Layout by: Carla Supisa
Published by: Kyla Shane Recullo
Date Published: July 17, 2026
Time Published: 4:06 PM
An Aeta community in Sitio Tibag, Barangay Naugsol, Subic, Zambales has expressed grief and frustration after a forest within their ancestral domain was converted into a dumpsite by the local government.
According to Kara David's i-Witness documentary Ibinasurang Paraiso, the Subic local government established a temporary dumpsite in the area in 2019.
The Aeta residents initially welcomed the road construction, believing it would improve transportation. However, garbage trucks carrying household and medical waste soon began dumping trash near their homes.
The dumpsite caused severe environmental damage over the following years. The community reported foul odors, an increase in flies, contaminated water sources, and the displacement of several families.
The once-pristine forest and brook that served as their source of water and livelihood were heavily affected.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) discovered the illegal dumpsite in January 2022 and ordered its closure and rehabilitation for violating the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
Despite the order, dumping operations only ceased in October 2025 after repeated complaints from the Aeta community. In March 2026, the DENR issued a Cease and Desist Order directing the local government to rehabilitate the area.
Following the airing of the documentary in July 2026, cleanup operations began, with waste being transported to an authorized sanitary landfill.
The Subic LGU said it would rehabilitate the area at an estimated cost of around ₱78 million, while maintaining that the site was not inhabited when the temporary dumpsite was established; the DENR confirmed that a rehabilitation plan had already been approved.
The Aeta community continues to call for the full restoration of their ancestral land, hoping future generations will once again inherit a clean and healthy environment.
REFERENCES :
GMA News. ( 2026, July 14.) | Subic LGU starts cleanup of dumpsite in Aeta ancestral land; claims it was not inhabited https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/994853/subic-aeta-trash-zambales/story/?fbclid=IwdGRjcATDyNFjbGNrBMPIyWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHmiLYo1zLAEMVTUAdWyMraGK26nZgk9oidv-oe5qwrHY3S2MJhtsv4YqLLwA_aem_xI4yIJIgELKRTVpa1lKJbw
GMA News (2026, July 14.) | In Zambales, a community of Aetas decries a dumpsite built in the middle of a forest https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/content/994704/in-zambales-a-community-of-aetas-decries-a-dumpsite-built-in-the-middle-of-a-forest/story
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