A portrait of Teresa Dela Cruz in her community’s ancestral domain in Sitio Maporac in Cabangan, Zambales.

In one of Cabangan, Zambales’ ancestral domains, a story of adaptability, cultural preservation, and women’s leadership unfolds, centering on the Ayta indigenous peoples and their steadfast female leaders. These women serve as environmental stewards and guardians of traditional knowledge, guiding their communities toward a sustainable future.

Teresa Dela Cruz, a 58-year-old Maporac Ayta leader, is one of these pillars of strength and her voice has gained prominence since the implementation of the GEF-UNDP-DENR Access and Benefit-Sharing Project. Teresa’s enthusiasm shines through as she describes how the project has amplified the voices of women within her community.

Teresa Dela Cruz, a woman leader of the Maporac Ayta community, during one of the ABS Project’s community consultations.

“The acceptance of male leaders toward women’s rights to participate in social issues has been strengthened. Because of the ABS Project, our voices are being heard more,” she shares.

The ABS Project promotes benefit-sharing that goes back to the community involved in the Banaba trade. Currently, without a structured approach to benefit-sharing, the Ayta community is engaged in a straightforward buy-and-sell model for their Banaba and other herbal products. This arrangement often leaves them with no choice but to accept prices below fair value, particularly under a “take-it-or-leave-it” pricing model, typically set at 14 pesos per kilo for dried Banaba leaves.

Teresa explains, “Without the principles of ABS in practice, our community would miss out on our rightful benefits. Our Banaba and other medicinal plants would remain undervalued.” She emphasizes their readiness to negotiate for fairer prices, highlighting their desire to protect the value of their natural resources.

An Ayta woman gathers Banaba leaves, a medicinal plant abundant in her community’s ancestral domain that has long been used for its cleansing properties.

Since the ABS Project began working with her community in June 2022, Teresa has seen positive changes. By including women’s perspectives and participation in community consultations, the council of elders—previously composed primarily of male voices—has now welcomed more women to take part in crucial community decision-making processes.

For Teresa, Access and Benefit-Sharing extends beyond simply granting outsiders access to natural resources. It also promotes knowledge exchange, empowers women and youth through training and capacity building, enhances leadership negotiation skills, and aims to increase the market value of Banaba.

Gathering Banaba leaves (Lagerstroemia speciosa) serves as an additional livelihood for the Ayta community, as they are often sold as raw materials to traders for pharmaceutical use.

Teresa’s leadership has been especially evident in her opposition to mining operations in 2008 and 2016 within their ancestral domain, which proceeded without the required Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). She continues to advocate against mining due to its detrimental impact on the environment, and she is now further advocating for the fair trade of natural resources within her community.

Under the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), FPIC is required for any activity conducted within ancestral domains, including bioprospecting, which seeks to use plants, animals, and microorganisms for economic purposes. Teresa stresses the importance of respecting community protocols, as outlined in Section 35 of IPRA.

“The transparency and trust fostered by the ABS Project through ongoing community engagement set it apart from other initiatives, reaffirming our rights over our ancestral lands,” she says.

The Maporac Ayta Community of Cabangan, Zambales, along with representatives from DENR-Region III, Herbanext Laboratories, Inc., and the ABS Project, gathered to harvest Banaba leaves for research.

The ABS Project reached a significant milestone by facilitating the Philippines’ first Developmental ABS agreement in August 2023 under the Nagoya Protocol between the Maporac Ayta community of Cabangan, Zambales and Herbanext Laboratories, Inc. This partnership aims to improve the processing of raw Banaba leaves and enhance the Banaba value chain, with the potential to increase their market value.

A key objective of the ABS Project is to review and revise the country’s bioprospecting guidelines. Teresa, along with other IP leaders, is actively involved in shaping policies that affect their communities. “The bioprospecting guidelines empower us to assert our rights, especially when granting access to Banaba and other medicinal plants,” she explains.

Teresa and the community elders are dedicated to passing down their Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSP), including herbal remedies, to future generations. By safeguarding these practices, they protect both their rights and valuable cultural knowledge.

As part of the traditional practices of the Maporac Ayta, pruning leaves for easier harvesting is essential. The ABS Project will develop proper harvesting protocols in collaboration with the community to ensure the conservation of Banaba.

In an interview, Teresa reflects on how deeply the Ayta community’s identity is intertwined with their IKSP. “Losing the stories embedded in our land is like losing the essence of our existence: ‘ang lupa ay buhay, ang buhay ay lupa’—land is life, and life is land. If we do not pass down our IKSP to future generations, we risk losing our identity.”

Teresa’s leadership embodies the positive outcomes that arise when indigenous communities partner with external stakeholders to protect and leverage their natural resources. Her unwavering commitment serves as a testament to the potential for meaningful change through collective action and collaboration, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.