Driven from Home | Philippine indigenous people long for their lands

As Philippine military battalions closed in, shutting down schools, rounding up men and harassing women, Tungig Mansumuy had to make a tough decision: stay and protect their homes, or flee to save their lives and risk losing their land. After discussions with other tribesmen, Mansumuy, the chief of a Lumad tribe in Mindanao island, decided they had to leave and seek shelter until martial law was lifted and it was safe to return to their homes in Talaingod village. A few men stayed behind to guard their homes, while the rest fled by foot in February, carrying few belongings as they made the two-day trek down the mountain, Mansumuy said. Today 244 of them, mostly women and children, are in rickety shelters of bamboo and tarpaulin in the middle of a banana plantation in Madaum village, about 80 km (50 miles) from Davao City, with no inkling of when they can return to their homes. Read the full story on: http://www.thisisplace.org/i/?id=09b0... Subscribe: https://www.bit.ly/3L0j2Ro Watch more videos: https://www.bit.ly/3FPmblU Visit our site: https://www.context.news/ — We make short documentaries, explainers and original series for people who care about the world’s biggest challenges. Context is anchored around three of the most significant and interdependent issues of our time: climate change, the impact of technology on society and inclusive economies. We contextualize how critical issues and events affect ordinary people, society and the environment. Context is a media platform brought to you by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the corporate foundation of Thomson Reuters, the global news and information services company. Through journalism, media development, free legal assistance, and convening initiatives, we combine our unique services to drive systemic change.