It is the Subanen Land ownership law based on our belief, culture and tradition: Only Apo Gumalang, the paramount God, had the right to own land (ADB). We believe that land should not be owned by individuals but just to use it or gëtaw is not property to be owned, but rather to be utilized and cared for.
All the lands in the Subanen territory is a common wealth for all human beings, not to be owned by anyone. Any title of ownership by any individual is not recognized by our laws, tradition, belief and culture and is null and void according to our laws in the entire Subanen People's Kingdom territories.
Our ancestors said, “Su dlupa di maangkon di kataw, pero sud lupa mahaangkon di gëtaw kay ba matay, lubëngan si gëtaw” (Land cannot be owned by a person, but a person can be owned by the land.
After all when a person dies, he or she is buried in the land).
Our belief is sacred and everyone who is living inside the People's Subanen Kingdom Territories is obliged to follow this law. WE Subanen people are responsible for non-indigenous migrants from the lowlands like the dumagat usurping much of our land. The migrant such as the Yakan the Tausug, the Visayan, the Tagalog and all migrants are obliged to follow our laws in our territory.
We have stopped and invalidated all actions of the National government from allowing anyone to own our land because it is against our laws, beliefs tradition and culture and is a violation of RA 8371.
The international law says "No one has the rights to question the possession of the owner" . Subanen are the Lumad, the aborigins, the first settlers, the first occupants prior to any migrants arrived and settled and usurp our land and our law is recognized by the United Nations therefore the Philippine government is mandated by the United Nations to obey and follow our laws.
We allowed the migrants to live, to cultivate and claim their rights to use our land but it does not mean that they could title it to their name as if they owned it because it is against our Subanen laws. Any misunderstanding for the use of the land has been clarified, but we recently realized that the dumagat or the migrants interpreted such acquiescence as giving them the right to own the land when they use it.
MANIFESTO - Subanen Conference on free Prior and informed Consent
