“No one can take away the power of love and the art of the almighty. The spirits brought an everlasting message that we are here for nature and nature will care for us. Greediness cannot defeat the will of sacred stewardship or the hearts of the remaining earth warriors.”
Born out of the love of the earth and humanity, this project endeavors to save the remaining sacred forest of the Higa-onon and to restore spiritual and cultural practices based in their ancestral wisdom. It will acquire 20 hectares of the remaining sacred forest and stop the entry of miners, outsiders and loggers to the acquired ground of the tribe. This sacred forest will then serve as a safe haven for cultural beliefs and traditional activities, wildlife and the unseen spirits.
Earth stewardship had been the ancient covenant between the Creator and the Higa-onon Indigenous Peoples, but gradually the tribal stewards themselves were forced to sell the Higa-ono sacred forest to miners, loggers and large plantation companies for profit, in order to survive.
There is now a need for immediate action to ensure the survival of the remaining forests and the Higa-onon tribal culture. Through this project, the youth will become cultural custodians and earth-keepers, people who recognize the Creator, respect creation, follow their sacred covenant with nature, ensure the safety of wildlife, retain the culture, and ensure the future of tribal culture and homeland.
The project will benefit the 3500 Higa-onon tribal members in the mountains of Rogongon Iligan City.