1
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- Everything around you is alive.

2
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We live in a world 
where the palette

3
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
is overwhelmingly gray on blue.

4
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
If you're lucky, you get 
a sporadic smudge of green.

5
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Here you can see 
the world breathe.

6
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Highways are replaced by streams, 
cars by canoes.

7
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Your eyes think that 
you're surrounded by land,

8
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
but it's a trick.

9
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Underneath the growth, 
more water,

10
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
a quiet resistance.

11
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
You follow one path today, 
and by tomorrow it's gone.

12
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
There is no place 
in the Philippines

13
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
that carries more mystery
than the Agusan Marsh.

14
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Some people see these wetlands 
merely as ecosystems

15
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and important biodiverse areas.

16
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Others see them 
as big bags of cash,

17
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
land to be turned 
into highly efficient farms,

18
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
but a few people see them 
as a home.

19
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And this is their story.

20
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary 
stretches across

21
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
40,000 plus hectares 
of wetlands,

22
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
roughly the size of Manila.

23
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
It's one of the biggest 
in Southeast Asia

24
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and one of the most vital 
in the Philippines.

25
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
A Ramsar Site, globally recognized 
but barely talked about.

26
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
It's all interconnected by lakes, 
rivers, marshes and ponds.

27
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
It acts like a giant sponge 
during typhoon season,

28
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
absorbing flood waters 
for the entire Agusan River Basin.

29
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Without it, who knows 
what would happen

30
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to neighbor towns like Butuan?

31
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
It's home to rare birds, 
floating villages,

32
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and indigenous communities 
who've learned to live

33
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
with the rise 
and fall of the water.

34
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
But it's under threat.

35
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Pollution and climate change 
are slowly choking it.

36
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- Life cannot simply exist 
without the Agusan Marsh.

37
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The marsh protects everything here.

38
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
When you talk 
of the Agusan Marsh,

39
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
you got to take into account 
the bigger picture

40
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
of the Agusan River Basin.

41
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Technically, that's the third 
largest river system

42
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
in the Philippines, 
encompassing Regions XI and XIII—

43
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
that's Davao and Caraga.

44
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
What you have here in our town, 
your catch basin.

45
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And come to think of it, 
everything revolves

46
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
around this catch basin.

47
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
They say that life begins here.

48
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
There can never ever be 
an Agusan del Sur

49
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
without the Agusan Marsh.

50
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- What's that, Datu?

51
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- Walking stick.

52
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Datu Artemio was selected 
as one of the leaders

53
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
due to his Lumad lineage.

54
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The Lumad are some 
of the first wave of people

55
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to settle in the Philippines, 
specifically around Mindanao.

56
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Their ancestral land 
is often highly sought-after,

57
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
making them one 
of the most vulnerable

58
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
ethnic groups in the country.

59
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
They are also one of the few groups
that have held on

60
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to their pre-colonial culture.

61
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
As in most areas 
in the Philippines,

62
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
where there is 
a strong indigenous ancestry,

63
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
most people with roles to play 
in the community also happen

64
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to have official 
government positions.

65
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Datu was previously 
an LGU official and now his son

66
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
is barangay captain.

67
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
They both lead the people 
in Caimpugan and its peatland,

68
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
one of the many parts 
of the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary.

69
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The relationship 
between indigenous religions

70
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and the Catholic Church 
is complex,

71
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
marked by both historical tensions 
and reconciliation.

72
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Indigenous religions, 
often rooted in animism

73
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and oral traditions, 
are distinct from the church's

74
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
codified beliefs and practices.

75
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Just like when we were colonized, 
one culture doesn't

76
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
usually completely erase 
the other,

77
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
parts of it are indigenized.

78
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
So you'll find people praying 
to the Catholic God

79
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
alongside other entities.

80
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Where people live with the land, 
these are still

81
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
a common practice.

82
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Most of the people here 
are Catholic,

83
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
but their own Lumad culture 
is still very strong,

84
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
as it should be.

85
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
These rituals are carried out 
to ensure safe passage

86
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and acceptance 
into the community.

87
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- What we have here within 
the Augustan Marsh Wildlife Santuary

88
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
is the Caimpugan peatland.

89
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The peatland, it covers just 3% 
of the Earth's surface.

90
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
But according to the ICUN, 
they believe that peatland

91
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
conserves 30% 
of the world's carbon,

92
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and that is twice as much 
carbon sequestered

93
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
as compared to all 
the rainforests combined.

94
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The conservation of wetlands 
is crucial because it mitigates

95
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
the impacts of climate change.

96
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
If it is damaged, 
it releases tons of CO2

97
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
far greater than anything 
in order to uplift

98
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and protect our wetlands.

99
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- The people here with us now 
are under control

100
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
when we’re here watching over.

101
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Unlike before when people 
kept coming in and out.

102
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- In order to uplift
and protect our wetlands,

103
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The Society for the Conservation 
of Philippine Wetlands

104
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
mobilizes advocates 
across the Philippines

105
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
in the world 
to facilitate conservations

106
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and pioneer technical assistance.

107
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Together with them 
is the Protected Area

108
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Management Office, or PAMO, 
which manages

109
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
the overall conservation 
of the Agusan Marsh.

110
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
One of their efforts 
includes marshaling volunteers

111
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
across all communities 
to guard the marsh,

112
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
birthing the fearless group
called Bantay Danao.

113
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- When we were kids,

114
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
on days when we didn't have classes
in elementary school,

115
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
we would come here and play.

116
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We would pick fruits from the trees—
kandiis (a sour fruit)—

117
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and eat them.

118
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We'd see monkeys here. 
Also wild pigs, and deer.

119
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Because back then, 
this whole place

120
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
was still flat and untouched.

121
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
But now, it's different.
Because of the heat.

122
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The weather isn't the same anymore.

123
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And there are people
abusing the land.

124
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- People never mind talking 
of climate change

125
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
in its first inception 
before that Kyoto Protocol

126
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
way back 2005.

127
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
But people began realizing 
the true value of its protection

128
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
because we had a number 
of extreme river flooding

129
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
like never before.

130
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We had an extreme 
river flooding in 2014,

131
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
followed by an extreme 
river flooding in 2017

132
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and just recently in 2024, 
February 6th last year.

133
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
By having seen it 
and experienced it firsthand,

134
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
this Agusan Marsh serves 
as nature's kind of dam,

135
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
protecting the adjacent localities

136
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
on all those places downstream, 
more so Butuan City.

137
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Believe me, 
without the Agusan Marsh,

138
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
there wouldn't be any place 
called Butuan City at all.

139
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
People realize that we get 
to change something

140
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
for the better.

141
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
For if not there would be far 
more extreme river flooding.

142
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
within Agusan del Sur.

143
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- Our peatland area is so vast 
that even with regular patrols,

144
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
we can't cover the entire place
in just a month.

145
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
There's a huge difference 
between before and now.

146
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Different types of grasses
are growing now.

147
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
It's not like before where even
from far away,

148
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
you could already see clearly.

149
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Because the floods brought seeds
from over there

150
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and carried them here,
and now they're growing.

151
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
It used to be much cooler
than now.

152
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
That's why now our peatland 
has problems—

153
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
because it catches fire.

154
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Before, the weather was cooler.
Now it's different.

155
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
There are about 4 to 5 months here
that are very hot.

156
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Even a small problem here 
in the forest

157
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
can easily spark a fire

158
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
because of the heat.

159
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
This is what burns—

160
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
when a small piece of wood cracks,
it sparks and catches fire.

161
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
There's not much we can do.

162
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
By the time we get here,
the fire is already big.

163
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We just take pictures 
and call the local government for help.

164
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Because the firemen
can't get inside here.

165
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Sometimes we bring tools to try 
to beat the fire down.

166
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Like here, if it burns here,
we hit it to try to stop it—

167
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
but when the fire surrounds you,
it's impossible.

168
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
All you can really do is pray.

169
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- Experience is the greatest 
teacher of us all.

170
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Come to think of it, 
the Agusan Marsh is overseen

171
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
by six localities as well.

172
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
When you talk 
of the Augustan Marsh

173
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Wildlife Sanctuary, 
Talacogon is not alone.

174
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The LGUs of San Francisco, 
Rosario, Bunawan, Loreto, La Paz,

175
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
engages in the protection 
and the preservation

176
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
of the peatland.

177
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
It is just a common thing 
that everybody is obliged

178
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to do their part 
because this is their way of life,

179
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
this is our way of life.

180
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The Panlabuhan floating village 
is home to the Manobo tribe,

181
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
families who've lived here 
for generations,

182
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
moving with the rhythm 
of the water.

183
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Their homes rise and fall
with the marsh,

184
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
tethered but never fixed.

185
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
You've probably heard 
of floating villages before.

186
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
You're picturing houses on stilts 
where the home

187
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
is elevated enough 
that the water rarely touches

188
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
the bottom.

189
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
They are made to never meet—

190
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
not here.

191
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The houses are built on anchored 
floating bamboo platforms.

192
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
When a typhoon hits 
and the water volume increases,

193
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
the houses and everything 
around them simply swell with it.

194
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The water level can vary 
as much as 10 meters

195
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and is highly unpredictable
as the flooding season

196
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
has become erratic.

197
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- The Agusan Marsh is everything to me.

198
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
I'm going to speak honestly,
no holding back—

199
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
I was born here.

200
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Without the marsh, 
I wouldn't even be married.

201
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
No woman would've agreed 
to be with me,

202
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
because we had no wealth
to show.

203
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
What I proudly offered my wife
was the marsh—

204
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
this is our treasure.

205
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
It's the gold I can present
to my family and my child.

206
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- This is the kind of place 
where you have no boss—

207
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
you are the boss here.

208
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
You go out to fish, 
and by the next day,

209
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
you already have your catch.

210
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- Fishing is life here.

211
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
They set their fish cages 
in the morning,

212
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
leave them for the day, 
and return at dusk,

213
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
hoping that the river 
has provided.

214
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Once caught, these are dried 
for consumption

215
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and to be sold.

216
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
They've also dealt 
with an increase

217
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
of an invasive 
water hyacinth species

218
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
that clogs their passageways 
into the marsh

219
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and harms their livelihood.

220
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Daily, they fight 
for their way of life.

221
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Marites Babanto, 
the local tour guide,

222
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
remembers a time 
when the marsh felt endless.

223
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
But now it's getting smaller, 
drying up,

224
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and the storms 
are getting stronger.

225
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- When I became aware, 
around six or five years old,

226
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
this really looked like a vast sea.

227
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And what I remember most 
is seeing what looked like

228
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
a truly virgin area—
nothing destroyed yet,

229
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
the water still clean, drinkable,
and there were still

230
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
plenty of fish.

231
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Because during that time, 
our ancestors were still here.

232
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- The Agusan Marsh 
started making headlines

233
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
when Lolong, the world's 
largest crocodile in captivity,

234
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
was caught here.

235
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
At 6.17 meters, he broke records

236
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and then, just over a year later,

237
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
died in a cage too small 
for his legend.

238
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
But long before Lolong, 
this place was already home.

239
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Datu recalls that his grandparents 
fled here to hide

240
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
from the Japanese soldiers 
in World War II

241
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
seeking refuge in the swamps.

242
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Marites says her grandfather, 
Lolo Pidong,

243
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
eventually decided 
to settle here,

244
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
who came with their families, 
attracted by the peace

245
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and bountiful fishing 
the marsh provided.

246
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Their ancestors used to live 
in tree houses,

247
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
but no matter how high 
the houses were,

248
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
their dwellings always 
got swamped during floods

249
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and typhoons.

250
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
That's when they had 
the thought of building

251
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
a house on rafts.

252
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Three generations later, 
their descendants are still here.

253
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The times have changed.

254
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Their ways need to adapt 
to commercial interests,

255
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
erratic weather 
and outside influences,

256
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
but this is still their home.

257
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- For me, as an IP 
(Indigenous Person),

258
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
they say IPs don't reach school—
but if that's true,

259
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
it's only because of how hard
it is for us to get an education

260
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and finish school.

261
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
All I wish—for myself
and for our children—

262
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
is that they get to reach 
at least elementary,

263
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
even just high school.

264
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
What's important is 
that they learn how to read.

265
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Because even for me, 
I won't hide it—it's hard.

266
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
I struggle to read English,
I struggle to speak Tagalog.

267
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
What we do is just offer kindness
from the heart.

268
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
What matters most is that
you live honestly and do good

269
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
in this world, so that life 
won't be as hard on you.

270
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
From what I've observed,
this Catholic chapel

271
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
has truly been a blessing.

272
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
I'm deeply grateful 
to all those who offered help

273
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and donated materials.

274
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Because our livelihood really depends
on the seasons.

275
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- We looked for a way for us 
to be seen here,

276
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
for the problems here 
to be known.

277
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
That’s when it started—
we were oriented

278
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
by Tuklas Katutubo Balik-Tribo

279
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
that we should fight 
for our tribe.

280
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
That they said no one else 
can help us but ourselves.

281
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
So since then, they heard it,

282
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
they saw what our problems were.

283
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- What caused the damage 
was soil erosion,

284
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
climate change, 
and abuse by some people.

285
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
When there’s flooding, 
when the water rises,

286
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
the Agusan Marsh gets damaged.

287
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The other lakes here... 
it’s like this is the only lake left.

288
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Because the place we passed—
Dagon Creek—is man-made.

289
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
When the water rises, 
especially during Typhoon Pablo,

290
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
all the wood, everything, 
all the trash comes in here.

291
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
That’s because of the abuse 
by others.

292
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
If something still can be done, 
it must be done right away.

293
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- So when you talk 
of climate changes,

294
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
by all means
the national government

295
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
has told us to do 
what we could,

296
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
respectively, for the protection 
of the peatland

297
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
on the Talacogon Lake.

298
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
But even as we speak,
the national government

299
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
has yet to reconcile
what would we be doing next

300
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
so as to effectively secure 
these areas as a protected zone

301
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
within the Agusan Marsh
Wildlife Sanctuary.

302
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Nothing is permanent 
in this world but change.

303
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We just hope that people 
would recognize more

304
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
or people would be inclined more 
of its protection

305
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and conservation 
rather than exploiting it

306
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
for commercial use.

307
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- What we fear most here 
as a community is that

308
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
this place will disappear.

309
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
If it reaches here, it’ll be land.

310
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Over there, it’s already land.

311
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We’re really afraid—
it would be such a waste.

312
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- Being a Datu—it's something 
that makes you think twice

313
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
about acting recklessly.

314
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Being a Datu means 
being a parent, too.

315
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
You're expected to teach
your children the right values,

316
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to lead by example.

317
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
That's why if I were to pass
on this responsibility,

318
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
I'd only give it to someone ready
to carry the weight.

319
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
because all the problems 
of the community feel like

320
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
they rest on your shoulders.

321
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
I've come to realize that yes,
the role is difficult—

322
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
but it's not as hard 
when the community stands together.

323
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- People realize that 
there is far more to gain

324
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
by protecting it 
rather than exploiting it.

325
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Without this Agusan Marsh,
extreme river flooding

326
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
would somehow inundate 
all of the localities here.

327
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
So it is managed by the DENR 
and the local government units

328
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
as well, six of it.

329
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Now the PAMO serves 
as a foot soldier

330
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to check everything 
if all is well.

331
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- There have been improvements
because the LGU supports us

332
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and helps us with whatever problems 
we face now.

333
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The LGU even said 
they would install

334
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
an emergency water pump here,
so we'll have something

335
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to use when fire breaks out.

336
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We've been trained
in rescue operations.

337
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
That's what we need
to protect the area.

338
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
If we didn't care,
none of this would exist.

339
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
It would all go to waste.

340
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
So now, the kids would say,
"Dad said there used

341
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to be monkeys here,"
but they don't see any—

342
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
because the place 
has already been abused.

343
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
That's why we have to protect
our peatland.

344
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We won't let it be neglected.

345
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We keep reminding others here
not to abuse the land too much.

346
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
It shouldn't just be us 
taking care of it—

347
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
it should be everyone.

348
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
What's really important 
is that everyone in our barangay

349
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
knows and follows the rules
we have here.

350
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
These were taught to us
during the training we received

351
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
from PAMO and the LGU.

352
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We locals don't want
to abuse the peatland.

353
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- Why sir?

354
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- We're already the fifth generation
living here,

355
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
handed down from our ancestors—

356
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
it really hurts to see it 
being destroyed.

357
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We're thankful to PAMO
for organizing us into Bantay Danao.

358
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
So we can protect 
the environment here

359
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
in our peatland.

360
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We don't wait to disappear.

361
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- That is why we get
to contribute, respectively,

362
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
for its protection.

363
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Well, God is still 
the greatest architect of us all.

364
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
This land may seem idle,
but everything has its purpose.

365
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- We hope everyone sees the value 
of what the Lord has given.