Mindanao Lumads

SUBANEN
Background Stories
LAPUYAN RIVER
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ISSUES OF MODERNIZATION, DISCRIMINATION, PREJUDICES, POVERTY,
INEQUALITIES OF THE COMMUNITIES, AGAINST THEM OF WITHIN THEIR
OWN ALSO.

Indigenous people in Mindanao also experience threats. The main threats that are faced by the Lumads,
Igorot and Subanen communities in the Philippines are threats to their minority rights. Indigenous peoples
continue to face the problems of land losses due to development projects, worsening poverty, poor access to
government projects and loss of culture. Despite positive developments such as the 1997 legislation,
minorities continue to face serious obstacles and human rights violations. Indigenous peoples and other
minorities risk losing traditional rights to land and resource usage because of the slow pace and difficulties in
implementing the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997. Aside from being deprived of education, indigenous
people are also deprived of economic development, livelihood program and medical access or medical care.
Some of them are malnourished and sickly due to improper nutrition, lack of access to safe potable water, and
the virtual non-existence of modern sanitation systems. They only eat root crops two times a day such as
“taro” and “camote” because of their very low family income (Minority Rights Group International: Philippines
Overview, 2009). Majority of the Subanen people belong to the marginalized level of the society with an
average annual income of P 6,000 per household. They are basically farmers who plant corn, rice, banana,
coffee, root crops and coconut for their daily subsistence and as source of their income. Even though they are
landowners, they are unable to cultivate all their lands due to financial constraints (Central Subanen Literacy,
n.d).