0:00:01.268,0:00:03.158 - Everything around you is alive. 0:00:04.988,0:00:06.343 We live in a world [br]where the palette 0:00:06.343,0:00:08.838 is overwhelmingly gray on blue. 0:00:09.191,0:00:11.748 If you're lucky, you get [br]a sporadic smudge of green. 0:00:12.979,0:00:14.915 Here, you can see [br]the world breathe. 0:00:16.932,0:00:20.708 Highways are replaced by streams, [br]cars by canoes. 0:00:20.890,0:00:23.308 Your eyes think that [br]you're surrounded by land, 0:00:23.308,0:00:24.099 but it's a trick. 0:00:24.099,0:00:26.137 Underneath the growth, [br]more water, 0:00:26.137,0:00:27.640 a quiet resistance. 0:00:28.179,0:00:31.505 You follow one path today, [br]and by tomorrow it's gone. 0:00:32.329,0:00:33.869 There is no place [br]in the Philippines 0:00:33.869,0:00:36.706 that carries more mystery[br]than the Agusan Marsh. 0:00:37.059,0:00:40.295 Some people see these wetlands [br]merely as ecosystems 0:00:40.295,0:00:42.889 and important biodiverse areas. 0:00:43.389,0:00:45.978 Others see them [br]as big bags of cash, 0:00:45.981,0:00:49.273 land to be turned [br]into highly efficient farms, 0:00:49.501,0:00:52.047 but a few people see them [br]as a home. 0:00:53.738,0:00:55.866 And this is their story. 0:01:03.364,0:01:05.929 The Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary [br]stretches across 0:01:05.929,0:01:08.481 40,000-plus hectares [br]of wetlands, 0:01:08.481,0:01:10.657 roughly the size of Manila. 0:01:10.657,0:01:12.778 It's one of the biggest [br]in Southeast Asia 0:01:12.790,0:01:15.321 and one of the most vital [br]in the Philippines. 0:01:15.597,0:01:19.569 A Ramsar Site, globally recognized [br]but barely talked about. 0:01:20.040,0:01:24.179 It's all interconnected by lakes, [br]rivers, marshes, and ponds. 0:01:25.016,0:01:27.935 It acts like a giant sponge [br]during typhoon season, 0:01:27.935,0:01:31.593 absorbing floodwaters [br]for the entire Agusan River Basin. 0:01:31.593,0:01:33.488 Without it, who knows [br]what would happen 0:01:33.488,0:01:35.287 to neighboring towns like Butuan? 0:01:35.846,0:01:38.435 It's home to rare birds, [br]floating villages, 0:01:38.435,0:01:41.122 and indigenous communities [br]who've learned to live 0:01:41.122,0:01:43.423 with the rise [br]and fall of the water. 0:01:44.388,0:01:45.556 But it's under threats. 0:01:46.698,0:01:50.422 Pollution and climate change [br]are slowly choking it. 0:01:55.023,0:01:58.877 - Life cannot simply exist [br]without the Agusan Marsh. 0:02:02.376,0:02:05.494 The marsh protects everything here. 0:02:08.169,0:02:10.107 When you talk [br]of the Agusan Marsh, 0:02:10.107,0:02:12.915 you got to take into account [br]the bigger picture 0:02:12.915,0:02:14.957 of the Agusan River Basin. 0:02:15.373,0:02:17.788 Technically, that's the third [br]largest river system 0:02:17.788,0:02:21.170 in the Philippines, [br]encompassing Regions XI and XIII— 0:02:21.170,0:02:24.003 that's Davao and Caraga. 0:02:26.699,0:02:30.908 What you have here in our town, [br]your catch basin. 0:02:31.560,0:02:34.062 And come to think of it, [br]everything revolves 0:02:34.062,0:02:36.621 around this catch basin. 0:02:37.641,0:02:39.822 They say that life begins here. 0:02:40.658,0:02:43.358 There can never ever be [br]an Agusan del Sur 0:02:43.358,0:02:44.854 without the Agusan Marsh. 0:03:12.686,0:03:13.868 - What's that, Datu? 0:03:14.247,0:03:16.268 - For defense. 0:03:16.707,0:03:17.494 - Walking stick. 0:03:23.965,0:03:26.398 Datu Artemio was selected [br]as one of the leaders 0:03:26.398,0:03:27.944 due to his Lumad lineage. 0:03:28.277,0:03:30.292 The Lumad are some [br]of the first wave of people 0:03:30.292,0:03:33.191 to settle in the Philippines, [br]specifically around Mindanao. 0:03:33.405,0:03:36.247 Their ancestral land [br]is often highly sought-after, 0:03:36.247,0:03:37.780 making them one [br]of the most vulnerable 0:03:37.780,0:03:39.314 ethnic groups in the country. 0:03:39.765,0:03:41.796 They are also one of the few groups[br]that have held on 0:03:41.796,0:03:43.280 to their pre-colonial culture. 0:03:43.770,0:03:45.400 As in most areas [br]in the Philippines, 0:03:45.400,0:03:47.733 where there is [br]a strong indigenous ancestry, 0:03:47.733,0:03:50.844 most people with roles to play [br]in the community also happen 0:03:50.844,0:03:52.989 to have official [br]government positions. 0:03:53.252,0:03:56.602 Datu was previously [br]an LGU official and now his son 0:03:56.602,0:03:57.856 is barangay captain. 0:03:58.147,0:04:00.929 They both lead the people [br]in Caimpugan and its peatland, 0:04:00.929,0:04:04.294 one of the many parts [br]of the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary. 0:04:14.810,0:04:16.918 The relationship [br]between indigenous religions 0:04:16.921,0:04:19.633 and the Catholic Church [br]is complex, 0:04:19.633,0:04:23.009 marked by both historical tensions [br]and reconciliation. 0:04:26.169,0:04:28.981 Indigenous religions, [br]often rooted in animism 0:04:28.993,0:04:31.496 and oral traditions, [br]are distinct from the church's 0:04:31.496,0:04:33.629 codified beliefs and practices. 0:04:33.890,0:04:36.362 Just like when we were colonized, [br]one culture doesn't 0:04:36.362,0:04:38.533 usually completely erase [br]the other, 0:04:38.866,0:04:40.678 parts of it are indigenized. 0:04:40.980,0:04:43.508 So you'll find people praying [br]to the Catholic God 0:04:43.508,0:04:45.459 alongside other entities. 0:04:45.955,0:04:48.350 Where people live with the land, [br]these are still 0:04:48.350,0:04:49.628 a common practice. 0:04:50.042,0:04:51.701 Most of the people here [br]are Catholic, 0:04:51.701,0:04:53.949 but their own Lumad culture [br]is still very strong, 0:04:53.949,0:04:55.052 as it should be. 0:04:55.449,0:04:58.077 These rituals are carried out [br]to ensure safe passage 0:04:58.085,0:05:00.156 and acceptance [br]into the community. 0:05:06.395,0:05:08.796 - What we have here [br]within the Augustan Marsh 0:05:08.796,0:05:11.184 Wildlife Santuary[br]is the Caimpugan peatland. 0:05:11.507,0:05:16.392 The peatland, it covers just 3% [br]of the Earth's surface. 0:05:16.755,0:05:21.603 But according to the ICUN, [br]they believe that peatland 0:05:21.603,0:05:25.015 conserves 30% [br]of the world's carbon, 0:05:25.015,0:05:29.007 and that is twice as much [br]carbon sequestered 0:05:29.341,0:05:33.128 as compared to all [br]the rainforests combined. 0:05:35.589,0:05:40.008 The conservation of wetlands [br]is crucial because it mitigates 0:05:40.008,0:05:41.910 the impacts of climate change. 0:05:42.086,0:05:48.661 If it is damaged, [br]it releases tons of CO2 0:05:48.661,0:05:51.346 far greater than anything. 0:05:54.392,0:05:57.835 - The people here with us, for now, [br]are controlled 0:05:57.835,0:06:00.424 because we’re already here [br]as Bantay Danao. 0:06:00.986,0:06:04.882 Unlike before when people [br]kept coming in and out. 0:06:07.960,0:06:10.294 - In order to uplift[br]and protect our wetlands, 0:06:10.294,0:06:13.411 The Society for the Conservation [br]of Philippine Wetlands 0:06:13.411,0:06:15.732 mobilizes advocates [br]across the Philippines 0:06:15.732,0:06:17.793 in the world [br]to facilitate conservations 0:06:17.793,0:06:20.035 and pioneer technical assistance. 0:06:20.785,0:06:22.925 Together with them [br]is the Protected Area 0:06:22.925,0:06:25.530 Management Office, or PAMO, [br]which manages 0:06:25.534,0:06:28.155 the overall conservation [br]of the Agusan Marsh. 0:06:28.354,0:06:31.045 One of their efforts [br]includes marshaling volunteers 0:06:31.045,0:06:33.433 across all communities [br]to guard the marsh, 0:06:33.541,0:06:36.106 birthing the fearless group[br]called Bantay Danao. 0:06:37.440,0:06:38.936 - When we were kids, 0:06:38.936,0:06:42.996 on days when we didn't have classes[br]in elementary school, 0:06:42.996,0:06:44.958 we would come here and play. 0:06:44.961,0:06:49.771 We would pick fruits from the trees—[br]kandiis (a sour fruit)— 0:06:49.771,0:06:50.789 and eat them. 0:06:50.839,0:06:59.121 We'd see monkeys here. [br]Also wild pigs, and deer. 0:06:59.131,0:07:01.830 Because back then, [br]this whole place 0:07:01.830,0:07:05.945 was still flat and untouched. 0:07:06.112,0:07:08.544 But now, it's different.[br]Because of the heat. 0:07:08.544,0:07:10.870 The weather isn't the same anymore. 0:07:10.870,0:07:12.927 And there are people[br]abusing the land. 0:07:14.780,0:07:18.936 - People never mind talking [br]of climate change 0:07:18.936,0:07:23.313 in its first inception [br]before that Kyoto Protocol 0:07:23.313,0:07:24.984 way back 2005. 0:07:25.205,0:07:32.090 But people began realizing [br]the true value of its protection 0:07:32.102,0:07:36.199 because we had a number [br]of extreme river flooding 0:07:36.199,0:07:37.721 like never before. 0:07:37.721,0:07:40.199 We had an extreme [br]river flooding in 2014, 0:07:40.418,0:07:44.060 followed by an extreme [br]river flooding in 2017 0:07:44.290,0:07:48.660 and just recently in 2024, [br]February 6th last year. 0:07:48.840,0:07:53.751 By having seen it [br]and experienced it firsthand, 0:07:53.764,0:07:59.652 this Agusan Marsh serves [br]as nature's kind of dam, 0:07:59.652,0:08:01.942 protecting the adjacent localities 0:08:01.942,0:08:05.614 on all those places downstream, [br]more so Butuan City. 0:08:05.645,0:08:07.515 Believe me, [br]without the Agusan Marsh, 0:08:07.515,0:08:10.237 there wouldn't be any place [br]called Butuan City at all. 0:08:10.629,0:08:14.980 People realize that we get [br]to change something 0:08:14.980,0:08:16.163 for the better. 0:08:16.163,0:08:21.068 For if not, there would be far [br]more extreme river flooding. 0:08:21.068,0:08:22.662 within Agusan del Sur. 0:08:27.227,0:08:33.168 - Our peatland area is so vast [br]that even with regular patrols, 0:08:33.177,0:08:35.902 we can't cover the entire place[br]in just a month. 0:08:36.151,0:08:38.299 There's a huge difference [br]between before and now. 0:08:38.299,0:08:43.020 Different types of grasses[br]are growing now. 0:08:44.103,0:08:48.139 It's not like before where even[br]from far away, 0:08:48.143,0:08:50.218 you could already see clearly. 0:08:51.814,0:08:56.304 Because the floods brought seeds[br]from over there 0:08:56.304,0:08:59.862 and carried them here,[br]and now they're growing. 0:09:00.140,0:09:02.154 It used to be much cooler[br]than now. 0:09:02.154,0:09:05.940 That's why now our peatland [br]has problems— 0:09:05.940,0:09:08.062 because it catches fire. 0:09:08.086,0:09:11.456 Before, the weather was cooler.[br]Now it's different. 0:09:11.665,0:09:15.408 There are about 4 to 5 months here[br]that are very hot. 0:09:15.408,0:09:19.140 Even a small problem here [br]in the forest 0:09:19.140,0:09:21.640 can easily spark a fire[br]because of the heat. 0:09:22.017,0:09:23.417 This is what burns— 0:09:23.417,0:09:29.041 when a small piece of wood cracks,[br]it sparks and catches fire. 0:09:29.146,0:09:30.342 There's not much we can do. 0:09:30.352,0:09:32.239 By the time we get here,[br]the fire is already big. 0:09:32.239,0:09:35.578 We just take pictures [br]and call the local government for help. 0:09:35.634,0:09:39.241 Because the firemen[br]can't get inside here. 0:09:39.247,0:09:42.334 Sometimes we bring tools to try [br]to beat the fire down. 0:09:42.334,0:09:47.182 Like here, if it burns here,[br]we hit it to try to stop it— 0:09:47.182,0:09:50.517 but when the fire surrounds you,[br]it's impossible. 0:09:50.777,0:09:52.322 All you can really do is pray. 0:09:53.376,0:09:56.231 - Experience is the greatest [br]teacher of us all. 0:09:56.878,0:10:00.087 Come to think of it, [br]the Agusan Marsh is overseen 0:10:00.087,0:10:02.602 by six localities as well. 0:10:02.669,0:10:04.168 When you talk [br]of the Augustan Marsh 0:10:04.168,0:10:06.846 Wildlife Sanctuary, [br]Talacogon is not alone. 0:10:06.852,0:10:12.561 The LGUs of San Francisco, [br]Rosario, Bunawan, Loreto, La Paz, 0:10:12.561,0:10:14.977 engage in the protection [br]and the preservation 0:10:14.977,0:10:16.128 of the peatland. 0:10:16.280,0:10:22.377 It is just a common thing [br]that everybody is obliged 0:10:22.377,0:10:26.137 to do their part [br]because this is their way of life, 0:10:26.137,0:10:27.906 this is our way of life. 0:11:01.401,0:11:04.892 - The Panlabuhan floating village [br]is home to the Manobo tribe, 0:11:04.892,0:11:06.916 families who've lived here [br]for generations, 0:11:06.916,0:11:09.092 moving with the rhythm [br]of the water. 0:11:09.322,0:11:11.874 Their homes rise and fall[br]with the marsh— 0:11:11.874,0:11:13.523 tethered but never fixed. 0:11:14.737,0:11:16.872 You've probably heard [br]of floating villages before. 0:11:16.872,0:11:19.299 You're picturing houses on stilts [br]where the home 0:11:19.299,0:11:21.511 is elevated enough [br]that the water rarely touches 0:11:21.511,0:11:22.318 the bottom. 0:11:22.440,0:11:24.114 They are made to never meet— 0:11:24.393,0:11:25.163 not here. 0:11:25.338,0:11:28.988 The houses are built on anchored [br]floating bamboo platforms. 0:11:29.424,0:11:32.158 When a typhoon hits [br]and the water volume increases, 0:11:32.158,0:11:35.109 the houses and everything [br]around them simply swell with it. 0:11:35.413,0:11:38.291 The water level can vary [br]as much as 10 meters 0:11:38.291,0:11:40.782 and is highly unpredictable[br]as the flooding season 0:11:40.782,0:11:42.213 has become erratic. 0:11:47.518,0:11:50.866 - The Agusan Marsh is everything to me. 0:11:51.974,0:11:55.160 I'm going to speak honestly,[br]no holding back— 0:11:55.160,0:11:56.226 I was born here. 0:11:56.226,0:11:58.560 Without the marsh, [br]I wouldn't even be married. 0:11:58.560,0:12:00.995 No woman would've agreed [br]to be with me, 0:12:00.995,0:12:03.099 because we had no wealth[br]to show. 0:12:03.099,0:12:05.911 What I proudly offered my wife[br]was the marsh— 0:12:05.911,0:12:07.243 this is our treasure. 0:12:07.243,0:12:11.408 It's the gold I can present[br]to my family and my child. 0:12:14.038,0:12:17.974 - This is the kind of place [br]where you have no boss— 0:12:17.978,0:12:19.889 you are the boss here. 0:12:19.889,0:12:22.282 You go out to fish, [br]and by the next day, 0:12:22.287,0:12:24.246 you already have your catch. 0:12:25.916,0:12:27.619 - Fishing is life here. 0:12:27.764,0:12:29.903 They set their fish cages [br]in the morning, 0:12:29.903,0:12:31.877 leave them for the day, [br]and return at dusk, 0:12:31.877,0:12:33.762 hoping that the river [br]has provided. 0:12:33.993,0:12:36.422 Once caught, these are dried [br]for consumption 0:12:36.422,0:12:37.526 and to be sold. 0:12:38.388,0:12:39.904 They've also dealt [br]with an increase 0:12:39.904,0:12:42.267 of an invasive [br]water hyacinth species 0:12:42.267,0:12:44.442 that clogs their passageways [br]into the marsh 0:12:44.442,0:12:45.939 and harms their livelihood. 0:12:46.963,0:12:49.302 Daily, they fight [br]for their way of life. 0:12:54.542,0:12:56.602 Marites Babanto, [br]the local tour guide, 0:12:56.602,0:12:59.030 remembers a time [br]when the marsh felt endless, 0:12:59.030,0:13:01.399 but now it's getting smaller, [br]drying up, 0:13:01.399,0:13:03.378 and the storms [br]are getting stronger. 0:13:05.926,0:13:09.837 - When I became aware, [br]around six or five years old, 0:13:10.147,0:13:13.692 this really looked like a vast sea. 0:13:14.286,0:13:18.667 And what I remember most [br]is seeing what looked like 0:13:18.667,0:13:23.267 a truly virgin area—[br]nothing destroyed yet, 0:13:23.267,0:13:27.715 the water still clean, drinkable,[br]and there were still 0:13:27.715,0:13:28.788 plenty of fish. 0:13:28.958,0:13:33.655 Because during that time, [br]our ancestors were still here. 0:13:35.091,0:13:37.152 - The Agusan Marsh [br]started making headlines 0:13:37.152,0:13:39.848 when Lolong, the world's [br]largest crocodile in captivity, 0:13:39.848,0:13:40.746 was caught here. 0:13:40.909,0:13:44.050 At 6.17 meters, he broke records 0:13:44.050,0:13:46.122 and then, just over a year later, 0:13:46.122,0:13:48.855 died in a cage too small [br]for his legend. 0:13:49.135,0:13:52.219 But long before Lolong, [br]this place was already home. 0:13:52.549,0:13:55.152 Datu recalls that his grandparents [br]fled here to hide 0:13:55.152,0:13:57.146 from the Japanese soldiers [br]in World War II 0:13:57.146,0:13:58.755 seeking refuge in the swamps. 0:13:59.418,0:14:01.829 Marites says her grandfather, [br]Lolo Pidong, 0:14:01.829,0:14:03.417 eventually decided [br]to settle here, 0:14:03.417,0:14:05.860 who came with their families—[br]attracted by the peace 0:14:05.860,0:14:08.235 and bountiful fishing [br]the marsh provided. 0:14:08.865,0:14:11.095 Their ancestors used to live [br]in tree houses, 0:14:11.095,0:14:13.242 but no matter how high [br]the houses were, 0:14:13.242,0:14:15.515 their dwellings always [br]got swamped during floods 0:14:15.515,0:14:16.472 and typhoons. 0:14:16.697,0:14:18.351 That's when they had [br]the thought of building 0:14:18.351,0:14:19.729 a house on rafts. 0:14:21.498,0:14:24.130 Three generations later, [br]their descendants are still here. 0:14:24.351,0:14:25.723 The times have changed. 0:14:25.989,0:14:28.256 Their ways need to adapt [br]to commercial interests, 0:14:28.256,0:14:31.031 erratic weather [br]and outside influences, 0:14:31.329,0:14:33.129 but this is still their home. 0:14:35.365,0:14:40.450 - We looked for a way for us [br]to be seen here, 0:14:40.450,0:14:42.414 for the problems here [br]to be known. 0:14:42.425,0:14:44.583 That’s when it started—[br]we were oriented 0:14:44.583,0:14:46.813 by Tuklas Katutubo Balik-Tribo 0:14:47.156,0:14:51.599 that we should fight [br]for our tribe. 0:14:51.777,0:14:57.223 That they said no one else [br]can help us but ourselves. 0:14:57.286,0:15:00.221 So since then, they heard it, 0:15:00.221,0:15:03.100 they saw what our problems were. 0:15:07.154,0:15:08.992 - For me, as an IP [br](Indigenous Person), 0:15:09.004,0:15:12.052 they say IPs don't reach school—[br]but if that's true, 0:15:12.063,0:15:15.090 it's only because of how hard[br]it is for us to get an education 0:15:15.090,0:15:16.231 and finish school. 0:15:16.231,0:15:19.486 All I wish—for myself[br]and for our children— 0:15:19.486,0:15:21.396 is that they get to reach [br]at least elementary, 0:15:21.396,0:15:23.402 even just high school. 0:15:23.402,0:15:24.939 What's important is [br]that they learn how to read. 0:15:24.939,0:15:27.665 Because even for me, [br]I won't hide it—it's hard. 0:15:27.665,0:15:32.296 I struggle to read English,[br]I struggle to speak Tagalog. 0:15:32.304,0:15:34.894 What we do is just offer kindness[br]from the heart. 0:15:34.894,0:15:37.508 What matters most is that[br]you live honestly and do good 0:15:37.508,0:15:40.050 in this world, so that life [br]won't be as hard on you. 0:15:41.244,0:15:43.987 From what I've observed,[br]this Catholic chapel 0:15:43.987,0:15:45.804 has truly been a blessing. 0:15:45.914,0:15:48.972 I'm deeply grateful [br]to all those who offered help 0:15:48.985,0:15:50.978 and donated materials. 0:15:50.978,0:15:56.100 Because our livelihood really depends[br]on the seasons. 0:15:56.768,0:15:59.621 - What caused the damage [br]was soil erosion, 0:15:59.621,0:16:02.792 climate change, [br]and abuse by some people. 0:16:02.867,0:16:06.837 When there’s flooding, [br]when the water rises, 0:16:06.837,0:16:09.529 the Agusan Marsh gets damaged. 0:16:10.111,0:16:13.727 The other lakes here... [br]it’s like this is the only one left— 0:16:13.736,0:16:15.096 Kaningbaylan Lake. 0:16:15.139,0:16:18.939 Because the place we passed—[br]Dagon Creek—is man-made. 0:16:18.951,0:16:21.436 When the water rises, [br]especially during Typhoon Pablo, 0:16:21.436,0:16:26.272 all the wood, everything, [br]all the trash comes in here. 0:16:26.285,0:16:29.611 That’s because of the abuse [br]by others. 0:16:30.203,0:16:33.215 If something still can be done, [br]it must be done right away. 0:16:40.341,0:16:42.625 - So when you talk [br]of climate changes, 0:16:42.807,0:16:45.374 by all means[br]the national government 0:16:45.382,0:16:47.355 has told us to do [br]what we could, 0:16:47.355,0:16:50.537 respectively, for the protection [br]of the peatland 0:16:50.537,0:16:52.155 on the Talacogon Lake. 0:16:52.167,0:16:55.173 But even as we speak,[br]the national government 0:16:55.173,0:16:59.068 has yet to reconcile[br]what would we be doing next 0:16:59.072,0:17:07.202 so as to effectively secure [br]these areas as a protected zone 0:17:07.202,0:17:09.687 within the Agusan Marsh[br]Wildlife Sanctuary. 0:17:10.322,0:17:13.110 Nothing is permanent [br]in this world but change. 0:17:13.655,0:17:17.442 We just hope that people [br]would recognize more 0:17:17.442,0:17:22.509 or people would be inclined more [br]of its protection 0:17:22.509,0:17:25.848 and conservation [br]rather than exploiting it 0:17:25.848,0:17:27.054 for commercial use. 0:17:29.013,0:17:32.512 - What we fear most here [br]as a community is that 0:17:32.512,0:17:33.912 this place will disappear. 0:17:34.169,0:17:36.793 If it reaches here, it’ll be land. 0:17:36.926,0:17:39.202 Over there, it’s already land. 0:17:39.299,0:17:41.459 We’re really afraid—[br]it would be such a waste. 0:17:42.794,0:17:45.923 - Being a Datu—it's something [br]that makes you think twice 0:17:45.923,0:17:47.372 about acting recklessly. 0:17:48.154,0:17:53.105 Being a Datu means [br]being a parent, too. 0:17:53.105,0:17:56.389 You're expected to teach[br]your children the right values, 0:17:56.389,0:17:57.509 to lead by example. 0:17:57.518,0:18:01.910 That's why if I were to pass[br]on this responsibility, 0:18:01.910,0:18:06.396 I'd only give it to someone ready[br]to carry the weight. 0:18:06.396,0:18:10.189 because all the problems [br]of the community feel like 0:18:10.189,0:18:12.473 they rest on your shoulders. 0:18:12.473,0:18:15.626 I've come to realize that yes,[br]the role is difficult— 0:18:15.626,0:18:18.892 but it's not as hard [br]when the community stands together. 0:18:27.102,0:18:32.041 - People realize that [br]there is far more to gain 0:18:32.041,0:18:35.332 by protecting it [br]rather than exploiting it. 0:18:35.386,0:18:40.771 Without this Agusan Marsh,[br]extreme river flooding 0:18:40.771,0:18:45.158 would somehow inundate [br]all of the localities here. 0:18:45.161,0:18:49.858 So it is managed by the DENR [br]and the local government units 0:18:49.858,0:18:51.095 as well, six of it. 0:18:51.329,0:18:54.867 Now the PAMO serves [br]as a foot soldier 0:18:54.867,0:18:57.551 to check everything [br]if all is well. 0:19:00.158,0:19:05.253 - There have been improvements[br]because the LGU supports us 0:19:05.253,0:19:08.555 and helps us with whatever problems [br]we face now. 0:19:08.555,0:19:12.444 The LGU even said [br]they would install 0:19:12.444,0:19:16.166 an emergency water pump here,[br]so we'll have something 0:19:16.166,0:19:17.965 to use when fire breaks out. 0:19:17.965,0:19:20.402 We've been trained[br]in rescue operations. 0:19:20.875,0:19:23.783 That's what we need[br]to protect the area. 0:19:23.787,0:19:26.020 If we didn't care,[br]none of this would exist. 0:19:26.277,0:19:27.229 It would all go to waste. 0:19:28.409,0:19:34.441 So now, the kids would say,[br]"Dad said there used 0:19:34.445,0:19:37.233 to be monkeys here,"[br]but they don't see any— 0:19:37.233,0:19:39.320 because the place [br]has already been abused. 0:19:39.628,0:19:42.654 That's why we have to protect[br]our peatland. 0:19:42.654,0:19:44.229 We won't let it be neglected. 0:19:44.453,0:19:51.083 We keep reminding others here[br]not to abuse the land too much. 0:19:51.107,0:19:52.670 It shouldn't just be us [br]taking care of it— 0:19:52.670,0:19:54.017 it should be everyone. 0:19:54.044,0:19:57.246 What's really important [br]is that everyone in our barangay 0:19:57.255,0:20:00.853 knows and follows the rules[br]we have here. 0:20:01.331,0:20:03.847 These were taught to us[br]during the training we received 0:20:03.847,0:20:08.736 from PAMO and the LGU. 0:20:09.293,0:20:16.063 We locals don't want[br]to abuse the peatland. 0:20:18.038,0:20:19.014 - Why sir? 0:20:20.675,0:20:28.762 - We're already the fifth generation[br]living here, 0:20:28.762,0:20:30.851 handed down from our ancestors— 0:20:31.633,0:20:34.975 it really hurts to see it [br]being destroyed. 0:20:39.771,0:20:44.740 We're thankful to PAMO[br]for organizing us into Bantay Danao. 0:20:48.102,0:20:51.699 So we can protect [br]the environment here 0:20:51.699,0:20:53.081 in our peatland. 0:20:54.154,0:20:55.696 We don't want it to disappear. 0:21:02.102,0:21:06.804 - That is why we get[br]to contribute, respectively, 0:21:06.804,0:21:08.077 for its protection. 0:21:09.536,0:21:12.971 Well, God is still [br]the greatest architect of us all. 0:21:13.483,0:21:17.628 This land may seem idle,[br]but everything has its purpose. 0:21:18.356,0:21:24.282 - We hope everyone sees the value [br]of what the Lord has given.