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- Everything around you is alive.

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We live in a world 
where the palette

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is overwhelmingly gray on blue.

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If you're lucky, you get 
a sporadic smudge of green.

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00:00:12,979 --> 00:00:14,915
Here, you can see 
the world breathe.

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Highways are replaced by streams, 
cars by canoes.

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Your eyes think that 
you're surrounded by land,

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but it's a trick.

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Underneath the growth, 
more water,

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a quiet resistance.

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You follow one path today, 
and by tomorrow it's gone.

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There is no place 
in the Philippines

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that carries more mystery
than the Agusan Marsh.

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Some people see these wetlands 
merely as ecosystems

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and important biodiverse areas.

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Others see them 
as big bags of cash,

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land to be turned 
into highly efficient farms,

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but a few people see them 
as a home.

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And this is their story.

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The Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary 
stretches across

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40,000-plus hectares 
of wetlands,

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roughly the size of Manila.

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It's one of the biggest 
in Southeast Asia

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and one of the most vital 
in the Philippines.

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A Ramsar Site, globally recognized 
but barely talked about.

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It's all interconnected by lakes, 
rivers, marshes, and ponds.

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It acts like a giant sponge 
during typhoon season,

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absorbing floodwaters 
for the entire Agusan River Basin.

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Without it, who knows 
what would happen

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to neighboring towns like Butuan?

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It's home to rare birds, 
floating villages,

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and indigenous communities 
who've learned to live

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with the rise 
and fall of the water.

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But it's under threats.

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Pollution and climate change 
are slowly choking it.

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- Life cannot simply exist 
without the Agusan Marsh.

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The marsh protects everything here.

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When you talk 
of the Agusan Marsh,

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you got to take into account 
the bigger picture

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of the Agusan River Basin.

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Technically, that's the third 
largest river system

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in the Philippines, 
encompassing Regions XI and XIII—

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that's Davao and Caraga.

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What you have here in our town, 
your catch basin.

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And come to think of it, 
everything revolves

46
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around this catch basin.

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They say that life begins here.

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There can never ever be 
an Agusan del Sur

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without the Agusan Marsh.

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- What's that, Datu?

51
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- For defense.

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- Walking stick.

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Datu Artemio was selected 
as one of the leaders

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due to his Lumad lineage.

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The Lumad are some 
of the first wave of people

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to settle in the Philippines, 
specifically around Mindanao.

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Their ancestral land 
is often highly sought-after,

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making them one 
of the most vulnerable

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ethnic groups in the country.

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They are also one of the few groups
that have held on

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to their pre-colonial culture.

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As in most areas 
in the Philippines,

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where there is 
a strong indigenous ancestry,

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most people with roles to play 
in the community also happen

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to have official 
government positions.

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Datu was previously 
an LGU official and now his son

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is barangay captain.

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They both lead the people 
in Caimpugan and its peatland,

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one of the many parts 
of the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary.

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The relationship 
between indigenous religions

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and the Catholic Church 
is complex,

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marked by both historical tensions 
and reconciliation.

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Indigenous religions, 
often rooted in animism

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and oral traditions, 
are distinct from the church's

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codified beliefs and practices.

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Just like when we were colonized, 
one culture doesn't

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usually completely erase 
the other,

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parts of it are indigenized.

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So you'll find people praying 
to the Catholic God

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alongside other entities.

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Where people live with the land, 
these are still

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a common practice.

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Most of the people here 
are Catholic,

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but their own Lumad culture 
is still very strong,

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as it should be.

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These rituals are carried out 
to ensure safe passage

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and acceptance 
into the community.

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- What we have here 
within the Augustan Marsh

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Wildlife Santuary
is the Caimpugan peatland.

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The peatland, it covers just 3% 
of the Earth's surface.

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But according to the ICUN, 
they believe that peatland

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conserves 30% 
of the world's carbon,

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and that is twice as much 
carbon sequestered

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as compared to all 
the rainforests combined.

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The conservation of wetlands 
is crucial because it mitigates

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the impacts of climate change.

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If it is damaged, 
it releases tons of CO2

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far greater than anything.

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- The people here with us, for now, 
are controlled

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because we’re already here 
as Bantay Danao.

101
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Unlike before when people 
kept coming in and out.

102
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- In order to uplift
and protect our wetlands,

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The Society for the Conservation 
of Philippine Wetlands

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mobilizes advocates 
across the Philippines

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in the world 
to facilitate conservations

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and pioneer technical assistance.

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Together with them 
is the Protected Area

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Management Office, or PAMO, 
which manages

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the overall conservation 
of the Agusan Marsh.

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One of their efforts 
includes marshaling volunteers

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across all communities 
to guard the marsh,

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birthing the fearless group
called Bantay Danao.

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- When we were kids,

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on days when we didn't have classes
in elementary school,

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we would come here and play.

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We would pick fruits from the trees—
kandiis (a sour fruit)—

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and eat them.

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We'd see monkeys here. 
Also wild pigs, and deer.

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Because back then, 
this whole place

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was still flat and untouched.

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But now, it's different.
Because of the heat.

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The weather isn't the same anymore.

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And there are people
abusing the land.

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- People never mind talking 
of climate change

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in its first inception 
before that Kyoto Protocol

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way back 2005.

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But people began realizing 
the true value of its protection

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because we had a number 
of extreme river flooding

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like never before.

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We had an extreme 
river flooding in 2014,

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followed by an extreme 
river flooding in 2017

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and just recently in 2024, 
February 6th last year.

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By having seen it 
and experienced it firsthand,

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this Agusan Marsh serves 
as nature's kind of dam,

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protecting the adjacent localities

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on all those places downstream, 
more so Butuan City.

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Believe me, 
without the Agusan Marsh,

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there wouldn't be any place 
called Butuan City at all.

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People realize that we get 
to change something

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for the better.

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For if not, there would be far 
more extreme river flooding.

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within Agusan del Sur.

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- Our peatland area is so vast 
that even with regular patrols,

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we can't cover the entire place
in just a month.

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There's a huge difference 
between before and now.

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Different types of grasses
are growing now.

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It's not like before where even
from far away,

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you could already see clearly.

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Because the floods brought seeds
from over there

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and carried them here,
and now they're growing.

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It used to be much cooler
than now.

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That's why now our peatland 
has problems—

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because it catches fire.

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Before, the weather was cooler.
Now it's different.

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There are about 4 to 5 months here
that are very hot.

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Even a small problem here 
in the forest

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can easily spark a fire
because of the heat.

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This is what burns—

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when a small piece of wood cracks,
it sparks and catches fire.

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There's not much we can do.

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By the time we get here,
the fire is already big.

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We just take pictures 
and call the local government for help.

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Because the firemen
can't get inside here.

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Sometimes we bring tools to try 
to beat the fire down.

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Like here, if it burns here,
we hit it to try to stop it—

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but when the fire surrounds you,
it's impossible.

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All you can really do is pray.

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- Experience is the greatest 
teacher of us all.

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Come to think of it, 
the Agusan Marsh is overseen

170
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by six localities as well.

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00:10:02,669 --> 00:10:04,168
When you talk 
of the Augustan Marsh

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Wildlife Sanctuary, 
Talacogon is not alone.

173
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The LGUs of San Francisco, 
Rosario, Bunawan, Loreto, La Paz,

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engage in the protection 
and the preservation

175
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of the peatland.

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It is just a common thing 
that everybody is obliged

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to do their part 
because this is their way of life,

178
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this is our way of life.

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- The Panlabuhan floating village 
is home to the Manobo tribe,

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families who've lived here 
for generations,

181
00:11:06,916 --> 00:11:09,092
moving with the rhythm 
of the water.

182
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Their homes rise and fall
with the marsh—

183
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tethered but never fixed.

184
00:11:14,737 --> 00:11:16,872
You've probably heard 
of floating villages before.

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00:11:16,872 --> 00:11:19,299
You're picturing houses on stilts 
where the home

186
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is elevated enough 
that the water rarely touches

187
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the bottom.

188
00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:24,114
They are made to never meet—

189
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not here.

190
00:11:25,338 --> 00:11:28,988
The houses are built on anchored 
floating bamboo platforms.

191
00:11:29,424 --> 00:11:32,158
When a typhoon hits 
and the water volume increases,

192
00:11:32,158 --> 00:11:35,109
the houses and everything 
around them simply swell with it.

193
00:11:35,413 --> 00:11:38,291
The water level can vary 
as much as 10 meters

194
00:11:38,291 --> 00:11:40,782
and is highly unpredictable
as the flooding season

195
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has become erratic.

196
00:11:47,518 --> 00:11:50,866
- The Agusan Marsh is everything to me.

197
00:11:51,974 --> 00:11:55,160
I'm going to speak honestly,
no holding back—

198
00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:56,226
I was born here.

199
00:11:56,226 --> 00:11:58,560
Without the marsh, 
I wouldn't even be married.

200
00:11:58,560 --> 00:12:00,995
No woman would've agreed 
to be with me,

201
00:12:00,995 --> 00:12:03,099
because we had no wealth
to show.

202
00:12:03,099 --> 00:12:05,911
What I proudly offered my wife
was the marsh—

203
00:12:05,911 --> 00:12:07,243
this is our treasure.

204
00:12:07,243 --> 00:12:11,408
It's the gold I can present
to my family and my child.

205
00:12:14,038 --> 00:12:17,974
- This is the kind of place 
where you have no boss—

206
00:12:17,978 --> 00:12:19,889
you are the boss here.

207
00:12:19,889 --> 00:12:22,282
You go out to fish, 
and by the next day,

208
00:12:22,287 --> 00:12:24,246
you already have your catch.

209
00:12:25,916 --> 00:12:27,619
- Fishing is life here.

210
00:12:27,764 --> 00:12:29,903
They set their fish cages 
in the morning,

211
00:12:29,903 --> 00:12:31,877
leave them for the day, 
and return at dusk,

212
00:12:31,877 --> 00:12:33,762
hoping that the river 
has provided.

213
00:12:33,993 --> 00:12:36,422
Once caught, these are dried 
for consumption

214
00:12:36,422 --> 00:12:37,526
and to be sold.

215
00:12:38,388 --> 00:12:39,904
They've also dealt 
with an increase

216
00:12:39,904 --> 00:12:42,267
of an invasive 
water hyacinth species

217
00:12:42,267 --> 00:12:44,442
that clogs their passageways 
into the marsh

218
00:12:44,442 --> 00:12:45,939
and harms their livelihood.

219
00:12:46,963 --> 00:12:49,302
Daily, they fight 
for their way of life.

220
00:12:54,542 --> 00:12:56,602
Marites Babanto, 
the local tour guide,

221
00:12:56,602 --> 00:12:59,030
remembers a time 
when the marsh felt endless,

222
00:12:59,030 --> 00:13:01,399
but now it's getting smaller, 
drying up,

223
00:13:01,399 --> 00:13:03,378
and the storms 
are getting stronger.

224
00:13:05,926 --> 00:13:09,837
- When I became aware, 
around six or five years old,

225
00:13:10,147 --> 00:13:13,692
this really looked like a vast sea.

226
00:13:14,286 --> 00:13:18,667
And what I remember most 
is seeing what looked like

227
00:13:18,667 --> 00:13:23,267
a truly virgin area—
nothing destroyed yet,

228
00:13:23,267 --> 00:13:27,715
the water still clean, drinkable,
and there were still

229
00:13:27,715 --> 00:13:28,788
plenty of fish.

230
00:13:28,958 --> 00:13:33,655
Because during that time, 
our ancestors were still here.

231
00:13:35,091 --> 00:13:37,152
- The Agusan Marsh 
started making headlines

232
00:13:37,152 --> 00:13:39,848
when Lolong, the world's 
largest crocodile in captivity,

233
00:13:39,848 --> 00:13:40,746
was caught here.

234
00:13:40,909 --> 00:13:44,050
At 6.17 meters, he broke records

235
00:13:44,050 --> 00:13:46,122
and then, just over a year later,

236
00:13:46,122 --> 00:13:48,855
died in a cage too small 
for his legend.

237
00:13:49,135 --> 00:13:52,219
But long before Lolong, 
this place was already home.

238
00:13:52,549 --> 00:13:55,152
Datu recalls that his grandparents 
fled here to hide

239
00:13:55,152 --> 00:13:57,146
from the Japanese soldiers 
in World War II

240
00:13:57,146 --> 00:13:58,755
seeking refuge in the swamps.

241
00:13:59,418 --> 00:14:01,829
Marites says her grandfather, 
Lolo Pidong,

242
00:14:01,829 --> 00:14:03,417
eventually decided 
to settle here,

243
00:14:03,417 --> 00:14:05,860
who came with their families—
attracted by the peace

244
00:14:05,860 --> 00:14:08,235
and bountiful fishing 
the marsh provided.

245
00:14:08,865 --> 00:14:11,095
Their ancestors used to live 
in tree houses,

246
00:14:11,095 --> 00:14:13,242
but no matter how high 
the houses were,

247
00:14:13,242 --> 00:14:15,515
their dwellings always 
got swamped during floods

248
00:14:15,515 --> 00:14:16,472
and typhoons.

249
00:14:16,697 --> 00:14:18,351
That's when they had 
the thought of building

250
00:14:18,351 --> 00:14:19,729
a house on rafts.

251
00:14:21,498 --> 00:14:24,130
Three generations later, 
their descendants are still here.

252
00:14:24,351 --> 00:14:25,723
The times have changed.

253
00:14:25,989 --> 00:14:28,256
Their ways need to adapt 
to commercial interests,

254
00:14:28,256 --> 00:14:31,031
erratic weather 
and outside influences,

255
00:14:31,329 --> 00:14:33,129
but this is still their home.

256
00:14:35,365 --> 00:14:40,450
- We looked for a way for us 
to be seen here,

257
00:14:40,450 --> 00:14:42,414
for the problems here 
to be known.

258
00:14:42,425 --> 00:14:44,583
That’s when it started—
we were oriented

259
00:14:44,583 --> 00:14:46,813
by Tuklas Katutubo Balik-Tribo

260
00:14:47,156 --> 00:14:51,599
that we should fight 
for our tribe.

261
00:14:51,777 --> 00:14:57,223
That they said no one else 
can help us but ourselves.

262
00:14:57,286 --> 00:15:00,221
So since then, they heard it,

263
00:15:00,221 --> 00:15:03,100
they saw what our problems were.

264
00:15:07,154 --> 00:15:08,992
- For me, as an IP 
(Indigenous Person),

265
00:15:09,004 --> 00:15:12,052
they say IPs don't reach school—
but if that's true,

266
00:15:12,063 --> 00:15:15,090
it's only because of how hard
it is for us to get an education

267
00:15:15,090 --> 00:15:16,231
and finish school.

268
00:15:16,231 --> 00:15:19,486
All I wish—for myself
and for our children—

269
00:15:19,486 --> 00:15:21,396
is that they get to reach 
at least elementary,

270
00:15:21,396 --> 00:15:23,402
even just high school.

271
00:15:23,402 --> 00:15:24,939
What's important is 
that they learn how to read.

272
00:15:24,939 --> 00:15:27,665
Because even for me, 
I won't hide it—it's hard.

273
00:15:27,665 --> 00:15:32,296
I struggle to read English,
I struggle to speak Tagalog.

274
00:15:32,304 --> 00:15:34,894
What we do is just offer kindness
from the heart.

275
00:15:34,894 --> 00:15:37,508
What matters most is that
you live honestly and do good

276
00:15:37,508 --> 00:15:40,050
in this world, so that life 
won't be as hard on you.

277
00:15:41,244 --> 00:15:43,987
From what I've observed,
this Catholic chapel

278
00:15:43,987 --> 00:15:45,804
has truly been a blessing.

279
00:15:45,914 --> 00:15:48,972
I'm deeply grateful 
to all those who offered help

280
00:15:48,985 --> 00:15:50,978
and donated materials.

281
00:15:50,978 --> 00:15:56,100
Because our livelihood really depends
on the seasons.

282
00:15:56,768 --> 00:15:59,621
- What caused the damage 
was soil erosion,

283
00:15:59,621 --> 00:16:02,792
climate change, 
and abuse by some people.

284
00:16:02,867 --> 00:16:06,837
When there’s flooding, 
when the water rises,

285
00:16:06,837 --> 00:16:09,529
the Agusan Marsh gets damaged.

286
00:16:10,111 --> 00:16:13,727
The other lakes here... 
it’s like this is the only one left—

287
00:16:13,736 --> 00:16:15,096
Kaningbaylan Lake.

288
00:16:15,139 --> 00:16:18,939
Because the place we passed—
Dagon Creek—is man-made.

289
00:16:18,951 --> 00:16:21,436
When the water rises, 
especially during Typhoon Pablo,

290
00:16:21,436 --> 00:16:26,272
all the wood, everything, 
all the trash comes in here.

291
00:16:26,285 --> 00:16:29,611
That’s because of the abuse 
by others.

292
00:16:30,203 --> 00:16:33,215
If something still can be done, 
it must be done right away.

293
00:16:40,341 --> 00:16:42,625
- So when you talk 
of climate changes,

294
00:16:42,807 --> 00:16:45,374
by all means
the national government

295
00:16:45,382 --> 00:16:47,355
has told us to do 
what we could,

296
00:16:47,355 --> 00:16:50,537
respectively, for the protection 
of the peatland

297
00:16:50,537 --> 00:16:52,155
on the Talacogon Lake.

298
00:16:52,167 --> 00:16:55,173
But even as we speak,
the national government

299
00:16:55,173 --> 00:16:59,068
has yet to reconcile
what would we be doing next

300
00:16:59,072 --> 00:17:07,202
so as to effectively secure 
these areas as a protected zone

301
00:17:07,202 --> 00:17:09,687
within the Agusan Marsh
Wildlife Sanctuary.

302
00:17:10,322 --> 00:17:13,110
Nothing is permanent 
in this world but change.

303
00:17:13,655 --> 00:17:17,442
We just hope that people 
would recognize more

304
00:17:17,442 --> 00:17:22,509
or people would be inclined more 
of its protection

305
00:17:22,509 --> 00:17:25,848
and conservation 
rather than exploiting it

306
00:17:25,848 --> 00:17:27,054
for commercial use.

307
00:17:29,013 --> 00:17:32,512
- What we fear most here 
as a community is that

308
00:17:32,512 --> 00:17:33,912
this place will disappear.

309
00:17:34,169 --> 00:17:36,793
If it reaches here, it’ll be land.

310
00:17:36,926 --> 00:17:39,202
Over there, it’s already land.

311
00:17:39,299 --> 00:17:41,459
We’re really afraid—
it would be such a waste.

312
00:17:42,794 --> 00:17:45,923
- Being a Datu—it's something 
that makes you think twice

313
00:17:45,923 --> 00:17:47,372
about acting recklessly.

314
00:17:48,154 --> 00:17:53,105
Being a Datu means 
being a parent, too.

315
00:17:53,105 --> 00:17:56,389
You're expected to teach
your children the right values,

316
00:17:56,389 --> 00:17:57,509
to lead by example.

317
00:17:57,518 --> 00:18:01,910
That's why if I were to pass
on this responsibility,

318
00:18:01,910 --> 00:18:06,396
I'd only give it to someone ready
to carry the weight.

319
00:18:06,396 --> 00:18:10,189
because all the problems 
of the community feel like

320
00:18:10,189 --> 00:18:12,473
they rest on your shoulders.

321
00:18:12,473 --> 00:18:15,626
I've come to realize that yes,
the role is difficult—

322
00:18:15,626 --> 00:18:18,892
but it's not as hard 
when the community stands together.

323
00:18:27,102 --> 00:18:32,041
- People realize that 
there is far more to gain

324
00:18:32,041 --> 00:18:35,332
by protecting it 
rather than exploiting it.

325
00:18:35,386 --> 00:18:40,771
Without this Agusan Marsh,
extreme river flooding

326
00:18:40,771 --> 00:18:45,158
would somehow inundate 
all of the localities here.

327
00:18:45,161 --> 00:18:49,858
So it is managed by the DENR 
and the local government units

328
00:18:49,858 --> 00:18:51,095
as well, six of it.

329
00:18:51,329 --> 00:18:54,867
Now the PAMO serves 
as a foot soldier

330
00:18:54,867 --> 00:18:57,551
to check everything 
if all is well.

331
00:19:00,158 --> 00:19:05,253
- There have been improvements
because the LGU supports us

332
00:19:05,253 --> 00:19:08,555
and helps us with whatever problems 
we face now.

333
00:19:08,555 --> 00:19:12,444
The LGU even said 
they would install

334
00:19:12,444 --> 00:19:16,166
an emergency water pump here,
so we'll have something

335
00:19:16,166 --> 00:19:17,965
to use when fire breaks out.

336
00:19:17,965 --> 00:19:20,402
We've been trained
in rescue operations.

337
00:19:20,875 --> 00:19:23,783
That's what we need
to protect the area.

338
00:19:23,787 --> 00:19:26,020
If we didn't care,
none of this would exist.

339
00:19:26,277 --> 00:19:27,229
It would all go to waste.

340
00:19:28,409 --> 00:19:34,441
So now, the kids would say,
"Dad said there used

341
00:19:34,445 --> 00:19:37,233
to be monkeys here,"
but they don't see any—

342
00:19:37,233 --> 00:19:39,320
because the place 
has already been abused.

343
00:19:39,628 --> 00:19:42,654
That's why we have to protect
our peatland.

344
00:19:42,654 --> 00:19:44,229
We won't let it be neglected.

345
00:19:44,453 --> 00:19:51,083
We keep reminding others here
not to abuse the land too much.

346
00:19:51,107 --> 00:19:52,670
It shouldn't just be us 
taking care of it—

347
00:19:52,670 --> 00:19:54,017
it should be everyone.

348
00:19:54,044 --> 00:19:57,246
What's really important 
is that everyone in our barangay

349
00:19:57,255 --> 00:20:00,853
knows and follows the rules
we have here.

350
00:20:01,331 --> 00:20:03,847
These were taught to us
during the training we received

351
00:20:03,847 --> 00:20:08,736
from PAMO and the LGU.

352
00:20:09,293 --> 00:20:16,063
We locals don't want
to abuse the peatland.

353
00:20:18,038 --> 00:20:19,014
- Why sir?

354
00:20:20,675 --> 00:20:28,762
- We're already the fifth generation
living here,

355
00:20:28,762 --> 00:20:30,851
handed down from our ancestors—

356
00:20:31,633 --> 00:20:34,975
it really hurts to see it 
being destroyed.

357
00:20:39,771 --> 00:20:44,740
We're thankful to PAMO
for organizing us into Bantay Danao.

358
00:20:48,102 --> 00:20:51,699
So we can protect 
the environment here

359
00:20:51,699 --> 00:20:53,081
in our peatland.

360
00:20:54,154 --> 00:20:55,696
We don't want it to disappear.

361
00:21:02,102 --> 00:21:06,804
- That is why we get
to contribute, respectively,

362
00:21:06,804 --> 00:21:08,077
for its protection.

363
00:21:09,536 --> 00:21:12,971
Well, God is still 
the greatest architect of us all.

364
00:21:13,483 --> 00:21:17,628
This land may seem idle,
but everything has its purpose.

365
00:21:18,356 --> 00:21:24,282
- We hope everyone sees the value 
of what the Lord has given.