Dumagat tribe employed as “nature guardians” in Ecija town
GABALDON, Nueva Ecija — Members of the Indigenous People — the Dumagat tribe are designated and employed as “nature guardians” in this third-class municipality, it was learned.
Municipal mayor Jobby P. Emata said this novel idea of hiring the Dumagats to become useful members of the community started when he was then the town’s vice mayor in 2016.
Now that he is on his second term as the local chief executive, at least 30 Dumagats, six of them assigned as the tribe’s chieftains, are employed at the town hall as so-called “Bantay Kalikasan” job order workers with a pay rate of P300 per day.
Vice Mayor Victorino V. Sabino said it was a brainchild of the mayor to help the Dumagats and put into harness their skills for the sake of community-building.
“Kagandahan nito nakatulong sila bilang Bantay-Kalikasan natin, gayundin sa tree-planting activities, pati sa protection at conservation, pati din sa pagkakarpintero dito sa munisipyo,” said the vice mayor.
“Sakit sila ng ulo noon dahil sa tinatawag na kaingin system pero ngayon hindi na simula nang maging kasama natin ang kanilang mga chieftains mula sa Sitio Pagsanjan, Mabaldog, Pindangan, Caanawan, Dupinga at Pag-asa,” added Sabino.
Mayor Emata said the IPs are also well-represented in the Sangguniang Bayan with a member of the Dumagat designated as ex-officio member of the municipal council here.
