They were the original settlers of the island. When Boracay is not yet famous as it is now, their ancestors had already been in the island. But now, they are fighting for a "piece" of land almost only 2 hectares located in Barangay Manoc-Manoc at the eastern part of 1,032 hectare Boracay Island, of which had already been awarded to them by the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) last January 21st 2011. The NCIP issued the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) in the name of 200 members of Boracay Ati Tribal Organization (BATO), however, the Ati were not able to enter the property because powerful and influential people are contesting the awarding of CADT.
On April 17, 2012, some 200 members of the Boracay Ati Tribal Organization (BATO) have taken the risk of installing themselves inside the 2-hectare CADT'd area. The installation was initiated by the members who are forced to protect their Ancestral Domain from influential families of Boracay who are continuously opposing the CADT issued by the government.
"We are following due process. And yet due process is giving undue advantage to the rich claimants who continue to build structures inside the Ancestral Land of the Atis in Boracay. We might end up without a land of our own"-Delsa Justo
The battle is on for the Atis and this might be forever battle for them when those rich claimant wont honor the CADT. Will the battle of the elderly Atis will also be the same battle of this young Ati Kids? Will this will be a lifetime struggle? This is a very sad reality. Behind Boracay's incomparable and uncontested beauty, the Atis had been struggling to own a piece of land which is due to them. Their ancestors once called the island theirs, but now, its a whole different thing.
"STOP LAND GRABBING, SAVE THE ATIS OF BORACAY!"
SUPPORT THE ATI CAMPAIGN FOR LAND, DIGNITY AND SELF DETERMINATION.
