Bauko residents reclaim ‘grabbed’ancestral land

By Gina Dizon

BAUKO, Mountain Province -- Following a petition forwarded by residents of barangay Sinto to the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples against the provincial government headed by Gov. Maximo Dalog, on their property declared by the LGU in their name, the barangay local government unit eventually reclaimed their property.

A meeting earlier this year between and among representatives of the provincial government with officials and constituents of the barangay, including NCIP and the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources, led to the agreement that the provincial LGU will cause the cancellation of the tax declarations entered by the latter on subject property; and for the barangay to cause the cancellation of tax declarations of individual occupants on same subject lot.

Sinto barangay captain Johnny Olsim Sr said the barangay finally reclaimed their land ‘grabbed’ property which is their own in the very first place.

In their earlier petition to NCIP, some 150 residents of Sinto condemned the ‘treacherous and systematic possession’ by the provincial government over their lot here at sitio Amkaweng/Usok.

The residents decried that their property was falsely declared by the provincial LGU through Dalog in the name of the provincial government.

The area illegally possessed by the provincial LGU located at Bacdangan otherwise known as Amkaweng, /Usok, or SECAL compound is claimed by the residents as part of their ancestral domain. A part of it is used as a burial ground.

Said parcel of land is originally covered by tax declaration numbers 11002 and 11004 in the name of barangay government of Sinto, and two other tax declarations of private individual- SInto residents Alfredo Camso-en and Lucio Tip-ac.

A certificate of ancestral domain title was earlier issued by NCIP on July 22, 2009 which recognized the ownership of the indigenous peoples of Sinto over the said parcel of land as part of their ancestral domain.

In their petition, residents complained that the provincial government, without free prior and informed consent from the people, forcibly entered the property through the acts of camaneros and employees of the provincial government -managed Mt Data Hotel led by general foreman Victor Taynec.

In the same development, the residents also petitioned against a certain Alberto Gumastin who illegally declared a part of the subject land in his name.
The Sinto area locates the earlier Sectoral Adjustment Loan (SECAL) nursery project of the DENR.

The project and its maintenance were eventually turned over to the provincial government in 2000 in behalf of the benefitting communities of Santo, Mt Data, and Monamom Sur of Bauko; and sitio cada of Balili, Mankayan Benguet.

Turned-over projects are livelihood programs, agro forestry, and infrastructure including tire paths, fencing and waterworks.