MANILA (SE): “We appeal to the authorities to heed the pleas of our indigenous brothers and sisters,” the Episcopal Commission for Indigenous Peoples of the Philippine bishops said in a statement for the 46th Indigenous People’s Sunday, on October 8, themed, “Katutubong Pilipino Kapamilya sa Diyos” [Filipino Indigenous part of the Family of God], CBCP News reported on October 10.
“We call on government agencies to fulfill their sworn duties and respond to the cries of the people, especially the marginalized and oppressed,” Bishop Valentine Dimoc, the commission chairperson said.
The commission advocates for the recognition of the rights of indigenous communities to their ancestral lands and domains, as an essential part of their self-determination and cultural preservation, according to CBCP News.
Indigenous communities in Apayao, northern Luzon, and Quezon and Rizal provinces, in eastern Luzon, oppose the construction of dams due to concerns about their impact and the need for genuine free, prior and informed consent from the communities.
The Ati people in Boracay, Aklan, face issues related to the revocation of the Certificate of Land Ownership Award granted to them, which they have used for cultivation of fruits and vegetables.
Non-Moro indigenous peoples in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao are working to assert their rights and ancestral lands through Proposed Bill No. 166, the Non-Moro IP Code. The ECIP supports their efforts and highlights challenges to this advocacy.
In various parts of the Philippines, particularly in Palawan and Mindanao, destructive mining operations are causing harm to the environment and communities. The commission emphasises the importance of protecting natural resources and advocates for the Alternative Mineral Management Bill, CBCP News reported.
Bishop Dimoc vowed that the Church, through the diocesan Indigenous Peoples Apostolates, would continue to champion the rights of the indigenous propel and push for initiatives that acknowledge the dignity of every culture, promote ancestral lands and domains, and believe in self-determination.”
