“Ginawang negosyo” ang bundok.
By Allan Sampang
Madalas mo ‘tong maririnig na may kasamang inis. Parang insulto. Parang may ginawang masama. As if turning something into a business is automatically malicious. But let’s pause for a second. If ang definition mo ng negosyo ay exploitative, then sure baka tama ka. Pero ganun ba talaga ang negosyo? Isn’t business, at its core, about creating value? And don’t we all benefit when someone turns something into a business the right way? Steady ka lang dyan, give me a moment to establish my “negosyo” POV:
Someone organizes it. Maintains it. Protects it. Creates structure where there is chaos. Creates livelihood. Creates accountability. Creates rules.
So maybe the real question isn’t “Ginawang negosyo ba?” The real question is, paano ginawang Negosyo? and para kanino?
The Ayta were given a platform to showcase their culture and heritage, on their own terms. No external policies shaping them into something they’re not. No scripts to follow. They tell their own stories. Real stories. Hindi yung mga kwentong minanufacture lang para mag-create ng hype or false value.
They were also given the chance to develop life skills. Skills that naturally go hand in hand with their way of living. A new lifestyle that doesn’t exploit their traditions, but complements their culture.
The dirt roads that were once tricky to navigate are now paved. Pwede ka nang humataw (not advisable😅), to the point na minsan mas smooth pa ang drive dito kaysa sa kalsada namin promise. May regular maintenance. May quick response sa infrastructure. At higit sa lahat, walang ghost projects! They now have better and faster access going in and out of their ancestral domain.
And to top it all off, they’re not just employees of this so-called “negosyo.” They are partners. They hold sovereignty over their domain. Hindi ang mga kulot ang nag-a-adjust sa policies ng mga unat. And this is how a “negosyo” is properly done. May malinaw na transaction. You give value and naturally, you get value back.
And what is it for a “unat” like me (technically kulot din pala ako, by the way), you ask? You’re welcomed as a visitor, not treated like a trespasser. You see, with your own eyes, how tradition and progress can exist side by side. You walk away inspired to keep going with life, despite its challenges. Their land has this quiet, natural way of healing you, and you don’t leave the same person you were when you arrived. On top of all that, mapupuno talaga phone memory mo ng photos at videos😅.
But more importantly, you’re treated with respect not because you paid, but because you became part of their community, even just for a while. Kasi itong “negosyo” na ’to didn’t just sell you an experience. It gave you a chance to take part in community building. Hindi ka lang bisita.
Buti na lang “ginawang negosyo” ang mga bundok na ito. Because if they weren’t, we’d still be arguing about access, boundaries, and entitlement. Instead, what we see is ownership with responsibility. Progress with respect. And a system where everyone knows their place and their role. Sometimes, the problem isn’t the word negosyo. It’s how little we understand what a good one actually looks like.
