Kristel Quierrez on Restoring Mountain Forests and Advocating for Indigenous Rights

Kristel Quierrez and UGBON’s mission is to restore the mountain forests and advocate for indigenous knowledge.

Cool winds course through the winding river in Daraitan, Rizal. Kristel Quierrez hikes up the white rocky trail with a sure foot, retracing a path she has taken many times before. 

She’s heard that miracles happen here at Tinipak River. Walking alongside her, we feel the energy that flows through the river. It’s in the gusts of air kicking up the loose soil, the water swirling around our ankles, which over eons has eroded rocks into sand. This same force once thrust the massive limestone rocks from under the earth toward the sky, creating the formations that tower over those who visit the river today.

“[When I am in Tinipak and on our ancestral lands], I truly feel my identity as an indigenous person,” Kristel says in Filipino. Kristel is a young environmentalist who has been advocating for the protection of her people’s sacred lands in Daraitan and across the Sierra Madre. She is a proud member of the Agta indigenous community, also known as the Dumagat-Remontado. 

The Agta are indigenous communities who inhabit the Sierra Madre mountain range that stretches across the eastern side of Luzon. In the provinces of Rizal, Bulacan, Aurora, and Quezon, where Kristel hails from, the Agta are called Dumagat, a word that references their proximity to the sea. Kristel explains that Dumagat likely came from the Tagalog language, as the word is phonetically different from those in the Agta language. Remontado, meanwhile, is derived from “remontar” which means to flee to the hills, a name given by the Spanish colonizers.  

Among the different names that has been bestowed throughout history, Kristel feels the most comfortable being called “Agta,” a word that comes from her own native tongue. “Agta means ‘person’ in our language,” she explains. “So when you say you are an Agta, it feels as if there is more dignity there as an indigenous person.” 

Putting her language into practice is one of the many acts of cultural preservation that she learned at the Sentrong Paaralan ng mga Agta (PSA), an elementary school for the Agta community built in 1988 in General Nakar, Quezon. There, they teach young people about their Indigenous Knowledge, Culture, and Practices (IKSP) in order to preserve their heritage.

This education led her to value her identity early on, and soon pushed her to co-found youth organization UGBON: Katutubong Kabataang Umuugat sa Kabundukan ng Sierra Madre,  along with other young advocates in the southern Sierra Madre region. UGBON’s mission is to restore the mountain forests and advocate for indigenous rights.

During our day at the river, Kristel brought along a few of her colleagues, one of whom is Lovely Castillo, another pioneering member. While Kristel hiked ahead of the group, Lovely tells me that Kristel is a powerful and eloquent speaker when she discusses their advocacies. Ask her a question about her culture and it’s as if the winds themselves are carrying her words.

Her work with UGBON has earned Kristel recognition beyond our shores, recently named as one of the 2025 Restoration Stewards by the Global Landscapes Forum, the largest knowledge-led platform on sustainable and inclusive landscapes. Only seven stewards are awarded each year, making it a proud achievement for Kristel, her fellow youth advocates, and for indigenous voices. 

Kristel says that her selection came as a surprise to some, who wondered how a young indigenous woman from the coastal town of General Nakar could be selected over a number of more prominent environmentalists in the Philippines. 

“Why wasn’t someone more famous chosen?” was the question she heard. “Well, my answer to that question is that I wasn’t the one chosen. It was what I represented. Because I believe that the most effective protectors of the environment are the indigenous people […] Wherever the indigenous people are, on whatever side of the world, that is where lush forests can be found.”

And that fact has been proven globally as well. A report by the World Bank Group states that 36 percent of the world’s intact forests are found on indigenous territories. The ancestral lands, along with all beings that inhabit them, are deeply linked to the identities of indigenous peoples, making these communities the forest’s most effective guardians.

This cements why Kristel and the rest of the young environmentalists at UGBON are pushing for indigenous voices in climate work. They want to assert rights for the forests, the same way humanitarians fight for the rights of marginalized groups, because these are all living beings in need of protection. A foundational aspect of Agta culture is their belief that Makidepet, their creator, can be found in every element of the natural world, from the soil in the ground, to the waters of the river, and the limestone formations that define the landscape. 

Kristel’s hope is that in the future, Indigenous wisdom and values such as these will be taught at the Senior High and the College levels. She and Lovely Villegas are now working on keeping a record of their history and culture. So far, they have filmed indigenous ways to sow seeds, catch fish, and harvest sap from a tree to use as varnish; traditional practices from daily life that will be sources of valuable knowledge for future generations.

Preserving their culture is becoming more popular within younger Agta generations, Lovely shares. She says that UGBON membership has grown from 30 original members to more than 80 across multiple municipalities. Many are also excited to participate in their reforestation initiatives.  “In my opinion, when you come from an indigenous community, it becomes natural for you to come back,” Kristel says. “Returning to your land is in your blood. And it should be natural to fight for your home, your culture, your ancestors, and your environment.” 

Sitting in a kubo by the river basin, Kristel greets the Agta passing by who are working as tour guides. While she acknowledges that the work of a young environmental leader is challenging, she is sustained by the moments of beauty that come the longer she keeps at it. She looks forward to the day when more members of her community strengthen their commitment to their ancestral lands, honor their responsibility to the environment, and fully embrace their identity as indigenous people.

As the river winds begin to subside, Kristel shares a piece of wisdom passed down from her ancestors: “Ako ay may bigas, kalahating gatang. Husto sa marami, sa iisa’y kulang.”  A pillar of the Agta or Dumagat culture is the act of reciprocity. At the heart of the work that Kristel, Lovely, and the rest of their organization do is the belief that we, as humans, should only take what we need from the earth. And because we have enough, it is our duty to give back—to protect, restore, and revere the environment.

Note: The personal views and opinions of Kristel Quierrez do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the Dumagat/Remontado ICCs/IPs of Quezon and Rizal.

By PATRICIA VILLORIA. Photographs by GERIC CRUZ. Features Editor AUDREY CARPIO. Stylist: Neil de Guzman. Makeup: Kim Roy Opog. Hair: Mong Amado. Producer: Bianca Zaragoza. Photographer’s Assistant: Andy Cugon. Shot on location at Tinipak River, Rizal.