MANILA — Mount Pinatubo tourism activities are suspended in Botolan, Zambales to give way for the reconstruction of trails and not due to a dispute with the Aeta community who blocked its entrance gate in early April, Mayor Jun Omar Ebdane said on Friday, May 9. 

“Sa nakaraang araw po kasi, ang nagiging problema po talaga, nasira na po yung mga daan papuntang Pinatubo,” said Ebdane during an interview with Teleradyo Serbisyo. 

(These days, the problem is that the trails in Mt. Pinatubo were destructed.)

Ebdane's statement contradicts that of the Department of Tourism (DOT), which said on May 4 that Botolan suspended all tourism activities in Mt. Pinatubo in light of the Aeta communities’ barricading of the trails in Capas, Tarlac. 

Marcial Lengao, the Tarlac provincial officer of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, moreover, said during an interview on May 6 that NCIP, with DOT and Botolan and Capas LGUs, agreed to suspend the tourism activities in Pinatubo while resolving the conflict with the affected IP community.

DOT suspends tourism activities at Mt. Pinatubo

“Nung kami po ay nag-meeting nung nakaraang Friday, that was May 2, 2025. Kasama po dito yung mga LGU ng Botolan, Zambales at Capas, Tarlac, at tourism [department]. Napag-usapan po na isuspendido muna yung pag-aakyat ng mga tourists nang sa gayon ay maisaayos muna yung resolution, yung MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) between the indigenous peoples o yung katutubo natin at tourism, at saka yung opisina ng National Commission on Indigenous Peoples,” said Lengao. 

(When we had a meeting on Friday, May 2 with the LGUs of Botolan, Zambales and Capas, Tarlac and the tourism department, we agreed to suspend tourism activities while resolving the resolutions, the MOA between the IPs, DOT, and the NCIP office.)

“Nagdesisyon po sila, naglabas ang LGU ng Botolan, Zambales at sinang-ayunan po ng Capas LGU, Tarlac… at iyon din naman po ang kahilingan ng ating katutubo na wala munang makaakyat na turista habang inaayos ang kahilingan nila,” he added.

AETAS ARRESTED FOR BLOCKING PINATUBO TRAIL

On April 18, IP group Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas announced that members of the Aeta communities in Capas, Tarlac were arrested for putting up a barricade in the entrance gate of Mt. Pinatubo. 

NCIP wants Capas police to explain arrest of Aetas at Mount Pinatubo protest

Lengao said the IPs wanted to increase their share in the revenue generated from the tourism activities operated in their ancestral domains. 

“Kaya po sila nagharang, dahil doon nila maipakita na nakukulangan sila at gusto nila ma-increase yung kaparte nila bilang nagmamay-ari ng lupaing ninuno o ancestral domain sa kanilang lugar,” he said. 

(They blocked the tourists to show that their share increased as onwers of the ancestral domain.)

“Nakakatulong pa nga po ang ating LGU, nagkakataon lang po na may hindi pagkakaintindihan sa hatian dahil iniisip ng ating kapwa katutubo na nakukulangan sila,” he added. 

(The LGU helps them, but now there is a misunderstanding because the IP members think their sahrewas not enough.)

NCIP Tarlac provincial legal officer Atty. Sharmaine Valenzuela said a provision between the LGUs and the IP community states the revenue division between the two parties, although vaguely which makes is vulnerable to abuse. 

“Base sa memorandum of agreement, vague kasi yung kasulatan. And even sa kasulatan, hindi siya nakalagay kung magkano yung percentage,” said Atty. Valenzuela. 

(Based on the memorandum of agreement, the document was vague. It does not state the percentage.)

Botolan mayor Ebdane said the revenue distribution depends per local government unit. 

In Botolan, each tourist pays P400 for environmental fee, which Ebdane explained is distributed fairly among all 11 barangays in their municipality. 

The legal officer explained that NCIP has been attempting to come up with an agreement with the IP community regarding the issue, but LGUs cannot agree to increase the fee in fear of shooing away tourists.

Lengao, meanwhile, said the tourism activities do not cause any form of environmental degredation in the IP community’s ancestral domain. 

Ebdane said the Botolan suspension’s duration remains pending, so long that rain showers continue to swamp the trails.

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