Aeta aid group named AWKP beneficiary amid Pax Silica fears

MANILA, Philippines — A volunteer group working with Aeta communities in Capas, Tarlac, where Indigenous peoples fear displacement because of the planned construction of a data center, has become a beneficiary of the video podcast by award-winning directors Antoinette Jadaone and JP Habac.

The two film directors announced in the latest episode of Ang Walang Kwentang Podcast (AWKP) that Liwanag at Dunong was selected as one of the video podcast’s beneficiaries for August.

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Liwanag at Dunong, a nongovernmental organization, describes its mission as empowering communities “through solidarity, not charity.” It works with Indigenous communities, including the Aetas of Sitio Kalangitan in Capas, helping strengthen their capacities while advocating for the protection of their rights, culture and identity.

Jadaone said the selection came at a significant time as discussions continued over the proposed Pax Silica technology hub in Tarlac.

“Napapanahon ito ngayong planong itayo sa Tarlac ang Pax Silica hub dahil walang totoong progress kung hindi kasama at [hindi] pinakikinggan ang mga katutubo,” she said.

(This is especially relevant as plans move forward for the Pax Silica hub in Tarlac because there can be no genuine progress if Indigenous peoples are excluded and their voices are not heard.)

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Scouts Against Sexual Harassment and Abuse (Sasha) was also named an AWKP beneficiary for August.

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Liwanag at Dunong is the latest addition to a growing roster of nongovernmental organizations supported by AWKP through proceeds from subscriptions and views.

Last month, the Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights was the video podcast’s beneficiary, while Pride PH received support in June in celebration of Pride Month.

Beyond funding advocacy groups, AWKP and its subscribers have financed the renovation of a classroom at Batong Lusong Elementary School in Nueva Ecija and continue to provide scholarships to selected students.

The spotlight on Liwanag at Dunong comes as debate continues over Pax Silica, a proposed 1,619-hectare semiconductor and artificial intelligence hub in New Clark City backed by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and prospective investors from the United States, Japan and South Korea.

READ: Pax Silica cheers and fears

The BCDA has maintained that no Aeta ancestral domain covered by certificates of ancestral domain title will be used for the project.

Still, concerns persist over the hub’s potential environmental impact and the possible displacement of Indigenous peoples and farming communities.

Liwanag at Dunong emphasized what is at stake for Indigenous communities.

“For Indigenous Peoples, the land is not just where they live, it is life itself,” it said. “It is where generations of Indigenous communities have cultivated food, built their homes, practiced their culture, and nurtured a way of life rooted in living with, not against, nature.”

The organization warned that the lands sustaining these communities continue to face threats from what it described as development projects and technological expansion.

“Behind every displaced community lies not just the loss of a home, but the destruction of life, culture, and the future that Indigenous children deserve to inherit,” Liwanag at Dunong said.

“That’s why now, more than ever, we need to stand in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples as they continue to defend their ancestral lands and their right to self-determination,” it added. /dm