Project Proponent: Bunawan Tribal Council of Datu’s & BAE’s Inc. (BTCDB Inc.)

Project Title :  Empowering Manobo Tribe Initiative for Self Reliant and Governance in Ancestral Domain

Site Location: Bunawan, Agusan del Sur

Type/Sector: Indigenous People

Project Duration:  3 Years

Background:

The enactment of RA 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) in 1997 lays down the legal framework for addressing indigenous peoples’ poverty. It seeks to alleviate the plight of the IPs by correcting, by legislation, the historical errors that led to systematic dispossession of and discrimination against indigenous peoples. The IPRA provides that development programs, projects, and activities must be developed along the fourfold agenda of recognition and protection of ancestral domain/land rights, self-governance and empowerment, cultural integrity, and social justice and human rights.

With the recognition of the IP’s rights to their ancestral land, they can also utilize a vital instrument for their empowerment—the principle of free and prior informed consent (FPIC). Section 3, Part III of the IPRA states that: The [indigenous peoples] shall, within their communities, determine for themselves policies, development programs, projects and plans to meet their identified priority needs and concerns. The [indigenous peoples] shall have the right to accept or reject a certain development intervention in their particular communities. The indigenous peoples’ decision to accept or reject a proposed policy, program, or plan shall be assessed in accordance with their development framework and their value systems for the protection of land and resources.

This project focuses on realizing the dreams of the Manobo IPs in the Municipality of Bunawan in the province of Agusan del Sur in claiming their ancestral lands and developing them for their welfare and development. The area to be claimed is about 14,500 ha comprising eight barangays with an IP population of 5,827 or 1,165 households.  The initiative to claim their ancestral land was initiated with the formation of the organization of tribal leaders – the Bunawan Tribal Council of Datu’s & BAE’s Inc. (BTCDB Inc.). The tribal council believes that with the recognition of their ancestral domain they can further pursue their economic, social, and cultural development; to use commonly accepted justice systems, conflict resolution mechanism, peace building process, and customary laws; to participate in decision making; to maintain and develop indigenous political structures; to have mandatory representation in policy-making bodies; and to determine their own priorities for development.

The process of claiming ancestral lands, however, is too complicated and difficult for IPs. Moreover, it needs vast resources and capabilities to come-up with all the requirements that the law requires which IPs lack. It is in this context that this project is being presented to the PAC for their consideration.

Problems to be Addressed:

The project will address the following problems:

1.    Lost of ancestral lands. The Manobo IPs believes that their cultural identity is integrated in their ancestral domain. Without their ancestral land, their cultural integrity is also gone. Regaining their land will ensure the survival of their cultural identity.  Intrusions of investors are putting the lands of the IPs taken from them.  Further complicating the loss of ancestral lands is the out migration of IPs to other places because of lack of opportunities in their own land and their inability to control intrusion of investors and other migrants into their lands.

2.    Depletion of Natural Resources. The IP’s are dependent on the vast land and water resources such as agricultural production, fisheries, forest products and minerals for their livelihood. Loss of their ancestral lands due to encroachment of outsiders is resulting in the destruction and depletion of natural resources from which IP livelihoods are dependent.

3.    Vanishing Tradition and Cultural Practices. The loss of ancestral land is also aggravating the loss of IP traditions and cultural practices. For example, electric fishing is replacing traditional fishing methods to the detriment of the environment.  Their language and customary laws are in danger of vanishing with the advent of mass media communications.

4.    Limited Capability in Developing and Managing Sustainable Development Plans and Programs in their Ancestral Domain. Because of limited access to resources, IPs’ capability in governing their ancestral domain is limited. For example, there is no sustainable development plan that can address their needs. IPs cannot get their fair share of the fruits of their land from investors such as corporate forest plantations.