag. That was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and they said the accumulated trash exceeded in volume. Whose idea was it to put the trash in the mountain? At that time, we were really looking for a location where we could dump our trash. Since we saw that the area was isolated, so to speak, there were no residents there. The area was forest, so we temporarily thought of putting it there. Did you consult with the community around the area? We didn't know, ma'am, that there was a community in that area. Because if there was a community, we wouldn't have proceeded. Ah, okay. You didn't know that there were indigenous people in that area. Ah, no, ma'am. [music] But if you look at the government's geoportal site, it will show that the forest where the dump site was built is within the ancestral domain of the indigenous people. In fact, beside the dump site, you can see some houses of the indigenous people. But these are now abandoned. Why is no one living there? They moved away, ma'am. Because her children, because of the smell of the trash, it's smelly, her child has asthma, ma'am. And also, here, ma'am. Sometimes I get tired of smelling the stench and the children, the smell of trash, flies, I just endure because my eggplants are there, my livelihood is there. Tatay Mariano lived in this place for a long time but because of the trash, he was forced to move to a more remote part of the forest. Before, their banana groves were only 10 to 15 minutes away from their homes, but when the trash was dumped, they were forced to move their plantations farther away. We are now going to their plantation. But they told us the path is overgrown and difficult. A steep cliff greeted us. >> Is there a path [music] there? It seems there is no path. [music] It looks like a cliff ahead. In their desire to get away from the smell of the dump site, they built a new home here. Wait for me, baka (maybe). But no matter how far they go [music] from the dump site, it seems the curse follows them. Hay hay. After half an hour, we reached a creek. This is the creek where they usually get water. But the indigenous people told me that the trash leachate seeps here. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Huh? Really? >> Yes, ma'am. >> On the side of the creek, a small water storage tank is buried. You used to drink this before. This, what did you drink? Our water tank. Ah, this here. >> Yes, ma'am. >> But you don't drink this anymore now? >> No longer, ma'am. >> If you notice, there is a pipe here. This pipe sucks up the groundwater coming from here. This is the source of water of the indigenous people, but since the dump site existed, they said the color and smell of the water coming out of this pipe changed. So now they no longer drink it, they no longer use it. According to the indigenous people, the color and smell of the water changed when the local government built the dump site. So before, they said this creek was very clean. They used to catch small shrimp here. But now it is really dirty, they said. They no longer get anything. And you will notice even here in this place there is trash. It came from the trash. It came from the trash. So the water carried these. Yes indeed. These are trash, trash. That came from the trash. And also this. Yes, ma'am. All of that. Immediately to me. So that means when it rains hard and this overflows. It overflows here. It overflows up to there, the water in this creek carries trash. It gets clogged here. This is the nearest water passage in the mountain. Oh, so much trash. But because this is contaminated, they will only rely on rainwater to drink. If there was no trash, ma'am, this was clean, even just like that we would drink directly, ma'am, when thirsty. But now you can no longer drink this. >> All large government projects require clearance from the DENR or any agency that protects the environment. [music] During that time, ma'am, we just wanted to dispose of the huge amount of trash that accumulated. But because it was on the mountain, right, and there were many trees there, so, um, did you consult whether there might be damage to the... did the local government even consider that there might be damage to the environment? Ah, no, we didn't, we were not aware if there was a consultation with the environmentalist because at that time, ma'am, another person was in charge, he already retired, so we don't know if there was a prior discussion because what the indigenous people told us is that when the dump site was still being planned, their understanding was that they would put something like plastic or tarpaulin so that the leachate wouldn't seep into the ground. That was not done. We did not do that at first because as we said, this was just an immediate solution. So it wouldn't be long. But what was supposed to be the government's temporary solution resulted in a long-term problem. January 2022. The DENR discovered the dumping of trash in Sitio Tibag. This was said to be a violation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. They ordered the local government of Subic to stop the operation of such dump site. But it lasted another three years before the dump site was finally closed. The dumping of trash only stopped when the indigenous people gained the courage to complain. And this March 2026, the DENR finally closed [music] the dump site. So when did you close the dump site? October, it was no longer operating, ma'am. October 202... Ah 2025 because we filed >> Because of the complaint. Ma'am? Yes. Yes. So also the DENR, I think. >> Yes, ma'am. Uh, of course we consulted with the different agencies, um, NCIP in the region. We talked to Attorney Roman and then we also sought guidance from DENR region. Mm. To finally close this. Mm. So, ma'am, last year also the operations stopped, right? [music] >> The question is why did it take almost seven years before it was finally closed [music] and why until now is there still a pile of trash on the mountain? >> [music] >> These photos were taken in the year 2020. The gray sand and some standing trees can still be seen [music] in the photos. During those times, the indigenous people believed that the trash in their area was only temporary. It wouldn't last long. But it took almost seven years before this dump site was finally closed? Why didn't they complain earlier? According to the indigenous leader, they complained in 2019 but they said the mayor of Subic, Zambales talked to them and they had an agreement. What did the government promise you? They said they would give us 10,000. What was the 10,000 for? Something like that, I think maybe for that. Did you sign a contract? We signed, we were there in their office. Why did you sign and agree? Because, even if we didn't agree, they wouldn't stop because they had already started before we complained, we found out they had already flattened it. Yes, that's what happened, so we just accepted the money because we would no longer benefit from that land, we just accepted it. In a letter they sent, the local government strongly denied the accusation of the indigenous people, they said they have no record of any document or agreement between the government and the indigenous people affected by the dump site, but they admit they have shortcomings and responsibility to the community. Of course we accept responsibility for what happened and the LGU is preparing for reparations. Ma'am, this is a concerted effort. So hopefully they will also come here frequently so that we will be informed of what else we can do. Whatever the real story behind this [music] for the Aetas, what is important is that the dump site is closed. The forest can breathe again. What do you want to happen now? What we want is for them to remove all the trash, no more dumping, just remove the remaining trash, also remove those so that trees can grow again because there are trees that died, they withered. Although the dumping of trash on the mountain has been stopped [music], it still reeks because the trash has not yet been hauled away. In the cease and desist order of the DENR in March 2026, it is written that the local government of Subic must haul away all the trash they dumped on the mountain of the Aetas. Have you done that? Ah, based on our safe closure plan. Safe closure plan. Ah, as of now, ma'am, we really need a budget. We need at least, based on engineering, 78 to rehabilitate the area. 78 million. 78 million, ma'am >> to rehabilitate the. Yes, as of now we have already requested from the DBM through the initiative of Cong. Jiden, ah, at least 60 for the rehabilitation, according [music] to the local government of Subic, they said they cannot remove the trash they dumped on the mountain of the Aetas. Their solution: just cover the mountain of trash with soil. Because on our part, we cannot remove it, it would take several years to take out the trash, it would create a hole. So they gave us a solution. We can just cover it as long as there are vents placed there. Ah, you will not remove the trash there. What we will do instead is prevention to prevent the contamination from spreading, to contaminate our bodies of water. But if you ask the indigenous people [music], it is not money and not promises but the complete removal of trash that is their only wish because nature is more important than any material [music] wealth. We are not fighting them, the lowlanders, ma'am, ha. But we hope they won't do this to this mountain. If ever, we are the ones who go to the market, ma'am, because they are the mayor. What would they say? There, when we sell, ma'am, they would immediately say, "Wow, clean up. Clean your place immediately," they would say that. We obey, ma'am. But they seem deaf or what? The indigenous people are the first people in the Philippines. Before the foreigners came, before there were laws and [music] government, they were already living peacefully in the forests. It is a clear violation of the law to dump trash [music] on the land of the Aetas. This is equivalent to trashing [music] their culture and history, to belittling [music] their rights. So as soon as possible, this must be cleaned up and [music] resolved. Because whether you are indigenous or not, no person [music] would want their home to be turned into a dump site. I am Kara David and this is "I-Witness." >> [music] [music] >> Thank you very much for watching "I-Witness," mga Kapuso. What can you say about this documentary? Comment it down and also subscribe to the GMA Public Affairs YouTube channel. M.