The Struggles in Paradise:

An Account of the Ati Community of Boracay Island Through the Years

Mario Miguel Perez

Danny Dy Quioyo

JV Leomar Corillo

West Visayas State University

Luna Street, Lapaz, Iloilo City

College of Arts and Sciences

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

August 2017
 Chapter 1

Introduction to the Study

Chapter 1 covers seven parts: (1) Background of the Study, (2) Epistemological

and Theoretical Perspective of the Study, (3) Statement of the Problem, (4) Significance

of the Study, (5) Subjectivity Statement of the Study, (6) Definition of Terms, and (7)

Scope and Delimitation of the Study.

Part One, Background of the Study, contains the general description of the topic

and includes a brief preview of the topic to discuss.

Part Two, Epistemological and Theoretical Perspective of the Study, provides the

theory of knowledge embedded in the philosophical stance of the study.

Part Three, Statement of the Problem, cites the conceptual definition and view of

the problem of the study.

Part Four, Significance of the Study, discusses the purpose of the study and its

relevance for theory, practice and future researches. It enumerates the importance of

the study and the benefits that may be derived from the results.

Part Five, Subjectivity Statement of the Study, presents the main reasons why

the chosen topic was decided to become a research study.

Part Six, Definition of Terms, provides clarification of some technical terms used

in the context of the study. It presents the conceptual and operational meanings of

important terms used in the study.

 Part Seven, Scope and Delimitation of the Study, delineates the scope and

coverage of the study and the parameters of the investigation in relation to the study

areas, the subjects and instrument and the other limiting elements of the research.

Background of the Study

Today we are witnessing unevenness in the historical progress of humankind

both in time and through space. While for some, progress remains virtually transfixed,

others move on. In both cases, conditions are largely determined by the nature of their

surrounding sociopolitical environments. The truth of this is readily apparent when we

compare the Ati to the society at large. The Ati are not only distinguished as a “cultural

minority” or a “cultural community” but are also different from other Filipinos racially. In

the country as a whole, about twelve million people correspond to about 110

indigenous cultural communities (ICCs). These are scattered in small communities,

mostly in upland areas, in different locations around the archipelago (Baruah, 2000).

The continuous commercialization of Boracay Island has forced the Ati to leave

their home and live a nomadic lifestyle and asking for alms in the busy streets or on the

beaches. Even though they have been given land and are able to establish their own

community the struggles they had endured to have come this far to achieve their dream

still lingers in their consciousness for years to come (Angan, 2013).

In 1987, the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (Republic Act No. 8371) was passed

and it expressly recognized the indigenous concept of ownership, which is made the

basis for the rights of the Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) or Indigenous
Peoples to claim the ancestral domains (Chapter III, Section 7) and ancestral lands

(Chapter III, Section 8). The government can award ancestral domain titles to

indigenous communities that can prove continuous habitation and resource use of

territory since time immemorial (Ramiscal, 2013).

The native title allows organized indigenous groups to cohabit and control the

use of their land, and in some cases, ancestral waters. Under the Act, the indigenes’

concept of ownership “sustains the views that ancestral (domains/lands) and all

resources found therein shall serve as the material bases of their cultural integrity. The

concept generally holds that ancestral domains are the ICCs’/Ips’ private but community

property which belongs to all generations and therefore cannot be sold, disposed or

destroyed” Chapter III, sec. 5 (Ramiscal, 2013).

Epistemological and Theoretical Perspective of the Study

Constructivism is an epistemology in which meanings are constructed by

human beings as they engage with the world they are interpreting. Humans engage in

the world and make sense of it is based in their historical and social perspective – we

are all born into a world of meaning bestowed upon us by culture. The basic generation

of meaning is always social, arising in and out of interaction with a human community

(Crotty, 1998).

Interpretivism which looks for ‘culturally derived and historically situated

interpretations of the social life-world’ (Crotty, 1998: 67). There is no, direct, one-to-
one relationship between ourselves (subjects) and the world (object). The world is

interpreted through the classification schemas of the mind (Williams and May, 1996). In

terms of epistemology, interpretivism is closely linked to constructivism. Interpretivism

asserts that natural reality (and the laws of science) and social reality are different and

therefore require different kinds of method. While the natural sciences are looking for

consistencies in the data in order to deduce ‘laws’ (nomothetic), the social sciences

often deal with the actions of the individual (ideographic).

Interpretivists avoid rigid structural frameworks such as in positivist research and

adopt a more personal and flexible research structures (Carson et al., 2001) which are

receptive to capturing meanings in human interaction (Black, 2006) and make sense of

what is perceived as reality (Carson et al., 2001). They believe the researcher and his

informants are interdependent and mutually interactive (Hudson and Ozanne, 1988).

The interpretivist researcher enters the field with some sort of prior insight of the

research context but assumes that this is insufficient in developing a fixed research

design due to complex, multiple and unpredictable nature of what is perceived as reality

(Hudson and Ozanne, 1988).

The researcher remains open to new knowledge throughout the study and lets it

develop with the help of informants. The use of such an emergent and collaborative

approach is consistent with the interpretivist belief that humans have the ability to

adapt, and that no one can gain prior knowledge of time and context bound social

realities (Hudson and Ozanne, 1988).

Statement of the Problem

Considered as the number one beach in the Philippines, Boracay has been home

to the Ati ever since, but little is known of the struggles they have experienced through

the years.

Objectives of the Study

This research paper will look into the accounts of the Ati community in Boracay

Island.

Specifically this paper will:

1.1 Identify the struggles faced by the Ati community through the years.

1.2 Take into account the measures undertaken by the Ati community in order

to get through these struggles that beset them.

1.3 Look into the challenges that hinder the development of the goals they

want to fulfil.

Significance of the Study

This study may benefit the following people:

 General Public. This study will promote awareness and understanding towards

the Filipinos of the Ati Community’s situation and struggles in Boracay Island. This study

will also raise a strong sense of empathy towards the community.

Academe. This study will shed light on the academe on various issues and

struggles the Ati community went through and how the Ati community came to be as

they currently are. It will also provide knowledge on why the rights of the Indigenous

people must be recognized and protected.

Aspiring Advocates. This study may inspire and guide the youth in their

advocacies and principles towards the rights of Indigenous people.

Government. This study will bring the government and public officials to its

senses to provide adequate privileges for their needs and also secure to them the

protection against discrimination and abuse.

Students. This study may broaden and educate the students on the relevance

of the rights and impact of the Indigenous people. This study will show to the students

the influence of the Indigenous people’s culture on our society. Students can also use

this as reference for future studies.

Future Researches. Researchers may use this study as a reference in related

researches as a basis for possible theories applicable to relevant topics.

Subjectivity Statement
 This study was conducted due to the researchers’ awareness and empathy

towards the indigenous people especially the Ati community of Boracay Island. The

researchers also wanted to deepen their understanding of the issues and struggles the

Ati community experienced through the years. The researches also wanted to take into

account what actions were carried out by the Ati community to overcome the many

challenges they have faced and how they are able to endure it. Through this study, the

researchers, as well as the readers, will understand the perspectives, opinions and

sentiments of the Ati community of Boracay Island who agreed to be part of this study.

Definition of Terms

Indigenous People -- are people defined in international and national legislation

as having a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory,

and their cultural or historical distinctiveness from other populations that are often

politically dominant (Welker, 1993).

In this study, the indigenous people of Boracay Island are subjected to an

interview process about the accounts of their struggles.

Boracay Island -- Boracay Island in the province of Aklan, Panay Island, is a

boot-shaped island under the political jurisdiction of the town of Malay. It is part of the

Visayan group of islands in the Central Philippines (Tenefrancia, 2010).

Boracay Island is the venue of the interview for the study.

 Ati – are a Negrito ethnic group in the Visayas, the central portion of the

Philippine archipelago. Their small numbers are principally concentrated in the islands

of Boracay, Panay and Negros (Wikipedia, 2017).

Ati are the particular ethnic group of indigenous people whose accounts are

being studied upon.

Experience -- the effect upon the judgment or feelings produced by any event,

whether witnessed or participated in (Collins, 1986).

This study is mainly concerned with the experiences of the struggles of Ati

community in Boracay Island.

Account -- a verbal or written report, description, or narration of some

occurrence, event or experience (Collins, 1986).

In this study, the same definition was used.

Struggle -- strive to achieve or attain something in the face of difficulty or

resistance (Collins, 1986).

The struggles were the main focus in the accounts of the experiences of Ati

community in the study.

Scope and Delimitations of the Study

The study is subject to factors that manifest its scope and delimitations i.e.

money, resources, location, time, effort, familiarity and methodology. The factors

mentioned limits the extent of our study to a specific level partly because as students,

our financial capacity and resources are limited thus, the conduct of the study was
considered with practicality and we focused more on maximizing the results while

minimizing expenses. The study conducted were limited to two days for its scope is only

within the Ati Community with the exclusion of the Ati outside of the community. Also

the venue for the study, the Ati community of Boracay Island has been chosen for the

fact that it is within our region therefore, cutting down travel time and having more

time for the conduct of the study.

The study was conducted weeks before the deadline as to have enough time to

prepare and assess the content of our research paper. Next is we chose a study that

brings modest effort and time in its conduct of methods because as mentioned earlier

students like us have to practice effort and time management in order to keep up with

our other academic requirements without sacrificing efficiency and effectivity of the

conduct of our study. Also considered is the familiarity of our topic and title as to be

able to have knowledge and information beforehand so to make our study easy to

understand and our processes and content be coherent and comprehensive. And lastly,

the methodology utilized by the researchers is Narrative Inquiry for it is a form of

inquiry in which the researchers studies the lives of the individuals and asks on or more

individuals to provide stories about their lives, and thus this type of methodology is

suitable for the conduct of the study.

 Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature and Studies

Chapter 2 covers three parts: (1) Kalibo Sto. Ni Ati-atihan Festival and the

Cultural Heritage of the Ati; (2) Tourism Mobilities, Indigenous Claims, and the

Securitization of the Beach; (3) A Forgotten People: The Ati Community of Aklan

Part One, Kalibo Sto. Ni Ati-atihan Festival and the Cultural Heritage of the Ati,

Part Two, Tourism Mobilities, Indigenous Claims, and the Securitization of the

Beach,

Part Three, A Forgotten People: The Ati Community of Aklan,

 Chapter 3

Research Design and Methodology

Chapter 3 covers two parts: (1) Research Design and (2) Methodology.

Part One, Research Design, restates the reasons for conducting the study and

the research design used.

Part Two, Methodology, describes the methods, setting, participants involved and

ethical considerations of the study. It also determines the data gathering instruments

used, the steps of the research process, procedures for data analysis, as well as the

validity of the study.

Research Design

This study was conducted to know and understand the experiences of the Ati

community of Boracay Island. The researchers specifically looked into the struggles

faced by the Ati community and how they have managed to overcome and lived

through these hardships.

 Qualitative research was used in this study. This type of research focuses on

studying the meaning of people’s lives, under real-world conditions. Under qualitative

research, people will perform in their everyday roles or express themselves through

their own diaries, journals, writing, and even photography – entirely independent of any

research inquiry. Social interactions will occur with minimal intrusion by artificial

research procedures, and people will say what they want to say, not limited to

responding to a researcher’s pre-established questionnaire. Likewise, people will not be

inhibited by the confines of a laboratory or any laboratory-like setting. They will not be

represented by such statistical averages which at once may represent accurately an

entire population but in fact by definition does not speak to any single, real-life family.

Second, qualitative research differs because of its ability to represent the views

and perspectives of the participants in a study. Capturing their perspectives may be a

major purpose of a qualitative study. Thus, the events and ideas emerging from

qualitative research can represent the meanings given to real-life events by the people

who live them, not the values, preconceptions, or meanings held by researchers.

Third, qualitative research covers the contextual conditions- the social,

institutional, and environmental conditions within which people’s lives take place. In

many ways, these contextual conditions may strongly influence all human events (Yin,

2011).

Methodology

Narrative research was used as the methodology of this study. Narrative

research is a form of inquiry in which the researchers studies the lives of individuals and
asks one or more individuals to provide stories about their lives. This information is then

retold by the researchers into a narrative chronology. In the end, the narrative

combines views from the participant’s life with those of the researcher’s life in a

collaborative narrative (Clandinin and Connelly, 2000).

Research Method

In-depth interview is conducted by the researchers based on individual

experiences, beliefs, behaviors, and meanings in order to discover and explore the

range of variation among individuals and to find patterns of similarity and difference.

These interviews can be open-ended initially and can move toward semi-structured

interview schedules in which a sample of respondents are asked the same open-ended

questions and responses are compared to identify variation as well as common

patterns. In-depth interview is utilized to look for themes and higher-order patterns

(i.e., relationships among themes) and to explain and theorize them.

In addition to general open-ended interviews about respondents’ personal

opinions and experiences, in-depth interviews can include qualitative network interviews

in which interviews ask about people with different types of relationships to the

respondent and narrative interviews the query in detail respondents’ histories in relation

to historical and current events, life careers, and other such themes (Bernard, 2000).

Setting

Boracay is a small island in the Philippines located approximately 315 km

(196 mi) south of Manila and 2 km off the northwest tip of Panay Island in Western

Visayas region of the Philippines. The island comprises the barangays of Manoc-Manoc,
Balabag, and Yapak in the municipality of Malay, in Aklan Province. The island is

administered by the Philippine Tourism Authority and the provincial government of

Aklan.

Participants