Ayta Ambala Indigenous Cultural Community in Sitio Pastolan, Barangay Tipo, Hermosa, Bataan

This year marks another important season for the Ayta Ambala Indigenous Cultural Community in Sitio Pastolan, Barangay Tipo, Hermosa, Bataan. Day 1 into our three-day Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan (ADSDPP) Assessment and Strategic Planning and the discussions amd processes were already in-depth and focused. For three days the ICC together with their primary development partner the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), with technical assistance from the NCIP, will be evaluating the implementation of their Five Year Investment Plan 2012-2017 as part of their ADSDPP. This is the Second Edition of the said plan (the first one implemented from 2007 to 2011) and significant amount of positive changes are expected to be documented. Failed development programs or projects on the other hand will be subject to even deeper analysis to identify weaknesses and to help the ICC plan better for the next five years.

Mr. Jayson Gavina and Ms.Judy Ann Espiritu of Thrive PH, an NGO, shared their organization’s experiences in strategic planning processes to the Ayta Ambala ADSDPP Community Working Group (CWG). Their participation in today’s activity gave the CWG ideas on alternative tools they can use in evaluating, planning and enhancing their own development plan.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) was represented by Mr. Gigi Estalilla in today’s ADSDPP Assessment and Strategic Planning activity. The Subic Bay Freeport Zone sits on two adjoining Ayta Ambala Ancestral Domains in the Province of Bataan, one in Morong and the other in Hermosa. The latter’s Indigenous Cultural Community entered into a Joint Management Agreement (JMA) with SBMA in 2011 which became an essential driving force in the achievement of most identified development projects and activities in their ADSDPP.

Second day of the ADSDPP Assessment & Strategic Planning of the Ayta Ambala Indigenous Cultural Community from Pastolan, Hermosa, Bataan. The ADSDPP Community Working Group is divided into three groups, each focuses on two critical development themes identified in the second edition of their plan (2012-2017). They are expected to come up with an accurate assessment and evaluation of the implementation (or lack thereof) of their ADSDPP in the last five years.

Plenary presentation of the Ayta Ambala CWG outputs after their own assessment and evaluation of the Five Year Investment Plan under their ADSDPP Second Edition (2012-2017). The CWG spent several hours going through seven major development themes carefully deliberating which specific projects and activities were implemented in full or at least met some degree of success, and documenting good practices that contributed to the implementation of those projects. On the other hand, they also spent considerable amount of time identifying, discussing and arguing factors that hindered the implementation of other projects and activities in the ADSDPP. Communication and openness were vital in coming up with an accurate and critical assessment and evaluation of their own development plan.