The incident highlighted the Lumads’ long-standing concerns pertaining to their ancestral domain.

CAGAYAN DE ORO — Leaders of a Higaonon tribe expressed outrage after several of their members were barred by a private company from passing through a public road in Barangay Cugman, Cagayan de Oro. With this prohibition, the Lumads were forced through a thick forest in order to reach their homes from buying food and school supplies for their children.

The incident highlighted the Lumads’ long-standing concerns pertaining to their ancestral domain.

Private firm Emmanuel Pelaez Ranch Incorporated (EPRI) installed controlled entry gates, disallowing the entrance of individuals who were not renewed as their social cultivators. The area is under the Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA) awarded to the company by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in 1995.

Video from Vaicar Mayake

The IFMA, a 25-year production-sharing contract awarded to EPRI, allows the private firm to conduct developmental and forest protection activities, including harvesting of agricultural crops. The agreement initially covered 1,900 hectares of forestland in barangays FS Catanico and Cugman, and barangays Kinawe and Gango in Libona, Bukidnon.

The said agreement expired in 2020. 

Vaicar Mayake, a Higaonon and spokesperson of Sinunop Ancestral Domain in Barangay FS Catanico in this city, retorted why they need passes to cultivate their own land.

The affected Lumads asked the people manning a controlled gate that was established along a road in Mapawa, Barangay Cugman, leading to Sitio Camansi, Barangay FS Catanico, to allow their entry, as the road is owned by the government.

Mayake told Bulatlat in an interview that at least 38 families nearby are affected by this policy of the private company. 

No to renewal

Mayake asserted that part of the area covered by the expired IFMA is on their ancestral land, questioning the DENR decision allowing EPRI to continue its control through an issuance of a hold-over status.

“It specified in the [document granting] hold-over status that they must visit the tribe for the FPIC [Free and Prior Informed Consent], but they did not do that,” he said in vernacular.

Based on a document obtained by Bulatlat, there was an ongoing application for a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) filed by TACATCU Unified Ancestral Domain before the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) covering 5,000 hectares. TACATCU is the collective name of the Higaonons’ ancestral lands in barangays Tablon, FS Catanico, and Cugman in Cagayan de Oro.

Lumads in these areas, Mayake said, have already informed concerned government agencies that they no longer want the agreement to be renewed.

When asked why a part of their ancestral land fell under IFMA, Reynerio “Datu Tulogan” Mayake, tribal chieftain of Sinunop Ancestral Domain, said in an interview with Juander Radio that the lack of awareness of their ancestors was taken advantage of.

In a memorandum issued by the Office of the Undersecretary for Field Operations and Environment in February 2021, the office directed DENR Region 10 to inform EPRI to maintain a hold-over status of the area, and shall act as the de facto manager while the renewal application is in process.

The area covered, however, was reduced to 1,818 hectares, as the subtracted area would be used for Barangay Gango’s Minahan ng Bayan.

The same memorandum stated that EPRI has yet to comply with the appropriate clearance from NCIP and endorsement from the local government of Cagayan de Oro. 

Section 59 of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) clearly states, “All departments and other governmental agencies shall henceforth be strictly enjoined from issuing, renewing, or granting any concession, license, or lease, or entering into any production-sharing agreement, without prior certification from the NCIP.…” 

The same provision further stated that NCIP cannot issue such certification without securing FPIC from concerned IP communities.

Based on the DENR memorandum, the hold-over status was granted to the private firm under the justification of the “ongoing rationalization and streamlining of processes and promotion of more private investment in forestry development projects.”

It added that the hold-over status is enforced until the company gets the NCIP clearance.

Marie Louise Bambontin, EPRI property manager, claimed that they have not received any response from NCIP up to this writing despite repeated communications.

In June 2025, in consideration of the February 2021 memorandum, DENR Region 10 granted EPRI’s request to install controlled entry gates, which aims to prevent unauthorized access.

Gov’t urged for action

Mayake said they are planning to file another petition to cancel the hold-over status granted by DENR. 

On February 2, members of the concerned Higaonon tribe went to Cagayan de Oro City Hall to have a dialogue with the mayor, prompting several officials of the local government to also visit the controlled gates and had a discussion with EPRI.

If this continues, Datu Tulogan expressed concerns that conflict might escalate. (RTS, RVO)