Kara David addresses issue surrounding 'I-Witness' docu 'Ibinasurang Paraiso'

Kara David addressed the controversy surrounding her “I-Witness” documentary, ‘Ibinasurang Paraiso,’ clarifying that the issue was only about the garbage dumped in the ancestral domain of the Aeta community in Subic, Zambales.

On Wednesday’s “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda,” the Kapuso journalist was asked where things stand following the online discussions that emerged after Boss Toyo and other vloggers visited the area.

“We don't have any conflict with Boss Toyo. The issue here is that garbage was dumped in the forest, in the ancestral domain of indigenous people,” Kara said in Filipino.

Kara emphasized that ‘Ibinasurang Paraiso’ was not produced to target or discredit anyone.

“When we made that documentary, our goal wasn’t to ruin anyone’s reputation or fight anyone. We simply wanted the garbage to be removed,” she said.

Following the documentary's airing, Boss Toyo shared on Facebook that he had visited the Subic dumpsite, saying he did not notice a foul odor at the site, that the community's homes were located at the foot of the mountain, that the next residential area was about seven kilometers away, and that he had learned the land was privately owned.

He also urged the public to reduce plastic waste, saying the country's garbage problem is a shared responsibility that should not be blamed solely on local government units or the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Meanwhile, Kara shared on "Fast Talk" that she was encouraged by the public response after the documentary aired, saying the attention generated by the film appeared to have prompted action.

“We're very happy that after the documentary aired, it received support from netizens and the public. Right after it was broadcast, we received reports that the local government had begun cleaning up the area and had started removing the garbage,” she said.

However, she noted that fully rehabilitating the site would take time.

“The garbage had been dumped there for seven years, so it can't all be removed in just one week. We hope the cleanup they started in the forest will continue.”

"Ibinasurang Paraiso" documented how a dumpsite was established in the middle of a forest in Sitio Tibag, Barangay Naugsol, Subic, Zambales, within the ancestral domain of the Aeta community.

Following its airing, content creators also visited the area, as conversations surrounding the documentary continued across social media.

“I-Witness” later released a statement addressing several claims circulating online, including assertions about the dumpsite’s location, the proximity of the Aeta community to the site, and the documentary's findings on its environmental impact.

The program said its findings were backed by extensive research, official government documents, and records from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, adding that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has since issued another cease-and-desist order for the dumpsite's full closure.

—Carby Rose Basina/CDC, GMA News