202 Article-final - Philippine Army

T
He current mission of 202 nd Infantry (Unifier)
Brigade is to conduct SUPPORT
OPERATIONS (to win the peace) with all
Stakeholders (SH) to gain people’s support
and clear the AOR from CNN influence and coercion in
order to create an environment conducive to
sustainable development. We will achieve this by
engaging all SH by utilizing “Cooperation
Management Strategy”. The strategy is conducted in
order to generate support from stakeholders (SH) and
immensely contribute to the accomplishment of the
unit’s mission.
Part of this is our efforts to the IP communities along
Sierra Madre Range of Infanta, General Nakar and Real
all of Quezon as well as the IP communities from Rizal
Province. For the previous years the CNN have been
recruiting red fighters from the IP communities of Rizal
and Quezon Province that increased up to a platoon
size formation. Commercialization is one of the the
primary issue that the NPA exploits to entice the IPs to
join the armed movement.
In order to counter the CNN recruitments in the IP
communities, this unit recommended and initiated the
deployment of TRIBO intended for the IP communities.
Follow-on activities for IP were also undertaken by this
unit particularly the Youth Leadership Summit (YLS)
exclusive for the IP youth; and the conduct of the Tribal
Chieftains Leadership Summit for the IP leaders.
BACKGROUND
The Dumagats are one of the major groups of
indigenous people living in the Southern Tagalog
region east of Manila. The Dumagats, now numbering
only about 30,000, inhabit the fertile Sierra Madre
Ranges on Quezon province's northern tip. A large
Engaging Dumagat Tribes
Cpt Gene R Orense (Inf) PA
throng of this ethnic tribe can be found in the town of
General Nakar, while a few of them can be spotted in
three municipalities of Polillo island.
Despite the passage of the Indigenous Peoples Rights
Act (IPRA) in 1997, conflicts still crop up between
the tribal communities and what community organizers
say are their modern-day colonizers-foreign capitalist
investors, big landholders and government itself.
Primarily, the Dumagats depend on farming, kaingin,
paid labor, vending logs and other forest commodities
as livelihood. Secondarily, they rely on fishing, hunting
animals, gathering crops and other natural bounties for
survival. Loan dependence has reduced many of them
to dismal poverty. Despite the government’s allocation
of 47 resettlements for Dumagats, they still practiced
nomadic way of living which brought them deep into
different parts of Sierra Madre.
Commercialization and developmental projects in some
Tribal communities, ancestral domain intensified the
conflict between the IPs and entrants which include the
government. Through the tribal organizations,
organizing groups of the Southern Tagalog Regional
Party Committee (STRPC) used and exploited issues to
gain the support and stage mass protest and
demonstrations against the government. Some of
these issues are as following:
1) Construction of Laiban Dam Project in the boundary
of municipalities of Tanay and Gen. Nakar which
affected seven (7) barangays
2) Brutal killings and abductions of tribal leaders
allegedly committed by Armed Forces of the Philippines
3) Militarization due to the presence of military troops in
the IP community

TRIBO
Through the series of consultations made by the AFP
SOT Center to COL AURELIO B BALADAD INF (GSC)
PA, Commander, 202 ND Infantry Brigade, 2ID, PA,
SOT-IP immersions in the identified Tribal communities
at So Malatunglan, Barangay Sablang, Gen Nakar,
Quezon; Barangay Lower Lumutan, Gen Nakar Quezon
and Brgy Manggahan, Daraitan, Tanay, Rizal were
made. Prior to the immersions, the 2 nd Infantry Division
Training Unit conducted a SOT-IP training to operators
in which they will spend two (2) weeks of theoretical
training and (15) weeks of immersion to identified IP
areas.
The students were divided into two (2) groups, the 1IBn
elements were deployed at So Malatunglan, Barangay
Sablang, Gen Nakar, Quezon and the 16IBn elements
were deployed at Barangay Lower Lumutan, Gen
Nakar, Quezon and Manggahan, Daraitan, Tanay,
Rizal. The students were able to apply their knowledge
during the immersion with the Indigenous People in
their respective areas.
During the immersion phase, the students have
facilitated community developmental projects and
programs such as construction of public comfort room,
basketball court (half), conduct of Alternative Learning
System and rattan basket making seminar. They also
conducted series of consultation, dialogue and forums
discussing the issues of the Dumagats/Remontados
particularly Ancestral Domain and effects of
urbanization and commercialization.
However, due to limited immersion time in the IP
communities, the SOT-IP operators were not able to
unearth probable politico-military structure and coopted
the CNN sympathizers and supporters. Nevertheless,
the operators gained the full support of the IPs as a
result, there were no IP recruited by the CNN as of this
date.
The Youth Leadership Summit (YLS) for IPs was
conducted last 2-4 June 2010 at Headquarters 1 st
Infantry Battalion, 202IBD, 2ID, PA. The activity was
participated by 120 youth from IP communities of Rizal
and North Quezon Provinces. The objectives of the
activity are: to develop youth leaders who share a
common vision for peace; to boost youth leaders
empowerment and leadership; to foster volunteerism,
environmentalism and social responsibility; to conduct
activities focused on sustainable community
development efforts and to enhance closer relationship
with the Creator
The modules of the YLS were as follows:
(a) Leadership module
(b) Development & interpersonal communication
module
(c) Environmental awareness & concerns
(d) Barangay awareness module
(e) Preventing drug addiction & criminality
(f) Value enhancement
(g) Workshop on action planning
The modules were designed to develop the IP youth
leadership potentials as well as their inter and intra
personal skills. Four (4) tribal elders accompanied the
IP youth as part of their cultural traditions.
The first day of the youth summit facilitated by YLS
alumni and invited instructors from Al Ian Barcelona
(AIB) Training Group from Metro Manila were focused
on team building activities. Mr Al Ian Barcelona lectured
on Leadership 101 in which he emphasized the
leadership capabilities within individuals. The AIB team
also facilitated spiritual reflection in which Mr Barcelona
and his team intends to enhance the closer relationship
between the participants and the Creator.
One of the highlights of the youth summit is an
educational tour which was done in the different
significant cant places in Laguna Province. First stop
was the birth place of our national hero Dr Jose Rizal at
Calamba, Laguna. The participants were given ideas
on the life of Jose Rizal thru the displayed antiques in
his ancestral house. They were briefly lectured about
the significant role made by Jose Rizal in fighting for our
freedom. Next stop was at UP where the youth saw the
different products made out of rattan and bamboo at
Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau of
DENR at Los Banos grounds. Forester Gregorio Santos
and other scientists from ERDB, DENR explained to the
participants the benefits of rattan and bamboo
propagation in line with forest conservation and
preservation in the environment protected areas in the
country. The group also visited the Museum of Natural
History in UPLB grounds in which the youth participants
viewed the different species of plants and animals
found in country and other neighboring ASIAN
countries. To conclude the participants were ferried to
Sun Star Mall at Sta Cruz, Laguna in which majority of
the IP youth gained a initial experience in a Mall. The
youth were given a chance to enjoy computer games
and other amusement inside the World of Fun Section
of said mall.
On culmination, an action planning workshop was

conducted in order for the participants to lay down the
proposed activities and programs of the youth in their
respective communities. NCIP provincial coordinators
from Rizal and Quezon and representatives from
the LGUs from Tanay, Rizal and Gen. Nakar, Quezon
were among the panels in the workshop.
Due to the success of the Youth Leadership Summit
for the IPs last 2-4 June 2010, this unit conducted a
Tribal Chieftains Leadership Summit (TCLS) as a follow
-on activity for the IPs targeting the Tribal Chieftains
and elders of the IP communities of Rizal and North
Tribal Chieftains Leadership Summit (TCLS)
Quezon Provinces. The activity was conducted last 11-
13 April 2011 and was attended by 91 Tribal Chieftains,
Tribal Council members and four (4) Tribal Governors
from the IP communities of the Provinces of Rizal and
Quezon. These personalities are the recognized
community leaders and key communicators of the natives.
The objectives of the Summit are:
1) To develop the leadership skills of the IP leaders;
2) To foster volunteerism, environmentalism and social
responsibility;
3) To conduct activities focused and aligned with the IP
Community’s own concept of sustainable community
development;
4) To enable the IP leaders to chart their own future
in accordance to their culture and traditions.
5) To prevent LT recruitment in the IP communities;
and
6) To win over the sympathy and support of the IP
leaders for the government.
CONCLUSION
The engagement with the IP communities reduced the
number of red fighters from a sized-formation into two
(2) regular members. Most of the CT members went on
lie-low and some IP red fighters voluntarily surrendered
to the tribal elders who subsequently turned them over
to the military.
The degree of success of engaging the IP thru the
Tribal Chieftain’s Leadership Summit immediate as it
resulted to the surrender of Mr Ryan V Marcelino @
Pering/Furton/Gilbert/Gigs/Angkol. Ryan V Marcelino
was believed to operating Rizal province both in the
Red and White areas under KLG 53 KOMPROB RIZAL.
The activities such as the TCLS increased the
leadership skills of the tribal leaders who became more
aware about the importance of protecting the
environment, ensuing security and introducing
developments. The group of tribal chieftains and
Indigenous People who underwent the leadership
summit will hopefully become a force multiplier and
dynamic individuals in their communities.
Although most are not formally educated, it is observed
that the IP leaders are very much aware of the
problems besetting their communities and are very
articulate in presenting the causes, effects and possible
solutions to their problems. They wished that they could
be more involved in the formal decision making process
of LGUs concerning the IPs.
In summary, engaging the Dumagats and Remontado
tribes further gained the overall support of the populace
particularly in the IP communities along Sierra Madre
range. IP leaders became aware of their significant role
in attaining peace in their community. Thus, it is also
the responsibility of the local government to further
deliver community development projects and programs
for the IP.