Actress and environmental advocate Nadine Lustre has once again used her platform to speak out on an environmental issue, expressing outrage over the reported dumping of massive amounts of garbage in an Aeta ancestral domain in Subic, Zambales.
Reacting to the ‘I-Witness’ documentary Ibinasurang Paraiso by veteran journalist Kara David, Nadine described the situation as both heartbreaking and unjust.
“This is just heartbreaking. Such an injustice to the Aeta people, their ancestral land, and the environment. Panong di ka magagalit?”
The documentary exposed how a portion of the Aeta community’s ancestral land was transformed into a dumpsite, with a former ravine eventually buried under truckloads of garbage over several years.
Nadine also commended Kara for bringing the issue to public attention.
“Props to Ms. Kara David for putting this to light!”
The actress went on to criticize the country’s continuing waste management problems, questioning why proper long-term solutions remain elusive.
“Nakakatawa nalang na 2026 na di pa rin natin alam ano gagawin sa mga basura natin. Mukha namang afford na natin gumawa ng proper disposal plan sa dami ng pera natin! Ay… oo nga pala.”
Nadine likewise took issue with remarks from a local government official featured in the documentary, who explained that the area had only been intended as a temporary dumpsite and that authorities were allegedly unaware a community was living nearby.
The actress rejected the explanation.
“Kahit pansamantala pa ‘yan, hindi pa rin tama.”
She also echoed a statement shared online by another social media user that read:
“Ang lupang ninuno ay hindi basurahan ng inyong nabubulok na sistema.”
In ‘Ibinasurang Paraiso’, Kara David documented how mountains of waste accumulated inside a forest in Subic, severely affecting the environment and the lives of the indigenous Aeta community.
Residents interviewed in the documentary lamented the loss of their once-pristine ancestral land, while local officials acknowledged shortcomings in the management of the dumpsite and said rehabilitation efforts are now being planned.
