Tuguegarao, Cagayan, Jan. 28, 1998 - The government has granted to members of Agta tribes some 26,000 hectares of coastal land in Gattaran, Penablanca, Baggao and Pamplona.
Northern Cultural Communities Regional Director Severino Damian said the agricultural lots were granted under the national government's Certificate of Ancestral Domain Claim.
"The Agtas suffered in the 1980s when many of the tribes' members died due to diseases and other environmental pressures brought about by excessive logging and exploitation," Damian said.
"That was when many of us in government were concerned and started working for a solution to their problems and to make them feel that they are part of society," he added.
Granting of land to tribes and other indigenous groups is being undertaken nationwide following the passage of a law recognizing ancestral domain.
Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi
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