By Jonas Reyes
Subic Bay Freeport — The National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) awarded the Magbukun Ayta Tribe of Sitio Kanawan their claim over their ancestral domain in Morong town earlier this month.
The 12,000 hectares of land was awarded to the Ayta tribe after three hearings were conducted by the seven NCIP commissioner – Chairperson Leonor T. Oralde-Quintayo, Basilio Wandag, Norberto Navarro, Ramcy Astoveza, Dominador Gomez, Boi Era España, and Roy Dabuit.
The agency met with the tribal council of the Magbukun at the Subic Park Hotel to deliberate the latter’s long-standing application for a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT), which would formally recognize the rights of the indigenous community over their ancestral land that is still part of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
According to Rodelio Tamundog, tribal chieftain of the Magbukuns, they started applying for a CADT way back in 2004.