Separate Concurring Opinion 10 G.R. No. 224469 Although Iraya is a term which denotes people from the upland or upstream, they originally lived in the lowlands or the town proper known as the poblacion or lumang bayan. They were, however, forced to flee to the uplands when armed men invaded their area. 39 Like all other indigenous peoples, Iraya-Mangyans have always had a unique relationship with nature, specifically their land and its resources. This relationship comes from a belief of a higher being that has bestowed upon them the land and its resources, which must be respected, so as not to incur its wrath. This belief has then ingrained a sense of respect for the land and resources within each Filipino tribal group member. 40 To them, nature is a space where the natural and supernatural meet. They conform to the view that nature is guarded by spirits. For this reason, Iraya-Mangyans utilize natural resources in accordance with the spirits' wishes. 41 To the Iraya-Mangyans, nature is a source of their sustenance and economic needs. The forest and water not only provide for their subsistence, but likewise supply their timber needs. Accordingly, they treat nature with utter respect and work for its preservation. 42 Moreover, Iraya-Mangyans recognize that they must utilize the resources in a manner as not to deplete it. They observe certain traditional restrictions to ensure that the resources in their lands are not exhausted to the point of extinction. For instance, they refrain from cutting bamboo shoots and certain native grasses, as they are used for weaving. In cutting down trees, Iraya-Mangyans recognize that not all logs must be cut. Some species must be preserved as a means to control erosion. 43 Iraya-Mangyans are generally engaged~ in swidden agriculture or shifting cultivation. 44 As such, they possess intricate knowledge of the tropical ecosystem. They employ a methodological procedure which yields maximum benefits without destroying the environment from which they 39 40 41 42 43 44 Portia M. Panegro and Francia C. Bulatao, Claims and Counterclaims in the Mt. Halcon and Mt. Calavite Ranges: The Jraya Peoples' Assertion of Rights to Their Ancestral Domains, 47 ATENEO L. J. 624, 627 (2002). John Jerico Laudet Balisnomo, Ancestral Domain Ownership and Disposition: Whose land, Which Lands, 42 ATENEO L. J. 159, 203 (1997). Portia M. Panegro and Francia C. Bulatao, Claims and Counterclaims in the Mt. Halcon and Mt. Calavite Ranges: The Jraya Peoples' Assertion of Rights to Their Ancestral Domains 4 7 A TENEO L. J. 624, 632-633 (2002). Portia M. Panegro and Francia C. Bulatao, Claims and Counterclaims in the Mt. Halcon and Mt. Calavite Ranges: The Iraya Peoples' Assertion of Rights to Their Ancestral Domains 47 ATENEO L. J. 624, 632-633 (2002). Id. at 633-634. Id. at 634. Id. at 629. f