Antique Bell in Sagada in Mt. Province, Philippines (photo credits: Vien Suerte-Cortez)
SAGADA
Official Title: Sagada Municipal and Barangay Peace Committee
Location and Geographic Coverage: Sagada Municipality, Mountain Province. The peace zone covers the areas between the Chico and Abra River systems in northern Luzon. Sagada is a popular tourist destination.
Brief Description
Sagada is one of the pioneer peace zones established by its Municipal Peace and Order Council as a demilitarized zone in late 1988 after two shooting incidents, one involving the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and another involving the communist New People's Army (NPA), which resulted in the deaths of several innocent children and youth. Among the peace zone’s original main components were the total pull-out of all armed groups; no military detachments near population centers; no fighting inside or close to population centers; and no carrying of deadly weapons within any populated area. The spirit, if not the letter, of these components have in the main been observed until recently. The main factor for this has been the strong and sustained tribal community sentiment sanctioning these components, especially respect by all concerned for the sentiment and word of the community's elders. The rhetoric of the armed groups' leadership like that of the NPA may be against the peace zone as a matter of principle or policy but the practice of the foot soldiers on the ground is more respectful of community, especially elders, sentiment. Sagada's successful example became the inspiration for six other (out of a total of ten) municipalities in Mountain Province, through the efforts of their elders and officials, to establish their towns as peace or "conflict-free" zones, effectively forming a peace zone cluster in majority part of the province. (Sources: Soliman Santos; Kevin Avruch and Roberto Jose).
Comments/ Updates:
Originally this was the only government recognised peace zone in the country. One problem was the different interpretations put on the “boundaries” of the peace zone, For the local inhabitants, these were the limits set by the lands they cultivated [traditional land use patterns] rather than the formal administrative boundaries of “Sagada”, and the NPA tended to remain in this “twilight zone”, which led to AFP accusations that the peace zone was being used as a refuge by the NPA and that the locals were guerrilla supporters.
Recently, on August 30, 2013, the Philippine Air Force launched airstrikes against the NPA in Sagada in response to a series of NPA offensives a day before which targeted a convoy of policemen on the boundary of Barangay Aguid, Sagada and Barangay Mainit, Bontoc. On June 28, NPA rebels also allegedly ambushed a group of police trainees, killing one policeman and injuring almost a dozen. (Please see sources below).
SOURCES:
Avruch, Kevin and Roberto S. Jose. “Peace Zones in the Philippines.” In Landon E. Hancock and Christopher Mitchell. Zones of Peace. USA: Kumarian Press, Inc., 2007.
Santos, Soliman Jr. M. Peace Zones in the Philippines: Concept, Policy, and Instruments. Quezon City: Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute and The Asia Foundation, 2005.
Media Reports:
Air Force mounts rocket strikes vs NPA in Sagada
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/70415/top-cordillera-red-leader-evades-capture
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/70517/2-of-3-suspected-rebels-captured-in-sagada-ordered-released
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/488155/sagada-no-longer-peace-zone-afp
Other Details
Region: Luzon.
Population: c15,000.
Location: Between the Chico and Abra River systems in the north of Luzon, an area of great natural beauty.
Ethnic Mix: Igorot community; indigenous, Kankanay speaking,
IDP Population:
Date of Establishment: November 1988
Trigger Events: Between October 28 and November 11 1988, three local children were shot, one caught in a criss fire, the others by drunken soldiers. Local people held an indignation rally and began negotiating for a cease fire with the AFP and NPA. In June 1989 4 soldiers were killed and their bodies left in a local stream used as a local soutce of water. Local women organised a procession to retrieve and bury the bodies.
Persons/organizations involved in establishment:
Leadership: Drs Gaston Ortgeas, Dean of Asian School of management, and Ed Garcia who had observed peace communities in Central America. Local council of elders and town council
Supporters: Local bishops, civic leaders and Gvt officials, including the Secretary of Defense, Fidel Ramos, who wrote a favourable endorsement of the Peace Zone to President Aquino. National Peace Council.
Declared objectives: Complete demilitarisation of area and withdrawal of all armed units; no weapons allowed in barangay proper [including local police]. Safe conduct and treatment for wounded. Site for peaceful negotiations. Civilian participation in any investigation; no torture/killing of suspects. Complaints referred to “proper authorities.” Local customs & cultural practices to be respected.
Memberships in regional organizations: Supported neighbouring Kalingas in their struggle against the Chico River Dam.
Decision making Bodies: Elected, 5 member Barangay Peace Committee
Valued goods produced in region: Originally an area for tourism but this gradually declined as NPA and then AFP moved into the area.
Local Armed Actors in region:
Army: AFP.
Paramilitaries: Sagada has always refused to organise Civilian Home Defence Forces or Citizens’ Armed Forces Geographical Units.
Guerrillas: NPA. Cordillera People’s Democratic Front.
Arrangements with LAA’s : No NPA teach-ins, recruitment or revolutionary taxes. No detachments to be assigned to zone. No harrasment. No drinking liquor inside stores. No arms to be carried within town and 4 closest barangays
Last Updated: November 2013
Further Reading:
