Abstract

Capas is a first-class municipality in the Province of Tarlac, Philippines. The town was a part of vast wilderness inhabited by the ethnolinguistic group known as Aeta that occupying the mountain ranges of Central Luzon. The ethnic group continue to practice the traditional cutting and burning of trees to produce “uling” (charcoal) called kaingin which the Philippine laws forbid and termed as illegal farming practices which causes soil erosion, loss of soil fertility, and landslide. Aware of its illegality, they do not have any alternative way of farming. This paper considers the cultural meaning of kaingin of the Aeta and why they continue to practice it despite the environmental laws in the country. Data comes from focus group discussions (FGD) and one-on-one interviews with the tribal “kaingeros”. This study proposes an alternative upland farming for environmental and economic sustainability. Results show that kaingin is a part of Aeta culture and it is a source of their social and economic stability and therefore, cultural preservation.

Presenters

Erwin R. Mercado
Assistant Professor, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy/Department of Philosophy & Humanities, Bulacan State University, Bulacan, Philippines

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

The Value of Culture and the Demand of Change

KEYWORDS

Sustainability, Charcoal Making, Tradition, Aeta, Municipality, Capas, Tarlac

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