The team also mentioned the developments that happened since then.
Last July 11, the long-running GMA documentary program I-Witness aired the episode entitled Ibinasurang Paraiso, hosted by Kara David.
It centered on the environmental and human impact of an open dumpsite that was set up in a Sitio Tibag in Subic, Zambales — where a community of the indigenous Aeta are living within its vicinity.
The main point of the said episode is to show how the open dumpsite has affected members of the community who are exposed to risks to their health and livelihood, as well as their day-to-day living.
In the same episode, numerous residents also disclosed how the dumpsite started, which was built on ancestral domain of the indigenous peoples living in the area—with some having shifted their homes elsewhere in the forested area.
According to the I-Witness team, the official documents they have obtained and reviewed showed that the dumpsite had been operating since 2019, without the necessary permits.
It was also shown that as early as 2022, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) found that the dumpsite was operating in violation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
Despite these, the dumpsite continued to operate. Thus, the DENR issued another Cease-and-Desist Order (CDO) in March 2026, with the department also directing that the waste to be moved to an accredited sanitary landfill as part of the site’s closure.
Officials from the Subic local government unit that were interviewed in the program also noted that the dumpsite was supposedly meant to just be an “immediate solution” for the disposition of trash at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and were unaware that the Aeta community are living there.
They also said that the dumpsite had stopped operating in late 2025, but the piles of trash remained there and were not transferred to an accredited sanitary landfill.
The LGU officials also said that budget constraints also remain the hurdle, with PHP78 million for a “rehabilitation” of the mountainside. However, a plan was also shown that the local government is looking to instead bury the trash with soil.
Although, afrer the documentary’s broadcast, the DENR issued another CDO for the full closure of the dumpsite.
TEAM RESPONDS TO CLAIMS ONLINE
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, July 21, I-Witness issued a statement on their official channels in light of the continued attention and social media traction that the episode Ibinasurang Paraiso.
In recent days, especially, there were several claims that circulated on social media, which appear to discredit the episode, leading to the program addressing these with the facts.
First claim they responded to is that the dumpsite was supposedly placed on a private property.
According to the show’s team, they spent over a month in conducting research and documenting the story.
“During that process, the team obtained a copy of the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) issued by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), confirming that the area is part of the Aeta community’s ancestral domain,” they told.
Furthermore, they also confirmed that the NCIP’s record show that Sitio Tabag is “within the boundaries of the recognized ancestral domain of the Aeta Ambala Indigenous Cultural Community.”
Another claim they answered is that there is “no foul odor coming from the dumpsite.”
“I-Witness interviewed residents living near the dumpsite, many of whom said they have endured the odor for years, particularly during the rainy season. Some families told the team they eventually left their homes because of its impact on their health and daily lives,” they disclosed.
It was also alleged that the Aeta community is several kilometers away from the dumpsite.
In their reply, the team said: “I-Witness documented several abandoned houses located just a few meters from the dumpsite. Residents told the team that some families had been forced to leave because of the persistent foul odor, the proliferation of flies and concerns about the long-term effects on their health.”
Moreover, as shown in the documentary, there was also astream at the foot of the dumpsite where garbage was being carried by the flowing water and is no longer safe for drinking.
“In addition, the I-Witness team interviewed the chieftain and council of elders of nearby Sitio Alibang, a larger community situated at the foot of the mountain. In recorded interviews, the community leaders confirmed that parts of their traditional hunting grounds and sources of livelihood are located within the same area as the dumpsite. They expressed deep concern over the dumpsite’s presence but said they felt powerless to stop its continued operation,” the I-Witness team continued.
“These findings are not based solely on residents’ accounts. They are corroborated by official government documents and are consistent with the DENR’s own findings and regulatory actions,” they furthered.
For them, the environmental impact of a dumpsite cannot be assessed solely by the presence or absence of nearby houses or by whether it emits a foul odor. “The long-term effects of improper waste disposal on the environment, forests and ecosystems must at all times be considered,” the production group added.
They also emphasized that I-Witness, which has been running since 1999, “has been committed to accurate, fair and responsible journalism,” adding that every documentary is “grounded on extensive research and credible reporting.“
To end, they stressed, “We stand firmly by the documentary and the facts presented in ‘Ibinasurang Paraiso‘.”