# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Peace in our Ancestral Domain (Researched by: Stephanie G. Sandoval)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0m7M1pmoYAbZxf12XkKSruQ8ztdzoxF1Gy7bD5QyPBBvQvyTzdLas1H2dsfKh7Le8l&id=1906723912885513&sfnsn=mo&mibextid=5hxk5e

TITLE: Peace in our Ancestral Domain

AUTHOR: Naval Forces Western Mindanao

DATE: August 8, 2020

KEY CONTENT: According to Bae Christine Banugan, leader of the Mandaya Tribe (2020), as one Filipino, everyone should engage to make an action to protect the Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral domains have been used and abused for so long. The indigenous people is only hoping to freely exercise their rights, preserve cultural heritage, and peace in their ancestral domain.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
End Impunity and Injustice in Mindanao! Land and Justice for the Manobo Pulangiyon (Researched by: Stephanie G. Sandoval)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid022GbYnTB4U6j5N8ao9TC7taeBttRrJxC2XB77Bxh4jdDzzEabsBwmYA7k3YomrKKWl&id=100478777059239&sfnsn=mo&mibextid=5hxk5e

TITLE: End Impunity and Injustice in Mindanao! Land and Justice for the Manobo Pulangiyon

AUTHOR: Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates

DATE: April 20, 2022

KEY CONTENT: The unprovoked shooting on the indigenous Manobo-Pulangiyon leaders and villagers from Maramag, Bukidnon, is strongly condemned by the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA). They emphasized the significance of acknowledging indigenous people' rights to their ancestral lands. Political family and their goons have been encroaching on ancestral lands unlawfully for many years, causing thousands of deaths. In support of the Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines, who have suffered for many generations, PAHRA calls on the country's future leaders to make respecting, protecting, and upholding all indigenous peoples' rights to their ancestral lands, as well as the integrity of their way of life and culture, a top priority by fixing the country's broken, nearly inoperable institutions and the integrity of their livelihoods and culture.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
DA to help develop IP lands in Davao (Researched by: Stephanie G. Sandoval)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1070078

TITLE: DA to help develop IP lands in Davao

AUTHOR: Che Palicte

DATE: May 17, 2019

KEY CONTENT: In order to give Indigenous Peoples (IPs) the ability to develop their ancestral lands, the Department of Agriculture (DA) 11 (Davao region) will work with other agencies. It will be a convergence endeavor with the goal of showing how essential agricultural land, forests, and other natural resources are to their ability to sustainably subsist. The planned Ancestral Domain Development Areas have previously been considered by Davao and other stakeholders (ADDA). The ADDA project will work to reduce the IPs' significant reliance on unprocessed forest resources, including both timber and non-timber, by providing technical support, packaging, and social marketing, as well as creating products for the ancestors' domain in accordance with value chain concepts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Improving Human Rights for Indigenous People in Mindanao (Researched by: Stephanie G. Sandoval)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.ri.org/projects/improving-human-rights-for-indigenous-people-in-mindanao/

TITLE: Improving Human Rights for Indigenous People in Mindanao

AUTHOR: Relief international

DATE: August 21, 2019

KEY CONTENT: Living in distant areas and facing several commercial, cultural, and legislative threats to their unique way of life, indigenous people in the Philippines are frequently among the most marginalized members of society. Although indigenous people are explicitly protected by the law in the Philippines, their access to their land and many other human rights - including the freedom to pursue their own economic, social, and cultural development - are constantly being violated. In order to help defend the rights of indigenous people, Relief International is paving the way in a new approach. It aims to improve multi-stakeholder collaborations, promote sensitive, inclusive, private sector investments in agro-forestry and environmental protection, and support indigenous people.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
The subversion of the Philippines’ Indigenous People’s Rights Act (Researched by: Stephanie G. Sandoval)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://focusweb.org/the-subversion-of-the-philippines-indigenous-peoples-rights-act/

TITLE: The subversion of the Philippines’ Indigenous People’s Rights Act

AUTHOR: Walden Bello

DATE: October 7, 2020

KEY CONTENT: There are 16.5 million indigenous people living in the Philippines, or around 15% of the country's 110 million people. One of the world's most progressive laws of its kind regarding the treatment of indigenous people is claimed to be the Indigenous People's Rights Act of 1997 from the Philippines. According to IPRA, indigenous peoples were granted the following rights to their ancestral domain: the right to develop lands and natural resources, subject to any pre-existing property rights within the ancestral domains; the right to remain in their territories, except when they have given their free and prior informed consent; and the right to be subject to the Philippines' power of eminent domain.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples celebrating the culture of indigenous people. (Researched by: Angel Antoniette R. Cubil)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSangguCAIP%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0L3KcHyyxB7fhkBYu13P6emjQbJjhUBtUWGHLuDPewZzeoYfHxx1NqD2SaQuU4Fscl&show_text=true&width=500

TITLE: International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples celebrating the culture of indigenous people.

AUTHOR: Commission of Ateneans for Indigenous Peoples

DATE: August 9, 2021

KEY CONTENT: This poster advocates people support the indigenous people in taking a stance and paying attention. This is an acknowledgment that the "International Day of the World's Indigenous People" celebration goes beyond celebrating their culture to celebrating their individuality. This makes people aware that all the battles of the indigenous communities are also our battles as Filipinos for the good and development of our culture and natural resources.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
IUCN Director General’s Statement on International Day of the World’s Indigenous (Researched by: Stephanie G. Sandoval)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.iucn.org/news/secretariat/201908/iucn-director-generals-statement-international-day-worlds-indigenous-peoples-2019
TITLE: IUCN Director General’s Statement on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2019
AUTHOR: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
DATE: August 9, 2019
KEY CONTENT: Without respecting and valuing indigenous peoples' rights, it will be impossible to achieve conservation and the well-being of both people and the world. Indigenous peoples have preserved a large portion of Earth's biodiversity for ages. Many indigenous peoples fight for their rights to their lands and resources, often risking their lives in doing so. This is why “Upholding rights, ensuring effective and equitable governance” is important to support the engagement, raise the visibility of indigenous peoples, and preserve earth’s biodiversity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Video: Indigenous Filipinos risk their lives to defend their land (Researched by: Angela Faith C. Getizo)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVMPCAqReu8&ab_channel=FRANCE24English
TITLE: Video: Indigenous Filipinos risk their lives to defend their land
AUTHOR: FRANCE 24 English
DATE: Jan 11, 2018
KEY CONTENT: In 2017, the Philippines was considered the deadliest country in the world with regard to land rights and environmental activists. People who resist big business often find themselves in the firing line of private security companies and state forces.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte implemented martial law in Mindanao last 2018. On December 3 of the same year, seven indigenous Lumad, along with their leader (Datu), were shot dead for defending their land from mining corporations and coffee plantations. The community is shouting for justice for the crime of the military. They also believe that the companies are also responsible for the massacre. In a video where Duterte spoke about the issue, he stated that two-thirds of the Lumad are part of the New People's Army also known as NPA. He also added that he will not wait until they execute his citizens.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Video: Indigenous Filipinos risk their lives to defend their land

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Illegal mine raided in Mount Apo protected area, Philippines (Researched by: Angel Antoniette R. Cubil)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://news.mongabay.com/2021/11/illegal-mining-threatens-indigenous-land-at-foot-of-philippines-tallest-peak/

TITLE: Illegal mining threatens Indigenous land at foot of Philippines’ tallest peak

AUTHOR: Bong S. Sarmiento

DATE: November 30, 2021

KEY CONTENT: Mount Apo, a declared protected area on Mindanao island in the southern Philippines, is a major ecotourism site. A large portion of the protected area overlaps with Indigenous land. Nearly a year after the government shut down the mine, illegal small-scale gold mining has left its imprint in a rural village inhabited by the Obo Monuvu Indigenous people, also known as Manobo by lowlanders.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Illegal mine raided in Mount Apo protected area, Philippines

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Problemang kinakaharap ng indigenous people | Newsroom Ngayon (Researched by: Angel Antoniette R. Cubil)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://youtu.be/JzQEPcHDKyY

TITLE: Problemang kinakaharap ng indigenous people

AUTHOR: CNN Philippines

DATE: October 19, 2022

KEY CONTENT: This video shows the interview of National Commission on Indigenous Peoples Chairperson Allen Capuyan. Also, the video shows the indigenous people's problems and how the government helps and acknowledges them, for instance, by protecting the indigenous people's ancestral lands.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Problemang kinakaharap ng indigenous people | Newsroom Ngayon

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
BBM VLOG #85: Indigenous Peoples Month | Bongbong Marcos (Research by: Johanna Leila A. Camello)

# data[].attributes.body
URL:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ6Ubghjzu4&ab_channel=BongbongMarcos
TITLE: BBM VLOG #85: Indigenous Peoples Month |
AUTHOR: Bongbong Marcos
DATE: October 26, 2019
KEY CONTENT: I.P.R.A. LAW, A law made to protect the indigenous people, even those in a secluded place, the government should provide the service. Ancestral lands that the tribe has nurtured from the past should be protected and not neglected and should not be taken away from them as that is their life, that is where their livelihood comes from, and their life is an essential part of our culture.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BBM VLOG #85: Indigenous Peoples Month | Bongbong Marcos

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Philippine Church slams violent land grabs from tribal people - UCA News (Researched by: Johanna Leila A. Camello)

# data[].attributes.headline
9. MAGAZINE ARTICLE ( NEWS FEATURE ARTICLE)

# data[].attributes.subject
9. MAGAZINE ARTICLE ( NEWS FEATURE ARTICLE)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.ucanews.com/news/philippine-church-slams-violent-land-grabs-from-tribal-people/99531
TITLE: Philippine Church slams violent land grabs from tribal people - UCA News
AUTHOR: Joseph Peter Calleja
DATE: November 25, 2022
KEY CONTENT: Two Catholic dioceses in the Philippines have condemned attacks against ethnic tribal people who attempted to save their ancestral land from grabbing by a private corporation in the Mindanao region.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Despite legislation to protect them, indigenous peoples in the Philippines face widespread rights violations

Indigenous people from the southern Philippines stage a protest in Manila calling for an end to attacks on indigenous communities in this file photo. (Photo: Kathy Yamzon)

Two Catholic dioceses in the Philippines have condemned attacks against ethnic tribal people who attempted to save their ancestral land from grabbing by a private corporation in the Mindanao region.

The reactions from Malaybalay diocese and Cagayan de Oro archdiocese came after guards posted by a private company allegedly fired shots at members of the tribal Lumad community at Barangay Butong in Bukidnon province on Nov. 22 as they tried to harvest root crops that they planted.

Lumad is a collective term for indigenous people concentrated in the Mindanao region of the Philippines.

Six guards reportedly approached them while pointing firearms, forcing them to leave the area at once.

"We cannot go back to our land because their guards won't allow us"

"More than three of them opened fire. We were nervous because we could see the soil splatter after being hit by bullets," Angel Pilutiin, an ethnic Lumad, told UCA New.

Pilutiin's indigenous community has been struggling to reclaim their ancestral area from a private corporation despite securing a ruling from the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) recognizing them as rightful owners of the land.

The NCIP ruled in 2021 that the Lumads in Barangay Buton, Municipality of Quezon, Bukidon province were the rightful owners and possessors of 4 hectares of land considered their ancestral domain.

Analysts say the market price of the disputed land is about 20 million peso (US$352,793).

The Lumads, however, believed the ruling was a "mere scrap of paper" considering that the private corporation has been in possession of their property.

"We've been living in the streets because we cannot go back to our land because their guards won't allow us. We need to harvest our crops from our land because we need to sell them for income," another Lumad member Lito Castro told UCA News.

Land grabbing is a constant threat to indigenous peoples in the Mindanao region"

Both Pilutiin and Castro claimed that their lands were taken by force and violence about five years ago.

"They just came with their guards and engineers, and they claimed that the land was sold to them by an individual and the property was titled property. They showed a title under a name of a certain person. They told us that that person sold the property to the corporation," Pilutiin added.

According to the United Nations Development Programme, the Philippines has an estimated 14 to 17 million indigenous people belonging to 110 ethno-linguistic groups. About 61% percent are concentrated in Mindanao, 33% in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and others are based in the Visayas region.

The Catholic-majority nation enacted the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) in 1997 to protect their rights and their ancestral domains.

Despite the law, indigenous people face violations of their rights and languish in poverty.

Anthropologist Romeo dela Cruz said land grabbing is a constant threat to indigenous peoples in the Mindanao region.

"The full narrative about their struggles has been veiled with disinformation"

"The island of Mindanao, dubbed as the 'Land of Promise', hosts the largest rubber, banana and pineapple plantations as well as huge mining explorations. Around 500,000 hectares of land in the five regions of Mindanao are planted with crops primarily for export," dela Cruz told UCA News.

He said abuses against indigenous peoples have bred "emancipatory politics" among them, pointing to the involvement of many tribals of the Communist Party of the Philippines to seek redress.

"The government needs to make them feel our political structure works otherwise with the abuses that our indigenous peoples have been experiencing, it is very tempting for them to believe in the politics of communism," dela Cruz added.

The Diocese of Malaybalay and the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro issued a joint pastoral letter condemning the attack on tribals.

"The full narrative about their struggles has been veiled with disinformation and aggravated with twisted facts leading to the incarceration of their tribal leaders," said Malaybalay's Bishop Noel Pedregosa and Cagayan de Oro Archbishop-Emeritus Antonio Ledesma in the statement.

"Threats have also been made to the families that have been dislocated. The community is now at a loss over the disruption of their livelihood and out of fear for their lives. The 95 families are in immediate need of food relief, temporary shelter as well as legal assistance," they added.

Indigenous people have endured abuses and been killed in their fight against land grabbing and violation of their rights as development projects and large-scale mining explorations displaced thousands in the last few decades.

Since 2016, when former President Rodrigo Duterte came to power, a total of 98 Lumads have become victims of extrajudicial killings and 227 tribals have been arrested, and 27 were subjected to torture by police and military officials, according to the Justice Department.

Latest News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Philippine Church slams violent land grabs from tribal people - UCA News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Despite legislation to protect them, indigenous peoples in the Philippines face widespread rights violations Indigenous people from the southern Philippines stage a protest in Manila calling for an end to attacks on indigenous communities in this file photo.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Lumads - Indigenous Peoples of Mindanao, Philippines - are Rising for Revolution! (Researced by: Angel Antoniette R. Cubil)

# data[].attributes.headline
8. PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE OR PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

# data[].attributes.subject
8. PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE OR PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://youtu.be/LwQpFmcR2eY

TITLE: Lumads - Indigenous Peoples of Mindanao, Philippines - are Rising for Revolution!

AUTHOR: V-Day

DATE: January 7, 2016

KEY CONTENT: This video shows the Lumads' livelihood has been disrupted and how, anywhere the military is involved, it not only causes harm to the community but also specifically violence against women and girls. Most importantly, this video emphasizes that the Indigenous Peoples of Mindanao are rising and highlights the voices of the approximately 1,000 Manobos and Matigsalogs who are leading the Indigenous Peoples Rising in the Philippines and are residing in an evacuation center at UCCP Haran in Davao City.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lumads - Indigenous Peoples of Mindanao, Philippines - are Rising for Revolution!

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
SABI NIYA: Bai Bibyaon on defending ancestral lands (Researched by: Jude Rafael Manantan & Angela Faith C. Getizo)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e21lo0GNBrU&t=169s&ab_channel=NowYouKnowPH
TITLE: SABI NIYA: Bai Bibyaon on defending ancestral lands
AUTHOR: Now You Know PH
DATE: May 30, 2019
KEY CONTENT: The video features the Manobo leader Bai Bibyaon Bigkay and an 18-year-old Lumad Rorelyn Mandacauan. Though 2 different tribes and vastly different ages, they share similar struggles as Indigenous people living in Mindanao where they are harassed, oppressed, and are being chased away from their ancestral lands. The video also shares the difficulties they are facing to defend their lands from big corporations who are eyeing their lands.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SABI NIYA: Bai Bibyaon on defending ancestral lands

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
In Mindanao, School for Indigenous Tribes Continues Amid Threats (Researched by: Johanna Leila A. Camello)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRy5cbCynHw&ab_channel=TheDiplomat
TITLE: In Mindanao, School for Indigenous Tribes Continues Amid Threats
AUTHOR: The Diplomat
DATE: Sep 26, 2017
KEY CONTENT: The Manobo tribe, who are mostly situated in the mountainous areas of northern Mindanao in the Philippines, have struggled to defend their ancestral lands from mining companies. Like the rest of the indigenous people, they blame the lack of education for signing contracts that yielded their lands in exchange for canned goods and dried fish.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
In Mindanao, School for Indigenous Tribes Continues Amid Threats

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Driven from Home | Philippine indigenous people long for their lands (Researched by: Jude Raphael L. Manantan)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTeca2V57iE
TITLE: Driven from Home | Philippine indigenous people long for their lands
AUTHOR: Context
DATE: April 25, 2018
KEY CONTENT: The video shows the Lumads being forced to leave their homes or ancestral lands because of the still ongoing insurgency in the Mindanao Region. The speaker in the video, Secretary General KMP of Peasant Movement of the Philippines Hanimay Suazo, states that the areas of the Lumads are very rich in natural resources and multi-national companies are eyeing to  plunder their area. She also stated that the Lumads want to go back to their ancestral lands because the land is their life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Driven from Home | Philippine indigenous people long for their lands

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Protecting the Land & Rights of PHL Indigenous People (Researched By: Jude Raphael L. Manantan

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWe9mC46H6c&ab_channel=KababayanWeekly
TITLE: Protecting the Land & Rights of PHL Indigenous People
AUTHOR: Kabayan Weekly
DATE: August 12, 2015
KEY CONTENT: The panelists in the video tell us that education is important in protecting the ancestral lands of Indigenous people in Mindanao. The panelist, Deputy Secretary General of BALSA Lanao Vennel Chenfoo, also states that the Indigenous people of Mindanao are facing land grabbing where they are being chased out from their lands and are being violated of their rights. The panelists agree that to protect the ancestral lands of the Indigenous people of Mindanao, they must go to school to receive education and especially learn about their rights.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Protecting the Land & Rights of PHL Indigenous People

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Community maps empower indigenous communities to better protect their land (Researched by: Johanna Leila A. Camello)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://fasps.denr.gov.ph/index.php/public-relations/project-stories/land/168-community-maps-empower-indigenous-communities-to-better-protect-their-land
TITLE: Community maps empower indigenous communities to better protect their land
AUTHOR: RLGM/ Opalyn Agulay
DATE: 2021
KEY CONTENT: Community mapping is a powerful tool for local communities to define resource management plan and development priorities and identify community conservation and monitoring directions. The process of updating community maps involves the participation of its community members, including the indigenous tribes, in every step of the way. This activity allows them to determine the present land-use plan and direct the future of their lands.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Community mapping is a powerful tool for local communities to define resource management plan and development priorities and identify community conservation and monitoring directions. The process of updating community maps involves the participation of its community members, including the indigenous tribes, in every step of the way. This activity allows them to determine the present land-use plan and direct the future of their lands.

Once updated, a community map is an important economic asset that is integrated into the local land use plan. It is an important guide for local planners in crafting their plans and in some cases, resolve resource-use conflict and tension (such as conflict over land use).

The inaccessibility of updated community maps remains a major challenge in the country. Outdated maps hamper land use planning that can potentially burden the livelihood of its community. In some cases, outdated maps can result in indigenous communities' conflicting claims over their domain rights. These conflicts can sometimes turn violent and bloody that leave a long-lasting impact on the communities affected.

The case of the Obu Manuvu Tribe in Mindanao

The Indigenous Obu Manuvu (OM) community of Davao City owns over 13,000 hectares of ancestral forests at the foot of Mt. Apo, the Philippines' highest peak. In one of its barangays where several OM tribe members live, all maps available are outdated and some of the existing management plans, such as the Barangay Development Plan, are either mere a checklist of allowed development programs, or need to be assessed to match with the maps from the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO). There are also overlaps among tenurial instruments that often results in land conflicts among tribes. Encroachment, deforestation and continuing threats to biodiversity and wildlife are the potential triggers of conflict.

"We keep seeing an influx of outsiders in our areas and protecting our forest is just too hard because we don't have a strong basis for our ownership. We watch them hunt and degrade our land," Ms. Bae Nida A. Landim, the Vice Tribal Chieftain of the OM in Barangay Carmen, said in an interview.

Enhancing the ADSDPP of Obu Manuvu through eCommunity Mapping

GIZ-Philippines has a great diversity and richness of knowledge and experience in land tenure-related issues and in supporting the land rights of marginalized people. It currently implements the Responsible Land Governance in Mindanao (RLGM) Project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The project supports improvement of administration of public lands toward sustainability and conflict sensitivity.

In Davao Region, GIZ-Philippines worked with the Euro Generics International Philippines Foundation (EGIP) to implement a project that would enhance the Obu Manuvu's Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan (ADSDPP) for forest protection and rehabilitation and strengthen the sustainable livelihood of the tribe.

A milestone work of the project amid the pandemic was making digital solutions more accessible for local communities through the use of modern technologies. GIZ-Philippines and local partners worked to push for digital solutions for community profiling and conducted eCommunity Mapping activities - a conflict-sensitive approach for local land use planning during the pandemic.

In October of 2021, RLGM conducted training on data collection and aerial mapping for land management authorities and LGU partners. A valuable output of this activity was the digitized community map of Barangay Carmen. The updated digitized map helped clarify delineation among adjacent barangays and paved the way for the enhancement of Barangay Carmen's Barangay Development Plan and its harmonization with the Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan (ADSDPP) of the Obu Manuvu Tribe. In addition, the aerial images showed forest hotspots and helped strengthen monitoring and foot patrolling of law enforcement authorities.

GIZ and commitment to provide digital solutions for rural communities

Community mapping at the community level can be a very empowering tool in securing land rights. Community-based maps present a collective expression by the community of their entitlements, and these experiences have been used successfully in many contexts to persuade decision makers of the legitimacy of local claims to land and natural resources.

Together with its partners, GIZ remains committed to make digital solutions available for marginalized communities. Community mapping initiatives will continue as an important development intervention of the GIZ to help secure access to land and natural resources, to facilitate the management of these resources and to support community advocacy on land-related issues. ( RLGM/ Opalyn Agulay)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
environment and natural resources management

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Community maps empower indigenous communities to better protect their land

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Community mapping is a powerful tool for local communities to define resource management plan and development priorities and identify community conservation and monitoring directions. The process of updating community maps involves the participation of its community members, including the indige...

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Land and Life: Indigenous Filipinos' Ancestral Domain Rights (Researched by: Angela Faith C. Getizo)

# data[].attributes.headline
14. NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION OR ACADEMIC INSTITUTION ARTICLE

# data[].attributes.subject
14. NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION OR ACADEMIC INSTITUTION ARTICLE

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/land-and-life-indigenous-filipinos-ancestral-domain-rights
TITLE: Land and Life: Indigenous Filipinos’ Ancestral Domain Rights
AUTHOR: Hannah Lilley
DATE: April 1, 2022
KEY CONTENT: The Matigsalug and Lambangian tribespeople of Mindanao continue to experience ancestral property loss. With their rich gold, copper, and nickel resources, their territories are often vulnerable to commercial logging, energy extraction, and mining corporations which destroy the environment, particularly its mountains and forests, due to their massive and destructive operations. The enacted law for ancestral domains is less effective as our indigenous people still struggle with the conflict regarding their properties and the perpetrators. A prominent activist for the rights of Indigenous Filipinos agrees that they are disregarded by those with authority as these outsiders have money, resources, and a government official back up unlike the indigenous people.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Connections to nature remain integral to the lifestyle of Indigenous Filipinos. Image courtesy of Signe Leth. Philippines, undated.

Maria* vividly remembers the fateful day of the attempted assassination. The sound of gunshots ricocheting from an assailant's weapon into her parked vehicle and striking her body is a continuous nightmare that recurs in her mind.

Maria, a prominent activist for the rights of Indigenous Filipinos, received gunshot wounds to her left underarm that were inflicted by armed assailants seeking ownership of her community's ancestral territory. The result was lung damage, multiple rib fractures, 17 stitches from underarm surgery, and three stitches on her back where the 45-caliber bullet was extracted.

Following the incident, Maria filed her case with a local police station in Bukidnon province, located in the northern Mindanao region of the southern Philippines. Yet, there have been no warrants issued to identify the suspect.

"The criminals are freely given the chance to roam throughout the ancestral domain and are waiting for their next victim," Maria said in a phone conversation.

Maria, a mother in her sixties, is a member of the Matigsalug tribe. Advancing the welfare of the Matigsalug has been a continuous battle that began with her family members who partnered with government officials seeking welfare reform for Indigenous populations on the national level. Today, Maria continues her family's advocacy as an active adviser in her community for her fellow tribespeople-often encouraging their narratives to be recorded as affidavits.

'An extension of our life'

Mindanao's plethora of rich resources on Indigenous land, including timber, gold, and nickel, have attracted the interests of investors from logging, energy, and mining corporations throughout Asia. Commercial logging grew in the late 1950s with Mindanao as one of the top suppliers of lumber, plywood, and veneer in the nation. According to the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (UNHCR), large portions of the Matigsalug's ancestral domain were occupied by private logging corporations from 1960 to 1975.

Dr. Irina Wenk of the University of Zurich reports around 164 logging concessionaires with 25-year leases held a total concession area of 5,029,340 hectares (12,427,770 acres) in 1979. However, the total commercial forest land area of Mindanao encompasses 3,920,000 hectares (9,686,530 acres), making the concession areas much higher than projected.

By the 1990s, only a fifth of the region's forests remained. Sixteen percent of the land remained forested or regrew as secondary forest in Matigsalug territory. With the landscape transformed into grassland, traditional farmers struggled to generate productivity and adapt to a new agricultural lifestyle.

Nature is heavily ingrained in the community's heritage. Celebrations of good harvest, known as Simud for Panubad, featuring traditional songs, dances, rituals, and offerings to spirits continue with each generation. Spirits hold a deep-rooted connection to the land. Local spirits are considered the primary owners of properties and are consulted prior to any human activities being conducted on tribal land.

Collectively, the tribe shares ownership of the land. Maria says, "Families become dislocated once properties are sold. And those that decline offers are subjected to harassment. We cannot trust anyone."

Time-honored farming methods continue to be utilized by Filipino communities. Image courtesy of Signe Leth. Philippines, undated.

Maria recounts a tragedy involving a couple who were close allies and had had provided free legal services to the tribal community-both were shot and killed by an unknown assailant. One of the couple was a prominent lawyer vocal in providing justice for tribesmen.

"The two were always willing to help anyone in need," Maria says. "This tragedy should be taken seriously and be given justice. This case is just one of the many left without action."

Land grabs occur in neighboring provinces. Timuay Cio of the Lambangian tribe resides about 227 kilometers (141 miles) from Bukidnon in Maguindanao province. He serves as a tribal leader and oversees the governance and justice system of the community in South Upi.

"We have encountered around 23 documented deaths in our territory over the protection of ancestral domain," Cio writes in an email. "Many tribal members were forced to evacuate due to constant harassment by armed groups."

Cio emphasizes his community has experienced rampant land grabs from mining operations on the ancestral domain by non-Indigenous persons.

A 3D map of the Lambangian's ancestral domain is displayed at the Tuladan Center in Upi, Maguindanao. Images courtesy of Timuay Cio. Philippines, 2021.

The sale of Indigenous land is a dangerous business. Corporations seeking shares of the Matigsalug's ancestral domain claim development will ensure mutual benefits for locals and investors alike. Some local leaders may be swayed to sell their ancestral domain due to investors promoting new job opportunities, increased tourism, and agricultural development generating profit. Yet, these projects often lack consideration of the tribal members' needs nor do they include the voices of the tribal members in discussions.

Cio says, "Collaboration between corporations and influential politicians allows for false land titles to be sold and act as illegitimate legal documents. Corporations do not usually consider our tribe's needs and lack free prior informed consent. Indigenous peoples have become landless and beggars on their own territory."

A 3D map of the Lambangian's ancestral domain is displayed at the Tuladan Center in Upi, Maguindanao. Images courtesy of Timuay Cio. Philippines, 2021.

Signe Leth serves as a senior adviser with the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) specializing in the rights of Indigenous women and land throughout Asia for over six years.

Leth says in an email, "Corporations and businesses are very often part of conflicts over Indigenous peoples' ancestral domains. A number of powerful forces, including expensive multi-year mega development projects, extractive industries including mining, agribusiness, and energy projects, influence this conflict. Indigenous peoples in all regions of the world have paid and are still paying a high price for recent decades of unsustainable development. The global rush for economic growth has led to an increased demand for natural resources with Indigenous peoples' land being a primary target for illicit acquisitions. Companies can both be national and international, including backing from international investors."

Consequently, the traditions and access to resources for Indigenous communities are stripped away with the sale of land. "Our ancestral domain is an extension of our life," Cio says. "The land is our source of food, medicine, and materials to build our homes. We have a very close relationship with the land in conducting our rituals. It is important for us to protect our land and its environment."

Members of the Lambangian tribe conduct a traditional ritual. Image courtesy of Timuay Cio. Philippines, 2015.

"The land of Indigenous peoples is not just a commodity," Leth says. "They have a deep connection to the land in their everyday life, cultural and spiritual practices, language, and healthcare systems. The land is their livelihood and home."

She continues, "If their land is taken away, so is the identity, self-worth, and history. They gradually lose their language and assimilate into mainstream lifestyles, which depletes the world of diversity. So much knowledge is lost that has grown through each generation on how to take care of that particular land and utilize its resources sustainably."

'A clear unequal power balance'

Attempts to legally protect ancestral domains have been enacted by the Philippine government. In 1997, the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) was legislated, and the ancestral domain of Philippine tribes was recognized by the government. According to Chapter 3, Section 5 of the document, "The indigenous concept of ownership generally holds that ancestral domains are the ICC's/IP's (Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples) private but community property which belongs to all generations and therefore cannot be sold, disposed or destroyed."

Dr. Augusto Gatmaytan is a professor and researcher specializing in anthropology at the Ateneo de Davao University, where he has worked for more than 10 years. He co-founded the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center to provide legal services, policy research, and advocacy to support Indigenous Filipinos.

He says in an email, "The Matigsalug, through their organization, the Federation of Matigsalug-Manobo Tribal Councils, Inc. (FEMMATRICS), received their Certificate of Ancestral Domains Title (CADT) No. R10-KIT-0703-001 on July 25, 2003 from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), in accordance with the provisions of the IPRA. The CADT covers some 102,000 hectares (252,047 acres) of land, one of the largest titled ancestral territories in Mindanao. Legally, this means the estimated 70,000 Matigsalug members of FEMMATRICS communally share this territory."

"As outlined by the IPRA, none of the lands covered by the Matigsalugs' CADT can legally be sold," Gatmaytan continues. "However, despite these provisions, there are cases of sales of land by Matigsalug individuals or families to outsiders. Such virtual alienation of Indigenous land occurs due to insufficient enforcement of the IPRA, ambiguities regarding the legal status of ancestral land, economic enticement by outsiders, and the institutional inability of FEMMATRICS, a relatively new, inter-community institution, to regulate its members and transactions."

Following the implementation of the IPRA, the Philippines maintains progressive laws preventing the sale of ancestral land. However, it is not infallible. Leth says, "The laws in place are not always properly implemented. Corruption and fraudulent activity are often cited in the legal processes. Perpetrators are able to evade legal repercussions due to Indigenous communities being unaware of their rights and not having proper legislation in place to support them. It takes a lot of financial and human capital to fight these battles, which these communities often do not have."

She concludes, "There is a clear unequal power balance."

Maria agrees: "This is a power struggle. These outsiders have money, resources, and the backing of government officials to go about their plans, which our people lack. We are ultimately disregarded by those with authority."

Despite the IPRA's prohibition of the sale of ancestral land, perpetrators are able to evade authority.

"Regretfully, the IPRA has not proven to be a reliable defense against loss of land or resources due to ambiguities regarding the legal status of ancestral land," Gatmaytan says. "There is a long-standing local discourse of interested parties arguing that any sale represents the free and informed decision of self-determining agents seeking to sell their land should be respected. There is also a disparity between the notion of ancestral domains as property owned communally, as certified by a CADT, versus distribution of land among a village, family, or individual maintaining control."

Disparity within governing systems is evident and stunts progress in aiding Indigenous victims' cases. Maria says, "Our heritage is being sold to the rich who have no connection to the land except interest in exploiting it. If we go to the police station or the government, we are discriminated against. Even if a case is filed, money is the main issue."

Necessary accountability

Attacks on Maria and her community have not halted her battle for justice. Maria has organized outreach and advocacy for Indigenous people throughout the Philippines. She has formed a cooperative for tribes nationwide by combining Indigenous People Mandatory Representatives (IPMRs), tribal leaders responsible for representing Indigenous populations, and government. The cooperative writes letters to local and national leaders, including filing presidential complaints in order to receive greater support and accountability from the government.

"In order to stop these attacks on our land and people, leaders from all sides must come together," Maria says. "We are combining our forces alongside various sectors of government, including the legislative and defense secretaries, to form a cooperative encompassing all barangays (districts). Government leaders will only take action once we organize ourselves."

Gatmaytan says, "There are leaders who are genuinely concerned for their Indigenous constituents and look out for them. On the other hand, there are other leaders who are more interested in securing opportunities for personal profit or power as opposed to the rights and interests of Indigenous communities."

Gatmaytan adds: "As a political institution, the Philippine national government has a limited programmatic response to the continued loss of land among Indigenous peoples. At the level of local governments, their response depends on their concern for their Indigenous constituencies."

While legislation aiding Indigenous Filipinos is fundamental to promoting rights, activists say greater involvement is necessary.Land loss generates consequences for Indigenous people struggling to maintain their traditional roots. As a result, accountability must stem from leaders to protect the human rights of tribal communities.

A typical Indigenous village in the Philippines. Image courtesy of Signe Leth. Philippines, undated.

"The government should provide livelihood programs to improve the economic and social situation of Indigenous persons, such that the idea of parting with their lands as a necessary sacrifice in the pursuit of their family's welfare is no longer a viable, or even thinkable, option," Gatmaytan says. "The continuous disintegration of Matigsalug territory is driven by economic need. The willful participation of the Matigsalug in these transactions must be accorded due attention."

Leth says, "The government is the duty bearer and, as such, responsible to protect its citizens. It should have accessible processes for protection, redressing, and remedying violations of Indigenous persons' rights. This is, however, not the case. The government should make cases of exemplary punishment of those who violate the rights of Indigenous people, but they do not. Instead, they act with impunity."

Gatmaytan provides solutions addressing the legal disparities at the local and national levels. "A thorough administrative reform of the NCIP, which unfortunately has a reputation in many circles as being saddled with ineffectual officials and staff, can improve the structure of those responsible for overseeing Indigenous rights. Those proven to have been involved in illicit transactions should be terminated and penalized," he says.

"Furthermore, the legal ambiguities of the NCIP should be addressed including making the IPRA more relevant and responsive to the evolving interests of Indigenous groups, communities, families, and individuals," he continues. It is not just the government that should be addressing the issue of progressive land loss. The Matigsalug themselves should be discussing what is happening with their territory and, if they find it necessary, they themselves should be formulating and implementing measures to address the situation."

"This is a matter for the Matigsalug to decide as a self-determining Indigenous people," says Gatmaytan.

Maria emphasizes the importance of placing power back into the Matigsalug's hands. "Education should be prioritized for younger generations in order for youth to obtain knowledge of their Indigenous rights. Let the children be educated to aid the future of our tribe. I know there is still hope," she says.

Prioritizing the preservation of Indigenous communities' integrity is vital. "We are fighting for our rights to preserve our land and culture. Equality never existed with ancestral land and until now, it is deprived of everything," Maria says. "Welfare is just on paper."

Maria's message to perpetrators remains clear, stating, "I was raised there. I am fighting alongside my family. Even if you buy it, it will never be yours. Ancestral land will always be the property of the tribe."

"We will remain standing on our land," she says.
*Editor's Note: Not her real name. The name was changed for reasons of security.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Land and Life: Indigenous Filipinos' Ancestral Domain Rights

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Maria* vividly remembers the fateful day of the attempted assassination. The sound of gunshots ricocheting from an assailant's weapon into her parked vehicle and striking her body is a continuous nightmare that recurs in her mind.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Paquibato IP: Ancestral Domains not for sale - City Government of Davao (Researched by: Angela Faith C. Getizo)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.davaocity.gov.ph/peace-and-order/paquibato-ip-ancestral-domains-not-for-sale/
TITLE: PAQUIBATO IP: ANCESTRAL DOMAINS NOT FOR SALE
AUTHOR: Administrator
DATE: September 10, 2021
KEY CONTENT: A group of Indigenous Peoples (IP) in the Paquibato District installed billboards with the phrase "Ancestral Domains are NOT FOR SALE" in order to stand their ground in defending their own rights to their land property. The objective of the operation is to call the public that the provisions of the Republic Act (RA) 8371, often known as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), forbid the transfer and sale of ancestral property.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A group of Indigenous Peoples (IP) in Paquibato District stood their ground in protecting their rights of ownership to their ancestral domains, installing billboards with a message "Ancestral Domains are NOT FOR SALE."

A ritual, led by Barangay Salapawan Tribal Chieftain Datu Amansing Sampiano, was held on September 6, 2021 at the local Ata tribe for the installation of billboards in Sitio Kiman-anaw, Barangay Salapawan, Paquibato District, Davao City.

The activity seeks to amplify their call to the public that the transfer and selling of portions or parcels of ancestral domains are prohibited under the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA).

According to RA 8371, "The indigenous concept of ownership generally holds that ancestral domains are the ICC's/IP's [Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples] private but community property, which belongs to all generations and therefore cannot be sold, disposed (of) or destroyed."

"The ritual symbolized the remembrance and respect to their ancestors who gave them their Ancestral Domains. The ritual also emphasized the respect and guidance of Manama for the success of the project. The chicken used symbolizes the purity, strength, and peace of the Ata Tribe," a tribal statement said.

The project is also in line with the Peace 911 program of the city government. Aside from the peace and development programs to address the root causes of insurgency in Paquibato District, Peace 911 also aims to protect the rights of possession and ownership of tribal communities over the ancestral domain land to preserve their culture.

"The project is to install the Billboard to implement reminders in every Barangay who have an Ancestral Domain Land or Yutang Kabilin sa mga Ata Tribe, stating ANCESTRAL DOMAIN LAND IS NOT FOR SALE or BAWAL ANG MAGBALIGYA. BAWAL ANG MAGPALIT particularly in Paquibato District and Calinan District," the statement added.

Earlier, the IPs collectively agreed to seek the support of Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte to promote awareness and recognition of, and respect for, their ancestral domain as enshrined under RA 8371.

"We sincerely thank our City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio [for her] response to our concern especially to protect our motherland. [We want to] respect and preserve our culture," IPs Vice President Berino Mambo-o Sr. said.

In June, the Davao City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) expressed its support to the Ata Tribe in their call for the non-selling of the Ancestral Domains.

The CPDO said that the entire Ata tribe's ancestral domain sprawls over an area of 65,796.87 hectares of land, with 56,506.03 hectares situated within the boundaries of Davao City.

Any person who violates any of the provisions of the IPRA, such as, but not limited to, unauthorized and/or unlawful intrusion upon any ancestral lands or domains, or shall commit any of the prohibited, shall be punished following the customary laws of the ICCs/IPs concerned.

The offender will be punished by imprisonment of not less than nine months but not more than 12 years or a fine of not less than P100,000 nor more than P500,000 or both such fine and imprisonment upon the discretion of the court. In addition, he/she shall be obliged to pay the ICCs/IPs concerned whatever damage may have been suffered by the latter as a consequence of the violation.CIO

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Paquibato IP: Ancestral Domains not for sale - City Government of Davao

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A group of Indigenous Peoples (IP) in Paquibato District stood their ground in protecting their rights of ownership to their ancestral domains, installing billboards with a message "Ancestral Domains are NOT FOR SALE." A ritual, led by Barangay Salapawan Tribal Chieftain Datu Amansing Sampiano, was held on September 6, 2021 at the local Ata tribe [...]

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Rights To Ancestral Domain (Researched by: Angela Faith C. Getizo)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://admsi.org/rights-to-ancestral-domain/
TITLE: Rights To Ancestral Domain
AUTHOR: Ancestral Domain Management System Inc.
DATE: 2017
KEY CONTENT: The ancestral domain of our indigenous people should be the properties where it covers the entire environment of the area they occupy. Their rights and ownership of their ancestral domain are recognized and protected through an enacted law including their landowner rights and the freedom to develop their properties. An ancestral domain of indigenous people is private property and therefore, it should not be available in the market or sold to other people.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
MINDANAO: The Land of Promise, Holding a Key to Environmental Defense Worldwide, by Em Butler (Researched by: Johanna Leila A. Camello)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.sierraclub.org/redwood/napa/blog/2022/03/mindanao-land-promise-holding-key-environmental-defense-worldwide-liyang
TITLE: MINDANAO: The Land of Promise, Holding a Key to Environmental Defense Worldwide
AUTHOR: Em Butler
DATE: March 25, 2022
KEY CONTENT:
WEAVING SOLIDARITY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE AND RESILIENCY

Lumad communities have responded to these attacks by taking the battle to the government's own doorstep. A few years back, they evacuated en masse to urban centers like Davao City and Manila, not only to flee the dangers posed by the military, but also to bring awareness of their situation to a broader audience, and make alliances that would support them in their cause. This is where the second key to Lumad efforts of environmental defense and conservation comes in: solidarity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Liyang Network is a local to global advocacy network that amplifies the calls to action of frontline environmental and human rights defenders in Mindanao, which was started at the request of Sabokahan Unity of Lumad Women. Sabokahan is an intergenerational, intertribal grassroots organization for and by Lumad Indigenous women and LGBTQ people.
Across the Pacific Ocean, just South of the eastern coast of China, lies the archipelagic country of the Philippines. Just under a thousand miles north of the equator, the tropical nation is mostly known in the US as its source for coconuts, or for nurses; or as a destination where tourists can enjoy its sunny beaches and exotic fruits. However, what few know about the Philippines is that this archipelago, with a total landmass a little under the size of Arizona, is home to an untold wealth of natural resources, landscapes, and invaluable biodiversity; and that its lush forests and verdant mountains may hold a key to our global efforts to preserve the environment and combat climate change. Specifically-the island of Mindanao. ( Photo caption: Lumad farming community in Andap Valley, Mindanao. It maintains its beauty thanks to the community's long-standing resistance to the encroachment of gold mining on its lands.)

Mindanao is the southernmost region of the Philippines, and its second-largest island. It contains an ecoregion of old growth rainforest called Pantaron Mountain Range, known as a backbone of biodiversity, not only of the island but of the entire archipelago. More than 30% of its native species are endemic to the area, including tree shrews, lizards, moonrats, and various bird species like the iconic Philippine Eagle. Starting in the 20th century, people have flocked to Mindanao from far and wide to settle in the "land of promise", a nickname that the island retains even to this day thanks to its vast natural riches. In the decades since, it's gained a few more monikers: "breadbasket of the Philippines" because of the fertility of the soil that nurtures the food of the entire country; "mining capital of Asia" because of the mineral richness that can be found underground.

What's Mindanao's secret? How has it been able to preserve its beauty and vitality for so long, even in the face of multiple colonial powers who have set their hungry eyes on the island's wealth?

The secret lies in the people who have made their homes there. The Indigenous people of Mindanao have resisted the destruction of their land throughout successive waves of colonization-first by the Spanish, then by the United States. Mindanao's native peoples were able to maintain stewardship of their ancestral land for centuries, while other regions of the archipelago were systematically plundered. It's thanks to the sustained land defense of the Indigenous people of Mindanao, collectively known as the Lumad, that the destruction of Mindanao has historically been kept at bay.

HISTORIC UNITY AND VICTORY AGAINST THE LOGGERS

Most famous is the story of successful Lumad resistance to the logging company Alcantara and Sons in the 1990s. Alsons, as they are known, began logging on the ancestral domain of the Manobo, a Lumad tribe whose home is the Pantaron Mountain Range. Despite numerous warnings from the Lumad people there to stop, Alsons continued cutting down huge swaths of forest. Until, united by chief Bai Bibyaon Ligkayan Bigkay, the tribes of the Pantaron came together in defense of their ancestral land.

Bai Bibyaon is the first woman chieftain of her tribe, defying the customs that would have girls married off as early as fourteen to become a community leader. She unified her people and other tribes in the region to successfully wage tribal warfare against Alcantara and Sons, and through this war, they were able to stop the encroachment of the logging company on their ancestral lands, the rainforests of the Pantaron in the heart of Mindanao.

For her leadership, Bai Bibyaon Ligkayan Bigkay has attained a sort of celebrity status in the Philippines especially in socially- and environmentally-conscious circles. Today, she continues to assert that her people's "identity is directly connected to Pantaron [Mountain Range] and how Pantaron itself cannot survive without our continued struggle" (from Sabokahan's self-published book We Call Her Ina Bai).

THREATS TO THE LAND AND PEOPLE, IN THE THIRD DEADLIEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDERS

Despite the success in kicking out the loggers in the 90s, today logging and mining corporations, palm oil investors, and the monocrop plantation industry all have once again set their targets on the resources in Mindanao, threatening to place the health of the ecosystems on the island and in the whole region in jeopardy.

Open-pit mining is an especially pressing threat. The practice decimates forests, causes extreme erosion, landslides, and water siltation, and leeches processing chemicals into water systems and soil. After years of Lumad resistance to mining projects, a ban was finally placed on granting licenses for new open-pit mining projects about 10 years ago. However, in 2021 under the guise of economic stimulation, President Duterte's government declared Executive Order 130 which lifted this nearly decade-long ban on the creation of new mines, allowing new mines to seek permits to start operations.

The danger of these extractive corporations' interests in Mindanao is not only related to environmental degradation or the hazardous labor conditions, but also to the forms of militarization that accompany them. President Duterte is infamous for his War on Drugs, which every year kills thousands of usually poor people living in cities. The lesser-known but no-less-violent flipside to this "war", is the extreme militarization in the countryside. Currently, over 75% of the Philippine military is stationed in Mindanao. Bolstered by hundreds of millions of dollars of military "aid" from the US every year, these tens of thousands of troops come equipped with machine guns, heavy artillery, and military drones.

Lumad communities often talk about how they know a corporation has set its sights on their land when they see the military start to enter their community. Their presence means incessant surveillance and harassment of community members and even threats or killings of key leaders who are active in resisting the theft of their land. Last year, the military massacred 3 Lumad farmers, including a 12-year-old girl, while they were tending to their crops, in a mineral-rich area in northern Mindanao. All three had been active in their communities' defense of land from mining corporations. This was only the latest in a long string of violence and brutality waged on the land defenders of Mindanao; as one of the top 3 most dangerous countries in the world for environmental defenders, the Philippines and Mindanao specifically has been the location for countless human rights abuses against Lumad community leaders, teachers, and children alike. ( Photo Caption: Intergenerational members of Sabokahan Unity of Lumad Women at an evacuation center, holding signs in protest of the targeting of environmental defenders.)

The attempts to destroy resistance became even more abundantly clear last month, in another bloody page in the history of the Lumad struggle. On February 23, 2022, five activists were abducted, brutally tortured and killed at a military checkpoint in New Bataan, in the eastern region of Mindanao. They were two volunteer teachers for Lumad schools, Chad Booc and Jurain Ngujo, as well as Elegyn Balonga, a community health worker who had served Lumad communities in evacuation for free, and their two drivers Robert Aragon and Tirso Añar. Chad and Jurain had faced relentless persecution and threats from the government for years, until finally the military made good on their promises this last February.

The New Bataan 5, as they've come to be known, were targeted because of the far-reaching impact of their service to support the Lumad struggle for self-determination. Despite not being Lumad, they dedicated themselves to supporting the Lumad cause. They, like many other advocates in the country and around the world, understood that the fight for self-determination against profit-hungry corporations in Mindanao benefits all people fighting against the destruction of land worldwide.

WEAVING SOLIDARITY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE AND RESILIENCY

Lumad communities have responded to these attacks by taking the battle to the government's own doorstep. A few years back, they evacuated en masse to urban centers like Davao City and Manila, not only to flee the dangers posed by the military, but also to bring awareness of their situation to a broader audience, and make alliances who would support them in their cause. This is where the second key to Lumad efforts of environmental defense and conservation come in: solidarity.

Through their presence in the cities, the Lumad forged bonds of solidarity with groups and individuals who learned of their plight and wanted to support. They re-established Sabokahan, an organization founded in 2005 by Bai Bibyaon Ligkayan Bigkay to bring together Lumad women to be leaders in their communities. Today, Sabokahan is a thriving intertribal and intergenerational organization, that focuses on strengthening Lumad women's role in the defense of their ancestral lands by confronting external threats like militarization, as well as internal challenges like patriarchal practices in their communities.

Last year, Sabokahan accomplished a major milestone in their struggle: they self-published a book about their intergenerational fight for their land, told from the perspective of Bai Bibyaon Ligkayan Bigkay and her grandniece Sharmaine Dausay. Taken from real interviews between the two activists, We Call Her Ina Bai: How Strong Women Are Made chronicles the stories of defense against the logging corporation in the 90s, and how that legacy continues through the activism of young Lumad women today.

A few decades back, few people in Mindanao, much less in the Philippines or around the world, knew anything about the Lumad. Today, thanks to Lumad communities and Sabokahan's advocacy, there is a thriving web of people around the world staying updated and lending support to their struggle-which is how these stories reached even the Sierra Club now! Many of us mobilize through Liyang Network, an international advocacy network formed in response to Sabokahan's calls. I personally became inspired to support the Lumad cause after an on-campus teach-in in 2019, where I was struck by how interconnected struggles for environmental protection are, from California to the Philippines. Since then, the character of this struggle for land and life has made itself clear to me: it is vigorous, sustained, multigenerational and invaluable to the future of our planet.

While being an example for all global movements of environmental protection, the Lumad struggle also benefits all people on earth who face mounting climate change and destruction. Here in the US, we are in a unique position to speak about these stories without facing the same threats as those who have given their life for this cause in the Philippines. How can we continue mobilizing people to support frontline communities? Killed at only 26 years old, Chad Booc's words echo across mountains and rivers:

"Seeing the Lumad people continue to fight back, and continue to struggle, despite all the life-threatening experiences they underwent... It also gives me hope and optimism that there is freedom, that there is victory awaiting ahead of us. It gives us a lot of moral support to see that there are a lot of people [around the world] fighting with us."

( Photo caption: Slain advocate and Lumad school teacher Chad Booc with one of his students, at her graduation from ALCADEV, a Lumad school in northern Mindanao that taught generations of Lumad youth sustainable farming practices and tools to aid in their defense of land.)

Let's give thanks to all frontline environmental defenders, and continue to be in solidarity with the Lumad.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP RIGHT NOW?
To connect with Liyang's committee in Northern California, email us at liyang.network@gmail.com

Thank you!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
MINDANAO: The Land of Promise, Holding a Key to Environmental Defense Worldwide, by Em Butler

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Indigenous people of Mindanao have resisted the destruction of their land throughout successive waves of colonization-first by the Spanish, then by the United States. Mindanao's native peoples were able to maintain stewardship of their ancestral land for centuries, while other regions of the archipelago were systematically plundered.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Indigenous Communities Elated With Publication Of Books On Their Culture. (Researched by: Edmund Peñaranda)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.philstar.com/nation/2021/03/20/2085780/indigenous-communities-elated-publication-books-their-cultures
TITLE: Indigenous communities elated with publication of books on their cultures
AUTHOR: John Unson
DATE: March 20,2021
KEY CONTENT: Southern indigenous communities felt elated with the publication of three books on their cultures and ancestral domains, for them essential to the preservation of their centuries-old identities.

The three books, Pagkilala, Paggalang and Pagtaguyod, depicting the cultural-pluralism among the country’s indigenous sectors were published by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples under its Project Epanaw, launched last March 14 in Davao City.
The books which were published also included the history of their ancestral lands in the Philippines, all the more adding importance to the details and worth of the environmental land, to the indigenous people and tribal minorities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Indigenous People/Ethnic Minorities And Poverty Reduction (Researched by: Edmund Peñaranda)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://think-asia.org/bitstream/handle/11540/2965/indigenous-peoples-philippines.pdf?sequence=1&ved=2ahUKEwi6m9rphIj9AhUnklYBHc1uDA0QFnoECBAQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0wWM8szdAC-WBkxD-yZKUc
TITLE: Indigenous Peoples/Ethnic Minorities And Poverty Reduction
AUTHOR: Raymundo D. Rovillos, Daisy N. Morales
DATE: June 2002
KEY CONTENT: In a research paper by the ADB (Asian Development Bank) alongside many details, issues, and concerns about the indigenous people in cordillera and Mindanao, it discusses the importance and issues associated with the environmental land of the indigenous people especially as it approaches a more modern and progressive age than ever.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Benepisyo Sa Imperyo (Researched By: Edmund Peñaranda)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.facebook.com/1050022775/posts/pfbid02ZiQQkXy8ZcunHZXw7rDUEhkAMyHhJkPcPzEZzvfdjQBCVUWroVTy7eLtpMsNffnMl/?mibextid=Nif5oz
TITLE: Benepisyo Sa Imperyo
AUTHOR/ARTIST: Federico Boyd Sulapas Dominguez
DATE: October 12, 2015
KEY CONTENT: In Boy Dominguez's visual artwork, we see how the environmental land of the indigenous people are stolen, abused, and used by wealthy businessman who uses it for their own benefit. As the city prospers and advances thanks to the land stolen, the indigenous people are rendered homeless and are forced to move away. This is an example of what many indigenous people and ethnic minorities have faced in a very long time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines (Researched by: Jude Raphael L. Manantan)

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyijjH2RFnE&t=5s&ab_channel=NestorCastro
Title: Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines
Author: Nestor Castro
Date: Nov 10, 2020
Key Content: The lecture is given by Professor Nestor T. Castro, PHD from the Department of Anthropology of the University of the Philippines. The professor talked about the different Indigenous people in the Philippines, including those in Mindanao, and their culture. The professor also talked about the threats to their livelihood and culture where one of it is the risk of the Indigenous people's ancestral domains getting taken from them to be used for large-scale extractive projects in ancestral domains.