The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has demanded that the government immediately take action to resolve the issue of indigenous peoples in Molbog and Cagayanen in Palawan who are facing threats of losing their lands to armed groups and eco-luxury tourism plans.
In a pastoral letter signed by CBCP president Kalookan Archbishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, the bishops said thousands of IPs living peacefully in Molbog and Cagayanen communities are now “enduring wounds of historical injustices.”
“This issue is not confined to Palawan; it reflects a shared experience among indigenous peoples’ communities across the nation,” the bishops stated in the letter.
They said the Molbog and Cagayanen of Bugsuk Island in Balabac have faced displacement and harassment since the 1970s, and “continue to endure these injustices today, as their ancestral lands remain unjustly seized.”
They cited the situation in Maria Hangin, a barangay near Bugsuk, where “on June 27, 2024, news spread about plans to demolish their homes for an eco-luxury tourism project. This was followed by harassment, including the presence of armed groups and intimidating lawsuits,” the letter added.
Despite these challenges, the CBCP said the communities “continue to cling to the hope and aspiration of eventually returning to their ancestral home” through the “Balik Bugsuk!” initiative.
The bishops said the IPs submitted a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) application in 2005, but “their application is still pending to this day.”
They also noted that the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) issued Notices of Coverage (NOCs) in 2014 as part of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, but “the excitement was short-lived” when these were rescinded in May 2023 after DAR determined the land was not suitable for agricultural use.
The CBCP made two urgent appeals: “To those responsible for the presence of armed groups in Maria Hangin: We respectfully but firmly request the immediate withdrawal of these groups from the island,” the bishops stated.
They also urged the DAR and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to reconsider the recalled NOCs and expedite the CADT application “so that the ancestral rights of the indigenous communities of Maria Hangin Island can finally be acknowledged and upheld.”
