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In light of the ongoing struggles of Indigenous Peoples and farmers in New Clark City, CMN-PH launches COUNTER-NCC, a social media campaign using infographics and maps to counter the propaganda of the government, implementer, and private partners regarding the project.
The acclaimed “New Clark City” is a planned city located 100km north of Manila in Capas, Tarlac. Its head developer, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), takes pride in it as they describe it to be a “city for the people” -
characterized by inclusivity, equality, and economic success.
However, the construction of the 9,450-hectare planned city is concerned by the grievances of affected people, particularly Aeta communities, who were displaced in the process and are continually facing threats of eviction from the developers.
For this Counter-NCC release, we will show some pronouncements of BCDA regarding these cases of displacement and present counter-arguments based on our field research and interviews from affected people on the ground.
Sources:
BCDA. (2019, December 5). Statement Re: Seven-day Notice to Evacuate. Retrieved April 8, 2020, from https://bcda.gov.ph/statement-re-seven-day-notice-evacuate
BCDA. (2019, July 15). New Clark City project hires more than 300 Aeta workers. Retrieved from https://bcda.gov.ph/new-clark-city-project-hires-more-300-aeta-workers
BCDA. (2019, December 5). Statement Re: Seven-day Notice to Evacuate. Retrieved April 8, 2020, from https://bcda.gov.ph/statement-re-seven-day-notice-evacuate
BCDA. (2019, July 15). New Clark City project hires more than 300 Aeta workers. Retrieved from https://bcda.gov.ph/new-clark-city-project-hires-more-300-aeta-workers
Based on the data from Countermapping New Clark City Phase 1 and Phase 2, there are sitios or villages located within and near the boundaries of New Clark City.
Sitio Sapang Kawayan is an Aeta community whose ancestral lands lie within the planned city but are not formally recognized by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) for some reasons which will be elaborated in the other part of this thread.
On the southern part of the map, areas covered by the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) are the ancestral lands formally recognized by NCIP.
Despite the existence of CADT, the Aeta communities fear the destruction of their lands because of the impending construction of a connecting road which will link New Clark City and the Clark International Airport located in Pampanga, south of Capas.
Due to limitations, there are still Aeta communities such as Sitio Bagingan and Sitio Mataba whose locations have not yet been documented by the researchers.
