Cruelty against Boracay’s Atis

CERES DOYO’S May 5 column (“Boracay Atis barred from their ancestral land”) tugged at the heart. This form of cruelty against the Atis of Boracay is revolting. Whoever are perpetrating it are ruthless.
Up here in the Arctic, the Inuits, formerly called the Eskimos—the natives, or the aboriginals of the land—a little over a decade ago, entered into Land Claim Agreement with the Queen of England, regarding ownership of the Territory of Nunavut, an area bigger than the continent of Australia, or as big as the size of Western Europe, but populated by only 35,000 people.

If the once powerful throne of England had the heart, the sensitivity and compassion to honor the natives of the Arctic by respecting the land they occupy, how arrogant are the land-grabbers in Boracay to displace the original settlers? These land-grabbers are just guests in the island.
When the island was still virginal and pristine, we would take a sailboat and cruise around the nearby islands, including Carabao Island and the southern part of Tablas Island, and enjoy the sea breeze and the calm waters when no strong winds were blowing.

But today, Boracay, the natural resort is beautiful no more with greed pervading the place.

Dahil sila ay Ati, sila ay biktima ng pang aapi… (Because they’re Ati, they are victims of oppression…)

—BOB GABUNA,
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