Sitio Haduan eyed as model tribal community

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- An 8.5-hectare Aeta land at Sitio Haduan in Mabalacat City will soon be developed as a model community and tourist destination according to government executives.

This was gleaned during the “Consultative Luncheon Meeting on One Direction: The Haduan (Aeta) Model Community Project" at Max’s Restaurant in Villa del Sol here. The meeting was led by Pampanga Second District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Governor Lilia Pineda, Clark Development Corporation (CDC) Chairman Jose De Jesus and CDC President-CEO Noel Manankil.

De Jesus, during his project overview presentation, said the Pampanga Provincial Government and the CDC wanted “to connect with an ancestral community.”

“Governor Pineda came up with a strategy which I think would work. The idea is to choose a barangay or a sitio that will be developed so that it will serve as a model for other communities," De Jesus said.

Mabalacat City had pledged P30 million for the project, while the Provincial Government and CDC will share P10 million each.

CDC vice president for Engineering Services Group Alveen Tabag presented the major infrastructure developments inside and surrounding Clark Freeport Zone anchored in the Pampanga Megalopolis plan drafted by renowned Filipino architect and urban planner Felino Palafox, Jr.

For its proximity in Clark Freeport Zone and its potential to become a tourist destination are two major reasons why Haduan was selected according to CDC assistant vice president for External Affairs Rommel Narciso.

Pampanga Provincial Government and CDC agreed that Haduan has potential tourist spots and attraction that when developed, would become one of the tourist destinations in the Clark area. It has the Haduan Waterfalls, a scenic scene when passing by the Haduan Hanging Bridge and an ideal destination for trekkers.

Narciso explained the renovation of houses in the area which have cultural value for the Aetas, and the re-development of the said sitio in terms of electrical and water supply.

The projected timeline for the development will be on June to December 2018.

As of December 2017, Sitio Haduan in Barangay Marcos has 132 households according to its Tribal Chieftain Roy Tanglao. The said Aeta community has an elementary school, health center, church and water system.

Meanwhile, Department of Public Works and Highways undersecretaries Maria Catalina Cabral, Dimas Saguilon and Rafael Yabut vowed their support for the upcoming project, recognizing the hard work of District Engineer Tito Jesus Salvador and Regional Director Antonio Molano, Jr.

Also present were, Assistant Secretary Eugenio Pipo, Jr., Mabalacat City Tourism Officer Arwin Lingat and Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Chief Art Punzalan.

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