DAVAO CITY, Philippines—-Deep in the forests of Talaingod in Davao del Norte, Ata-Manobo Datu Guibang Apoga, obviously through an assistant, could only send a text message to express how he and his people valued environment.

“For us, nature is like our mother and father who provide us with everything we need … life, food and other things essential for us to survive,” said the message in Bisaya. It was read by a representative who received the award on his behalf during the ceremony on Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day, at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City.

Guibang, one of the most respected tribal leaders of the Ata-Manobo people of Talaingod, was among the recipients of the Gawad Bayani ng Kalikasan (individual category) given by the Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines. The nongovernment organization advocates for policies that are people-oriented, patriotic, sustainable and scientific policies and programs for the protection of the Philippine environment.

The award was presented on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the CEC-Philippines.

Guibang was recognized for his influence in uniting 83 Ata-Manobo villages within their ancestral domain to rise against the commercial tree plantation operations of Alcantara and Sons (Alsons).

Other awardees

Other recipients were University of the Philippines professor Margarita dela Torre-dela Cruz and Emmanuel Calonzo, head of the EcoWaste Coalition.

Dela Cruz was recognized for her research and development works in pursuing a commitment to promote quality education, research and development, and community service.

Calonzo, on the other hand, was cited for his active role in promoting environmental justice. His group is involved in programs that help communities uphold their rights to a clean, toxic-free environment and future.

It was impossible for Guibang to receive the award himself as he remains in hiding for over a decade. He is best known now as the fugitive of Talaingod, a continuing target of government security agents.

The reason he is in hiding has an overwhelming relevance to the award he received.

Tribal war

In the mid-1990s, Guibang led the Ata-Manobo to a pangayaw (tribal war) against Alsons and its guards, and their military backup. It was the time when the company, now the producer of Ecowood—-the “plywood to save our forests”—-was already encroaching on tribal land.

The military and company guards lost their rifles during the war. Alsons forced to stop its operations in the area.

A warrant of arrest was issued against Guibang in 1997 for allegedly killing several guards. Twenty-five other leaders of the Salugpungan Ta Tanu Ignakugon (Unity for the Defense of the Ancestral Land) faced arrests.

Guibang later became one of the most wanted persons in the region, with the government dangling a P500,000 reward for his head.

“The recognition given to Datu Guibang is a vindication for the Ata-Manobo people against the vilification campaign of the military,” said B’laan leader Kerlan Fanagel, coordinator of the Katribu party-list group aiming to represent the indigenous peoples (“lumad”) in Congress.

“It is a tribute to all Salugpungan Ata-Manobo who have defended their ancestral lands from threats of logging, hydropower dams, mining and from the militarization of Talaingod.”

Frances Quimpo, executive director of CEC-Philippines, said the awardees had “launched notable actions and programs to defend environment, lives and rights of the Filipino people.”

Natural nurturers

“Gawad Bayani ng Kalikasan is our way of honoring the natural nurturers of the environment and promoting the kind of environmentalism that sees the oneness of the environment with the political, economic and cultural aspects of society,” Quimpo said.

The Gawad sa mga Indibidwal (for individuals), she said, were being given to those “who have demonstrated extraordinary ability and effort to uphold the environment and people’s welfare, whether in the form of advocacy, campaigns, education, research, technology development, community services, mass media or cultural work.”

The CEC-Philippines said Guibang won because of “his courageous leadership of the Ata-Manobo lumad in their struggle to defend their ancestral lands and their right to self determination.”

Guibang has also strongly opposed the establishment of the Talaingod hydroelectric project.

His “heroic exploits as an environment defender have inspired many and should inspire the rest of the world to struggle with them, to fight against plunderers, to fight against institutionalized plunder,” the NGO said.

“Indeed, Datu Guibang and the Ata-Manobo’s struggle is a contribution to the worldwide struggle to defend the last frontiers of a critical part of the country’s environment as the world slowly disintegrates into destruction in the face of globalized plunder.”

Inspiring examples

Francis Morales, convenor of Panalipdan-Southern Mindanao who nominated Guibang, said the award was for Ata-Manobo and other lumad groups that had been marginalized and whose rights had been violated because of the entry of oppressive development projects in their ancestral lands.

“We continue to be awed and inspired by the examples led by this humble, yet courageous, principled indigenous peoples rights and environmental rights champion,” Morales said.

The CEC-Philippines also hailed organizations and institutions that demonstrated unity in upholding the welfare of the people and of the environment by exemplary actions and advocacy, campaigns, education, research, technology development, community services, mass media or cultural work.

These included:

The Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA), an independent federation of progressive peoples organizations, most of them grassroots-based in the Cordillera region.

The Central Visayas Fisherfolk Development Center Inc. (Fidec), which assists in organizing fishing communities in the Visayas.

The Seamancor Eco-Developers Inc., which manages a 112-hectare natural mangrove forest and rehabilitated another 267 ha of mangrove plantations in Sorsogon.

The environmental group also presented the Natatanging Gawad (Most Distinguished Award) to slain antimining crusader Elizer “Boy” Billanes of South Cotabato for offering time and talents to defend the environment and advance people’s welfare. Billanes was the 20th antimining activist killed during the Arroyo administration.