The Davao City Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO), in coordination with the Tribal Council and barangays, conducted a coordination meeting last April 11 at Paradise Embac for additional Bantay Bukid Volunteers from the Ata tribe.
PSSO Head Angel Sumagaysay, in an interview with the City Information Office on Monday, said that the Ata Tribal Council – through a resolution – requested additional volunteers from their tribe.
“Naghimo sila’g tribal resolution requesting for additional 40 para maging 60, so gi-umpisahan na namo siya gi-istorya namo ang barangay ug ang Ata Tribal Council. Ginahulat nalang nato tung 40 nila nga ihatag subject, for vetting gihapon na, at least physically, mentally-ready siya sa tasking niya. (They crafted a tribal resolution requesting for an additional 40, to make it 60. We have already started coordination meetings with the barangay and the Ata Tribal Council. We are only waiting for the 40 that they will name, subject for vetting that the applicant must be physically, and mentally-ready for the tasks),” Sumagaysay said.
He added that currently there are 20 Bantay Bukid, and 60 is the ideal number to be met because of the wide expanse of the land area of Paquibato.
Sumagaysay said that the presence of Bantay Bukid is really helpful as the volunteers are stationed in areas where few law enforcers are.
He said that the Bantay Bukid checks the illegal cutting of trees, kaingin, and they also look out after the watershed.
He said that initially Bantay Bukid forest rangers are under an NGO but were later absorbed by the city as volunteers with honorarium.
The Bantay Bukid is currently under the supervision of the Watershed Management Council and the PSSO.
Sugmagaysay said that apart from Paquibato, there are also Bantay Bukid Volunteers located in Calinan, Baguio, and Tawan-tawan. Bantay Bukid volunteers in the city total more than 200. CIO
