KEY TAKEAWAYS •
Limitations for indigenous participation are embedded within the system and do not actually transfer any power to indigenous peoples
•
Providing “evidence” of ancestral land claims is limited in scope
•
The experience of subsistence farmers opposing development or land encroachment (historic and present day) mirror the indigenous experience
•
Projects push forward despite community opposition and public dissent, for the sake of “nation”
CONCLUSION + NEXT STEPS It is difficult not to reflect on how the “growing pains” of accommodating the rapidly growing urban centres in the Philippines, feel reminiscent of the expansion of public works and highways here in the United States that violent displaced and removed Black and Brown communities to “clean” areas of “urban blight” for the sake of progress and modernity. Bringing justice to these past planning harms are undoubtedly still the most pressing call to action my planning generation shares. In the case of geothermal energy development, I conclude that there is plenty of cause and evidence of the resource’s viability, but reckon the direct conflict with its overlap on ancestral lands and land holding the nation’s natural capital. The facts uncovered by this thesis are that for the Philippines, post-colonial legitimation drives and perhaps still drives infrastructure development; development that privileges the national narrative of “resiliency” and “progress” while prioritizing urban centres. And while opposition persists against certain development projects, land tenure claims are challenging to win due to the Western formalities and constructs that are privileged in such legal battles. We learned that the process, shortened and stifled by the limits of political campaigns and inconsistent recollection of institutional knowledge, ultimately does not give any real power to indigenous peoples when coming to a consensus in geothermal energy projects. The contradicting policies and convoluted development process make participation difficult, begging the question if the scale we undertake geothermal energy is appropriate and responsive to increasing need.
(Figure 37) Sketch underlay by Paul Alcazaren, annotations by author
