Project
Stewards of Nature
Grant
Earth Network Journalism
Type
✿ Personal
Year
2019-2021
In the hills of Capas, Tarlac, the indigenous Aeta community has long lived in harmony with the land, hunting, foraging, and farming based on ancestral knowledge passed down through generations. This long-term photography project follows tribal chieftain Apung Pet and her community, who continue to nurture and protect their ancestral land amid the rapid transformation brought by New Clark City, a sprawling government development project.
As construction replaces forests and ancestral domains are marked “off-limits,” many families face displacement, land loss, and broken promises of relocation. Despite these threats, the Aetas remain rooted in their belief that nature must be cared for, not consumed.
“We only take what we need,” says Apung Pet.
Their story is one of survival, resistance, and deep ecological wisdom, as they fight to preserve their way of life not only for themselves but for the generations yet to come.
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