THE NARRATIVES OF ATA TRIBE UNDER THE LENS OF A LOCAL

HISTORIAN

A Thesis Presented to
The Faculty of the College of Education
University of St. La Salle
Bacolod City

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Secondary Education
Major in Social Studies

AZUELO, SHIMRON ONYX T

BERNABAT, SHAINA C.
MAGALLANES, FRITZIE MAY L.
ONG, VINCENT D. JR.

May 2022
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
TITLE PAGE i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ii
INTRODUCTION iv
Background of the Study 4
Statement of the Problem 5
Conceptual Framework 5
Scope and Limitations 6
Significance of the Study 7
Definition of Terms 8
Review of Related Literature 10
Related Concepts 10
Related Studies 13
Synthesis of the Review of Related Literature 14
METHODS
Research Design 15
Participants of the Study 15
Research Instrument 16
Validity of the Research Instruments 16
Data Gathering 16
Data Analysis 17
Ethical Considerations 18
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 19
Emerging Themes 19
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 24
CONCLUSION 26
RECOMMENDATIONS 26
REFERENCES 28
APPENDICES 32
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Appendix A. Informed Consent Form 32

Appendix B. Interview Guide 36
Appendix C. Transcript of Participants 38
Appendix D. Codes 52
Appendix E. Emerging Themes 56
Appendix F. Research Timetable 57
Appendix G. Turn it in Certification 58
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INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Stories are essential realities from our past and present (Nasheeda, 2019).

Indigenous voices should be heard in their own right not in a vacuum. If we give the

Indigenous Communities the tools and the equipment to tell their own stories, they are

covering what is important to them and what to tell the world; it is about amplifying their

voices and giving hope (Mandili, 2020). The Indigenous Peoples Community is one of the

minority groups in the society. In one of the books by Asia Development Bank (2002) on

Indigenous Peoples/Ethnic Minorities And Poverty Reduction, Indigenous People are

described or regarded as groups with a social or cultural identity distinct from the dominant

or mainstream society, which makes them vulnerable to being disadvantaged in the

processes of development. According to the United Nations (UN) Department of Economic

and Social Affairs, Indigenous peoples are inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures

and ways of relating to people and the environment. They have retained social, cultural,

economic and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies

in which they live.

In the province of Negros Occidental, there are three main tribes of Indigenous

Peoples, namely; the Ata, Ati, and the Negros Bukidnons. They are settling in far flung

areas of Silay City, E.B. Magalona, Cadiz City, Sagay City, Murcia, Don Salvador

Benedicto, Calatrava, Toboso and San Carlos City in the north, and in Kabankalan City,

Himamaylan City, Isabela, and Hinobaan in the southern part of the province (Nicavera,
 5

2015). The Indigenous group of Don Salvador Benedicto; the Ata tribe is one of the native

groups that is existing in the province. The Ata tribe currently resides in Bagong Silang and

traces their origins in the riverine and mountainous areas of Calatrava, San Carlos and

Sagay, prior to the establishment of political boundaries (Ariza, et al. 2018).

The importance of studying local history always boils down to the reason: to figure

out where it all started. Understanding history as a whole is an overview of events and local

history as a detailed experience of an individual or a community. This way we can learn the

significant effects of the historical event on the locality. On how the individual or

community reacts to the historical event resulting in the current situation of the locality.

The results of cultural, economical, political, and many other views that affect the local

history (Stahle, 2016).

This narrative study aimed to retell the history of the ATA Tribe of Don Salvador

Benedicto. The narratives of the Ata tribe were drawn from the lens of a local historian and

some secondary documents. The history of the Ata tribe in Don Salvador Benedicto,

Negros Occidental would not only be used as a record of history and promotion of local

culture but also be utilized as a local history learning reference.

Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to retell the history of the Ata tribe of Don Salvador Benedicto

and it sought to answer the following questions:

1. What are the historical narratives of the Ata tribe?

2. What is the history of the Ata tribe in the lens of a historian?

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Conceptual Framework

This study was anchored on the intersecting theories pursuant to Section 5 of R.A

10533. Under the said law, the curriculum shall be flexible enough to enable and allow

schools to localize, indigenize and enhance the same based on their respective educational

and social contexts. The production and development of locally produced teaching

materials shall be encouraged and approval of these materials shall devolve to the regional

and division education units. The data gathered in this study was used as a learning

reference for modules and workbooks of the Grade 3 Araling Panlipunan teachers.

The schematic diagram is an Input-Process-Output framework that will show how

the researchers obtained the narrative history of the Ata tribe in Don Salvador Benedicto.

The triangulation method was used in this study, having content analysis, thematic analysis,

and academic validation as the process to create a learning material reference that is

patterned after the learning competencies provided for Grade 3 Araling Panlipunan

students.

The K-12 curriculum pursues the localization and contextualization of lessons as

new strategies in the teaching-learning process (Dioneda, 2019). Content analysis is a

research method used to identify patterns in recorded communication. To conduct content

analysis, one systematically collects data from a set of texts, which can be written, oral, or

visual (Lou, 2019). Thematic analysis is a method of analyzing qualitative data. It is usually

applied to a set of texts, such as interview transcripts (Caulfield, 2019) The researchers‟

objective was to integrate localized lessons specifically in Grade 3 Araling Panlipunan in

Negros Occidental. The creation of a localized lesson would be the aim, and not only would

it eliminate unfamiliarity but also developed the students‟ sense of self-identity.

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Figure 1. Schematic Diagram that illustrate the conceptual framework of the study

Scope and Limitations

The study titled, The Narratives of ATA Tribe under the Lens of a Local Historian

aimed to retell the history of the Ata tribe in Don Salvador Benedicto, as well as their

struggles on various political and socio-economic issues ever since they were established in

the province.

The key informant of this study is a credible individual who possessed knowledge

of Ata tribe‟s old and contemporary history. The data of this research were gathered

through interview and secondary documents and later on was validated by an Academician.

The history of the Ata Tribe in Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental would not only

be used as a record of history and promotion of local culture but also be utilized a local
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history learning reference. The findings of this study have to be seen in light of some

limitations. The researchers are unable to collect the data first hand from the tribe due to

mobility constraints caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Furthermore, the researchers are

limited to procure data only from a key informant and secondary sources.

Significance of the Study

In this section, the significance of the study is centered on its being the basis for

future research and the refinement of the K-12 curriculum in Negros by localizing lessons

in Grade 3 during second quarter. The researchers believed that localization of lessons

would not only eliminate unfamiliarity but also developed the students‟ sense of self-

identity. This is deemed beneficial to the following:

DepEd Division of Negros Occidental. The result of this study could be a basis to

encourage and sustain the support for culture education among IP‟s learners by

implementing localization of lessons in the curriculum specifically among Grade 3 pupils

during the 2nd quarter Araling Panlipunan. This premise is aligned with Section 5 of the

Republic Act 10533 or the Enhance Basic Education Act 2013.

Social Studies Teachers. The given data would be a guide for all Social Studies

teachers to promote localization of lesson in school communities and continue to reflect the

increasing diversity of society in terms of culture, ethnicity, language, race, color, sexual

orientation, gender identity, religion, and other characteristics of Ata tribe specifically in

Don Salvador Benedicto. The teachers of Social Studies assist in adapting their practice to

those school communities as a resource for teaching locally integrated lessons and show

how Indigenous values can benefit everyone.

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Negrense Learners. The results will provide the students with knowledge on the

correct narrative about Native people and learn the vital, unique, and ongoing contributions

to the island of Negros original inhabitants, there is greater understanding and ultimately

better outcomes for students of Negros. At the end they can develop intuitive

understanding, and respecting time-tested traditions of learning naturally formed the basis

for skills used in every process of Indigenous learning.

Ata Community in Don Salvador Benedicto. The Ata tribe can benefit from this

study by empowering their sense of self-identity. The collected data in this study can

enlighten the young or future generation of the Ata community to carry the torch of their

culture and continue reliving their roots through Indigenous People education. The right to

education is a universal human right, essential to bridge gaps in human well-being, equity

and opportunity especially in IP‟s of Don Salvador Benedicto. This data collected can help

fortify their aspirations that their voices should be heard in their own right and not in a

vacuum (Mandili, 2020) The right to education is a universal human right, essential to

bridge gaps in human well-being, equity and opportunity especially in IP‟s of Don Salvador

Benedicto.

Future Researchers. The result of this data would serve as basis for future study to

get a reference and sources of information. Future researchers might need this given data

regarding which methods of preference assessment are most appropriate. This can be used

also as a basis of the review of the future research direction from an information research

perspective.

Academe. The result of this study will be used to enhance indigenous culture and

knowledge about their education development and Indigenous interactions into different
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universities. It can be used also to develop educational policies and practices for native

students by embracing inquiry that draws on the indigenous wisdom to their native

communities.

Definition of Terms

This section provides the conceptual and operational meaning of terms used in this

study to ensure mutual understanding between the researcher and the readers. The

definition of terms is also provided to unlock the difficult words the readers would

encounter. To be specific, those words are:

Araling Panlipunan. It is defined as the explicit teaching of thinking skills to assess and

manage real-life information in meaningful ways. It also aims to build a deep sense of

rootedness to the nation (Samsudin, 2017). In this study, it refers to a branch of study that

aims to combine different subjects such as history, economics, sociology, geography,

anthropology to thoroughly understand our society specifically focused on Grade 3 - 2nd

Grading.

Ata Tribe. The anthropologist Fay Cooper Cole come-up with the name “Ata”

since it refers to a person who dwells in very high places or at the peak of the mountain. In

this study, the Ata Tribe refer to the participants from Don Salvador Benedicto. They will

serve as the primary source for the study.

Diaspora. Diaspora is a large group of people with a similar heritage or homeland

who have since moved out to places all over the world. The dispersion or spreading of

something that was originally localized as people, language, or culture (Solitary, 2015).
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In this study, it refers to one of the sub themes in the Results and Discussion under

The Rise of Insular Lumber Company (ILCO) in Northern Negros.

Don Salvador Benedicto. It is one of the municipalities in the province of Negros

Occidental, Philippines. The municipality is also dubbed as "The Summer Capital of

Negros Occidental" due of its climate, which is similar to Baguio City (Guia, 2015). It

refers to the place where the Ata tribe that currently resides in Bagong Silang Don Salvador

Benedicto in Negros Occidental that focuses our study.

History. It refers to the study of the past – specifically the people, societies, events

and problems of the past – as well as our attempts to understand them. It is a pursuit

common to all human societies. History provides a sense of context for our lives and our

existence. It helps us understand the way things are and how we might approach the future.

(Llewellyn, 2020). In this study, the history of the ATA Tribe in Don Salvador Benedicto

will be collected and narrated.

Indigenous People. The word „indigenous‟ is an adjective used of a person,

language, culture, or some aspect of culture. Indigenous Peoples are distinct social and

cultural groups that share collective ancestral ties to the lands and natural resources where

they live, occupy or from which they have been displaced. (Basaninyenzi, 2021).

Indigenous peoples are often referred to as “tribal.” The phrase tribal peoples is

unfortunately imprecise. Nowadays it is used as a kind of shorthand to refer to small-scale,

pre-industrial societies that live in comparative isolation and manage their affairs without

any centralized authority such as the state. The worldwide tendency is for such peoples

sooner or later to be conquered by states. Since the states then consider them aliens and

inferiors, indigenous or tribal peoples are among the world‟s most underprivileged
 12

minorities, facing the constant threat of genocide or ethnocide (Maybury-Lewis) . In this

study, it refers to the cultural groups of native people that belongs to locality of Negros

Occidental.

Native. The word native is the characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic

origin that has to do with the location a person or thing came from. Operationally, it means

the people residing in the community which are considered members of the indigenous

community and the natives in this study are the ATA Tribe of Don Salvador Benedicto.

Review of Related Literature

This section provides a comprehensive discussion of the essential concepts and

existing studies or literature pertinent to the history of the ATA Tribe in Don Salvador

Benedicto, as well as their struggles on various political and socio-economic issues ever

since they were established in the province.

Related Concepts

According to the study of Ariza et al., (2018), the tribal leaders have unanimously

claimed that their ancestral domains were exposed to the lowland settlers and white men or

the “Americans” during the operation of a logging company they called ILCO.The ILCO

was responsible for creating paths and passageways in the highlands to facilitate the

transport of logs. From 1904 through 1985, ILCO, or The Insular Lumber Firm, was the

world's largest American logging and sawmill company, with operations in Negros. It is

reported to have begun in Fabrica Sagay in the 1930s and moved to Hinoba-an until it
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closed in 1985. It is blamed for the deforestation of Negros forest. The Ata tribe's

forefathers first saw the outside world during World War II, when Japanese soldiers

scoured their territory for riches. Some Ata members worked as gold couriers and even as

gold diggers to bury the gold bullions. However, the Japanese assassinated them shortly

after they buried the gold to conceal the location of the concealed valuables. Local legends

even claimed that some of Don Salvador Benedicto's non-Ata famous families had

discovered these secret jewels, explaining their enigmatic fortune. When questioned why

their forefathers didn't take advantage of the abundance of gold in their town, Nay Nalyn

explained that their forefathers didn't realize how valuable and expensive gold is. They

have mistaken gold for stones and flung it in the river whenever they saw it.

No one knows the difficulties, but Don Salvador Benedict's Bagong Silang Atta

community has endured the rebellion that plagues them today from the exploitation of

foreigners. They have always been caught in the midst of a conflict between government

and rebels, and some members of the Ata community have become united with a particular

faction. After the slaughter of nine members of the National Federation of Sugar Workers

in Sagay City on October 20, 2018, Sanito "Tating" Delubio, 27, is the latest victim of

extrajudicial killings of organized peasants in Northern Negros. He was allegedly shot in

the head by the suspects with an M16 rifle while sharing an evening meal with his wife

inside their home. He was just a simple farmer who supplemented his income by working

as a construction worker on a road project in the area, and he was also a member of

Balatikan, the municipal organization of indigenous peoples or "tumanduk" from the Ata-

Bukidnon tribe in Don Salvador Benedicto. The series of killings, illegal searches, arrests

and forced surrenders in Northern Negros especially in Bagong Silang Don Salvador

Benedicto where the Ata tribe resides are carried out with impunity by authorities with the
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blessing of the Duterte government‟s Memorandum Order No. 32 which imposes de facto

Martial Law in Negros Island. Delubio`s assassination is just one example of the

government's brutal crackdown on members of progressive organizations in Bagong Silang

Don Salvador Benedicto (Alternative Millennial of Negros, 2019). In July 2017, the New

People's Army killed Charlie Buli Buli, the commander of the Ata Bukidnon tumandok

RPAABB, but on September 15, Eden Bacord, councilor Don Salvador Benedict, and his

bodyguard Arnold Larida were assassinated. If separate RPAABB factions are battling

over Don Salvador Benedict's political struggle, this could happen. The implementation of

the final agreement signed by Benigno Aquino III in 2015, as well as the hastened

implementation of peace and development projects in the territories covered by the treaty,

are among President Rodrigo Duterte's six-point peace and development program.

According to the study of Ariza et. al. (2018), the government's decision to build

schools and barangay units in Don Salvador Benedicto paved the way for the government

to engage with the community, while the New People's Army's pervasive presence in the

neighboring community has prompted the Ata tribe to change its ways. Because of their

connection with the lowlanders and exposure to mainstream society, the Ata community's

indigenous practices have died out and they have been assimilated into popular culture. The

Insular Lumber Company, the world's largest American logging and sawmill, was based in

Negros from 1904 to 1985.

The ILCO (Insular Lumber Company) was the world‟s largest lumber mill

constructed in 1901 and it is the largest American logging company and sawmill in the

world operated in Negros from 1904 up to 1985. The United States planned two major

projects in Negros for their economic interest the extensive operations of the Insular
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Lumber Company in 1907, and opening of arable lands meant for cultivating sugar in 1912.

Thus expanding the area of operations in forest clearing and open for farming (Sa-onoy,

2021) . It was said to have started in Fabrica Sagay in 1930 and transferred to Hinoba-an

until it was closed in 1985. The Insular Lumber Company imposed forest concessions that

give them license to clearing and harvest. The Insular Lumber Company began operations

in the northern areas of Negros Occidental and later expand replant enormous areas of

forest area and opening up forest land for agriculture, resulting in what are now known as

sugar cane haciendas. The word “Fabrica” was adopted because it were actually a sugar

mill called “fabrica de asukal” (Sa-onoy, 2021)

According to Molintas (2004), in recent decades, significant progress has been

made on a number of indigenous peoples' challenges and concerns, both locally and

internationally. The issues and conflicts of indigenous peoples have changed dramatically

in the local and nearby areas over the years. Inside and beyond the formal structure, many

struggle suggestions are used. The main focus continues to be on the preservation of

ancestral land and its resources. This is definitely a battle, requiring performances and

resources to retain the region's culture, and to give an idea: how many times have they been

so strong on the performance itself? Individuals, parliaments, and countries/regions allude

to persons who are familiar with the pre-colonial and auditory social order in their area, and

these people have been referred to as "historical record keepers."On the surface, they

appear to be a socially disadvantaged group. They tend to ensure, do, and support their

inherited field and excellent character in the future, as a support for a group of people,

based on their condition, social system, society, and fixed legal means.
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Don Salvador Benedict was incorporated as a congregation on February 9, 1983,

according to Batasang Pambansa 336, written by members of Batasang Pambansa, Alfonso

Garcia and Jose Valera Jr. Named after the late Deputy Governor Salvador Benedicto, a

member and founder of the revolutionary governments of Negros and Siquijor during

Japan's invasion of the Philippines during World War II. Its creation aimed to bring the

distant barangays of the city of San Carlos, Murcia and Patek Philippe into one community

to address the rebellion that caused the instability of the region. Therefore, the territory of

Salvador Benedict consists of these three adjacent cities, two of which previously belonged

to Murcia and the other three (Powayan Prosperidad, Kumariskis, Bunga). Belonged to

Cebu. Bagong Silang (formerly Marcelo) is a barangay in the city of Salvador Benedicto,

Negros Occidental, with land of Negros Occidental ancestors (Guia, 2015). According to

the 2020 census, the population was 2,771. It accounted for 10.29% of the total population

of Salvador Benedict. DSB was popular with adventurers and day trippers (PhilAtlas, no

date). Initially, the population was relatively small. Food, transportation, education, health

and basic services were in people's demands. As part of public relations, many social and

civil society organizations from across the state visited the city. The settlements were

expanding in size and scope in some areas. The road to Malata Nog Falls has been cleared

for tourists to visit.

Related Studies

Localizing the curriculum and the use of learning materials in terms of geography,

cultural diversity and individuality helps teachers and students comprehend concepts by

relating and presenting lessons on the context of prevailing local environment and culture.

Pursuant to the Sec. 5 of the Republic Act 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of

2013, the curriculum shall be flexible enough to enable and allow schools to localize,
 17

indigenize and enhance the same based on their respective educational and social contexts.

Because Araling Panlipunan deals with geography and culture, it may take full advantage

of the benefits of using indigenous resources in classroom discussions and activities.

Learners are placed in a natural and actual learning environment with a localized

curriculum, allowing them to relate to and adapt to diverse learning opportunities and

resources accessible in their community. Contextualization aids comprehension by placing

lessons in the context of the current local environment, culture, and resources. As a result,

lessons are becoming more relevant, personalized, and appropriate (Torres, 2015).

The study conducted by Ariza, et. al (2018) focuses on the various facets of

Indigenous People`s lives and communities in Negros. Deal with the Ata, which is located

in Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidentales. Significantly, the ethnographic studies

discussed above provide insight into the background of indigenous people in the

community. These studies were used to help conceptualize the framework and approach for

this research. As a result, this could be effective in achieving goals related to learning about

the Ata Tribe's culture and history. This study reveals information about the life of the Ata

tribe. This study will help governments, especially NCIP, DSWD and local governments,

identify potential initiatives and projects involving the Ata tribe (Ariza, et.al. 2018).

Synthesis

The studies and concepts reviewed above are insightful into the context of narrating

the history of the Ata Tribe of Don Salvador Benedicto, as well as their struggles on

various political and socio-economic issues ever since they were established in the

province. The existence of Indigenous People Community in Negros Occidental has been

manifested in the related concepts and studies above. According to a local historian
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(2021),with the arrival of Americans in the early 20th century and the operation of the

Insular Lumber Company, the Atas fled to the highlands from their original riverside homes

near Sagay, Patek Philippe and San Carlos while Japan occupied Negros Island. A study

by Ariza et al., ( 2018) reports that Ata members have served as gold courier to companies

as well as bargains to fill these gold bars. However, after burying gold to protect the

whereabouts of these hidden treasures, they were soon killed by the Japanese, and Japanese

soldiers threw Ata's baby into the air and beat him.

Don Salvador Benedicto's Ata community in Bagong Silang has endured various

obstacles in the past, ranging from foreigner exploitation to insurgencies that continue to

plague them today. According to a local historian (2021), the rebel guerillas used the

members of the Ata Community as supply couriers before enrolling a few of them as

guerrilla fighters. The Ata Tribesmen have been subjected to Red Tagging as a result of the

New People's Army's employment of them, and they are now at risk of extrajudicial

killings. Because the Ata hamlet is frequently caught in the middle of a government-rebel

conflict, some residents of the village choose to support one side or the other. Nonetheless,

the Ata community has continued to coexist with other communities since the municipality

of Don Salvador Benedicto successfully suppressed the insurgency and NPA forces in the

area, allowing the area to become an Ecotourism destination in Negros.

According to Ariza, et al., (2018) to learn more about the lives of the indigenous

peoples of Negros and various aspects of the community and take care of Ata in Salvador

Benedict of Negros Occidental. Importantly, the above ethnographic studies provide

insights into the indigenous background of the community. These studies were used to

design the framework and approach for this study. As a result, this could help achieve the
 19

goal of telling the story of the Ata tribe of Don Salvador Benedict and their difficulties with

various political and socio-economic issues since arriving in the state.

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METHODS

This section presents what methods were used in analyzing and interpreting the data

that were collected. It includes the research design, participants, instruments, validity of

research instruments, data gathering, analysis and ethical considerations of this study.

Research Design

This study aims to retell the history of the Ata Tribe of Don Salvador Benedicto

using the qualitative research design and historical narrative method. Qualitative research

involves collecting and analyzing non-numerical data to understand concepts, opinions, or

experiences. It can be used to gather in-depth insights into a problem or generate new ideas

for research (Bhandari, 2020). Historical research or historiography, "attempts to

systematically recapture the complex nuances, the people, meanings, events, and even ideas

of the past that have influenced and shaped the present." Historical research relies on a

wide variety of sources, both primary & secondary including unpublished material (Berg &

Lure, 2012 ).

This qualitative research study utilized the thematic analysis by Creswell (2013).

Thematic analysis is a method of analyzing qualitative data. It is usually applied to a set of

texts, such as interview transcripts. The researcher closely examined the data that identified

common themes, topics, ideas and patterns of meaning that come up repeatedly (Caufield,

2019).
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Participants

The Key informant of this study was a local historian who had knowledge of Ata tribe's

history and their various political and socio-economic struggles. Local historians are people

who research their community's past. In other words, a local historian examines the history

of the area in which he or she resides, whether it is a city or town and are considered

authorities on the subject (Kriewaldt, 2021). The key informant was determined through the

method of purposive sampling. Purposive sampling technique is a non-probability sample

that is selected based on characteristics of a population and the objectives of the study

(Crossman, 2020). The criteria for the key informant‟s purposive sampling is also known as

judgmental, selective, or subjective sampling. This sampling is appropriate for this study to

reach the targeted key informant quickly. The criteria for the selection of key informants

state that he must have knowledge and also publish a book on the history of Negros

Occidental. For the academicians who will validate the study, they should be social studies

educator.

Research Instrument

Interview guides are effective tools for maintaining consistency and direction during

an interview, and they can range from highly structured interviews to relatively informal

conversations (Indeed Editorial Team, 2021 ) The interview guide included questions that

the researchers require the participants to answer. The question specifically aimed to gather

information on the history of the ATA Tribe of Don Salvador Benedicto.

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Validity of Research Instrument

Validity is the ability of an instrument to measure the properties of the construct under

study and it is a vital factor in selecting or applying an instrument (Sci, 2015).

Content validation refers to a process that aims to provide assurance that an

instrument measures the content area it is expected to measure (Olsen et. al, 2004) One way

of achieving content validity involves a panel of subject matter experts considering the

importance of individual items within an instrument through Content Validity Ratio (CVR).

Since this narrative study aimed to retell the stories of the Ata Tribe of Don Salvador

Benedicto, the researchers used a self-made interview guide composed of open-ended

questions which were validated by a Social Studies teacher in order to assure that the

instrument measures the content area it is expected to measure.

Data Gathering

The researchers utilized a systematic procedure in gathering the data. The list below

includes the chronological phases that the researchers followed from data gathering,

validation to application.

Phase 1: Construction and Development of Research Instruments

The structured Interview Guide was formulated based on the study‟s statement of

the problem.

Phase 2 : Collecting and Reviewing Local History Data

Documents such as books, studies, and written records about the Ata tribe of

Bagong Silang, Don Salvador Benedicto were collected and read as a purpose of

enlightenment for the researchers. Thus, such knowledge from the records that were
 23

gathered were used to reinforce, support and clarify the participant‟s response from the

interview on the next phases.

Phase 3: Schedule of Interview

A formal letter for the interview was addressed to a Local Historian for scheduling

of the interview.

Phase 4: Interview Proper

The researchers conducted an individual interview with the key informant. During

the interview, the researchers used a camera, audio recorder, notebook and pen for

recording the data. After the data were gathered, the researchers transcribed the data. The

recordings were only used in the duration of the study and would be deleted after the

completion of the study.

Phase 5: Integrating Interview Data with Secondary Sources

The data that were collected and acquired from the key informant‟s responses were

reconciled with the secondary sources such as published books, studies, and any written

documents that relate to the Ata community of Bagong Silang Don Salvador Benedicto.

Phase 6: Validation of Data to the Academician

Once the data from both the key informant and secondary sources had been

collected, it was presented to an academician in the discipline of social studies wherein he

identified the significant information were reconciled with Learning Competencies using

his own criteria.

Phase 7: Synthesizing of Data and Learning Competencies

The organized data acted as a historical record, a promotion of local culture, and a

learning reference for local history.

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Data Analysis

After the researchers gathered and transcribed the data, it was subjected to analysis.

The data was analyzed through Thematic Analysis by Creswell (2013)

A.Thematic Analysis

Thematic analysis (Creswell, 2013) is a method of analyzing qualitative data. It is

usually applied to a set of texts, such as interview transcripts. The researcher closely

examines the data to identify common themes, topics, ideas and patterns of meaning that

come up repeatedly. (Caufield, 2019)

1. Coding: After the data was presented into codes it was analyzed and grouped

according to themes. Coding is a process of identifying a passage in the text or other data

items, searching and identifying concepts and finding relations between them. Therefore,

coding is not just labeling; it is linking from the data to the idea and back to other data

(Gibbs, 2017).

2.Generating Themes: Similarities among codes were analyzed by the researchers and

themes were drawn from it. Similar codes were combined into a single theme.

3. Defining and Naming themes: The themes have been paired with a description that

involves detailed information about the data.

B. Academician Validation

External audits meant having a researcher not involved in the research process

examine both the process and product of the research study. The purpose was to evaluate

the accuracy and evaluate whether or not the findings, interpretations and conclusions are

supported by the data (Creswell, 1998). The Researchers co-opted with an academician as

an external audit to further validate the data collected.

 25

Ethical Considerations

Narrative research depends heavily on the data collected from participant stories

and the validity of the stories can greatly impact the outcome. The participants were

provided with a letter of consent and would be required to sign it as an acceptance to be a

participant in the study. The participants were informed of the objectives and full

procedure upon the invitation to be part of the study. As participation was entirely

voluntary on the participants‟ part, they may or may not take part in this study. Should the

participants decide not to participate, they can withdraw at any time. The participants may

forward their inquiries about the questions to the researchers contact information. They

may also contact the advisers of the researchers for assistance in a research-related injury.
 26

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This section presents the thematic analysis of the data taken from the interview of a

Local Historian and the collection of data from the secondary sources. Codes and themes

were generated to deliver a rich meaning of the history of the ATA Tribe of Don Salvador

Benedicto. Based on data gathered, the researchers have come up with 3 themes to describe

the history of the Ata Tribe these are the: Economic Struggles of Ata, Political Struggles

of Ata and Social Struggles of Ata.

EMERGING THEMES

Economic Struggles of Ata

One of the themes that have emerged after the coding process is the Economic

Struggles faced by Ata tribe over the past years. The researchers have lifted various

information about the Ata tribe both from the secondary sources and the transcript from the

key informant. In the study by Ariza et. al. (2018), the Ata tribe ancestors have sojourned

the mountain ranges of Negros prior to the establishment of political boundaries. Due to the

geographical location of the Ata tribe, they have experienced various struggles when it

comes to their livelihood and everyday life. The following are the economic struggles that

they have faced.

During the interview with the local historian, he said that during the Japanese

Occupation many people from the mass went to the mountains to seek shelter from the

foreign invaders. He mentioned that during that time there was a low chance of

intermarriage between the IPs and the common people. This is so not because they did not

like to, but because the indigenous people did not like them. The indigenous people marry
 27

only among themselves. They do not enter with other races, and they are nomadic, so they

do not have plantations, they only live what the forest can give them. So when ILCO and

other lumber mills came cutting their trees they lost their sources of food. These are mainly

through hunting, honey, and catching fish in the river. So they had to move up to the

mountains, that‟s why the Spaniards call them Remontados, that means people in the

mountains or people of the mountains, montar means mountain.

The local have mentioned in the interview that:

“They don‟t enter with other races, and they are nomadic, so they don‟t have

plantations, they only live what the forest can give them. So when ILCO and other lumber

mills came cutting their trees they lost their sources of food. These are mainly through

hunting, honey, and catching fish in the river. So they had to move up to the mountains,

that‟s why the Spaniards call them Remontados, that means people in the mountains or

people of the mountains, montar means mountain.”

The study by Ariza et. al. (2018) claimed that the Ata ancestors lived in the Negros

mountain ranges prior to the creation of political boundaries. According to Gabriela, a tribal

member, their forefathers lived as "subanon," or nomads. They would look for regions with

plenty of resources, such as animals, veggies, and trees. The community remained until all

supplies had been depleted. Jose, the tribe chieftain, also asserts that "pangayam" was the

Ata's first source of income. Hunting and gathering are stages in the evolution of society.

Small, basic communities in which people hunt and gather food are known as hunters-

gatherers. Because all members of these cultures have little belongings, they are fairly

egalitarian, with very little inequality (Nolan & Lenski, 2015). They claim that Ata's

ancestors lived in the Negros Mountains before the political borders were established.
 28

According to tribal members Gabriella, their ancestors lived as "Sbanon" or nomads. You

will look for resource-rich areas such as animals, vegetables and trees. The community

stayed until all supplies were exhausted. Tribal chief Jose also claims that "Pangayam" was

Ata's first source of income. Hunter-gatherer is a stage of social evolution. A small and

simple community where people hunt and collect food is known as hunter-gatherers. All

members of these cultures have little wealth, so they are fairly egalitarian and have little

inequality (Ariza, et. Al, 2018).

According to Gabriela, a member of the tribe, their ancestors have lived like “

subanon” or nomads. They would look for resource-rich places with animals, vegetables

and trees. The community stayed until all resources were exhausted. Tribal chief Jose

continues that Ata's first source of income was "Pangayam." Hunter-gatherer is a stage of

social development. The small and simple culture in which people hunt and collect food is

called hunter-gatherers. These civilizations are fairly egalitarian and there is little inequality

because everyone has minimal wealth (Nolan & Lenski, 2015). He also claimed that all

members of the group received an equal share of animals, crops and other resources hunted

in their early villages. During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, they went to the

island of Negros, notably Don Salvador Benedicto, in search of gold, and some of the Ata

community members who lived there acted as couriers and even diggers for the gold

bullions. However, the Japanese assassinated them shortly after they buried the gold in

order to preserve the location of the hidden valuables. The Ata babies were tossed into the

air and struck by a bayonet, which was the most terrifying encounter they received from the

Japanese. When the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act was passed in 1997, the National

Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) of Negros Occidental Province began

developing long-term activities in the region (Ariza et. al 2018).

 29

Political Struggles of Ata

Over the past years, the Ata tribe was also confronted with various political

struggles that even put their lives at stake. The Ata community of Bagong Silang, Don

Salvador Benedicto is no stranger to difficulties, they persevered from the exploitation of

the foreigners to the insurgencies that plagued them today. According to Molintas (2004),

numerous issues and concerns of indigenous peoples have witnessed significant

breakthroughs both locally and internationally in recent decades. Over the years, the

problems and tensions of indigenous peoples have undergone tremendous changes in the

local and surrounding areas. They are always caught in the middle of a government-rebel

conflict and it results in some of the Ata community members joining certain factions.

According to the local historian, the Japanese army struggled to seize Don Salvador

Benedicto‟s highlands because there is a strong guerrilla movement there, and people from

the lowlands migrate to the highlands to take refuge. He said that in the Northern Negros

Japanese soldiers battled with ferocious fervor to the point where one of them charged a

tank with explosives attached to a pole and blew himself up along with the tank. The

Americans pushed the Japanese soldiers to Igmayaan, now Don Salvador Benedicto, where

they committed atrocities and discriminated against the indigenous people who lived there

just because of their appearance and unique practices. In addition to that, the local historian

also mentioned that in 1944, the Office of the Strategic Services Intelligence reported on

the Filipino guerrilla movement in Northern Negros Island and indicated that Japanese

troops were routinely torturing and killing any guerrillas they captured and had begun to

retaliate against the civilian population as well. According to Mr. Sa-onoy, the Northern

Negros Japanese soldiers battled with ferocious fervor to the point where one of them
 30

charged a tank with explosives attached to a pole and blew himself up along with the tank.

The Americans pushed the Japanese soldiers to Igmayaan, now Don Salvador Benedicto,

where they committed atrocities and discriminated against the indigenous people who lived

there just because of their appearance and unique practices.

In one of the interviews, the local historian mentioned that,

“Don Salvador was not occupied by the lowlanders until after the war. Prior to the

war or during the war in Don Salvador Benedicto or what's the original name of that?

Igyaan. The original name is Igmayaan, but most of the people actually fled to the places

of Igmayaan because the guerilla war was very strong and where Japanese enabled to

penetrate; hence, Filipinos from the lowland evacuated and stay that is why started to

become populated.”

The world around them gradually evolved as the Atas continued to follow their

ancient customs. Don Salvador Benedict was incorporated on February 9, 1983, according

to Batasang Pambansa 336 as a congregation designed by members of Batasang Pambansa,

Alfonso Garcia and Jose Valera Jr. named after the late Lieutenant Salvador Benedicto, a

member and founder of the revolutionary government of Negros Island and Siquijor during

Japan's invasion of the Philippines during World War II, the distant barangay of the city of

San Carlos in Murcia, established to serve in Calatrava, a community for dealing with the

problems of riots that have led to regional instability(Guia, 2015) In 1983, Don Salvador

Benedicto was established as a municipality, which also housed the Ata Tribe. However,

prior to the operations of the Americans of Insular Lumber Company, Mr. Sa-onoy (2021)

explained that the Ata Tribe's origins were in the lowlands of Calatrava, San Carlos, and

Sagay.
 31

In the contemporary time, the local historian has mentioned that the New People‟s

Army (NPA) began their operation in 1970‟s in the vicinity of Don Salvador Benedicto.

Local rebels adopted many Atas as courier for supplies and ammunition, and later a few as

guerrilla fighters, as the Japanese did in World War II. Because the New People's Army

used so many Atas, their communities were exposed to red tagging and were at risk of

extrajudicial killings. Even after the Don Salvador Benedict community contained the

region's rebellion and NPA forces, the village of Ata continued to coexist with other

communities and was opened as a Negros ecotourism site. According to Ariza et. al.

(2018) The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in Negros Occidental

began establishing community-based programs after the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act

was approved in 1997. The Ati, also known as the Ati or Aeta, have formed an indigenous

identity rather than being considered immigrants today. According to the Sustainable

Tourism Association, the late Deputy Governor Salvador Benedicto and his subordinates

were instrumental in forming a revolutionary government on Negros Island during the

Japanese occupation of the island during WWII. It is possible that he was a victim of

Japanese crimes.

After all the struggles, the community experienced like danger signs, extrajudicial

killings, and discrimination. Today's Atas have overcome most of the difficulties facing

their communities. As the number of uprisings in the political context caused by various

armed political factions diminishes. Don Salvador Benedict witnessed the resurgence of

trade and tourism and offered the Atas the opportunity to improve their lives. According to

Touristang Pobre (2018), DSB was popular with adventurers and day trippers. In the early

days, the population was fairly modest. People's needs included, among other things, food,

transportation, education, health and basic services. The town was visited by many social
 32

organizations from across the state as part of its outreach program. Many commercial

facilities also employ members of the Ata community. One of these trading posts is

Kusinata. Kusinata's advocacy focuses not only on Aboriginal people, but also on

supporting local products, sustainability and conservation. Kusinata is also tapping

products from farms toiled by Atas to be used as ingredients for the restaurant`s food and

beverages

Social Struggles of Ata

The last emerging theme from the data gathered is the Social Struggles of Ata faced

overtime. Indigenous peoples often face difficulties in accessing social protection benefits,

usually as a result of discrimination, economic and social disadvantages.

During the interview with the local historian, he emphasized that the Insular

Lumber Company is the largest American logging company and sawmill in the world

operated in Negros from 1904 up to 1985. The ILCO (Insular Lumber Firm) was the

world's largest lumber mill when it opened in 1901, and it was also the world's largest

American logging company and sawmill from 1904 to 1985. The United States planned

two big initiatives in Negros for their economic interests: the Insular Lumber Company's

substantial activities in 1907 and the opening of arable regions for sugar cultivation in

1912. As a result, the area of activities for forest clearing and agricultural has expanded.

During the interview the local historian mentioned that:

“But the ILCO was mechanized. They had this as the electric cutters because it was faster,

and when they leave the land, when they leave the land. They left only the small trees and

Filipinos cut it down for firewood. And then they opened therefore the new lands were open

for plantation and eventually they became haciendas. But aside from ILCO there was also
 33

Dee C. Chuan the founder of Chinabank who had a sawmills, also saw mills in the. Murcia

who is also close in Don Salvador Benedicto then in the La Castellana they had sawmill

there, the Chinese, and then following where ILCO was cutting was Valderama Lumber,

the grandfather of Carl Lopez. The Valderama Lumber Mill and the Valderrama Lumber

Yard. So when they cut the forest since there is also a concession they planted sugarcane

there. That‟s why the Valderamas have properties in Sagay, Cadiz, and Manapla.”

In addition to that, the local historian mentioned that ILCO operated and conducted forest

concessions, where they only cut trees in Salvador Benedicto. All they do is ask people to

cut the trees and they transport them to Sagay where the sawmill was situated. He added

that it affected the Indigenous People of the Negros. He mentioned about the existence of

Agta and the Agta live to survive, the Agta do not have agriculture per se, ah now they have

agriculture, but during those times because the ILCO was established in Sagay in 1901, and

then started operation by cutting down trees in 1904. So from the time on but they did not

reach, they did not reach Salvador Benedicto until the 1930s. So the first group that

dislodged the Ata tribe were the ones in Sagay. He added the various effects of the

establishment of ILCO in the province. First most of the lumber was exported to the United

States, the smaller lumber, or so called „‟second trade lumber‟‟ is sold locally, so anytime it

provided lumber for construction that‟s the first primary actually the purpose of ILCO. On

the other hand ILCO also opened up forest land for agriculture. So the forest land, the land

that was deluded, became sugar cane land. In other words, it expanded the arable area of

Negros and with that wider area for sugar cane we became very rich. One of the richest

provinces in the Philippines. Some of the areas that were cut by ILCO in Salvador

Benedicto were transformed into arable land. Due to the diaspora created by the Insular

Lumber Company's operations in the early 1900s, the Ata Tribe was forced to flee their
 34

ancestral grounds and relocate to the mountainous areas that now make up the Municipality

of Don Salvador Benedicto as the forest on which they rely for their daily needs gradually

ceased to exist. They now reside in a mountainous area known as Bagong Silang, formerly

Marcelo, is a barangay in the municipality of Salvador Benedicto, in the province of Negros

Occidental. Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was 2,771. This represented

10.29% of the total population of Salvador Benedicto (PhilAtlas, n.d.) As the Ata Tribe

settled in Bagong Silang. The locals referred to them as "Remontados," which is derived

from the Spanish term montar, which means mountains. The local historian also further

added that the Insulary Industry after the Japanese occupation in the Negros Island is halted

and numerous mills were damaged. Farmers who are supposed to tend their fields are also

displaced since they fled their homes to seek asylum to safer places. Due to the spread of

diseases and a lack of basic needs, the Philippine population continued to decline over the

next five years, a far cry from the Filipino lifestyle prior to the war, when the country was

Asia‟s second richest after Japan. In addition to that, Mr. Saonoy mentioned that Don

Salvador was not occupied by the lowlanders until after the war. Prior to the war or during

the war in Don Salvador Benedicto which the original name is Igmayaan, and most of the

people actually fled to the places of Igmayaan because the guerilla war was very strong

and where Japanese enabled to penetrate; hence, Filipinos from the lowland evacuated

and stay that is why started to become populated.”

According to the study of Ariza et. al. (2018), despite the fact that the Ata live in

segregated settlements in these mountain ranges, they have come together in a common

area since Dr. Hubert Reynolds, an American anthropologist who worked as a professor at

Silliman University in Dumaguete City, began building a school to teach basic literacy to

the indigenous people. He also made it easier for indigenous to get rations in the form of
 35

nonfat milk and bulgur grains. In reality, Dr. Reynold built the community's first school,

which was later given over to the government and is currently the location of Bago

Elementary School in Don Salvador Benedicto. Dr. Reynolds' anthropological work

includes two anthropological and ethnographic journals, one of which is titled The

Mountain Negritoes of Northern Negros in the United States. However, the connection with

the Ata tribe came to an end when one of the American volunteers was raped by a bunch of

"tulisan," or lowlander bandits. The ATA Tribe's tribe elders have all asserted that during

the operation of ILCO, their ancestral areas were exposed to lowland settlers and white

males, or "Americans." The ILCO was responsible for creating mountain paths and

passageways to facilitate wood transport. From 1904 through 1985, ILCO, or The Insular

Lumber Company, was the world's largest American logging and sawmill. The Insular

Lumber Company started off in the Negros Occidental's northern parts, then moved into the

Don Salvador area.

 36

CONCLUSION

This section presents the summary of findings generated from a thorough

exploration of the data as reflected from the research question which become the bases of

conclusions drawn and finally leading to the proposed recommendations to whom this

study is beneficial.

Summary

The main purpose of the study was to retell the history of the Ata Tribe of Don

Salvador Benedicto. The following are themes that the researchers have generated based on

the data that were gathered.

Economic Struggles of Ata

One of the themes that have emerged after the coding process is the Economic

Struggles faced by ATA Tribe over the past years. The origin of Ata Tribe is in the

lowlands of Calatrava, San Carlos and Sagay prior to the operations of Insular Lumber

Company. The livelihoods of Ata Tribe are foraging and hunting as nomads. The Ata tribe

have also practiced hunting and agriculture. Some of the struggles that the tribe faced was

The Atas were used as couriers of ammunition and supplies by Japanese Soldiers during the

Japanese Occupation. After many years, During the Contemporary Time, the Atas were

once again used as couriers by the New People's Army. History repeated itself because

even after so many years, the Ata Tribe is still being exploited.
 37

Political Struggles of Ata

Over the past years, the Ata Tribe was also confronted with various political

struggles that even put their lives at stake. The Ata community of Bagong Silang, Don

Salvador Benedicto is no stranger to difficulties, they persevered from the exploitation of

the foreigners to the insurgencies that plagued them today. The Ata community are subject

of red tagging and vulnerable to extrajudicial killings because of their association with the

New People Army. Numerous issues and concerns of indigenous peoples have witnessed

significant breakthroughs both locally and internationally in recent decades. Over the years,

the problems and tensions of indigenous peoples have undergone tremendous changes in

the local and surrounding areas. They are always caught in the middle of a government-

rebel conflict and it results in some of the Ata community members joining certain factions.

Social Struggles of ATA

The last emerging theme from the data gathered refers to the Social Struggles of Ata

faced overtime. Over the past years, some of the social struggles they have faced were due

to the emergence of ILCO in Northern Negros. The ATA Tribe have experienced forest

concessions and it affected the life of the people. With the American occupation, the Ata

Tribe started to live the life in with mass and have adapted various changes in their lives

such as the establishment of formal schools for children and livelihood for the people.

When Don Salvador was proclaimed as a municipality on February 9, 1983, the ATA Tribe

started to live with the community up until the present and According to Phil Atlas (2022),

10.29% of the total population of Salvador Benedicto is represented by the members of the

Ata Tribe that resides in Bagong Silang.

 38

According to Velez (2019),every person has the right to dream and fulfill it, may

they be from different states of life, origins and beliefs, trials and sacrifices and there is no

dream that they cannot achieve as long as they have perseverance and determination, and

they will not give up in any challenges of life, even poverty. The aforementioned statement

was expressed by a teacher, member of the ATA community who lived in Don Salvador

Benedicto specifically in Bagong Silang. It is very challenging for them that some from

their tribe have not graduated from elementary, high school, especially in college. They

experienced being insulted, mocked and the worst is being discriminated against, but they

ignored it and focused to enrich their ability and knowledge. Education is very important

for her to achieve her dreams in life and for her tribe. When it comes to education in Ata

community, they have chance to experience appropriate education enables indigenous

children and adult learners to exercise and enjoy economic, social and cultural rights that

means for the enjoyment, maintenance and transmission of Indigenous Cultures, languages,

traditions and traditional knowledge, as well as a vehicle for individual empowerment and

agency. Graduating in college and becoming a teacher is a great opportunity for the tribe

and started to encourage all her community to have interest in study especially the young

ones. The people‟s living in Bagong Silang need to focus on livelihood, network,

education, health and basic services among others. Several socio-civic organizations in the

province conducted an outreach program to the town. support and partner with indigenous

peoples by integrating their perspectives, cultures and languages into mainstream education

systems and institutions, and also by respecting, facilitating and protecting indigenous

peoples‟ right to share knowledge to future generations by traditional ways of teaching and

learning.
 39

In the light of the findings of this study, the following conclusions are drawn:

the Ata Tribe of Don Salvador is not well known as an indigenous group in the province of

Negros Occidental. Records about their existence and history were not accessible to the

mass. During the researcher‟s inquiry, they have encountered various related literatures on

the existence of Indigenous People in Northern Negros Occidental but it does not

specifically identify those of the ATA Tribe of Don Salvador Benedicto. A local historian

has dwelled into the history of the northern Negros Indigenous People groups but has

limited knowledge on the ATA Tribe itself. But the information we have gathered from the

historian have greatly helped us in discovering early Negros. But a study that was

conducted last 2018 by Ariza et. al. have gathered data about the culture and traditions of

the ATA Tribe which helped the researchers in outlining the history of the Tribe.

According to the United Nations (UN) Department of Economic and Social Affairs,

Indigenous peoples are inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating

to people and the environment. And one great way to preserve their culture is through

writing it. The written history of the Ata Tribe will be a great help to the future generations

of Ata to preserve the culture and traditions of their ancestors. In addition to that, this study

will be a great help to eliminate unfamiliarity and also develop the Negrosanon‟s sense of

self-identity. This study would serve as a learning reference for the Grade 3 Araling

Panlipunan Teachers as the history of Ata Tribe mirrors the rich culture of Negros

Occidental.

Recommendations

Based on the salient findings and conclusions of this study, the researchers would

like to envision that the:

 40

1. Educators and Publishers integrate the History of ATA Tribe in the curriculum of

Grade 3 Araling Panlipunan Second Quarter which provides a meaningful learning

experience tothe learners;

2. Local Government Unit of Don Salvador Benedicto help ATA Tribe to present their

culture by empowering their self-identity;

3. Exhibits or forums serve as avenue and rendezvous for Ata‟s rich History;

4. The history of Ata be made or created into a story book about their different

struggles and be utilized by the teachers of Bagong Silang Elementary School

Teachers;

5. Future Araling Panlipunan researchers should continue to find ways and means to

improve the application of Local Studies inside the classroom and pursue additional

data for learning.

 41

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Stahle T. (2016) 3 Reasons Why You Should Know Your Local History. Retrieved
from:https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/3-reasons-local-history/
Sage Publication (2016). Narrative Data Analysis and Interpretation: Flirting Data.
https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-
binaries/68279_Kim_Chapter_6.pdf

Velez V. (2019). INPFF: Ang Gahum sang dako nga Handom (The power of the Big
Dream) retrieved from: https://youtu.be/5nuItkjhPS
 44

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A: INFORMED CONSENT FORM

INFORMATION SHEET OF THE INFORMED CONSENT FORM

University of St. La Salle
College of Education
Bacolod City

Dear each participant,

Greetings. This study entitled “The Narratives of ATA Tribe under the Lens of
a Local Historian'' aims to collect and narrate the history of the ATA Tribe of Don
Salvador Benedicto.

Kindly read the details for the study enumerated below so that you can ask
questions, should there be any.

Shimron Onyx T. Azuelo

Shaina C. Bernabat

Fritzie May L. Magallanes

Vincent D. Ong Jr.

The Researchers

______________________________________________________________________
 45

Purpose of the research:

The study entitled Venturing the Indigenous Emic: Discovering Unwritten Stories of the
ATA Tribe in Don Salvador Benedicto aims to narrate the history of the ATA Tribe in Don
Salvador Benedicto and on how they survived various political and socio- economic issues
ever since they were established in the province.

Participant Selection

You have been invited to participate because you are one of the relevant individuals who
have knowledge of Ata's Old and Contemporary History.

Benefits of the Study

The tribe will benefit from the study in a way that their culture, tradition and history will be
documented. We want to empower their self- identity and secure their traditional cultural
knowledge, and to be able to influence their own development by localizing their culture
and life experiences that can enlightened our young or future generation including teachers,
different sectors and universities to carry the torch of your culture and continue reliving
your roots through Indigenous People education

Data Gathering

The data will be collected through face to face and virtual interviews. The scheduled
interviews will only be a minimum of 30 minutes to a maximum of one hour. First, You
may be interviewed on a face-to-face basis while adhering to the safety protocols imposed
by the government. The researchers who will conduct the interview will be kept at the
maximum of 2 persons to enforce social distancing. The venue of the interview will be at a
quieter time of the day to reduce the number of people who you and the researchers come
into contact with. The researchers will bring their own hand sanitizer and will not come into
any physical contact when greeting you. If you wish to wear a face mask/shield during an
interview, your wishes will be respected. Second, virtual interviews may be in any
communication platform available to both parties; it may either be through Phone Call,
Messenger, Google Meet or Zoom. The researchers will provide small load assistance in
case of emergency. In case there should be a second interview, we will be consulting you
for another schedule. The data gathered will be used for the purpose of narrating the history
of the Ata tribe and your answers will be only viewed and used by the researchers for their
research.

Duration

The individual interview will be conducted in 30 minutes to 1 hour in a day. There are 7
main guide questions but follow up questions will be administered. In case there should be
a second interview, we will be consulting you for another schedule considering the same
duration of interview.

Risks of the Study

 46

You may have to share some personal information that might make you feel uncomfortable.
Should this happen, know that you may not have to answer or take part in this interview,
especially if you feel that the questions are too personal. Since we are amidst the pandemic,
we will be requiring you to adhere to the health protocols and during the interview face
masks and face shields will be used and social distancing will be practiced.

Compensation

You will not be given any monetary compensation for your participation: whether in cash
or in kind.

Confidentiality, Privacy and Anonymity

The anonymity, privacy, and confidentiality will be ensured in the collection, storage and
publication of this research material. Identifiers about you and the information that you will
share are removed from the database during the data processing phase. In addition to this,
only the researchers and the academician who will validate the study will be given access to
the information you have provided. The data generated will be kept secured in paper or
electronic form for a period of one year after publication of the study.

Voluntary Participation

As participation is entirely voluntary on your part, you may or may not take part in this
study. If you withdraw at any time, you may do so. Should you decide to participate, kindly
write your signature on the consent certificate following the information sheet.

About the Researchers

The researchers of the study are composed of four members. They are all enrolled at the
University of St. La Salle, taking up Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education Major in
Social Studies and are currently in their 4th year.

Researchers:

Bernabat, Shaina C. - Team Leader (09382673692)

Azuelo, Shimron Onyx T.
Magallanes, Fritzie May L.
Ong, Vincent D. Jr.

For further questions

If you have any questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, you may
contact
Mr. Paul Manuel D. Valdezco, through any of the following contact details:
Email: p.valdezco@usls.edu.ph
 47

CONSENT CERTIFICATE OF THE INFORMED CONSENT FORM

The Narratives of ATA Tribe under the Lens of a Local Historian

______I confirm that the study was fully explained to me; also, I have read and understood
the information sheet for the above study and I have had the opportunity to ask questions.

______I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any
time,without giving any reason.

______I agree to take part in the above study.

______I will be given a copy of the signed Informed Consent Form.

_________________________________

Signature of the Participant

 48

APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW GUIDE

Name of Participant:
___________________________________________________________________
Age:________ Civil Status:_____________________
Occupation:_________________________
Address:
_________________________________________________________________________
Interview Guide Questions
1. Tell us about yourself
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. What is your idea about ILCO?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
3. What is the participation of the Ata Tribe of Don Salvador Benedicto on the
company (ILCO)?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
4. What was the experience of Negrenses during the Japanese Occupation?
________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
5. What specific experiences did the Ata Tribe have gone through during the Japanese
Occupation?
_________________________________________________________________________
 49

6. What was the social landscape of Don Salvador Benedicto during the NPA Years?

7. What is the participation of the Ata Tribe of Don Salvador Benedicto with the New
People's Army (NPA)?
_________________________________________________________________________
8. What changes happened to the Ata Tribe of Don Salvador Benedicto from 1945 to
the present?
_________________________________________________________________________
 50

APPENDIX C: TRANSCRIPT OF PARTICIPANT

Researcher: Sir, are you aware of the existence of the ATA tribe in Don Salvador
Benedicto?

Participant: The, the ay, Ati, That‟s the local language, that‟s Ati

Researcher: Yes sir, but there is ano sir, There is a tribe, indigenous people tribe in Don
Salvador, benedicto and they claim to be the original natives of Negros. They call
themselves Ata sir A.T.A

Participant: Basi na mean niyo Ata

Researcher: Yes sir.

Participant:Ukon agta?

Researcher: Oo yes sir. Sort of

Participant: Not Ata, but agta

Researcher: Yes sir, the main purpose of our study is to share their stories because one of
the research man sir in La Salle for the past year, they the Ata Tribe in Don Salvador they
told them that they don‟t have any written document about themselves bala sir

Participant: Okay, because they don‟t have documents about themselves.

Researcher: Yes sir.

Participant: Because they don‟t write,

Researcher: yes sir

Participant: So they depend on what is called oral history. That is history, okay? That is
given orally from one generation to another. So you can relay and I will butt-in enrich what
you wanted to know, That would be one thing.

Researcher: Yes sir.

Participant: You talk about what you know,

 51

Researcher: Yes sir.

Participant: I will supplement it, then I will correct it or whatever. Okay?

Researcher: Yes

Participant: You said that it‟s right there?

Researcher: Yes sir.

Participant: That is, that is correct, there‟s another tribe in Marikudo, in Isabela, there‟s
another tribe in Cadiz, ah. I forgot the name. What's the barangay there? But there‟s a big
ati, or aeta or agta the ati is the word that we use as Hiligaynon. But among themselves they
call them Agta, because the word Agta is black. Sa ila ang mga black na, Agta. Sa atun
itom. That‟s why, sa imo da may agta ang ano? Ang?

Researcher: Ang squid,

Researcher: Ang squid, ata…

Participant: Ata,

Participant: Because of its black,

Researcher: yes black

Participant: the secretion of squid, so mayo lng bal-an niyo is, they call that Etymology of
a word. Its origin and what it means. Okay?

Researcher: Okay sir, , as what I‟ve

Participant: So did you get that?

Researcher: Yes Sir

Participant: That they don‟t have any written records because

Researcher: Oral
 52

Participant: Alright, then they, of course cannot, so they only pass on from one generation
to another whatever they know, whatever their beliefs are, and whatever is the, they
remember our stories that are always the oral means.

Researcher: Yes sir and the main goal of our study is to retell their history in a
chronological manner but since there is a pandemic, they cannot conduct it there bala sir.
We are looking for key informants that‟s why we reached out to you because I believe
since you‟re a historian you‟d be a great help to our study because we cannot conduct it
face to face to them and, this afternoon most of our questions will revolve lng man around
the history of negros man sir. Specifically on northern negros siguro sir, because they reside
there.

Participant: You‟re from what?

Researcher: We are all from Bacolod Sir. But they are from northern negros and we tried
to connect bala sir the stories from the narratives, the experiences sir and based man sa ma
kwa namon na data this afternoon. To start sir, I would just like to ask sir if during the
occupation how old are you or

Participant: I‟m 83

Researcher: 83 sir? pila na imo age sir 1945? Mga

Participant: Well I was born in 1938, in the 1945

Researcher: You're seven years old. Okay sir so

Participant: Grade 1 ko to

Researcher: Okay sir, can you recall your experiences during the Japanese occupation
since your grade 1 pa lang that time. your experiences.

Participant: Well, my experiences of the Japanese period is in my book the history of La

Castellana is the things I wrote there, the history of La Castallena is what I experienced
during the war, in, in La Castellana.

Researcher: Okay sir that would be helpful, Okay sir

Participant:: I think you have that in your university,

Researcher: We only have sir the history of negros, ang red na book.
 53

Participant: That's a very old one, that‟s the, the red one is old, the first one, the other
edition that is bigger and longer, okay? That's another edition that is bigger and longer.
Okay? That‟s in 20. When did I publish that? 2003.

Researcher: we tried reaching out in the capitol library,

Participant:: Yes it's there

Researcher: but it's close sir,

Participant: It‟s closed, I had it here but they we‟re selling that and the book the history of
La Castellana which I published in 2019? Okay 2019, that‟s a detailed book, and it‟s also
there, there‟s another book that I had , Against the Rising Sun in volume 2. And then, the
history of Bacolod, volume 2 also. So those 3 books talks about the history of negros there
indicates what happened during the war. So you write it down, so you know the reference

Researcher: Reference yes sir,

Participant: You can look for that eventually if you have time, later on you can ask Miss
Gracy if you want to access the floor because the books are there, but that is for sale.

Participant: what you can do probably is you can ask your library to buy so that you can
research in your library.

Researcher: We will try also sir because in La Salle we close the library, for access for
bala students sir since uhm, close so you have to ask gid permission from the librarian for a
schedule.

Participant: But even if you schedule it there, there‟s no book

Researcher: Yes sir, we will try sir what if there‟s a book in La Salle. And moving
forward sir past, in the past researches na we have read man some of the Ata tribe mention
about the existence of ILCO in Don Salvador so an

Participant: Yes ato natO

Researcher: Yes sir, is there really an existence of ILCO in Don Salvado

 54

Participant: Yes ILCO, that is the insular lumber company. That is based on Sagay, the
location of ILCO is still there but there is no more Mill but I think you will have that in
history book, the red one the Negros history.

Researcher: Yes sir and we had read some articles about ILCO and they say that it existed
in Sagay but we don‟t have any records that say they really existed in Don Salvador.

Participant: Because they were, they are only cutting trees that are called as their forest
concession, so they were cutting trees in Salvador Benedicto.

Researcher: okay so they don‟t have an ah, like an office sir.

Participant: Oh no no no no, all they do is they ask people to cut the trees and they
transport it to Sagay where the sawmill is situated there.

Researcher: Because in the past research man sir that we have read about the Ata tribe
they told us, say we have read that the effects of ILCO in Don Salvador affected man the
Ata tribe there because of the cutting of the trees man bala sir.

Participant: Yes, that‟s what, because we you say the Agta live to survive, the Agta do
not have agriculture per se, ah now they have agriculture, but during those times because
the ILCO was established in Sagay in 1901, and then started operation by cutting down
trees in 1904. So from the time on but they did not reach, they did not reach Salvador
Benedicto until the 1930s. So the first group that dislodged the Ata tribe were the ones in
Sagay. I forgot the Barangay.

Researcher: Fabrica Sir?

Participant: Fabrica is a Barangay, that is a part of ah, Sagay no? but the area is once
known as Paraiso. The word Fabrica was adopted because it was a fabrica it is a mill it is
fabrication no? a mill a machinery no? so fabrica, they produced, they produced lumber.
You cut the trees, you cut it into lumber, so that you can, laba mana so they cut into
portions and then you bring it there and then it goes to the mill. The mill cuts it into slabs
for lumber. So the timber will be converted into lumber so the place will soon be called
Fabrica. Well the Fabrica was actually a sugar mill but that is a fabrica de asukal. But when
you call fabrica before, it's actually ILCO.

Participant: So if you were to assess sir what do you think uhm.. the establishment of
ILCO is positive or negative for the people in Negros.
 55

Participant: Two things, first most of the lumber was exported to the United States, the
smaller lumber, or so called „‟second trade lumber‟‟ is sold locally, so anytime it provided
lumber for construction that‟s the first primary actually the purpose of ILCO. On the other
hand ILCO also opened up forest land for agriculture. So the forest land, the land that was
deluded, became sugar cane land. In other words it expanded the arable area of Negros and
with that wider area for sugar cane we became very rich. One of the richest provinces in the
Philippines.

Researcher: Yes yes since most of them are big company gd sir. Okay sir in specific sir
what is the effects in Northern Negros gid bala sir na place.

Participant: Well, as ah, this in consequence because the original cutting of forest
surrounding the Northern Negros. During the Spanish Time Northern Negros was not
developed, the development is from Victorias, Manapla, Victorias well all the way to the
south, it was practically a poor there were no towns in fact there. The only towns there at
the time of Spanish Era were Escalante, and Sagay but they were small but when ILCO
opened up land for plantation purposes it started to E4move.

Researcher: And during this time 19 ano gani gin establish ang Don Salvador?

Researcher: 60s

Researcher: 1960s what are your

Participant: 1986, is it 86?

Researcher: Yes sir

Participant: I think before, there was I think it‟s about 84 no, or 85,

Researcher: I think sir it was during the presidential of Marcos sir,

Participant: Yes during the presidency of Marcos. 86 is already

Researcher: Cory

Participant: Cory, so its prior to that,

Researcher: Yes sir

Participant: Prior to that

 56

Researcher: Sir I have a question sir? Is there, is the operation of ILCO sir? Paved way
haciendas of today sir?

Participant: the?

Researcher: Haciendas of today.

Participant: Of course it is favorable they opened new lands.

Researcher: Yes sir

Participant: Because before, before it went into a massive, into a massive cutting of forest,
the cutting of forest in the Negros was done by the people who migrated from Iloilo or from
Panay. They cut the, amo ni sila ang gina tawag na Kainyeros.

Researcher: Mmm…

Participant: they cut the trees by hand,

Researcher: Yes sir

Participant: But the ILCO was mechanized. They had this as the electric cutters because it
was faster, and when they leave the land, when they leave the land. They left only the small
trees and Filipinos cut it down for firewood. And then they opened therefore the new lands
were open for plantation and eventually they became haciendas. But aside from ILCO there
was also Dee C. Chuan the founder of Chinabank who had a sawmills, also saw mills in
the. Murcia who is also close in Don Salvador Benedicto then in the La Castellana they had
sawmill there, the Chinese, and then following where ILCO was cutting was Valderama
Lumber, the grandfather of Carl Lopez. The Valderama Lumber Mill and the Valderama
Lumber Yard. So when they cut the forest since there is also a concession they planted
sugarcane there. That‟s why the Valderamas have properties in Sagay, Cadiz, and Manapla.

Researcher: Yes sir, okay sir, I would just like to add lang sir earlier sa question ko on sa
Japanese nga occupation there‟s one question that had arisen from sa us lang bala sir. are
there people from since may broke ang war in the masse so are there people nga nag take
refuge nag saka sa bukid bala sir to

Participant: Many
 57

Researcher: Many and is there a possibility nga these people you know nag sulod sila sa
indigenous people like daw nag mix na sila.

Researcher: Intermarriage

Researcher: No?

Participant: They did not, not because did they not like to, but because the indigenous
people do not like, them. You see the indigenous people the Agta, marry only among
themselves.

Researchers: I see

Participant: They don‟t enter with other races, and they are nomadic, so they don‟t have
plantations, they only live what the forest can give them. So when ILCO and other lumber
mills came cutting their trees they lost their sources of food. These are mainly through
hunting, honey, and catching fish in the river. So they had to move up to the mountains,
that‟s why the Spaniards call them Remontados, that means people in the mountains or
people of the mountains, montar means mountain.

Researcher: okay so can we say siguro sir na, because uhm, the Ata tribe did not want
intermarriage or the IPs bala sir haw nomadic people did not want to intermarriage with the
people from the lowlands so can we say that its one of the reasons man that wala sila ngaa
wala sila na civilized? Ang term? Nga na civilized.

Participant: Yes, they refused to they did not mixed and therefore and since they are
nomadic they did not reproduced more, and they did not improved their race. They were
very few very very few instances of Negritos marry the Indonesians and the Malaysians.

Researcher: After the situation of the Japanese so nag ka independence na, after bala sir
sang occupation di so the Philippines has already given na sang…

Participant: By the Japanese or the Spaniards?

Researcher: By after, after na all the colonization, colonizers bala sir since na gain na sang
Philippines ang independence so what happened to Negros during that time that finally the
country is free what‟s the situation of Negros?

Participant: Well, we have to start rebuilding like especially for example during the
Japanese period the ancillary industry stopped because the planters did not plant the cane
and the mills did build the cane wala we have to restart everything, we have to start from
 58

nothing and the raised lands were left vacant. We have to restart and rebuild our country or
places.

Researcher: And during that time sir what‟s the social landscape of the people in Don
Salvador or Northern Negros

Participant: Don Salvador was not occupied by the lowlanders until after the war. Prior to
the war or during the war in Don Salvador Benedicto or what's the original name of that?
Igyaan. The original name is Igmayaan, but the most of the people is actually fleet to the
places of Igmayaan because were the guerillas war was very strong and where japanese
enable to penetrate so the filipinos from the lowland evacuated their and they stay that‟s
why started to populated.

Researcher: can we see sir that the original or the first settlers of the.. in Don Salvador are
from the lowlands?

Participant: Yes, because the if you going to see settlers in the sense nga they the develop
the lands, yes but in terms of the having people their living or the indigenous or the native
or the origins then they‟ve there been there during spanish time cause spaniards they not go
there they did not reach the place. The only place that they reached was the.. of they
enjoyed is Mambucal but the priest, the priest, because that is the rework open the road the
pathway to cross from Murcia to San Carlos that is the shortcut. That is why we called it
Igmayaan because if you walk, if you walk from murcia by noon time for the Igma that is
lunch time you will be there in Benedicto that is why we called it. Because that is where
stay rest in the afternoon take their lunch and start walking again towards Don Salvador
Benedicto

Researcher: Igmayaan

Participant: Igma. Igma! If you will notice Igma is kinaray-a that is a long, that mean a..
that is Non native, non indigenous stay there well from antique because they are kinaray- a,
karay a

Researcher: there‟s a great possibility sir that some of the ancestors in Don Salvador
Benedicto are from antique?

Participant: Yes

Researcher: okay now we already know na sir

Participant: Maybe,
 59

Researcher: But there are existing group what we called ATA Bukidnon how about them
sir?

Participant: Bukidnod, refers to the ata bukidnon are the ata.

Reseacher: ay okay I thought is the other IP naman sir

Participant: Bukidnon means people of the mountains as well as called their remontados
of the people so.. bukidment people in the mountain those are in the bukid

Researcher: you have mention earlier sir about Guerillas

Participant: i think

Researchers: Guerillas

Participant: Guerilyas,

Researchers: Guerilyas sir.

Participant: it is not guerillas but guerilyas

Researcher: that is corrected sir thank you sir guerilyas and during

Participant: it is spanish, that is spanish word guera war figthers of the war I give you
eptymology

Researcher: yes sir thank you sir

Participant: that will enrich your vocabulary

Researcher: thank you sir, okay sir these what I‟ve asked earlier about the guerrillas sir. is
there existence of NPA already during that time

Participant:No, the NPA become or have began operation in 1970‟s

Researcher: 1970‟s

Participant: Yes, during Martial law Regime. Before that there were rebel groups there
were must be the huk, hukbalahap hukbong bayan laban sa huk, hukbalahap but they didn‟t
 60

stay there. The hukbalahap survively into the rivers crossed to the town they didn‟t live in
mountains because they are not native people. They are mostly peasants or farm workers
who join the revolt against the government.

Researcher: what exact time or moment do you think sir that the NPA really penetrated
the Don Salvador Benedicto?

Participant: Well In the middle of 70‟s, in the middle of 70‟s, where preceding the NPA
was not establish. The complex quarrel of the Philippines was establish 1970, 69 , 70‟s and
it started recruiting and there were may recruited here, were workers in the haciendas and
the.. people, in haciendas are from towns who joined NPA that the guerillas against the
japanese went into the mountains they was there were they can leave and they can fight for
their selves.

Researcher: yes.

Researcher: So sir why did they join the CPA sir? Are they unhappy with the hacienda
system sir?

Participant: well, its its reason the NPA is the arm portion of the part of the communist
party and the focuses of part of the government that‟s why we have hiding just like the
Guerillas of the old times in order to fight from the government

Researcher: Are there instances sir that the IP‟s tag as a NPA sir as members?

Participant: some, some are tag, not because they were NPA but because they ran away
from the NPA‟s but because NPA used them also. Some of the NPA‟s settled in the Agtas,
when the agtas settled to haciendas .. they were, they were used as couriers from islas
Lawig nana inyo na lawig na inyo report.

Researcher: Yes sir, thank you so much sir. Damo gid kami may na learn especially sa
mga

Participant: Isa lang ka thesis ubrahon niyo?

Researcher: Yes sir, group kami nga tatlo

Participant: kamo nga tatlo? Ah tatlo lang kamo?

Researcher: Apat
 61

Researcher: May isa kami nga group sir but, he has work sir kay ga working student so
kami lang

Participant: Kay sang una nag thesis diri walo sila ya isa ka subject matter walo sila ang
ila to ya.. dugay nato dugay nato mga 10 years ago. Ila to ya the political, the political
fighting of Don Salvador in the context of Bacolod .

Researcher: Actually sir ang nag refer sa amun sa imo ang amu nga adviser sa thesis si sir
Paul Valdezco naka.. may thesis man sa sa masteral ya and na kwa yaman ka nga key
informants

Participant: that I think siguro and ang another one pagid ang amun professor man si Mrs.
Shiela Uy from La Salle man ang na kwa yaka key informants. And ang sila ang nag
mentioned sa amun na to reach out you

Participant: Ay okay damo na sila, ang isa gani nag lawyer na I don‟t know the others

Researcher: okay sir

Participant: I have their names there but they gave me the copy of their thesis so I got their
name in my house. But ato sila ya when when they wrote about their thesis they shared it
to me and I have to..

Researcher: Revisions

Researcher: Okay sir do you have under.. additional questions? okay what is the effect of
the urbanization sir in the upper land do you think is there any effect man to the
contemporary world because you are in the 21st century if there is affect man in IP or in
Northern Negros?

Participant: Yes, because president Marcos has set up human settlements and also they
start look for government that the president, the president established schools for them
,because many of the kids don‟t like in public schools kay gina kantyawan sila ate, ate so
nahula na sila so that‟s why they have school there Sikatuna in Don Salvador sikatuna
there is the other one I don‟t know name sa Don Salvador Benedicto. So the government
ahh there was a in the 1970‟s was interest in the life of Indgenous People that‟s why the
indigenous people ano na panawag sang una sa ng ano gani bukidnon. So because it is
paradigm a start of war it called it Indigenous

Researcher: sir what is this Sikatuna gani sir?

 62

Participant: I think there is sikatuna in sagay and Dumaguete Sikatuna

Researcher: School sir?

Participant: huh?

Researcher: Is it School? A place?

Participant: A place a baranggay

Researcher: Baranggay, uhm.. do you have additional concerns?

Researcher: Sir, I have question sir so, we have read bala sir in many studies sir that
japanese occupation sir only results to negative bala nga set backs bala sir or results so,
were gonna to ask you sir may ara gid bala positive nga gin dulot ang japanese occupation
in our indigenous people or in the people of Don Salvador lang sir?

Participant: Most shall be negative because they were invaders and they did not introduce
to us anythng that we can say would be beneficial, they tried , they tried to introduce like
for example they tried to introduce here sa negros the rising of cotton

Researcher: Cotton

Participant: they like to change the sugar cane into cotton or the use of the themes for the
cotton that‟s one they are trying to introduce. The second that the japanese introduce here a
deficient fleet we called it Matchoryahan

Researcher: Matchoryahan

Participant: Kabati na kamo sina? Matchoryahan

Researcher: Wala sir

Participant: It is a fishing boat large fishing boat ang gina kwan sa isda mga
Matchoryahan gali ina

Researcher: thank for the information sir

Participant: As long as Matchoryahan because of the were there operators there are from
Manchuria. Manchuria is Chinese province but it was occupied by the japanese and it
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became as Manchukou. but today back it again in Matchuria kay nabawi sang china and the
japanese entered here brought a lot of Matchoryahan.

Researcher: Fishing boat, Matchorya

Participant: They were introduced to us as if they were large scale fishing because our
fishing before was mga bunot lang uhm.. gagmay nga pangisda so that‟s one they
introduced. That the only positive thing that I can say but the rest were very negative cause
they opposed them because aggressor they were invaders

Researcher: Additional lang sir there are instance sir that the people from the lowland and
Northern Negros have conflict with each other?

Participant: Conflict in what sense?

Researcher: In what sense, maybe because the IP think that the lowland are intruders or
because intruders wants to stay there the IP do not want them

Participant: Yes, that‟s what we called land grabbing there where many indigenous people
moved far from their instance to the mountain because their lands were taken already by the
land developers for the sugar cane. Many of them owned the land .

Researcher: Sir, do you know who wants land developers that‟s commit land grabbing
from the Indigenous people sir

Participant: The Spaniards have a lot of list of that many of them at a time took the land of
the Indigenous people, even here in bacolod because the original people are the indigenous
di bala? And malays came and the indigenous people moved in land when the expanded
sugar land moved up and up and up and they were still there in the up land and many,
because that constant flowing away and they suffered from malnutrition, disease and failure
to reproduce. Wala sila doctor if the baby wants balanyos nila, they lack in vitamins they
eat what they give them and the farmer suffers they don‟t know how to came. That‟s why
they become very few uhm.. now that the settlements andf they are protected by the
government and they have schools, they have teachers basi kamo maka asar sa ulihi and
they improve their lives , they improve their lives

Researcher: uhm.. okay that‟s more in the economic na side how about sir in the cultural
side is there conflict the other side try to impose the culture of the other side

Participant: The easy conflict was there because their beliefs are different from our diba?
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Researcher: yes sir

Participant: like para sakon the real indigenous people do not thank god that we know so
that their god is different, the gods are the mountains, the thunder, the lightning but they
could not understand. That‟s why they have no system of war, no system of worship

Researcher: I think the last question lang from me sir, if may ask pa kamo? I have here
from our notes man bala sir about the extrajudicial killing that was happening in the DSB
or the Don Salvador at the moment what is your stand man bala sir regarding these people
being tagged as member of the NPA even though not.

Participant: Well tagging is always bad and always wrong. Let's put it this way “Tanan na
Pilipino baho” so that's tagging and it's bad just being tagged makes you guilty and just
because you are guilty you can be subjected to extra judicial killing.

Researchers: I guess sir we have covered all our questions already. We had 6 questions
and some minor questions and na cover naman namon tanan wala na man kami additional
questions and we would like to thank you sir for this opportunity because it will be a great
help in our study. We are struggling gid at first because we cannot conduct our study there
sa bukid

Participant: The history that they know if what they hear from their family, from their
grandparents, that is what we call the oral tradition. Their memories are too close to the
past. Kasi in history if it is not written, it didn't happen.

Researchers: if it is not written, it didn't happen.

Participant: The same thing that you should do. That's why in America, What we write we
keep not for ourselves but share with others.

Researchers: But we were happy man sir because we had the chance to conduct studies
like this. Because in Lasalle most of the studies conducted are typical studies they interview
in the school their participants are their students. but for us we ventured outside and we
took the risk and we chose IP.

Participant: Yeah that's Good.

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APPENDIX D: Codes
TABLE 1: CODES
This table will show the codes formulated out of the secondary sources and transcript from
the key informant.

Data Type of Data Code

The Ata tribe's ancestors had Secondary Sources The ATAs were used as
their first encounters from the couriers by Japanese
outside world during World Soldiers.
War 2 when the Japanese
trekked their areas looking
for gold. Some Ata members
served as couriers of these
gold and even served as
diggers to bury these gold
bullions. However, they were
immediately killed by the
Japanese after they had
buried the gold in order to
protect the whereabouts of
these hidden treasures and
Japanese soldiers threw Ata
babies into the air and struck
them with a bayonet.

The New People‟s Army used Transcript The ATAs were used as
the members of Ata couriers by the New
Community as couriers of People's Army
ammunition and supplies.

The Ata of Don Salvador have Secondary Sources The origin of Ata Tribe is
consistently claimed that their in the lowlands of
origins are really from the Calatrava, San Carlos and
riverine and mountainous Sagay prior to the
areas of Calatrava, San operations of Insular
Carlos and Sagay. The old Lumber Company.
names of the areas where they
lived were taken from the
popular names of rivers like
“bago river” “ dahunan
river” and Kapunglawan
river.

Prior to establishments of Secondary Sources The livelihood of Ata

political boundaries, their Tribe are foragers and
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ancestors have sojourned hunting as nomads.

these mountain ranges.
According to Gabriela, their
ancestors have lived like “
subanon” or nomads . They
would look for areas with
abundant resources ,like
animals, vegetables and trees.
The community stayed there
until all resources were
consumed. Jose, the tribal
Chieftain, further claims that
“pangayam” was the earliest
form of livelihood of the ata.

The Ata tribe didn‟t practice Transcript The operations of Insular

complex agriculture and only Lumber Company caused
relied on what the forest diaspora to the Ata Tribe.
could give them. When the
Insular Lumber Company and
other lumber mills came
cutting their trees they lost
their sources of food and
prompted them to flee
towards the highlands.

The Ata members are called Transcript The Etymology of the

as Ata because of their dark word Ata
skin color complexion. It is
derived from the „‟Ata‟‟ or
blank ink of the squid.

It is also believed that the Secondary Sources The physical

“ati” is the person to go if a characteristics of members
gecko (tuko) sticks on your of the Ata community.
skin and all the “ati” has to
do is to squat and the gecko
will be detached from your
skin. With dark skin and curly
hairs, the “ati” has remained
in the background as we
progress towards modern
times

As the Ata Tribe settled in Transcript The Don Salvador

Bagong Silang, the locals Benedicto locals referred
referred to them as to the Ata community as
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"Remontados," which is remontados.

derived from the Spanish term
montar, which means
mountains

The Ata Tribe are being used
by the New People‟s Army
and because of that they are
being associated with the
rebels and are a subject of
red tagging. As they are being
red tagged, they are
vulnerable to extrajudicial
killings.
Transcript The Ata community are
subject of red tagging and
vulnerable to extrajudicial
killings because of their
association with the New
People Army.

When the Ata tribe had seen Secondary Sources How agriculture is
the importance of cultivating practiced in the Ata
the soil, they had started community.
using tool implements from
woods like “guna” or shovel
in planting root crops. This
led to the identification of
areas they needed to plant
their crops . Each family had
claimed domains on
territories reached by the
stones they had thrown.

The Ata tribe's most Secondary Sources Atrocities committed by

horrifying experience they the Japanese towards the
had from the Japanese was Ata community.
seeing the Ata babies thrown
to the air and struck by a
bayonet during their
occupation in Negros.

Despite segregated Secondary Sources Ata community‟s

settlements of the Ata in these engagement with Dr.
mountain ranges, they have Hubert Reynolds and the
gathered themselves in a unpleasant conclusion.
common area when Dr.
Hubert Reynolds, an
American anthropologist who
worked as a professor in
Silliman University
Dumaguete City, started
putting up a school to teach
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basic literacy for the

indigenous people. However
the engagement with the Ata
community ended when one
American volunteer was
raped by a group of “tulisan”
who were from the lowlands
and described as bandit.

An Ata tumandok Secondary Sources A member of the Ata

Revolutionary Proletarian community killed due to
Army commander Charlie political rivalry in Don
Buli-Buli was assassinated by Salvador Benedicto
the New People‟s Army in
Bagong Silang Don Salvador
Benedicto last July 2017. This
could be a case of different
factions of the RPA-ABB
fighting each other since
political rivalry is too intense
in Don Salvador Benedicto.

The Ata community‟s contact Secondary Sources The Ata community‟s

with the lowlanders and the vanishing tradition in the
exposure of their communities present time.
to the mainstream culture
have eventually caused the
vanishing of their indigenous
practices and assimilating
themselves to the popular
culture.
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APPENDIX E: EMERGING THEMES

TABLE 2: EMERGING THEMES
This table will show the themes that emerged from the codes in table 1.

Codes Themes

The ATAs were used as couriers by Japanese

Soldiers.

The ATAs were used as couriers of supplies

by the New People's Army
Economic Struggles of the Ata community
The livelihood of Ata Tribe are foragers and
hunting as nomads.

The origin of Ata Tribe is in the lowlands of

Calatrava, San Carlos and Sagay prior to the
operations of Insular Lumber Company.

How agriculture is practiced in the Ata

community.

The Ata community are subject of red tagging

and vulnerable to extrajudicial killings
because of their association with the New Political Struggles of the Ata community
People Army.

A member of the Ata community killed due to

political rivalry in Don Salvador Benedicto

The operations of Insular Lumber Company

caused diaspora to the Ata Tribe.

The Etymology of the word Ata

The physical characteristics of members of the

Ata community.
Social Struggles of the Ata community
The Don Salvador Benedicto locals referred to
the Ata community as remontados.

Atrocities committed by the Japanese towards

the Ata community.

Ata community‟s engagement with Dr. Hubert

Reynolds and the unpleasant conclusion.

The Ata community‟s vanishing tradition in

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the present time.

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APPENDIX F : Research Timetable

Description of May June July August Septembe October Novembe Decembe January
Work 2021 2021 2021 2021 r 2021 2021 r 2021 r 2021 2022

Constructing of
Letters to the
Interviewees,
Academicians
and Validators

Sending of
Letters to the
Historians.

Scheduling of
Interviews

Interview Process
to the Historians,
Politician and
Local Artist

Transcription of
Interviews

Presentation of
Data to the
Academicians

Gathering of
Reconciled Data
from the
Academicians

Analysis of Data
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Appendix G. Turn it in Certification