30/10/2025
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๐๐๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐' ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
The Philippines' most treasured environment has always been part of our long history and rich culture. Ever since, the natives' livelihood has heavily relied only on nature through farming, fishing, and hunting.
๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐
About five hundred years ago, during the Pre-Hispanic era, Filipino natives lived with a deep reverence for nature. They practiced sustainable resource management, relying on farming, fishing, and hunting with tools and methods available to them. Their simple way of life was guided by adaptability and respect, never taking more than what was necessary for survival.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐'๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐
The natives isolated themselves and maintained their traditions, resisting any change, and had little to no interactions since then, quietly living in the secluded areas of the country, foraging the wild, unknown, and unheard of. Some lived inside a cave, others even in inactive volcanoes. This was already when Maharlikas and Datus were reigning throughout the land, even way back when there were thriving trades with our neighboring islands.
๐๐ง๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐
๐จ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฅ๐จ๐ซ๐
They believed that spirits resided in every part of nature. The diwatas and anitos were honored through rituals and prayers, and permission was sought before touching or using natural resources. In this way, they recognized nature not as something to exploit but as something sacred to live in harmony with. (Clark, 2016).
๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฌ
Because of this worldview, the natural resources of Ma-i, Lusong, and Sugbos thrived. Indigenous peoples nurtured and safeguarded the land and wildlife with genuine care. However, with the arrival of modern innovations and human greed, much of this balance has been disrupted.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ฆ๐
Now, it is not only our indigenous peoplesโ responsibility but also ours to restore and protect Mother Nature. For the sake of future generations, we must learn from their wisdom and continue the work of caring for the environment with the same respect and reverence that sustained our ancestors for centuries.
Report by Joeyenz Arwen Belza
Artworks by Nathan Juztine Castillo
Layout by Frances Joannah Dalin
