62 Papa and Ayta Mag-indi Community
eat bats, reported to be the origin of the virus that first spread in China. The Ayta
Mag-indi felt the impact of this discrimination whenever they are in the lowland
areas as non-Aytas openly avoid having close contact with them. On the other hand,
they too also have reservations in making contact with outsiders as they believe
they are more prone to the infection, which they do not want to carry back to their
community.
They realize, however, that these tendencies towards ethnic and social divides will
not be constructive neither to them nor to the unats. Hence, in the Barangay Council
of Camias, they have adopted an inclusive approach to governance by inviting not
only the Ayta leaders but other organizations and institutions they have worked with
over the years in the process of policy and decision making. These include the church,
non-government organizations, and representatives of local government institutions,
such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the
Department of Education (DepEd).
In the case of Katutubo Village, however, despite the existence of a Tribal
Council—an institution recognized by law through the Indigenous People’s Rights
Act of 1997 (IPRA)—they cannot enjoy the same approach of governance. Being the
minority within the barangay, other interests of the IP population are least prioritized
if not altogether ignored or taken for granted, as shown in the cases discussed above.
On community quarantine, lockdown, and social distancing
The Ayta Mag-indi community members expressed discomfort over the idea of a
“lockdown,” as the concept is totally strange to them. To illustrate, their homes do
not have locks on their doors; some homes do not even have doors. This, they say, is
because they live in a community where they trust one another and are ready to come
to the aid of another when help is called for.
Hence, instead of adopting the idea of lockdown and social distancing, they
uphold the principles of solidarity and looking after one another. They do this by
constantly engaging in discussions—sharing new information they have gathered to
everyone and collectively assessing the needs of their community towards efforts to
address them despite their limited resources.
Part of caring for their own is the initiative of the youth leaders to volunteer
duties in the checkpoints. This ensured that the Ayta Mag-indi are treated fairly and
with respect. As such, the community did not suffer maltreatment (e.g., unreasonable
detention, public shaming and ridicule, etc.) from health protocol enforcers as widely
reported in both mainstream and alternative media platforms.
Back to the safety of their ancestral domain
Many Ayta Mag-indi families have decided to retreat to the mountains (“umatras sa
bundok,” as they would say) believing that it is a safer place for them and because they
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