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Mt. Prov tribes agree on water use

Boundary talks up ahead

SAGADA, Mt. Province (May 13) — The tribal conflict between the Pidlisan tribe of Sagada and the Dallik tribe of Bontoc, both of this province, is towards settlement as the conflicting tribes agreed on a Memorandum Of Agreement (MOA) that serves as a step for the settlement of conflict involving their boundary and water resource use that dates back as early 1930s.

The MOA was signed in Pidlisan on Thursday, May 12, by the barangay captains, James Doyog of Pidlisan, Beleo Domin-eng of Aguid, Nemecio Corsi of Pide, and Jose Lay-os of Bangaan, all representing the Pidlisan tribe and barangay captain Ben Lapaan and other council members of Dallik tribe, according to residents who witnessed the event.

The MOA identified ridges from Bato to Wawalitan down the ridges leading to Dallik as the boundary. The MOA failed to be adopted on Monday in Bontoc due to assertion of a different boundary. With the discussions coming to a stalemate, both sides conducted an ocular survey of the area pertaining to water resource use.

As contained in the MOA, the Pidlisan tribe granted the Dallik tribe the right to use the Toy-ob creek for domestic use including additional water for their rice fields, which, according to some observers, is enough for the Dallik community. The agreement provides, however, that Pidlisan will not grant the use of the Palikong spring as this is needed for the irrigation of their rice fields in the Matbo and Makonakon fields.

The tribes, under the MOA, have joint responsibilities to sustain and manage the area to maintain as a water source for both tribes.

“They both have the responsibility to plant trees in the area,” added a Sagada policeman who witnessed the signing.

Earlier effort to settle conflict

On Monday, May 9, the Pidlisan and Dallik tribes met at the Multi-purpose building in Bontoc to sign the document of an earlier agreement. The same agreement cites the ridges as boundary and the Pidlisan grant over the use of the water of the Toy-ob creek for the Dallik tribe.

The signing turned out instead as a discussion when Pidlisan elders alleged that Dallik Brgy Capt. Ben Lapaan sought the intervention of Bontoc Mayor Alfonso Kiat-ong in the discussion.

“We are supposed to have our agreement notarized (to end the conflict). Why the intervention?,” Pidlisan Barangay Captain James Lay-os claimed in the dialogue.

In the dialogue, Dallik tribesmen proposed that the boundary will be the Amlusong creek if they (Pidlisan) will not grant the use of the Palikong creek. They also claimed that they just agreed on the ridges as the boundary because Pidlisan allegedly “hostaged” two Dallik tribal members but released them afterwards before thedialogue in Bontoc.

In the dialogue, the Bontoc municipal government tended to support the view that boundary is the Amlusong creek which originates from the Bumod-ok Falls from Pidlisan down to Amlusong, joining the Chico River in Dantay, Bontok. There are rice fields and other properties of Sagada villages located in the areas from the creek to the ridges, Pidlisan elders claim.

The discussions ended in a stalemate, hence, the Provincial Legal Officer, who is among the moderators, suggested that an ocular inspection on the contested area with three representatives from each tribe and with the company of Bontoc policemen, be conducted on the next day, Tuesday.

The earlier agreement which is the most acceptable and in fact favorable to Dallik community, was still upheld, an observer quipped.

History of the conflict

A Pidlisan elder disclosed that the conflict dates back in the 1930s. The causes are traceable to their boundaries and resource use. It has been going on since then where its worst effect was felt in 1999 when tribal war led to casualties in both tribes.

Observers claim that the Pidlisan tribe lay low in tribal war sometime after the World War II but were forced to re-adopt it in late 1999. They were able to assert their warfare capability as an “underdog” in that conflict.

The Sagada and Bontoc municipalities of this province have unsettled municipal boundary disputes. Sagada agrees with Pidlisan’s claims that the ridges are the boundary while Bontoc asserts Amlusong creek as the boundary.

Fast tract conflict resolution?

Elders and officials from both sides claimed however that they are tired of the conflict.

“In fact, we proposed workable solutions such as the ridges as boundary and the water resource use,” added Pidlisan Brgy. Capt. Doyog in the Bontoc consultation.

NORDIS learned from an interview with a Pidlisan elder that intermarriages from both sides is among the reasons for the urgent resolution of the conflict. There were four Dallik gentlemen who got married to Pidlisan ladies as to latest recall, he added. # Arthur L. Allad-iw for NORDIS

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