Last Feb. 8, the Menuvu Association led by its head Datu Ampuan Sulda declared the area as “Idsesengilaha” following a nine-day ritual of prayers, chants and dances which climaxed on the full moon last Wednesday.
“Idsesengilaha” is a native word which means “sacred place” or in the current context of environmentalism, an indigenous community conserved area or ICCA.
With the declaration, Datu Ampuan stressed that the area — which the tribe has been protecting for the longest time — is now recognized by other stakeholders as a place under strict protection, requiring anyone wishing to enter the area to get permission from the Menuvu Council of Elders.
As practiced, the council calls for a ritual or ceremony to be performed prior to giving its approval.
The newly-declared ICCA spans some 4,000 hectares within the 15,000-hectare ancestral domain of the Menuvu, one of Bukidnon’s seven ethnic tribes. It is located in the uplands of Mt. Kalatungan, the country’s sixth highest peak at 2,300 meters above sea level.
Teh assured the local community of DENR’s commitment to support the ICCA as a traditional conservation model that will be replicated, shared and strengthened through the New Conservation Areas in the Philippines Project (NewCAPP) being implemented by the agency through the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB).
UNDP Country Director Renaud Meyer said the key to the success of the ICCA is hinged on three factors, namely, good partnership between the indigenous community and the local government unit, the cooperation and support of the community, and the commitment of the people working with the project.
Source: Manila Bulletin
Mar 04, 2012 @ 02:20:54
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