Ayala Resort in El Nido Urged to Halt Operations Amidst Ancestral Land Dispute

The assistance of the Philippine National Police (PNP) is being sought by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in Palawan for the suspension of Ayala Land subsidiary Ten Knots Philippines Inc.’s (TKPI) operations in El Nido. A cease and desist order had already been secured by the Tagbanua Tandulanen tribes — which was issued to TKPI earlier on March 7, but it was only served on May 5.

“We wish to warn the public that there is an ongoing process on the subdivided lots being sold by TKPI. It would be best that the public wait for the termination of this process for their protection,” noted Apo Rogelio Manlavi, who spoke on behalf of the tribe. “We thank the NCIP and the local police for their understanding and cooperation, and we hope that this matter would be resolved soon with a view to preserving the ancestral lands of our forefathers for the benefit of future generations of our people.”

“Development benefits from business proponents should never be at the expense of our cultural heritage and identity,” Manlavi added. The Tagbanuwa Tandulanen indigenous people’s community has questioned TKPI’s operations, such as those involving its Lio Tourism Estate and El Nido Cove Resort, particularly because these are allegedly covered by ancestral domains.

“TKPI was issued a Certificate of Non-Overlap by the NCIP stating that the initial phases of its Lio Estate project are not part of any ancestral domain,” the company said in response. It has, likewise, engaged with the NCIP and submitted the necessary documents to abate the issue at hand.

“TKPI has been in El Nido for 43 years, delivering distinct experiences to its guests that have paved the way for responsible tourism as the brand of Palawan. TKPI’s recent real estate offerings are also the benchmark for sustainable estates in the country,” it furthered. “TKPI has been recognized repeatedly for strong partnerships with its host communities over all those decades. We hope that this unfortunate event will not diminish the value that TKPI has been bringing to the municipality of El Nido and the province of Palawan.”

Tagbanuwa tribe chief Maharani Apo Remedios Cabate-Cabral, however, insisted that their “elders from the Tagbanua Tandulanen IP merely want what is due to our people—the right to be recognized as the guardian and custodian for future generations of our ancestral lands.”

Source: BusinessMirror