Jan Lloyd Pating

Indigenous People Their Lands and Future

Land is the foundation of the lives and cultures of Indigenous peoples all over the world.
Without access to and respect for their rights over their lands, territories and natural resources,
the survival of Indigenous peoples’ particular distinct cultures is threatened. And if mining
continues on lands owned by Indigenous people because of the approval of mining
concessions given by local government units and supported by some corrupt national officials it
causes greater risk of events that would result not only of the destruction of our national
resources but also the loss of countless lives.

Given the current state of the National Commission on Indigenous People with little or no
funding at all from the National Government lessens the effectiveness of the government office.
How can these current state of the commission help with the implementation of the provisions of
R.A. # 8371 especially in the grant of Ancestral Land Title which ensures Indigenous People
that whatever development are to happen in their lands their approval and benefit is the primary.

The need to reconcile, the concept of ancestral domain with the ownership by the state
of natural resources underneath the domain remains a continuing challenge to decision-makers.
Given proper support and opportunity to decide in accordance with their traditional decision-
making process, indigenous peoples will be able to track for themselves a culturally sensitive
development strategy.

Land is a central issue to indigenous peoples because it defines their very existence.
Because of this, the similarities and differences of their concept and world view of land and the
conflict arising from it will be discussed extensively to show the significance of land and its
complexities to the indigenous peoples. This land concept has become distinct because it
adheres to the spirit of collectivism and rejects the idea of private property.

An anecdote goes about a man and his first encounter with ancestral land titles in
Baguio City. Acquiring land in Baguio is complicated, owing to a colonial American city charter
that puts all alienable lands in the townsite up for auction. So when a townsite applicant heard
that the government has issued Certificates of Ancestral Land Titles, he said: “Who invented
ancestral lands anyway and where do I get one?” True or not, the story expresses how Filipinos
misunderstand Republic Act No. 8371 (Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 or IPRA), which
has legally empowered indigenous peoples for the last 15 years.

To most indigenous people their ancestral lands are where they reside, find food and
medicine, teach their children their language and their way of life. When outside factors such as
private investors, private landowners and other interested parties that would want to exploit
resources within their lands, it threatens their very way of life. R.A. 8371 protects their ancestral
lands from these influences.

R.A. # 8371 ensures that ancestral lands with vast natural resources are preserved from
exploitation enjoying protection not only from the indigenous people living within but also from
the National Commission on Indigenous People. It is essentially a way not only to protect their
culture but also an insurance that natural resources within their ancestral lands are maintained
and well preserved to ensure sustainable development for the coming generation.

RA 8371 empowers the indigenous people living within to have rights and legal
protection if and when they are threatened expulsion from their ancestral lands. This protection
ensures that the natural resources of our country are protected and the survival and culture of
the indigenous people are well preserved.

Land is important to everyone more so to the indigenous people who have taken to
maintain their way of life and live off from the blessings of their Ancestral Lands. Private land
developers and other business interests that seeks to exploit these ancestral lands owned by
Indigenous people are now guaranteed that thru the help of the National Commission on
Indigenous People they are given equal footing on how to go about their interests with primary
goal of sustainable development with priority of maintaining the continued use of various natural
resources for generations to come.

Bibliography

Asian Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Network. National Commission on Indigenous Peoples of
Philippines: The Contest for Control. P.O. Box 9627, Janakpuri, New Delhi110058, India.
August 2008

Ben Malayang III. Tenure rights and ancestral domains in the Philippines: A study of the roots of
conflict. In: Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde, The Philippines Historical and
social studies 157 (2001), no: 3, Leiden, 661-676 Retrieved on 08 December 2011 at
http://www.kitlv-journals.nl/index.php/btlv/article/viewFile/1662/2423

Ong, P.S.,L.E. Aluang, and R.G. Rosell-Ambal (eds.) 2002. Philippine Biodiversity Conservation
Priorities: A Second Iteration of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Protected Areas and Wildlife
Bureau, Conservation International - Philippines, Biodiversity Conservation Program,
University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies, and
Foundation for the Philippine Environment, Quezon City, Philippines.

The Philippine Environmental Governance Program.Allocating Forestlands: Commonly-issued

Allocation Instruments.Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Quezon City.
September 2003. Retrieved on 13 March 2012 at
http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADB921.pdf