Historic pact spurs new development in Clark
AIMED at uplifting the communities surrounding the free port operated by Clark Development Corp. (CDC), a new area for development has been unlocked.
This followed a historic agreement, formalized between the Ayta Mag-Antsi indigenous cultural communities/indigenous people (ICCs/IPs) within the free port and the Philippine government.
CDC and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) were instrumental in facilitating the signing of the agreement.
After over 16 years, the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) were finalized, approved and signed, and the Land Utilization and Management Plan component of the Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan was also approved at Building 2126 of the free port on March 19.
This was an important step in the implementation of the joint management agreement (JMA), which guided development and conservation efforts for the ancestral domain of the Ayta Mag
Antsi ICCs/IPs that covered 10,323 hectares, located within the Clark Special Economic Zone.
The parties to the agreement were Agnes Devanadera, CDC president and chief executive officer; Oscar Rivera, Pinanlupuyan Mamuun ng Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title 025-A Indigenous Peoples Structure chairman; and Atanacio Addog, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples-Regional Office 3 regional director.
The JMA represented a milestone in empowering the Ayta
Mag-Antsi ICCs/IPs in Clark, ensuring sustainable development and respect for their ancestral land.
This agreement was aligned with Republic 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997, which aimed to recognize and protect the rights of ICCs/IPs.