THE Manobo-Matigsarawahan tribe of the Onas Lilang Clan in Quezon, Bukidnon, officially received their ancestral land title today, June 30.
Attorney Pinky Grace Pareja, commissioner of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in Northern and Eastern Mindanao, led the awarding of the more than 849 million hectares of land in the Libertad, Minongan and Mahayag areas.
She said the clan has been through a lot since they started to claim their ancestral domain in 2016.
During the awarding ceremony Monday, Pareja urged the entire clan to remain united and to uphold their customary laws.
“Dili ta mag abusar. Dili nato himoon atong titulo nga maka abusar ta sa uban,” Pareja reminded.
Datu Intonas Leo Largo, the head claimant, said their journey to claim their ancestral land was never easy.
He said they started to claim their ancestral domain in 2016 and went through a fair process.
“Ang akong pangandoy makapuyo ug balik ang akong mga ig-agaw sa among yutang kabilin,” he said.
Some of Intonas’ relatives still have no land, and others have sheltered themselves in caves in Quezon.
Meanwhile, Engineer Chona Labaan, chief of the Technical Management and Services Division (TMSD), reminded the clan not to sell their land.
“Ga hope mi nga unta dili mabaligya,” Labaan said.
The Matigsarawahan are Manobos who live beside the Sarawahan River in Quezon, Bukidnon.
The land title will benefit more than 600 individuals.
