Environmental advocates and Aeta community leaders are raising concerns over land clearing for a proposed economic security zone in New Clark City, alleging that development activities have reached ancestral lands, farms, water sources, and traditional burial grounds.
The concerns followed a solidarity mission on October 24 to Sitios Manabayukan and Binyayan in Barangay O'Donnell, organized by the Network Opposed to Pax Silica (NO to Pax Silica).
The proposed zone is part of the US-led Pax Silica initiative, which aims to strengthen supply chains for semiconductors and other critical technologies.
Groups Report Land Conversion, Burial Ground Concerns
More than 50 environmentalists, scientists, engineers, youth representatives, and other sectoral groups joined the visit to document what they described as the project's effects on Aeta and farming communities.
The network alleged that land clearing and earth-moving activities were contributing to displacement, land conversion, and threats to local ecosystems.
In Sitio Binyayan, participants visited burial grounds that the group claimed had been removed or converted without the community's consent. The allegations had not been independently verified as of October 26.
Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment national coordinator Cathleen de Guzman warned that land conversion could damage biodiversity and affect nearby communities.
Engineer J.A. Montalban of Pro-People Engineers and Leaders said rivers and streams visited by the group remained visibly clean but were important sources of water for domestic use and recreation.
Aeta Leaders Fear Loss of Ancestral Land
Aeta chieftain Orlando Gutierrez said his community has long faced displacement threats from surrounding government reservations, private developments, and the proposed industrial zone.
Ofelia Dalis, an Aeta leader in Sitio Manabayukan, said residents would continue defending their ancestral land, citing their families' longstanding ties to the area.
BCDA Proposes Housing and Farmland
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has said fewer than 50 households are expected to be affected by relocation linked to the proposed 1,619-hectare development.
BCDA president and CEO Joshua Bingcang previously described a general understanding reached with communities over relocation. The proposal includes around 50 housing units on a 10-hectare site and access to 100 hectares of alternative farmland, with housing costs estimated at P25 million to P30 million.
However, a final agreement involving the affected communities, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and the Capas local government remains necessary.
The environmental network is calling for a halt to land conversion and earth-moving until an independent environmental assessment and meaningful community consultations are conducted.
As of October 26, no BCDA response to the group's latest allegations was available.
