Barlig, Natonin Balangao tribe set pinuchu signing on Lang-ay

By Gina Dizon

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- The Balangao tribe  of  Barlig and  Natonin Balangao  shall be witnessing the ceremonial signing of their documented  indigenous forest management practices  by  chief executive officers 10 a.m. on April 1 here at the multipurpose  hall  to coincide with the celebration of the  47th Mountain Province Foundation Day and  the  1oth Lang-ay Festival.

The pinuchu and khakay practices of the  Balangaos  of the eastern tribes  from Natonin and Barlig  akin to the batangan system  of the western tribes of the Province  embodies  the indigenous forest management practises documented  by the  Provincial Environment and Natural  Resources Office.

The April 1 signing shall be done by the representative mayors  of Natonin and Barlig, governor of the Province, authorities from the PENRO and the NCIP-Mountain Province and regional offices of the DENR and NCIP.  

The document is in line with Joint Administrative Order of 2008 of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) provided for guidelines and procedures for the recognition, documentation, registration and confirmation of all sustainable traditional and indigenous forest resources management systems and practices (STIFRMSP) of indigenous cultural communities or Indigenous Peoples in Ancestral Domain/Land.

The indigenous peoples of Madukayan of Natonin have also documented and affirmed their pinuju practises. 

Forest management specialist  Christopher  Bosaing of PENRO-Mountain Province said  respective  municipal ordinances in furtherance to the  Joint AO of 2008  are currently   being drafted by the  legislative officials of Tadian, Sagada and Besao municipalities .

Tadian which has advanced in its drafting stage incorporates the indigenous batnagan system in its Environmental Code.

Following the confirmation of elders and affirmation of the officials of respective LGUs, the documented indigenous management practices  shall then be endorsed to the Secretary of the DENR for affirmation followed by the LGU-initiated ordinances. 

The municipal ordinances define resource use, and sets rules and supplementary guidelines on  customary forest management practices.

The batangan of the Applai tribe of  western Mountain Province, pinuchu  and khakay of the Balangao trine of Barlig and pinuju system of the Madukayan tribe of Natonin  embody customary practices of   forest management to include that of access, cutting trees and gathering of forest products.

The Joint Administrative Order of 2008 of the NCIP and the DENR is in pursuant to the provisions of the 1987 Constitution, Presidential Decree (PD) No. 705, as amended, Executive Order (EO) No. 192, Series of 1987,  Republic Act (RA) No. 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (NCIP Administrative Order No. 1, Series of 1998, and the DENR-NCIP Memorandum Circular No. 2003-01, EO No. 318, Series of 2004.

Areas having certificates of ancestral domain claims (CADC) and certificates of ancestral domain titles  (CADTs),  based on a requirement of the Joint 2008 NCIP-DENR AO. In areas where there is no CADT and CADC, a certificate of assurance is asked from NCIP to enable facilitation of municipal indigenous forestry management codes.

The municipalities of Sagada, Besao, Tadian, Barlig and Natonin are covered with CADCs.