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Summitted by: Donio, Adriane Edroi

URL:https://web.facebook.com/groups/greenrangersearth.org/permalink/2403983439741842/

Title: 11 SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

Author: Monika Dahal

Date Published: January 22

Key Information: Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

11.1 By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums

11.2 By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons

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Submitted by: Donio, Adriane Edroi

URL:https://admuaea.org/2019/11/17/defense-of-the-land-lumad-education-for-resilience-and-resistance/

Title: Defense of the Land: Lumad Education for Resilience and Resistance

Author: Marla Torres

Date Published:  November 17, 2019

Key Information:The University of the Philippines Diliman is one of the three UP campuses (the other two being UP Cebu and UP Mindanao) to welcome Lumad bakwit schools. These bakwit schools serve as the alternative learning centers of Lumad children, whose communities were victimized by development aggression and disenfranchisement in their ancestral lands in Mindanao.

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Photo Courtesy of Save Our Schools Network

In light of the celebration of the National Indigenous Peoples' month last October, the Department of Education (DepEd) Region XI insisted on its resolution to permanently shut down 55 Lumad schools in the Davao Region. These schools which are owned and operated by the Salugpungan Ta' Tanu Igkanogon (which means unity in defense of the ancestral domain) Community Learning Centers were accused of indoctrinating indigenous children of left-leaning ideologies, along with other violations against DepEd curriculum requirements and other procedures (Palo, 2019). This order earned the ire of child rights advocates, such as the Save Our Schools Network (SOS), for endangering the education of approximately a thousand Lumad students. SOS argues that DepEd's decision was purely based on the "malicious and false claims of the military," and that the DepEd fact-finding team itself is unable to visit the Salugpungan schools for a fair investigation (Salinlahi Alliance for Children's Concerns, 2019).

One can hear misinformed comments that the Lumad students in the Davao Region can be simply admitted into basic education schools under DepEd. Note that the Lumad is a group of 18 ethno-linguistic groups in Mindanao, distinct from other Mindanaons, Moro, or Christian, and thus culturally diverse from the mainstream Filipino (Ulindang, n.d.). As a result, their Lumad education differs in some features from that of the basic education everyone is familiar with, such that it is tailored to the context of their communities.
The Lumad Bakwit School
The University of the Philippines Diliman is one of the three UP campuses (the other two being UP Cebu and UP Mindanao) to welcome Lumad schools. These schools serve as the alternative learning centers of Lumad children, whose communities were victimized by development aggression and disenfranchisement in their ancestral lands in Mindanao.

In UP Diliman alone, a total of 75 Lumad students currently attend the school established by the Save our Schools (SOS) Network after the Lumad to Quezon City in 2017 (Rappler, 2017). The school operates from Saturday to Wednesday, with Thursdays and Fridays being the rest days as volunteer teachers, coming from other universities and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), are commonly free during Saturdays and Sundays. Since then, the Lumads have been establishing mobile camps around the campus, transferring from one location to another, every two to three weeks, depending on SOS' arrangement with the administrative office concerned with providing the temporary living space. Teacher Jeany Rose Hayahay, a volunteer Lumad school teacher from Compostela Valley, who now works at the school in UP Diliman, mentions that until now, it is still a challenge for the school to facilitate agricultural discussions, as the mobile life disables them from tending a garden.

Last March 2019, the first batch of Grade 10 Lumad students were recognized in a moving up ceremony. For this academic year, fourteen Grade 12 senior high school students, under the General Academics (GA) strand, are set to graduate and enter college with courses related to agriculture, health, or education - the three basic development essentials of the Lumad community.
Photo Courtesy of Salinlahi Alliance for Children's Concerns The Indigenous Peoples Education Policy Framework
Integral to understanding Lumad education is that although it adheres to the aims of the K to 12 Program, it takes on the additional step towards self-determination by infusing the Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSPs) and Indigenous Learning Systems (ILS) into its curriculum. As education and culture are supposedly intertwined, the Indigenous Peoples Education Policy (IPEd) Framework, by DepEd Order no. 62, s. 2011, is adopted to provide indigenous peoples (IP) children of a more "culture-responsive basic education," which addresses their contextualized issues of self-determination and promotes their cultural heritage as progressive and not primitive. The IPEd Framework is aligned with the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997 which mandates the state, through the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), to provide an "integrated system of education, relevant to the needs of the children and young people of ICCs/IPs" and recognize cultural diversity reflected in forms of exchange which includes education (Article V Section 28 & Article VI Section 31).

[The education of the Lumad is anchored to the needs of the community. We cannot put away the matter of education and self-determination that is why we have this orientation of nationalism and being scientific.]

As the Lumad education adopts a contextualized approach in learning, academic discourse is encouraged in their respective mother tongues. In a Grade 9 economics class discussion facilitated by Sir Jun Feguro, a bakwit school volunteer teacher, it is observable how all theories are integrated into the Lumad student's experience and practice. A class is facilitated in a participatory and student-centered manner, with the teacher being the discussion moderator who solicits for the students' critical opinions by asking what can they say about a certain matter.

Again, the Lumads, despite being legally permitted to exercise their right to culturally responsive education, are subjected to the allegation of being communists. Nevertheless, the answer to the question of which ideology the Lumads subscribe to can be unraveled in an analysis of their insights on basic economic concepts.
The Lumad Economic Education for Community Resilience Photo Courtesy of Salinlahi Alliance for Children's Concerns
According to Teacher Rose Hayahay, the Lumads' quest for self-determination cannot be isolated from their land or ancestral domain. The concept of ancestral domains dates to the Lumads' belief of the sacredness of land and their practice of communal land ownership since time immemorial. With such a setup, resources available in the sacred land are sufficient for private sharing within the community (Ulindang, n.d.).

Productivity, as an economic concept, is also inculcated in the Lumad students as they develop indigenous agricultural strategies to increase produce. Teacher Rose admits that farming for the Lumads is limited to manual labor. As a result, the Lumad economic education also tackles land productivity through the application of sustainable technologies such as organic fertilizers and analysis of plant health based on IKSPs.

"Mayaman ang Pilipinas, pero naghihirap ang sambayanang Filipino."-Kat, Grade 9 student

Are communal land ownership and an agricultural economy sufficient evidence that the Lumads are communists? No. The 1997 IPRA recognizes how this practice dates back to the precolonial age, even before Marx has developed his doctrine in the mid-19 th century (McLellan & Chambre, 2019). The Lumad communities also do not intend to force the entire nation to observe communal property of land - they simply want to continue this ancestral tradition within their domains. Furthermore, IPRA Chapter III legalizes this Lumad practice, as it has even provided the formal procedures of the Certificates of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) issuance for IP territories. Given that the government firmly opposes communism and outlaws groups embracing such ideology through the Anti-Subversion Act, its passage of the 1997 IPRA means that it did not deem communal land ownership as an indication of communism.
The Lumad Economic Education as Resistance
Beyond scarcity, these Lumads also encounter poverty back in their homelands. According to Ms. Fionna Pelayo, a representative of the Salinlahi Alliance for Children's Concerns, the lead convener of the SOS Network, Lumads in Mindanao experience a normalized lack of access to basic social services, particularly in education and health sectors and are considered to be one of the poorest minority groups in the Philippines (Chandran, 2018). Since their communities do not rely on a profit-based monetary system, Lumads do not have enough money to buy uniforms and are often discriminated in basic education schools due to difficulties in adjusting to the conventional culture (Victor and Yano, n.d.). Therefore, through the collaboration of children's rights advocates and church groups, Lumad schools were built to empower IPs through education. In terms of health services, Pelayo also brings up that Lumads must endure a day's walk to obtain checkups in clinics. To cope with the challenge of inaccessible healthcare, they depend on herbal medicine which can be harnessed in their lands. A study by Simbulan & the Medical Action Group Inc. (2011) shows that although barangay health centers and mass media expose Lumads to knowledge on modern and Westernized medicine, many still cling onto their indigenous health and treatment systems, such as the use of herbal medicine.

As opposed to temporary shortage, scarcity is a continuous problem caused by the interaction of the unlimited human needs and wants and the limited earth resources. In the Lumad economics class with Sir Jun Feguro, two issues emerge on how scarcity aggravates into poverty. Scarcity worsens into poverty with first, the inability to manage or budget resources properly, and second, with the destructive selfish interests of the few which impoverishes the majority. In short, a particular member of society is to blame for exacerbating scarcity. This admonishing insight on this economic phenomenon might come out as an attack to the elite, who hold the political and economic power on the means of production. Ergo, the marginalized Lumads' critique on the privileged provokes the prejudice that the former part-takes in a violent communist revolution to bring down the power base of the latter.

"[Umaasa ako] sa isang lipunang walang pagmamalabis o pananamantala sa mga mamamayan at sa gobyernong titindig sa kanyang responsibilidad para sa mga mamamayan," -Inday Baraz

Of course, the Lumad narratives of displacement from their ancestral domains are testaments to the marginalizing effects of scarcity. The Lumad youth mentioned how their communities survive from harnessing agricultural products from nature but unfortunately suffer from mining companies who scuffle over the limited mineral resources beneath their lands and infringe on their ancestral land rights.

The Salugpungan's declaration of or tribal war against the Alsons, although violent in means, cannot be regarded as a communist uprising. A is a ritual killing by a warrior chief, which neither the NCIP nor the police or military forces have jurisdiction over. Therefore, by this definition, the state's armed forces cannot retaliate for Alsons. Also, there are instances when tribal leaders also declare against the New People's Army (Mellejor, 2019).
Under Attack: The Imperialist Plunder Experienced by Lumads
The case of the Pantaron Mountain Range is a case in point of the imperialist plunder that the Lumads decry. Such may also take the form of large-scale and foreign mining, agro-industrial plantations, and legal and illegal logging concessions which all invade ancestral domains and disrupt the lands' ecology. According to Teacher Rose and Ms. Pelayo, the free and prior informed consent (FPIC) required by IPRA, has been weaponized by capitalists against illiterate IPs, to legalize land-grabbing. On the bright side, the Lumad education fortifies their agency to protect themselves from exploitative advances and unfair contracts. With literacy, no Lumad would give up his land for a can of sardines. Ms. Pelayo reiterates that education therefore becomes a peaceful act of Lumad resistance.

In these acts of imperialist plunder, the government, being dominated by the elite, tolerates the Lumad disenfranchisement and partners with capitalists by using its state forces for a paramilitary purpose. UN Special Rapporteurs on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Internally Displaced Peoples Victoria Tauli-Corpuz and Cecilia Jimenez-Damary reveal that as of 2017, thousands of IPs were displaced due to militarization, and extrajudicial killings of Lumad farmers and other environmental activists became rampant since President Rodrigo Duterte's declaration of Martial Law (Proclamation no. 216) to counter Islamic insurgency (ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, 2019). In May 2019, the SOS Network reported the forced closure of 79 Lumad schools, which affected 2,728 students (De Vera - Ruiz, 2019), and these figures do not yet account for the recent closure of 55 Salugpungan schools. Based on Ms. Fionna Pelayo's narrative on the October 10 protest for the Salugpungan 55, SOS Network encountered a mobilization of SWAT team and PNP personnel in front of the DepEd's central office.
Photo Courtesy of Save Our Schools Network A Call for Basic Rights
It is evident that the Lumads were caught in the crossfire between the government and insurgents. Thankfully, with education, specifically economics, t he Lumads, in their protests, could have the agency to exercise their democracy and rights per the IPRA provisions, which ideally, must be recognized by the state. Furthermore, according to the SOS Network, the essence of the Lumad schools, as a collaborative effort of Lumads, NGOs, and religious groups, is to provide alternative schooling for the IPs amidst the government's shortcomings in providing education and other basic social infrastructure, and for several years, even government agencies permit these learning centers to operate. However, due to imperialist motives and the culture of impunity in Philippine politics, Lumads schools face closure due to red-tagging accusations, despite that these learning institutions are in fact, a substantiation of the Lumads' hope for an and democratic society envisioned in the Constitution, and therefore, a contradiction of the communist ideology that they are accused of proliferating.

"[Umaasa ako] sa isang lipunang walang pagmamalabis o pananamantala sa mga mamamayan at sa gobyernong titindig sa kanyang responsibilidad para sa mga mamamayan, " Inday Baraz, a Lumad student, expresses her hopes for a more Lumad-inclusive governance. [I am looking forward to a society which does not normalize the exploitation and abuse of its citizens and a government which would fulfill its duty to its constituents.]

The government must not alienate its minorities through the counter-insurgent whole-of-nation approach; rather, it must put a halt to the biggest threats to the Lumad community: militarization and capitalist overexploitation of the ancestral domains legally endowed to the IPs. Human capital development through sustainable social infrastructures could also safeguard Lumads from communist group recruitments, which threaten national security.

Indeed, the fight for the Lumads' human rights is not a fight for the benefit of the Lumads alone. It is a fight defending each Filipino. This fight, however, requires socio-economic consciousness so as to realize that each Filipino is more than just a chess piece struggling in society's game of survival. Each Filipino, whether belonging to the majority or the indigenous minority, is worthy of human dignity, agency, and democracy.
Writer's Acknowledgements:
I would like to thank Teacher Rose Hayahay, Sir Jun Feguro, Inday Baraz, and other members of the UPD Lumad bakwit school, both faculty and students, who openly shared their stories of resilience and resistance in the name of education. I would also like to acknowledge Ms. Fionna Pelayo and the entire Salinlahi team for being my bridge towards the Lumad community.

The Lumad bakwit community is open to integrate with partner organizations and other support groups. It welcomes donations of food, water, clothes, toiletries, school supplies, etc. For donations, contact Teacher Elsa at 0909 012 8952.

This article contains views and insights on the perspective of the Lumad community and the Save our Schools (SOS) network. The writer is also open to hear the side of the Department of Education in the Salugpungan 55 issue.

ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights. (2019, July 23). Martial law extension would put human rights at risk in Mindanao, say regional MPs. Retrieved November 7, 2019, from https://aseanmp.org/2018/12/12/martial-law-extension-threatens-human-rights-in-mindanao/

Bautista, C. (2014, May 24). Endangered virgin forests, threatened indigenous peoples in Mindanao. Retrieved November 7, 2019, from https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/ispeak/58751-endangered-virgin-forests-threatened-indigenous-peoples-mindanao.

Chandran, R. (2018, April 19). Driven from home, Philippine indigenous people long for their land. Retrieved November 7, 2019, from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-landrights-crime/driven-from-home-philippine-indigenous-people-long-for-their-land-idUSKBN1HQ034.

Cruz, M. A. W. (2018, August 27). DepEd -CAR sheds light on erroneous info on textbooks. Retrieved November 7, 2019, from https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1011894.

De Vera - Ruiz, E. (2019, May 27). Cause-oriented group laments continued implementation of martial law in Mindanao. Retrieved November 7, 2019, from https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/05/27/cause-oriented-group-laments-continued-implementation-of-martial-law-in-mindanao/.

Luistro, A. A. Adopting the National Indigenous Peoples (IP) Education Policy Framework, Adopting the National Indigenous Peoples (IP) Education Policy Framework (2011). Retrieved from https://www.deped.gov.ph/2011/08/08/do-62-s-2011-adopting-the-national-indigenous-peoples-ip-education-policy-framework/

McLellan, D. T., & Chambre, H. T. (2019, October 2). Marxism. Retrieved November 7, 2019, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Marxism.

Mellejor, L. (2018, February 7). Tribal leader calls for 'pangayaw' vs NPA. Retrieved November 7, 2019, from https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1024419.

Nepomuceno, P. (2019, July 13). Ibon Foundation no credibility to back UN resolution: Parlade. Retrieved November 7, 2019, from https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1074864.

Palo, R. (2019, October 8). DepEd shuts down 55 lumad schools. Retrieved November 7, 2019, from https://cnnphilippines.com/regional/2019/10/8/deped-salugpungan-schools.html.

Punongbayan, J. C. (2019, October 3). [ANALYSIS] Duterte's perverse priorities in the proposed 2020 budget. Retrieved November 7, 2019, from https://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/241639-analysis-duterte-perverse-priorities-proposed-2020-budget.

Rappler.com. (2017, August 8). 'Bakwit school' for Lumad children opens in UP. Retrieved November 7, 2019, from https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/178069-bakwit-schools-lumad-children-university-philippines.

Salinlahi Alliance for Children's Concerns. (2019, October 9). SOS strongly condemns the closure of 54 Salugpungan schools. Retrieved November 7, 2019, from https://www.facebook.com/salinlahiphilippines/posts/2738946269701068?__tn__=K-R.

Simbulan, N. P., & Medical Action Group Inc. (2011). The Health Perceptions and Practices of Lumads in Southern Philippines. Acta Medica Philippina , (2), 37-49. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287842164_The_health_perceptions_and_practices_of_Lumads_in_Southern_Philippines

Ulindang, F. (n.d.). LUMAD in Mindanao. Retrieved November 7, 2019, from https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-cultural-heritagesch/historical-research/lumad-in-mindanao/.

Victor, M. L., & Yano, B. (n.d.). Actualizing the Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples' Rights in Education: A Policy Initiatives in the Philippines. Retrieved November 7, 2019, from https://www.hurights.or.jp/archives/asia-pacific/section1/9 Indigenous Peoples' Rights in Education.pdf.

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Defense of the Land: Lumad Education for Resilience and Resistance

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Photo Courtesy of Save Our Schools Network In light of the celebration of the National Indigenous Peoples' month last October, the Department of Education (DepEd) Region XI insisted on its resolution to permanently shut down 55 Lumad schools in the Davao Region.

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Submitted by: Donio, Adriane Edroi

URL:https://admuaea.org/2019/11/17/defense-of-the-land-lumad-education-for-resilience-and-resistance/

Title: The river will bleed red’: Indigenous Filipinos face down dam projects

Author: Karlston Lapniten

Date Published: 26 February 2021

Key Information: Indigenous people have always been the stewards of land, including rivers from which they draw a valuable symbiotic relationship,” says Michael Sugguiyao, Dominique’s brother and the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) to the provincial legislature of Kalinga.

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‘The river will bleed red’: Indigenous Filipinos face down dam projects

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KALINGA, Philippines — On Nov. 12, 2020, Typhoon Vamco cut across the northern Philippines, flooding more than 60 cities and towns in the Cagayan Valley. Millions of dollars’ worth of property and crops were damaged. Considered the worst flooding to hit the region in almost half a century, Vamco’s i…

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Submitted By: Donio, Adriane Edroi

URL:https://www.rappler.com/voices/ispeak/opinion-we-have-pay-attention-indigenous-knowledge/

Title:[OPINION] IKSP ay KSP: We have to pay attention to indigenous knowledge

Author: ANGELA MAREE ENCOMIENDA

Date Published: NOV 1, 2020

Key Information:The Lumad, which form the largest group of ICCs and IPs in the country, also have the biggest pools of knowledge and practices in social and ecological management. For instance, the Manobo community cultivates the diversity of medicinal plants in their territory to deal with public health crises. The Subanen community employs animal warnings and signs in nature to understand the effects of anthropogenic activities like illegal logging and forest denudation and to administer their disaster risk reduction operations.

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Indigenous knowledge systems and practices in the Philippines are 'kulang sa pansin'

As the COVID-19 pandemic carries on, Filipinos find ways to pursue learning - some doing so in hopes that this would contribute to the country's survival and recovery. However, there are experts that have seen the pandemic coming for a long time: indigenous cultural communities (ICCs) and indigenous peoples (IPs). Through their traditional knowledge, they have expected that environmental degradation would lead to disease and death, and thus implemented measures to safeguard their communities.

Traditional knowledge consists of indigenous knowledge systems and practices (IKSPs), which are passed from generation to generation among ICCs and IPs, usually by word of mouth and cultural rituals. In the Philippines, IKSPs have provided foundations for sustainable agriculture, food security, health care, education, conservation, and many such development undertakings. Moreover, they have served as a basis for grassroots decision-making, banking on indigenous peoples' dedication to socially and ecologically sound solutions.

The Lumad, which form the largest group of ICCs and IPs in the country, also have the biggest pools of knowledge and practices in social and ecological management. For instance, the Manobo community cultivates the diversity of medicinal plants in their territory to deal with public health crises. The Subanen community employs animal warnings and signs in nature to understand the effects of anthropogenic activities like illegal logging and forest denudation and to administer their disaster risk reduction operations. The Higaonon community preserves an ancient system of conflict resolution to enact peace-building in land disputes and other issues concerning the individual, the community, and the domain. All these are maintained and transmitted through their teaching customs, either through the family unit or their educational institutions.

Typically, IKSPs are delivered through affective learning, following a holistic approach to shape the life of the individual as well as the life of the community. In indigenous educational institutions like the Lumad Bakwit Schools, which are formed by displaced Lumad students and teachers, affective learning is necessary to reinforce their identity as a people and their relationship to their ancestral lands. Lessons at the Lumad Bakwit Schools are localized to ground the students in the narratives of their respective communities. As they study, they learn to respect each other's ideas and opinions, and take responsibility for each other's development.

Aside from teaching basic reading and writing, mathematics, sciences, and social studies, the Lumad Bakwit Schools instruct their students about sustainable agriculture. The Lumad students, who press on with their studies under precarious conditions, comprehend that their education is a ticket to liberating their communities and lands from the encroachment and violence that besiege them. Away from their homes, they study concepts of health and food security, as well as concepts of indigenous rights and self-determination, with purpose and urgency.

Therefore, it makes sense to turn to IKSPs in building the new normal. Ensuring their persistence and enriching their capacity to influence community care all over the country can allow Filipinos to become self-sufficient through the knowledge systems and practices that we have had - and neglected - all along. To do these, two things must take place:

1. Indigenous educational institutions must be protected. Indigenous schools continue to be shut down and impacted by the conflict between state forces and militant groups. In addition, indigenous lands continue to be exploited by land grabbers. In the process, indigenous students and teachers partake in the diaspora with no definite direction, no sure destination, and no certain future. If ICCs and IPs are to play a part in our fight against COVID-19, they and their spaces must be kept safe from harm, and those displaced must be enabled to return to their roots.

2. The Philippine education system must heed IKSPs. Indigenous schools are still considered illegitimate by the education system, and mainstream curricula do not pay much regard to IKSPs. Students under these curricula are barely exposed to the stories of ICCs and IPs; if the students are exposed, they do not necessarily perceive and treat ICCs and IPs as co-equals or partners in development. If ICCs and IPs are to play a part in our fight against COVID-19, they must be interacted with for who they are: agents of social change, just like all other Filipinos.

However, it is important to keep in mind that these must be accomplished not merely to utilize IKSPs for national gain, but also to nurture regard for their culture and the definition of their own development. They do not resist only to be pitied or used; they resist to assert their identity and rights as empowered peoples. Contrary to popular portrayal, ICCs and IPs like the Lumad are not helpless and hopeless; they are, in fact, more than capable of delivering help, as well as maintaining hope in their communities and instilling hope in others.

During the pandemic, ICCs and IPs are also finding ways to transmit IKSPs. Some groups impart these online, through webinars, panel discussions, and other such events. The Lumad Bakwit Schools work with civil society organizations to fulfill their basic needs, share their plight, and communicate their knowledge and practices to others. They participate in advocacy campaigns to raise awareness, incite behavioral change, and work for the passage of policies and programs for their welfare. Much more needs to be done in order to truly incorporate IKSPs into the country's bid for survival and recovery, but opportunities are present for the Filipinos who want to learn. It starts there - bigyang pansin ang sariling atin. - Rappler.com
Angela Maree Encomienda is a third year student at the Ateneo de Manila University and the founder of The Initiative PH, one of the organizations currently working with the Lumad Bakwit School of Metro Manila.

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[OPINION] IKSP ay KSP: We have to pay attention to indigenous knowledge

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Indigenous knowledge systems and practices in the Philippines are 'kulang sa pansin' As the COVID-19 pandemic carries on, Filipinos find ways to pursue learning - some doing so in hopes that this would contribute to the country's survival and recovery.

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5) LOCAL/NATIONAL NEWS SEGMENT VIDEO CLIP 

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5) LOCAL/NATIONAL NEWS SEGMENT VIDEO CLIP 

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Submitted by: Rodriguez, Aril Boj L.

URL: https://news.mongabay.com/2021/02/the-river-will-bleed-red-indigenous-filipinos-face-down-dam-projects/

Title: ‘The river will bleed red’: Indigenous Filipinos face down dam projects

Author: Karlston Lapniten

Date published: Feb. 26, 2021

Key information:
For more than five decades, Indigenous communities in the northern Philippines have pushed back against the planned construction of hydropower dams on the Chico River system.

For Indigenous communities in the provinces of Kalinga and Mountain Province, the river is of great importance. They call it their “river of life” and have depended on it for generations.

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‘The river will bleed red’: Indigenous Filipinos face down dam projects

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Submitted by: Rodriguez, Aril Boj L.

URL:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316675686_The_Lumad_Struggle_for_Social_and_Environmental_Justice_Alternative_Media_in_a_Socio-Environmental_Movement_in_the_Philippines

Title:
The Lumad Struggle for Social and Environmental Justice: Alternative Media in a Socio-Environmental Movement in the Philippines.

Date published: April, 2017

Key information:
The study examines alternative media’s role in the socioenvironmental movement for justice for the Lumads, the indigenous peoples in southern Philippines, and the fight to protect the environment in the Philippines from extractive companies and mono-crop plantations. Using thematic textual analysis and framing analysis, the study analyzed selected news articles, press releases, and advocacy articles from bulatlat.com and civil society group’ websites posted online from September to December 2015. Anchored on Downing’s theory of alternative media as social movement media and Fuch’s theory of alternative media as critical media, the study revealed four categories of alternative media functions: 1) as giver of voice to the oppressed Lumads; 2) as social movement media used for social mobilization; 3) alternative media outfit as fulfilling a complementary role with the socioenvironmental movement, and 4) as making visible social movement’s offline activism. To conclude, alternative media plays a vital role in socioenvironmental movements and the continuing challenge to mitigate the climate crisis.

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Submitted by: Aaliyah Lou

URL:
https://globalvoices.org/2015/11/03/these-paintings-depict-the-indigenous-peoples-struggle-against-exploitation-in-the-philippines/

Title: These Paintings Depict the Indigenous Peoples’ Struggle Against Exploitation in the Philippines

Author: Mong Palatino

Date published: November, 2015

Key information:
Over the past 40 years, Filipino artist Federico Boyd Sulapas Dominguez has been painting the efforts of indigenous peoples to combat destructive mining, development aggression, and militarization. His aim is to enlighten the public about the situation of ethnic groups in the Philippines and their campaign for the protection of their ancestral lands.

The Philippines has more 14 million indigenous peoples belonging to 110 ethno-linguistic groups. However, the unique heritage of these tribes is threatened by rapid urbanization, commercialization, and encroachment of their lands by state-approved activities such as agribusiness ventures, logging, and mining.

In Mindanao Island, located in the southern part of the country, the collective term for ethnic groups is Lumad. Various lumad groups which are resisting the entry of mining firms into their communities has been in the news during September and October 2015 after they were attacked by paramilitary groups. About 700 Lumad members have set up camps in Manila, the nation’s capital, to demand the pull-out of troops from their homes.

The plight of the Lumad is reflected in many of Federico's artworks. He has also been uploading copies of his old paintings on Facebook which he thinks are still relevant because of the attacks on Lumad communities and the continued plunder of natural resources in the ancestral domains of ethnic tribes. Some of his paintings have been widely shared on social media by activists, scholars, and heritage advocates who are seeking to inspire the public to support the Lumad’s right to self-determination.

Federico, who is a Mandaya (Lumad indigenous people from the eastern part of Mindanao), encourages younger artists to enrich their knowledge of Philippine culture by integrating with ethnic communities.

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8) PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE OR PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

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8) PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE OR PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

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Submitted by: Rodriguez, Aril Boj L.

URL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWrpTdYuPhQ

Title: The Cry of the Lumads

Author: General Board of Global Ministries

Date published:
Jun, 2016

Key information:
The Lumads recounted the April 1, 2016 incident where Philippine farmers, most of which were Lumads, were locked in a struggle with the government over emergency food supplies. During the tragic event, Spottswood Methodist Mission Center in Kidapawan, North Cotabato, on the island of Mindanao, provided sanctuary to about 4,000 farmers after a protest, and The United Methodist Church in the Philippines ministered to drought-plagued, starving farmers in Mindanao.Bai Norma Capuyan, a survivor of the Kidapawan massacre, and an indigenous leader from the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, shares more of this story.

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Submitted by: Ang, Kimiaki Lance M.

title: SHS students dance as a protest against closure of Lumad schools

title: Closing 55 Lumad schools in Mindanao: Deliberate red-tagging

URL: https://issuu.com/bryllregidor5/docs/tribute

Author: Official community paper of Alabel National High school

Date published: June- November 2019

Key information: "The DepEd XI should have formed a 'fact-finding team' to supposedly look into the allegations against Lumad schools, but it is as if they really have no intentions to do so," she said on the other hand, explained that the performance of the students does not necessarily reflect the general strand of the school on the matter. Yet, he lauds senior high school's learning activity which provided the students a platform to take part in social issues.
"I like their activity. They had given a new dimension on how we see dancing not just a mere form of entertainment but a tool to express opinion," he said. By Jhanica Lopez

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Submitted by: Ang, Kimiaki Lance M.

URL: https://www.fao.org/zhc/detail-events/en/c/1028010/

title: 6 ways indigenous peoples are helping the world achieve

Author: FAO

Date Published: August 9, 2017

key information: A third of the world's forests, which are essential for reducing gas emissions, are predominantly managed by local communities, families, smallholders, and indigenous peoples. Indigenous foods are a good source of nutrients in climate-challenged locations since they are also exceptionally nutrient-dense, climate-resilient, and well-adapted to their environment.

Their lifestyles and means of subsistence have much to teach us about protecting the environment, growing food sustainably, and coexisting with the natural world. In order to address the issues that food and agriculture are currently confronting as well as those that will arise in the future, it is crucial to mobilize the expertise that comes from this history and these historical legacies.

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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

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About Us Director-General Organizational chart Worldwide offices Governing Bodies Oversight Advisory Committee FAO and the UN Meetings Visit us Partnerships Ask FAO

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Submitted by: Ang, Kimiaki Lance M.

URL: https://blogs.adb.org/blog/weaving-sustainable-future-indigenous-students

title: Weaving a Sustainable Future for Indigenous Students

Author: Lynnette Perez

Date published: 30 October 2019

key information: A senior high school curriculum that emphasizes culture is providing the Tboli community in the southern Philippines with a unique form of education. The Philippines' indigenous populations have pushed for changes to the basic education curriculum to make it more applicable to their varied educational and cultural background. The Tboli Sbu Senior High School, a groundbreaking public school for indigenous people, opened its doors in 2015. It is the first institution of its kind to create and provide a technical-vocational-livelihood curriculum that is based on the culture of the neighborhood it serves in the Philippines. The school was one of the few early adopters of the recently adopted senior high school model in the Philippines and was designed exclusively for Tboli youngsters.

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Submitted by: Ang, Kimiaki Lance M.

URL: https://www.onebillionrising.org/35064/rise4revolution-lumads-indigenous-peoples-mindanao-philippines-rising-revolution/

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

Author:

Date Published: January 6, 2016

Key information: Communities' militarization has forced the evacuation of Lumads. Their way of life has been compromised. Schools, clinics, and communal farms that served the community have all been destroyed. And everywhere there is a military presence, violence against women and girls, as well as harassment of the local communities, increases.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines have created, equipped, and trained indigenous paramilitaries to combat their relatives using the tried-and-true divide-and-conquer strategy. Due to militarization, more than 40,000 Lumads have been forcibly removed from their native lands as of late. And with the full support and authority of the Philippine government, the military is stationed in this area to protect the interests of hundreds of mining concessions that are pillaging the nation for gold, copper, nickel, and chromite.

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

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Submitted by: Rodriguez, Aril Boj L.

URL:
https://www.rappler.com/moveph/178181-infographic-lumad-indigenous-peoples/

Title: INFOGRAPHIC: Who are the Lumad?

Author: Rappler.com

Date published: Aug, 2017

Key information:

MANILA, Philippines – The Lumad are the largest indigenous group in the Philippines. The word “Lumad” is a Visayan term which means “born of the earth.”

The Philippines is composed of 14 to17 million indigenous peoples (IPs) belonging to 110 ethno-linguistic groups, according to a study by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Majority of them are in Mindanao (61%), while 33% are concentrated in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). Other indigenous groups are located in the Visayas region.

In 1997, the “Indigenous Peoples Rights Act” (IPRA) was enacted to protect the rights of the IPs and their ancestral domains.

Despite being protected by the law, IPs suffer from poverty and numerous human rights violations.

They suffer from discrimination and are considered as one of the poorest minority groups in the world. They do not have access to adequate and appropriate forms of social services like education and health.

According to the United Nations State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the Philippines is one of the countries that facilitated large-scale mining by foreign corporations and other destructive projects, displacing many Lumad communities from their ancestral lands.

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Submitted By: Garrido, Xenia Coleen Grace

Title: NRCP - Future Earth Philippines Mindanao Highlights Sustainability Issues

Author: Daniel Jason M. Maches

Date Published: May 06, 2021

Key Information:

The National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) held the Mindanao Regional Future Earth Community Mobilization Workshop highlighting various sustainability issues and initiatives. National Scientist Dr. Lourdes J. Cruz, Future Earth Philippines (FEP) Project Leader, introduced the said program and stressed the importance of regional workshops to better understand the local setting and encourage participation from the ground. To promote science-based approaches in sustainability implementation, different researches and case studies were presented by NRCP members Dr. Anthony C. Sales from the department of Science and Technology, presented the “Status of Development Efforts and Implications on Sustainable Development of Mindanao in the Context of the New Normal.”, Dr. Sukarno Tanggol, Chancellor of Mindanao State University, shared the socio-ecological importance of Lake Lanao in his talk, “Lake Lanao Sustainability Challenges, Resources, and Opportunities.”, etc..

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Hosted by the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), the Mindanao Regional Future Earth Community Mobilization Workshop highlighted various sustainability issues and initiatives.
The event was held via Zoom on April 26 and 28, 2021 with the theme, "Synergizing knowledge and governance for sustainable development in Mindanao in the age of disruptions." Around 140 representatives from different sectors such as the academe, local government units (LGUs), non-government organizations, and other members of the civil society participated.

"Economies and cultures differ, and societies vary in their needs as well as in opportunities, resources and degrees of development. What then is a better way to be inclusive, responsive, and sustainable if not to go local? There is no other way but to belong, " shared Dr. Marieta Bañez Sumagaysay, NRCP Executive Director.

Likewise, national scientist Dr. Lourdes J. Cruz, Future Earth Philippines (FEP) Project Leader, introduced the said program and stressed the importance of regional workshops to better understand the local setting and encourage participation from the ground.

A screenshot of some participants during the FEP workshop for Mindanao.
Sustainability researches, case studies in Mindanao
To promote science-based approaches in sustainability implementation, different researches and case studies were presented by NRCP members:

Dr. Anthony C. Sales, Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Region XI Director, presented the "Status of Development Efforts and Implications on Sustainable Development of Mindanao in the Context of the New Normal." He shared some strategies in building a resilient and sustainable Mindanao such as improving digital infrastructure, and conducting an integrated biodiversity conservation program.

Stressing the issues concerning Lake Lanao, Dr. Sukarno Tanggol, Chancellor of Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), shared the socio-ecological importance of Lake Lanao in his talk, "Lake Lanao Sustainability Challenges, Resources, and Opportunities." Among the recommendations he cited to preserve the lake are: restoring the degraded forests, conduct of continuous research, and establishment of the Lake Lanao Rehabilitation Center.

Dr. Mario J. Aguja, Professor at MSU-General Santos City, discussed "Sustainable Management of the Ligawasan Marsh Transitional Peace." He mentioned that addressing the degradation of Ligawasan Marsh entails the resolution of the ongoing conflicts between the government and rebel groups.

With his talk titled, "Sustaining the energy imperatives of Mindanao for development," Dr. Randell U. Espina, Professor at Ateneo De Davao University, mentioned the potential of Mindanao for renewable energy sources. He enthused the need to optimize the utilization of free water from the river basins through small to medium-sized hydro power plants.

Dr. Victor B. Amoroso shared the importance of biodiversity in Mindanao including its role in sustainable development.

Meanwhile, Dr. Victor B. Amoroso, Professor Emeritus at Central Mindanao University, highlighted the rich flora and fauna of Mindanao in his talk, "Biodiversity Inventory and Conservation Assessment in Mindanao." He encouraged the participants to create conservation programs, citing that a healthy biodiversity ensures a healthy community.
Government initiatives to promote sustainability
Del Carmen Vice Mayor Alredo M. Coro II presented their activities to conserve the mangrove areas in the island, considered as the largest in the country. He cited ecotourism as one of their strategies given the island's international reputation as a tourism hub.

Coro also partnered with the NRCP to study the mangroves in Siargao towards generating approaches to preserve them. To address future challenges, Coro proposed the need for a blended finance that would ensure sustainable growth and equitable development in the island.
Senator Pimentel shared his insights on sustainability Secretary Piñol of MinDA, stressed the importance of sustainable agriculture to preserve the environment and develop the local economy. during the FEP workshop for Mindanao.
On the side of Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, shared the importance of Mindanao in boosting the country's agricultural development and how this can be done without compromising the forests. He reiterated the need to connect farming communities to the market and to push for renewable energy sources.

Likewise, Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said that achieving a sustainable and inclusive economic security entails the strengthening of linkages between markets and production areas.
Indigenous Peoples as stewards of Mindanao's environment Timuey Mansayagan, a Manobo tribe leader, shared the plight of the IPs and their roles in protecting Mindanao's forests.
"We need to establish more physical linkages in Mindanao through building and improving our infrastructure, transport and communication facilities," added Pimentel III.

Pimentel also underscored the need to generate sustainable jobs for the communities and to promote peace and security.

Stressing the critical role of indigenous peoples (IPs) in Mindanao's sustainability, Timuey Jimid P. Mansayagan, a Manobo tribal leader and the Chairperson of the Governing Council of Lumad Mindanao People's Federation, narrated how colonial and post-colonial policies and programs have ushered devastation to their ancestral domains. He cited that without the collective opposition of the Lumads and other IPs against extractive industries, no forests would remain in Mindanao.

"We, the IPs, have long been misunderstood and were even considered as backward and primitive but the international community recognizes that we play an integral role in protecting the planet and addressing climate change," said Mansayagan.
Sharing of SDG Practices from the Ground
Mansayagan expressed alarm over various proposed mining attempts within their ancestral domains.

"Noong nalogging at nakalbo ang aming mga kabundukan, nakita naman ng mga kapitalista ang mga ginto sa aming lupang ninuno. Ngayun, gusto nilang kunin (After logging and deforesting our mountains, the capitalists now want to mine the gold underneath)," said Mansayagan.

To address the plight of the IPs and arrest forest degradation in Mindanao, Mansayagan proposed "partnership and cooperation" with the government. He then called on the FEP proponents to raise their proposal to the national level.

Aside from the lectures, the event also featured a digital talk show, wherein, representatives from the eight (8) identified LGUs shared their practices related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These LGUs are Davao, Iligan, Cagayan De Oro, Butuan, Zamboanga, General Santos, Marawi, and Cotabato.

During the second day, the participants were grouped according to LGUs and were tasked to identify sustainability issues using Problem Tree Analysis and propose solutions via Objective Tree Analysis. They then filled out a Log Framework, specifying the key strategies and timelines for the proposed solutions.

According to Dr. Rhodora V. Azanza, NAST President, the problems and solutions raised during the workshops can serve as a baseline of the LGUs in initiating programs that would boost Mindanao's sustainability.

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Future Earth Philippines Mindanao highlights sustainability issues, initiatives

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Hosted by the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), the Mindanao Regional Future Earth Community Mobilization Workshop highlighted various sustainability issues and initiatives. The event was held via Zoom on April 26 and 28, 2021 with the theme, "Synergizing knowledge and governance for sustainable development in Mindanao in the age of disruptions."

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14) NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION OR ACADEMIC INSTITUTION ARTICLE 

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14) NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION OR ACADEMIC INSTITUTION ARTICLE 

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Submitted By: Garrido, Xenia Coleen Grace

Title: Indigenous Peoples/Ethnic Minorities and Poverty Reduction Philippines

Author: Environmental and Social Safeguard Regional and Sustainable Development Department Asian Development Bank, Manila, Philippines

Date Published: June 2022

Key Information: The  publication  is  one  of  a  series  of  documents  produced  by  the  project.  They  comprise  four  country reports (on Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Viet Nam, respectively), a regional report covering these four countries, and the proceedings of the regional workshop that resulted in recommendations for a regional action plan for poverty reduction among indigenous peoples/ethnic minorities. This study aims to conduct a study on poverty to strengthen ADB’s Policy on Indigenous Peoples through poverty assessment of these peoples in selected developing member countries (DMCs) and to  develop, using participative methods, an appropriate  agenda  for  action to ensure poverty reduction for indigenous groups.

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Submitted By: Garrido, Xenia Coleen Grace

Title: SUSTAINARUMBLE!

Author: Sustainarumble

Date Published: January 2022

Key Information:
SUSTAINARUMBLE is a public service podcast that explores critical issues on sustainable development in the Philippines. In this podcast episode: “Shifting to Clean Energy: IT’S COMPLICATED?” They talk about why it is hard for the Philippines to shift to clean energy. The Philippines largely depends on fossil fuel based or “Conventional Energy”. Our supply contract for fossil fuel based power generation is guaranteed for the next 25 to 30 years, with government subsidies allocated to cover for generation costs. This means that we are reliant on this international market fluctuation. Our national regulations are making sure that power generation facilities are financially maintainable and stable and because the purpose of this is to strengthen the stability of “Conventional Energy”, We can infer that it’s here to stand for a very long time.

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Submitted By: Garrido, Xenia Coleen Grace

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABuryAl1268&t=1s

Title: The Lumad's Story

Author: Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center

Date: Apr 22, 2021

Key Information: About 10% of the population of the Philippines is thought to be made up of indigenous cultural communities (ICC). They were pushed into the mountains and forests by lowlanders ever since towns and cities were constructed, and they were also known as cultural minority. The majority of the ICC lack private property or money, and because they are frequently discriminated against, they have a difficult time assimilating into society at large. The ICC fight to preserve their ancestral domain and cultural identity in the face of forest devastation and efforts by the lowland majority to integrate them into Christianity.

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Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center

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Submitted by: Aaliyah Lou

URL: https://www.sei.org/about-sei/press-room/gomanan-diinsider-film-feature/

Title: Gomanan — a documentary film on the Bagobo Tagabawa

Author: Pia Duran

Date Published: December 4, 2020

Key Information: The continuous destruction of the environment causes the onslaught of disasters in the world. The forest that has been a source of food and water defends us against disasters such as typhoons and flash floods. However, the continuous and massive exploitation of natural resources threatened our forests. Its wrath affected millions of lives, yet the people most affected have no contribution to its destruction.

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Gomanan — a documentary film on the Bagobo Tagabawa

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The SEI Asia media grant supported journalist Pia Duran in creating a film on the Bagobo Tagabawa and how indigenous knowledge can help mitigate climate change.

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Submitted by: Aaliyah Lou

URL: https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=pwlXvgEACAAJ&dq=about+sustainable+approach+for+lumads+in+the+philippines&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjX94zAmYr9AhXR1GEKHcV-Ds8Q6AF6BAgFEAI

Title: Indigenous Peoples/ethnic Minorities and Poverty Reduction: Proceedings of a Regional Workshop, Asian Development Bank, Manila, Philippines

Author: Asian Development Bank

Date Published: October 26, 2001

Key Information: This summary organizes the theme papers, findings, and recommendations that were presented at the Regional Workshop on Indigenous Peoples and Poverty Reduction, including the proposed regional plan of action that can guide future national approaches to this issue throughout the Southeast Asian

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Indigenous Peoples/ethnic Minorities and Poverty Reduction: Proceedings of a Regional Workshop, Asian Development Bank, Manila, Philippines, 25-26 October 2001

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“This summary organizes the theme papers, findings, and recommendations that were presented at the Regional Workshop on Indigenous Peoples and Poverty Reduction, including the proposed regional plan of action that can guide future national approaches to this issue throughout the Southeast Asian regi…

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Submitted by: Aaliyah Lou

URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316675686_The_Lumad_Struggle_for_Social_and_Environmental_Justice_Alternative_Media_in_a_Socio-Environmental_Movement_in_the_Philippines

Title: The Lumad Struggle for Social and Environmental Justice: Alternative Media in a Socio-Environmental Movement in the Philippines

Author: Belinda Espiritu

Date Published: April 2017

Key Information: The study examines alternative media’s role in the socioenvironmental movement for justice for the Lumads, the indigenous peoples in southern Philippines, and the fight to protect the environment in the Philippines from extractive companies and mono-crop plantations. Using thematic textual analysis and framing analysis, the study analyzed selected news articles, press releases, and advocacy articles from bulatlat.com and civil society group’ websites posted online from September to December 2015.