“Critique Paper on The March to Progress in the Philippines by Ditsi

Carolino”

In an article published by Aljazeera in 2014 entitled 'The March to Progress in the

Philippines,' Ditsi Carolino tackled the issue of land grabbing and unlawful acquisition of

ancestral lands in Casiguran, Aurora. A massive government project called Aurora

Pacific Economic Zone (APECO) was amended in 2010 with an approximate project

area of 12,923 hectares that could affect more than 3,000 indigenous families residing

in the island who were the descendants of the ancestral denizens of the area. The

APECO project was created by the political elite Angara family in Aurora province.

Promoted by the government allegedly with pro-poor rhetoric, the project aims to

provide the area with numerous local jobs thus strongly incentivizing local and national

development. However, the project was mired with controversy as the local people

firmly believed that development is an equivalent of the preservation of their land and

not by building establishments over it.

This documentary is shedding light on the situations being faced by ordinary

citizens living in isolated areas such as the people of the town of Casiguran in Aurora.

The way it was presented, it became apparent that an entire community has been

affected by the negligence and greed of those in the system of power. Cultural

preservation is not in the way of progress. From our neighboring countries of Korea,

China, and Japan, they were able to keep up with the ever-evolving trends without

compromising their rich traditional ceremonies and practices. There is a way that we

can fuse the old and the new without compromising the other. One of them is by

nurturing our lands. To begin with, we are a country blessed with an abundance of
natural resources. Our lands are fertile, our oceans are teeming with life, and our forests

are rich in biodiversity. We have our own source of water and our geography is highly

suitable for the application of renewable energy distribution. When we say “progress”, it

doesn’t mean large industrial factories and vast metropolitan cities. Progress means an

upgrade, not a downgrade. As evident in the video, we can see how the so-called

“project of tomorrow” has not been finished even after all these years. The site seemed

abandoned, devoid of any workers who could have worked overtime to finish the project

as soon as possible to show the critics that they mean business. Alas, even after 2

different governments, it has only served as a drain for our taxes. Millions have already

been spent yearly but there seems to be no end to the project’s so-called “development

phase”. This shows that there has been no progress. The land and coast have only

been sacrificed for nothing.

Another concerning matter is how people in authority have reacted to the issue. It

is perplexing how they admit to the allegations of the scrupulous negotiations but turns

a blind eye to its detrimental effects. They also try to throw responsibility off-of their

shoulders as if it was a game of hot potato. It’s a slap on the face of those men and

women who were mostly unblessed with good education and comfortable life but

abundant with wisdom and industriousness, something which the so-called “educated”

people of today lacks.

Speaking of people, those who live in urban areas tend to not see the importance

of our agricultural lands. When they look at the plains, they see a suburb instead of a

rice field. When they look at the mountains, they see minefields and not lush forests.

When they look at the coast, they see a resort instead of a vast natural fishpond. Once
you live in a city, you take the luxury of eating rice for granted, never even caring about

the blood, sweat, and tears behind every grain. For them, a mere lag on the internet

connection is enough to induce stress when somewhere else, people are not even

given a decent signal for simple calls or messages. The same goes for these

government officials, who never once had to scratch their heads and their bellies as

they make up some solution to sustain their families for another few days.

On the other hand, there are ways that we could preserve our culture. One is by

presenting it in different media like how other countries do. TV shows, vlogs, and even

documentaries such as this could help bridge the gap created by the difference in the

way of life in urban and rural isolated areas. As much as we are abundant in naturals

resources, our culture and tradition are so rich and vivid that we are distinguishable

from other Asian countries. We have our own written language used by our ancestors.

The many indigenous tribes with their own practices, crafts, and music are still thriving

to this day, in need of attention and financial support from our government to preserve

such traditions.

In conclusion, this documentary showcased a peaceful battle against

oppression by people who made unfulfilled promises to uplift the lives of their fellow

countrymen. It has the potential to open our eyes and broaden our minds as to what is

actually going on with our country. Most of the time, we only see the mainstream media

present the vanities of life in the city. Hence, we lack the appreciation of what it is like to

live in the countryside. Progress can be achieved without overthrowing our own culture.

We need only find it in ourselves to have the passion and patience to look for the

solutions.