AYTA DAY 2026: The Self-Determination of Aytas Against Development Aggression
- 18 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Climate Change Network for Community-based Initiatives (CCNCI) stood in solidarity with over 600 Aytas from 10 different communities across Pampanga and Zambales who convened in Rabanes Barangay Hall at San Marcelino in celebration of Ayta Day 2026 held simultaneously in observance of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (IDWIP).
The event is organized by the local Ayta organization Mansaway along with PAMILALAMU-Church and Ayta Partnership in Central Luzon, and KATRIBU Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas. Originally, the event was set to be held in Mt. Bagang which is the communal place for Aytas in San Marcelino and serves as the center for all its bordering communities. However, despite the inclement weather, the festivities had to be relocated but proceeded due to the determination of the indigenous communities.
Mansaway coordinator Rica Torres states that Ayta communities in the region are currently facing threats to their ancestral land with the event emphasizing the immediate need to amplify their campaign in the defense of their land, livelihoods, and rights. At present, San Marcelino is facing renewed threats of large scale mining operations. Dizon Copper-Silver Mines, Inc. (DCSMI) is a mining firm that holds over 57 mineral claims spanning across 513 hectares in Barangay Buhawen, San Marcelino Zambales.
DCSMI halted its operations in 1997 due to strong typhoons that caused massive landslides that destroyed the mining infrastructure. However, according to locals, the mining firm has slowly been passing permits in order to renew its claim of operations. Furthermore, previous reports have confirmed that mining operations in Zambales have been responsible for pollutants in key bodies of water as well as the root cause for the widening environmental degradation and deforestation in the area.
On another note, the construction of the SanMar Solar, a 585MW solar farm spanning 500 hectares in Zambales, has also led to the displacement of local Ayta farmers. Accounts from the indigenous communities have expressed that the 500 hectares of land that houses the solar farm was previously utilized by the locals for agricultural production which sustains their livelihoods as well as serves as sustenance for their communities.
The Marcos Jr. Administration’s priorities in bolstering the country’s renewable energy portfolio has also led to the entry of more destructive renewable energy projects. The Northern Sun Radiance Inc. (NSRI) has announced their plans to construct an 188.6 megawatt floating solar power plant in Mapanuepe Lake in Zambales province with its construction beginning in the third quarter of 2026.
Local indigenous communities have raised concerns with the construction of the aforementioned project, stating that it will impact their livelihoods with fishing being one of their main sources of sustenance. Furthermore, it will also affect their trade routes as a portion of the project will be built on a river that they cross to sell their products.
In concluding the event, all the delegates gathered in solidarity to register their declaration of unity in advancing the struggle for the defense of the ancestral land, rights, culture, and the right to self-determination of Ayta communities. According to the statement of Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas, the declaration consolidates and unites the collective response of indigenous communities against destructive projects, amplifying further efforts against the exploitation of ancestral land and heightens its defense as the land of indigenous people must not be extracted in the name of corporate profit.
𝐋𝐔𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐍𝐎, 𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐍, 𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐍, 𝐈𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐍!
Comments