Caritas Philippines President Urges Halt to Cancellation of Indigenous Community Land Titles

Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, president of Caritas Philippines and chairperson of the Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice, and Peace, has called for an immediate halt to what he described as the unlawful enforcement of the cancellation of land titles awarded to the Ati indigenous community on the island of Boracay.

In a statement released on March 23, Bishop Alminaza warned that actions are already being taken to dispossess Ati beneficiaries, even though the decision cited as the basis for the cancellation is not yet final and executory, and no writ of execution has been issued.

“We express our deep concern and solidarity with the Ati indigenous community of Boracay, who on March 16 gathered to protest what they believe to be the unlawful enforcement of the cancellation of their Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs),” he said.

Reports from the community also note the installation of fences and restrictions on access to lands long occupied and cultivated by the Ati, raising serious questions not only about legality, but also about justice.

“The law must protect the weak, not be used to justify their displacement,” Bishop Alminaza said. “To enforce a decision that is not yet final is to place power above justice.”

The Ati are among the earliest inhabitants of Boracay and nearby Panay Island, long predating colonization and the island’s rise as a global tourism destination. Over the decades, many have been displaced from coastal areas, with some later receiving land through agrarian reform programs, including CLOAs.

Displacing them under questionable legal circumstances deepens a history of marginalization that continues to affect indigenous communities across the Philippines.

Bishop Alminaza called on the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and other concerned government agencies to:

• Immediately halt any enforcement actions related to the cancellation of land titles until a final and executory decision is issued in accordance with the law;
• Remove all barriers and restore peaceful access for Ati beneficiaries to their land;
• Conduct a thorough investigation into the actions taken by officials and private parties involved;
• Publicly clarify the status of the case to prevent further harassment and displacement.

“This is not merely a legal dispute; it is a moral test,” he said. “If we allow the first inhabitants of Boracay to be driven away from their land, then we have failed not only in law, but in conscience.”

He also reiterated the Church’s solidarity with the Ati community in their struggle for justice, dignity, and protection of their rightful land.