Reading 17: Energy forever for people’s wellbeing .

Montañosa Research and Development Center

(MRDC). (2012). In Sustaining & Enhancing Indigenous Peoples’ Self-Determined Development: 20 Years After Rio. Volume 2.
Baguio City: Tebteba Foundation

Born from an indigenous peoples’ struggle against development aggression, the

proposed concept of the Ngibat MHP was concretized in 1992, and is now on its 20th year of
existence and sustained operation, which is the longest community-managed renewable energy
project in the Philippines.
The partnership of MRDC and the Ngibat community dates back in 1981. We devoted
our early years in studying, experimentation and adoption of innovations on traditional
knowledge in agriculture and blacksmithing. An alternative to the mega-dams was one of our
favorite topics when we gather for community discussions at night.
In 1986, Umilin di Buscalan (residents of Buscalan, which is also part of the Butbut tribe)
and MRDC ventured and completed a water-powered rice pounder project in Buscalan,
Tinglayan, which is a neighboring village of Ngibat. It showed concretely how water can be
harnessed for renewable energy.
From this project, Ngibat came out with the concept of a multipurpose micro-hydro
project, which remained dormant and shelved for more than five years due to intense
militarization of the area by a local paramilitary unit who called themselves the Cordillera
People’s Liberation Army (CPLA). When the situation in the area normalized, the now legally-
registered Ngibat Farmers’ Association or NFA2 forwarded its request to MRDC to assist in the
realization of the micro-hydro project.
Project Implementation. In accordance with MRDC’s guidelines on project
development, an all-rounded feasibility study was conducted and a community unification
process was undertaken on what the project is, the options, the design, the needed resources
and who will provide for such resources, the management of the project, among other concerns.
The project implementation was launched with Ngibat hosting the gathering of three
tribes (the Butbut, Dananao, and Tulgao) who share the same communal watershed/forests.
It was a successful event. Ngibat presented their plan to maximize the water flowing in their
territory to be a power source of their micro-hydro unit and the different tribes affirmed their
commitment for the protection of the shared communal watershed.
One non-negotiable mandate and principle that we had to religiously ensure in the
development process is peoples’ participation. We believe that the full participation of the whole
community is a precondition for the success of the project, if we are to contribute to people’s
empowerment and if we are to measure our success in terms of people being able to carry
on any development initiatives on their own. Nancy Ayangao, a community organizer of MRDC,
would repeatedly verbalize her observations that even small children helped in the hauling of
materials based on their capacity. In critical stages of the work, Engineer Frank Taguba, the
project-in-charge from MRDC, would bring out the technical design and some books, and
translate these into the local language, for lengthy, but necessary instructions from these. The
people then, would discuss how to apply the theory and with their traditional knowledge in
engineering, blacksmithing and construction, the work proceeded smoothly.
It was not only the technical aspects that we had to discuss. Of the many points we
debated on, there was only one significant concern which we were not able to unite on: that
the community did not agree on the idea from the management committee of MRDC that
domestic lightning will be the least priority and should be installed a year after assessing
phase 1 of the project. Phase 1 included energizing a rice mill equipment and a blacksmith
shop. They immediately installed domestic lighting and they were proven right during the first
project evaluation in 1997.
The Ngibat people said, “The project has had a significant impact on our lives. With the
supply of domestic lighting or electricity, school children have become more diligent and
conscientious in their studies. Similarly, the women can work with ease at night compared to the
earlier times when they have to work in the dark or in the light of the saleng” (Chi-ug
Gannac, 29 years old, woman farmer, 1997).
Before the project, among the daily chores of small children is to hold or tend the
pithwood light for mothers to be able to see her work during the night, such as rice pounding,
dishwashing, selecting seeds, and others. Oftentimes, children are whipped if they refuse to do
this task. Thus, the presence of electric lighting was a great relief for mothers and children.
“We do the work with our children and we have time to sit down with them to study their lessons,
and our bonding was much improved,” as narrated by Catherine Atumpa, one of the mothers.
That was a rare disagreement, we agreed on almost all matters and were able to put into
practice our agreements. We were able to complete the project through the use of an existing
irrigation canal. Intake dam and forebay were constructed and a galvanized iron penstock
measuring six inches in diameter was used to direct the water to the crossflow turbine that
generate both mechanical and electrical power. This is to energize the processing equipment
such as the rice mill, sugar cane presser and flour mill; also the power tools for the
blacksmithing activity in the daytime; and to provide domestic lightning during the night. It took
us more than a year to complete the project.
From 1993 to 1997, both MRDC and the community jointly maintained the project. But it
was mainly the community’s collective effort, which made it possible for them to have discerned
the problems, planned and implemented repairs and modification. From 1997 up to present, the
community is maintaining and managing the project on their own.
One of agreed things that did not materialize was the formation of a committee that will
supervise movie viewing and to regulate movie shows. We were able to predict that with
electricity, the entry of televisions will be inevitable. With the entry of televisions, the
indiscriminate advertisement of consumer goods, the culture of violence and the patriarchal
society, among other unregulated shows, may lead to the creation of unnecessary wants and
cultural erosion. To prevent this, an educational program that makes use of televisions and
audio-visual materials shall be planned with a committee who will review and regulate viewings.
It was also anticipated that freezers for food preservation will then be acquired for the
common use.
For nearly 20 years, the project was able to service the community realizing the following
objectives:
1. Increased appreciation and strengthened traditional forest management and collective
customary laws of forest protection among the tribes involved;
2. Decreased the labor-intensive production processes specifically the burden of manual
rice pounding among women and children;
3. Increased labor productivity through the inventions, fabrication and production of
appropriate labor-saving devices, tools and implements;
4. With the reduction of labor input in the production processes, production of other food
crops such as root crops, sugarcane and cash crops shall be encouraged to address
the food shortage;
5. Provided domestic lighting that raised the quality of life in the village, like the bonding
of children and mothers, more sharing of responsibilities, wherein men now became
the rice millers.
In conclusion, we can say that the key factors that continue to sustain the project, among
others, include people being the main actors in the whole cycle of the development process;
the strengthening of their positive cultural values of resource utilization and conservation;
cooperation; the sincere capacity facilitation for capacity building, technology development and
transfer by the MRDC; the democratic decision making and collective management of the
community leaders; and most especially, the continuing meaningful and relevant services
derived from the project by the community.
Reading 15.1: Micro-hydro power plant means rice surplus & income for
indigenous peoples of remote Mabaca. Montañosa Research and Development Center (MRDC). (2012). In
Sustaining & Enhancing Indigenous Peoples’ Self-Determined Development: 20 Years After Rio. Volume 2. Baguio City: Tebteba
Foundation

The initiative, “Integrated Rice Intensification Program for Mabaca,” started in 2004 and
was crafted by the indigenous peoples’ organization, the Mabaca Farmers Alluyon (MFA) in
Kalinga province, northern Philippines. It evolved from the research conducted in the area by
the Montañosa Research and Development Center (MRDC).
The research in 2004 showed that the 797 population of Mabaca, divided into 135
households, experience rice shortage at an average of four months per year. Each household
consumes an average of 1.5 cavans/sack (50kgs/cavan) of rice per month. To supplement this
shortage, the villagers have to hike eight hours over a mountainous terrain and get a 5-hour
vehicular ride in a rugged road, paying PhP120.00 (US$2.70) one way to the town center,
Tabuk, and buy chemically-grown rice at PhP1,200.00/cavan ($27.27).
This rice shortage for the 135 households totals 810 cavans in four months and they
spend for the 1.5 cavans rice and fare PhP2,040.00. For the whole village, they spend
PhP1,852,400.00 ($42,100) per year. Thus, the main purpose of the initiative is to attain a level
of self-sufficiency in rice.
The activities undertaken: 1) blacksmith trainings for the villagers to fabricate their own
farm tools and equipment; 2) seminars and trainings on organizational management; 3)
construction of an irrigation canal for rice field expansion and to operate a micro-hydropower
project to mechanically run a rice mill to lessen the burden of manually pounding rice, power a
blacksmith shop, and provide electric light; 4) seminars and trainings on sustainable agriculture
practices and natural resource utilization and management.
In 2009, after five years of the initiative, a level of rice self-sufficiency has been
achieved. This is manifested in the availability of locally-produced organic rice that can be
bought within the community the whole year round, which means they do not have to go to
Tabuk to buy chemically-grown rice.
For the 135 households of indigenous peoples of Mabaca, Balbalan Kalinga, the
installation of a micro-hydropower plant (MHP) meant surplus rice production and increased
income for their household needs. The micro-hydropower plant also led to the construction of a
hydro-powered rice mill and a blacksmith shop in the community.
The 25-kilowatt MHP was constructed by MRDC in partnership with the technical
expertise of Sibol Agham at Teknolohiya (SIBAT). Montañosa Relief and Rehabilitation
Services (MRRS) assisted in the survey and implementation of the project.
Rice Mill. The rice mill installed in 2004 meant money saved for those who used to have
their palay (unmilled rice) milled in the town center of Salegseg, via a 7-hour downhill trek and
another 8-hour uphill trek to bring the milled rice home.
Before the installation of the rice mill, hauling fees for one half cavan of rice commands
PhP150 for bringing the palay to the milling center in Salegseg and bringing the milled rice back
to Mabaca. Others who are hired for their hauling services prefer to be paid in kind with at least
one ganta (1 medium can) of rice per can of milled rice.
The rice mill was constructed in 2004 and is open three days a week. The people pay
only PhP10 for milling a can of rice. For those who wish to pay in kind, they pay two cups
(chupas) of milled rice per can. The payments go to the MFA, the indigenous people’s
organization managing the rice mill.
The presence of a local rice mill has also greatly reduced the time and effort spent by
the women in pounding rice. One household usually consumes a can of rice, which is pounded
for three hours, within a period of at least five days. With the presence of the rice mill closer to
home, they now have more time to spend for other activities including other work in the
field, taking care of children, and domestic chores.
Rice Field Expansion. The installation of the powerhouse along with the blacksmith
shop resulted in the expansion of the area of cultivated rice land. Expansion of the current rice
field area is largely due to the installation of the blacksmith shop (pandayan), which enabled the
farmers to make metal tools for digging and cutting, including bolos, sickles, sanggap, shovels,
and wheelbarrows. With the use of these farm tools, the people expanded their rice lands
through the system of ubbo or mutual help groups. Ubbo are work groups numbering around 6-
15 persons per ubbo, who cooperate to accomplish a collective task in the community such as
rice field expansion, planting, and harvesting.
With the increase of the cultivated rice land area, the people are now able to increase
their rice supply and eliminate the shortage of rice production. Before, rice supply usually
falls short by four months before the next harvest season.
Prior to the installation of the micro-hydropower plant in 2004, the 135 households in
Mabaca needed to buy rice from Tabuk during the lean months to augment their rice supply.
This rice shortage for the 135 households totals 810 cavans in four months. At PhP2,040.00 per
cavan of rice including hauling fees, the shortage of 810 cavans per year is equivalent to a total
PhP1,852,400.00 ($42,100) per year or nearly PhP2M spent by the households of Mabaca to
buy rice from the Tabuk town center.
Since 2006 with the full operation of the MHP and the rice mill, Mabaca enjoys
sufficiency of rice supply from its own production. Mabaca has also since then been able to sell
rice to other neighboring communities in Gawaan, Tanap, and in the town center at Salegseg.
The year 2006 also saw the mounting of the dynamo and installation of the panel board and
transmission lines to the blacksmith building with the supervision of the MRDC staff
and Triclops.
Irrigation Canals in Place. Increase of rice supply is also due to increased supply of
water after irrigation canals were put in place. The construction of a limestone-lined 1,000-meter
long irrigation canal located 150 meters above the powerhouse resulted in regular water supply
for the rice fields. Near the tank is a diversion canal that directs the water to the community and
into an irrigation canal leading to the rice fields of Bayowong.
The rice produce had earlier been insufficient due to lack of irrigation facilities that meant
that only one crop of rice could be planted each year. Now, the irrigation canal leading from the
Bayowong Creek to the ricefields has contributed to increased rice production. The hydropower
system is fed with water from the Bayowong creek that comes from several artesian springs that
flow all year round. Bayowong creek is a tributary of the Mabaca River.
Sugar Cane Presser. With the blacksmithing shop in place, the people of Mabaca were
able to make a dapilan (sugar cane presser) to extract sugar cane juice and make brown sugar
(muscovado) from the sugar juice. The community folks also make basi, a favorite sugar cane
wine that is drank on special occasions including weddings, baptisms and graduations.
Domestic Lighting. In the same year of 2006, transmission lines for electrical wiring for
household lighting was completed. Mabaca is not covered by the national electric grid. Thus,
with the installation of the MHP, the households are now able to use electric current for house
lighting, following the conduct of a ritual celebrated by the community elders. Trainings were
conducted by MRDC on the operation of the MHP, including practical wiring and leadership
skills and values. Practical house wiring is also given and actual practice is conducted.
In December 2006, the Mabaca Farmers Alluyon and the Mabaca Barangay Council
created the Barangay Mabaca Electric Cooperative (BMEC) through a barangay (basic
government unit) assembly. The cooperative’s daily affairs are taken care of by a management
committee with 7-10 members.
 Cooperative members are grouped according to the village or purok they belong to. The
members assigned group leaders per village. Policies and guidelines were formulated with the
understanding that the BMEC is collectively owned by the MFA, an organization of farmers and
the people of Barangay Mabaca.
Conclusion. The “Integrated Rice Intensification Program for Mabaca” has contributed
in several ways to the community well-being and sustainable development of the indigenous
peoples of Mabaca. Firstly, the initiative saved hard-earned cash that was used to buy rice in
the town center, which is now used for other basic necessities such as for education, health,
clothing, and other food needs. Secondly, the burden of carrying rice for eight hours has been
eliminated. Thirdly, the MHP-operated rice mill has eliminated the burden of women and
children in manually pounding rice.
The MHP-operated blacksmith shop also provides the villagers with homemade sturdy
farm tools and they now know how to repair broken farm tools, which in the past is just
discarded. Also, the electric current provided by the MHP gave the children time to read their
lessons and increased their knowledge, which the teachers have noted. With the provision
of lighting, the people do not need to buy kerosene anymore for their lighting needs, thereby
eliminating carbon emission and the additional expense. Aside from kerosene, they used to
gather pine pithwood from the pine forest for lighting, which is an additional work as the forest
where they gather these are far from the village settlement.
And lastly, the practice of sustainable agriculture practices has been inculcated to them
and is being practiced, thus ensuring the sustainable production of crops. They now grow
healthful organic rice instead of buying the chemically-grown rice being sold in the town center.
Reading 15.2: The Calamian Tagbanua of Coron: Defending their identity &
cultural heritage. Guillao, J. (2012). In Sustaining & Enhancing Indigenous Peoples’ Self-Determined Development: 20
Years After Rio. Volume 2. Baguio City: Tebteba Foundation

The Calamian Tagbanua, Their Heritage and Struggles. Nurtured by their ancestors,
the land and waters of the indigenous Calamian Tagbanua persists the test of time, and most
recently, of climate change. It was not easy for the Calamian Tagbanua of Mindoro, Philippines
to defend their identity and cultural heritage; but their efforts had given them leverage to
possess and utilize their rich marine and coastal ecosystems. The kind of life that I saw in the
land and territories of the Calamian Tagbanua is simple, yet life sustaining. It is a kind of life that
permeates solidarity and sense of self-determination that strengthens a community’s life and
wellbeing. A life that has kept the serene beauty of the sea and limestone formations abounding
the island.
The Tebtebba research on how traditional knowledge is being practiced in the majestic
land of the Calamian Tagbanua, in the face of climate change, made my heart leap with joy. It
has always been part of my consciousness to see this picturesque beauty that I often see in
postcards and pictures, not to mention the heart-warming stories of friends who had been
to the place.
It is not always easy to be a stranger in a place, especially if you are alone. However,
this feeling of discomfort was dissolved when I reached my destination. The moment I
disembarked in Busuanga, I knew that my trip to Coron Island, which is composed of two
villages, namely, Cabugao and Banwang-Daan, would be very interesting and enriching.
Indeed, the visit to Coron Island transcends the appreciation of the physical beauty of the place.
The experience plunged me in a deeper understanding of the Calamian Tagbanua, who have
surpassed a history of neglect and non-recognition of their rights to indigenous or traditional
systems, a system that puts premium to sustainable development. Noteworthy is the fact that
the Calamian Tagbanua have developed mechanisms and actions to confront the impacts of
rapidly changing climate. This is on top of the realities they are confronted with, specifically that
of the dominant society. This mainly comes in the form of addressing the influence of some
dayuhan (migrants) in relation to fishing method and pressures from tourism activities being
promoted by the local government.
My week-long stay in the community was filled with rich exchange of knowledge and
demonstration of traditional practices. Integral to the visit was a brief tour to the ancestral
domain of the Calamian Tagbanua. They consider their ancestral domain not only as territory
but also part of their history and cultural identity. The chance to visit brought my consciousness
in silent wonder as I recall the discussion I had with the elders of Coron Island. Their wisdom
and persistence against intimidation and abuses from powerful forces whose intention was to
exploit and gain from their resources is far from commendable. It is actually an act of heroism
because they have defended the integrity of the Calamian Tagbanua.
They have protected their cultural heritage. For them the essence of identity and
wellbeing lies very much in their rich ecosystems. As expounded by Apo Ben Aguilar (an elder
in the community), “We cannot live without our ancestral land and waters. They are part of our
lives.”
The struggles of the Tagbanua to defend their territory are reflected in the epic tales of
two heroes, Ti Makarere and Ti Natambak. These are important accounts about Tagbanua
warriors who had defended their territory from foreign Muslim and Spanish invaders. Since then,
the people have stood in unity against any invasion from outsiders in order to protect their
territory and their traditional way of life.
Discerning the need to further protect their ancestral domain from abuses or exploitation
in the future, the Calamian Tagbanuas fought to obtain their legal claim over their land and
waters. Through the help of the Philippine Association for Intercultural Development (PAFID),
the Tagbanua Foundation of Coron Island (TFCI) was formed by the Calamian Tagbanua in
1985.
This organization played an important role in their claim for their ancestral territory. The
process of reclaiming their ancestral domain started in 1996. After two years of intense haggling
with the government, the Calamian Tagbanua successfully gained their legal claim, the
Certificate of Ancestral Domain Claim (CADC) over their land and waters. xxx
What is Sustainable Life Among the Calamian Tagbanuas? The persistence of a
sustainable life among the Calamian Tagbanua was a result of years of practice of indigenous
knowledge that had been handed down to them by their ancestors. For instance, certain areas
are delineated as fish sanctuaries and sacred areas such as the panyaan. The people have also
interesting means of understanding the weather by looking into the signs around their
environment. As shared by the Barangay Captain, also an elder in the community, the Calamian
Tagbanua have their traditional way of weather forecasting and this knowledge guides their day-
to-day activities, though some of these have been compromised because of climate change.
Nonetheless, “Kap” (as he is fondly called by his constituent) related that if they wanted to see if
they could go fishing the following day, they look at the moon. When the moon is not shining
brightly, then it means that the sea is not calm and the weather would not be good for fishing
activity the following day; and so they would rather perform other tasks at home.
The system of fishing (pangangawil), which is an important livelihood for the Calamian
Tagbanua, is guided by the principle of subsistence fishing: getting only what they need
for the day. To catch fish, fishermen use simple tools like kawil (hook and line), pana (spear)
and lambat (small nets). This fishing strategy effectively limits the harvest and therefore
allows the people in the community to conserve their marine resources.
Apart from fishing, gathering of balinsasayaw or Pygmy swiftlet’s nests is equally an
important traditional livelihood among the indigenous peoples of Coron Island. This
traditional livelihood has been practiced from generation to generation. Swiftlet’s nest-gathering
is strictly practiced by clan members and ownership of these nests is passed down through
generations, together with the knowledge of nest gathering. While nest-gathering
(pagbabalinsasayaw) is an important source of cash for the people, they are mindful to
harvest what is enough for the day.
Critical to the sustainable management of their resources (marine and even forest), is
the observance of their traditional litigation system called panglaw. The system provides space
to address violation or abuse of resource use and customary law. Anyone who is reported to
have committed any violations are tried under this system. The Calamian Tagbanua observe
and practice a number of norms and rules as outlined below.

Customary Laws/Norms Governing the Ancestral Domain of the Calamian Tagbanua

On fishing methods:
• The use of any part of the ancestral domain by non-Tagbanua without permission.
• Catching yields by non-Tagbanua that exceed sustenance or for commercial purposes.
• Selling and leasing of portions of land within the ancestral domain to non-Tagbanua
without consultation and approval from the Tagbanua Foundation of Coron Island
(TFCI).
• Fishing in sacred areas, lagoons and lakes.
In preserving their homeland/sacred places:
• The burial grounds are prohibited for use for other purposes and are not open to the
public.
• Fishing in sacred places is prohibited.
• It is prohibited to gather nest of balinsasayaw if its inakay (brood) are still very young.
• Ownership of caves where the balinsasayaw lives is through inheritance only unless
these are discovered caves.
On the use of lakes and beaches:
• Only small canoe is used for touring around the island.
• Beaches are regarded as sacred, hence must not be exploited.
• Quarrying or destruction of limestone rocks is prohibited.
In preserving the forests and its resources:
• It is prohibited to gather all the root crops like kurut and kapari.
• Gathering of tubers must be from the root; the root system must be left intact and viable
in order that the plant can continue to produce.
• Cutting of mangroves along the coast is prohibited.
• It is prohibited to uproot, damage and burn herbs and other medicinal plants.
• The use of pandan leaves must be regulated and this plant must not be over used.
• It is prohibited to hunt beyek, kalasyaw gesye (wild animals).

Now that the legal system is dominantly influencing community’s indigenous knowledge
system, an elder in the community insists on reviving the panglaw system as he believes that
this is more effective in punishing violators, especially those dayuhans that use illegal fishing.
The sparkling coasts of Coron Island mirror the sustainable lifeways and systems of the
Calamian Tagbanua in the midst of constant pressure from outsiders and threats from climate
change. As expressed by an elderly woman, the weather has become unpredictable and difficult
to understand (“Magulo ang panahon ngayon; minsan madalas ang ulan, minsan wala namang
ulan”). The unpredictability of the weather was first observed in the early 80s but they say that
weather changes have become more frequent in the 90s up to the present. With the advent of
climate change, the Calamian Tagbanuas experience unpredictable weather patterns, warmer
weather and drought, sea level rise, warmer sea and they are now more susceptible to
environmental hazards.
The elders in Coron Island view climate change as linked with other environmental and
social problems. They see the impacts of climate change as some sort of punishment for
people’s greed, selfishness, lack of spirituality, disrespect for sacred places, or violation of
taboos such as fishing near the awuyuk, panyaan and the sanktuario (nesting ground for
fish). For them, climate change is a warning to the people who are causing so much destruction
to nature. They also believe that these changes in the climate happen because the world is
“getting old.” Hence, an option for them is to adapt to climate change and improve their adaptive
capacity in the process.
To cope with the impact of climate change, the Calamian Tagbanua have adjusted the
cycle of their day-to-day activities, such as preparing their kuma (swidden farm) in earlier month
rather than the usual time. They also discover new places to gather fish, given the decline in fish
catch from the regular areas where they fish. To reverse the declining trend in fish catch, most
of the elders in the community urge the people to go back to traditional ways of fishing. They
even argued that if traditional methods had been used continually, then there could have been
less damage to marine life. As more environmental disasters are perceived to come in the
future, the Calamian Tagbanua likewise pledge to avoid acts that would cause further damage
to their rich ecosystems. Since the weather has become unpredictable and is posing greater
risks to community life, the elders strongly advocate the revitalization and application of their
traditional knowledge in order to protect, manage and sustain life within their ancestral
domain. As aptly put by an elder, what is needed now is a paradigm shift which would reinforce
a more sustainable life, without putting harm to the rich biodiversity of the ecosystem.
Greed for the bounty of the sea is not a virtue of a Calamian Tagbanua. Yet, the kind of
life that is being demonstrated by the dominant society is just the opposite and is thus posing
a great threat to the lifeways and systems of the Calamian Tagbanua. Through time, Coron
Island enjoyed a serene life under the care of its people. Will they surpass these challenges?
The voices are clear—there is the collective determination to win another battle for survival.