DESCRIPTION OF THE ANCESTRAL DOMAIN

PHYSICAL SETTING

LOCATION
The Subanens predominantly live in Zamboanga Peninsula. According to the political division,
the Peninsula is composed of five units: Misamis Occidental along Iligan Bay Coast, Zamboanga
del Norte along Sulu sea, Zamboanga del Sur along Illana Bay Coast, Zamboanga-Sibugay along
Sibugay Bay Coast, and Zamboanga City located in the southern tip. The Zamboanga peninsula is
connected in the northern part of Mindanao. The said peninsula looks like a finger pointing
downwards to the Sulu archipelago and the Borneo island (Paguntalan: 2002).

The MATALBA-Carmen ancestral domain of Jimenez is located within the 3 barangays of

Matugas Alto, Matugas Bajo, and Carmen. Sitio Aquino, Carmen occupies a large portion of the
ancestral domain. Other parts of the AD include Sitios Palayan and Vidupi, Matugas Alto. The
Municipality of Jimenez is around 18 kilometers south from Oroquieta City, the capital of Misamis
Occidental, and around 20 kilometers north from Ozamiz City. Jimenez has around 24 barangays.

From the town center of Jimenez, MATALBA-Carmen AD is located in the uppermost part of the
municipality near the foot of Mt. Malindang, a Natural Park. It is about fourteen kilometres from
the town center. MATALBA-Carmen AD is geographically bounded on the north by the Sumasap
River, on the south by the municipality of Sinacaban, on the east by Barangays Malibacsan and
Mialen, and on the west by a forest cover.

Matugas Alto and Matugas Bajo are adjacent barangays; Carmen is the farthest barangay of the
AD. A circumferential road, about 32 kilometers long, cuts through Matugas Bajo and Matugas
Alto. Another road leads to Carmen, which is an hour and twenty-five minutes ride from the
Poblacion.

The MATALBA-Carmen ancestral domain is part of CADC 084. The original barangays included
in the claim were two sitios of Matugas Alto, and Sitio Aquino in Carmen. At present, the AD
claim was expanded to include the areas of Matugas Bajo where the Subanen are currently very
active in ancestral domain related activities. New survey conducted by the NCIP concludes that
the present claim is around 4,714.5966 hectares. Now, the MATALBA-Carmen AD is comprise
of 19 sitios within the barangays of Matugas Alto, Matugas Bajo, and Carmen.
 LAND AREA

The Municipality of Jimenez has a total land area of 19,950 hectares, of which 10,939 (54.83%)
is alienable and disposable, 5,068 (25.40%) is timberland, and 3,943 (19.76%) is unclassified
public land.

Based on the CARCDP and on municipal data, the ARC occupies a land area of 4,170 hectares,
distributed as follows: Matugas Alto 1,750 hectares; Matugas Bajo 900 hectares, and Carmen
1,500 hectares.

Jimenez AD is covered by CADC 084, which was filed with the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources in 1995 pursuant to DENR Administrative Order No. 2, series of 1993. The
original barangays included in the claim were two sitios of Matugas Alto, and Sitio Aquino,
Carmen. This has presently been expanded to include areas of Matugas Bajo where the Subanen
are currently very active in activities related to the AD claim.

TOPOGRAPHY

Feet above sea level. The ancestral domain can be categorized as strongly rolling, hilly, to
mountainous. The vegetative cover of the ancestral domain is composed of primary and secondary
growth forest areas, cogonal areas, and agricultural areas that are planted mainly to coconut trees.
Also, twenty-five percent of the ancestral domain area is included in the Strict Protection Zone of
the Mt. Malindang Nature Park.

The AD has two types of soil: mountain soil and the Adtuyon series. Mountain soil, which is found
in Mount Malindang, is present in seventy-five percent (75%) of the AD, specifically areas of
Barangays Carmen and Matugas Alto. The Adtuyon series covers about twenty-five percent (25%)
of the remaining land area of the AD and can be found mainly in the eastern portion of Barangays
Matugas Alto and Carmen, and in the whole area of Barangay Matugas Bajo.

Three (3) rivers (Malibacsan, Palilan and Sumasap) and one (1) creek pass along the ancestral
domain. The AD has waterfalls, one of which (Kalutongan Falls) is a potential eco-tour destination.
This waterfall is in Barangay Carmen. Other water systems are the following springs and creeks:
Calutongan, Riyana, Salimpuno, Batongcol, Panubigan, Salno and Pating. The Calutongan,
Riyana and Salimpuno creeks originate from the Palilan, and are the sources of irrigation for the
agricultural (wet rice farming) areas in the plains of Jimenez.
 CLIMATE

The climate of the area can be characterized by evenly distributed rainfall throughout the year.
Rains start in May, and may run up to December, when flood/typhoon season starts until January.
The wet months are June to August; the dry months are March and April. The average monthly
rainfall is 60 millimeters. The coldest month is December, the hottest is March. The recorded
monthly average for relative humidity is at 93.1; temperature ranges within 28.8-35.4 degrees
Celcius.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Forest Resources
In 1971 Republic Act (RA) 6266 declared 53,262 hectares of the Mt. Malindang Range a national
park and watershed reservation of which 45,000 hectares was still forested, and the rest already
opened and cultivated. Pursuant to the law on the National Integrated Protected Area System
(NIPAS), the Mt. Malindang Range was declared a protected area (PA) and its peripheral areas as
a buffer zone. Protected areas are established to protect biodiversity. The PAs population in
Subanen, or those with Subanen lineage. The proportion of immigrant settlers, however, continues
to increase.

Logging was introduced in the 1960s by an American concessionaire, Nesbet. Enterprising

Visayans also engaged in lumber poaching, and eventually lumber trading. Many Subanen areas
in the buffer zone are logged over areas that have been converted into agricultural lands and
settlements.

Lumber presents economic potential, with hardwood currently selling at P4.00 per board fee in
Matugas Alto. In the AD area, however, trees can only be cut, and lumbered transported, with
permission from the barangay. As a means of conserving forest resources, cut trees are
immediately replaced in Barangay Matugas Alto, alongside regular reforestation activities. In
Barangay Carmen, the planting of commercial forest species, such as mahogany, acacia, falcate,
balan, gmelina, and narra is being undertaken.

Timber Resources
A listing of plant species found in the ancestral domain has been included in the Jimenez ADMP.
Some of these floras can be seen in the agricultural areas of the AD. These plants are listed in
Table 12, Annex A.
Non-Timber Resources
The ancestral domain is rich in flora and fauna variety of trees large and straight-trunked
evergreens, igem and almaciga grow in the lower parts of the forests, while dwarf and crooked
stem trees crowd the mossy forest found in the mountains upper parts. The rare and endangered
Philippine eagle, flying lemur, deer, tarsier, and hornbills live in the Park. Other significant species
found there include mammals such as the Philippine Deer, wild pig, long-tailed macaque, palm
civet, and civet cat. The Park is likewise home to six kinds of amphibians, three kinds reptiles,
sixty-seven kinds of birds, and twenty-five kinds of mammals that are endemic to the place.
Various types of flora and fauna found within the ancestral domain were listed down done during
the recent ADSDPP survey.

LAND USE

Agricultural Lands
The main products in the AD barangays are coconut, corn, and bananas. The CARCDP states that
2,100 hectares of land within the AD are devoted to coconut farming. Coconut is a year-round
crop that is harvested every three months, usually in January, April, July, and October.

Inland Water Resources

Three (3) rivers (Malibacsan, Palilan and Sumasap) pass along the AD barangays. Barangay
Carmen has a scenic waterfall the Kalutongan Falls. The AD has a number of springs that supply
potable water to the AD and adjacent barangays.
A listing of inland water resources has been drawn up during the ADSDPP survey in 2006. These
water resources are listed in Table 7, Annex A.
MATALBA-Carmen AD also has various social service infrastructures with regards to water.
These include reservoirs, intake boxes, and water tanks.

Coastal Area and/or Water Easement

No coastal area or water easement is found in the area.

Mineral Resources
No mineral resources are found in the area.
Environmentally Critical Areas
The Subanen in MATALBA-Carmen AD envision a sustainable environment for the next
generations to come. They want the rivers and waters to return to their pristine condition, and for
fishes to be plentiful once more. They want logging to stop because of soil erosion and depletion.
They also want to conserve their remaining forests and the flora and fauna that it sustains.

The AD is situated in Mt. Malindang, which is among the Philippines top 18 important
biodiversity conservation areas. Forest areas in Barangays Carmen and Matugas Alto are in a
critical state because of small-scale kaingin operations. There are ongoing reforestation activities
to address this problem, and prevent further soil destruction/erosion and forest denudation.

In the workshop on the past, present and future of the IP community, participants described the
AD as a picture of abundance and security before the trees were cut down. With the destruction
of the forest cover, rivers and springs became polluted and eventually dried up; people began to
starve as valuable life-sustaining resources became more and more scarce.

Watershed Protection
Among the three AD barangays, only Barangay Carmen has a watershed area that is located in
Sitio Aquino. The Palilan River watershed, the main source of potable water for the whole
municipality of Jimenez, is vital to the municipalitys sustainability. It has a total watershed land
area of 3,000 hectares. Aside from its agricultural and domestic uses, the watershed promotes
continuous crop production in upland areas.

In the discussion on the development framework of MATALBA-Carmen AD, the protection of

the watershed was emphasized. Taking care of the watershed was akin to taking care of the source
of life water.

The watershed in Sitio Aquino covers an approximately 1,125 hectares and lies within a protected
area. Within its confines are endangered fauna, known locally as laton, bakan, bangkal, dapaup,
alangilan, and hihagdong. Parts of the watershed have been put to economic use by IPs and non-
IPs alike. The immediate threat to the watershed is the erosion that may arise from conversion of
watershed areas into kaingins, illegal small-scale logging, and conversion of areas into palm tree
plantations.
Mt. Malindang National Park is a declared Protected Area, by virtue of R.A. 6266 dated 19 June
1917. It covers a land area of 53,262 hectares, and has a conservation priority level of Extremely
Highly Urgent.

Sanctuaries
There are two natural bird sanctuaries in Carmen: one in Purok 1 and another in Purok 7. The
sanctuary in Purok 1 is in an area that is occupied by Visayans, who use the birds nests as food
and medicine.