After the catastrophic landslide in Northeastern Luzon last December, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo immediately declared a total log ban… a moratorium on logging in all parts of the country. But just three months after the declaration, a barangay official patrolling Carmen, Surigao del Norte witnessed a caravan of freshly cut logs being shuttled out from the forest. This prompted him and his companions to literally lay their lives on the ground to stop the moving caravan.
"I-Witness" journalist Jay Taruc visits the heartland of the Manobos in Surigao del Norte to investigate the traces left by the alleged illegal loggers. Beyond the investigation, Taruc recognizes the bravery of the local folks in this little known town for protecting the sacred ground they inherited from their forebearers.
Thousands of miles away, another group of nature warriors converge in Norzagaray to protect its natural landscape from the threat of continuous rock blasting. Beneath the cement companies conducting the blasting lie the historic Piangrealan Caves, which sheltered hundreds of Katipuneros during the Philippine Revolution.
Jay Taruc travels deep within the caves and studies their scientific and historical importance. Inside the complex caverns, he discovers why people are so relentless in calling for their preservation.
Jay Taruc’s offering for "I-Witness" sixth anniversary are the dramatic stories of these environmental warriors. "I-Witness" airs Monday nights, right after "Saksi" on GMA -7.
