THE RURAL MISSIONARIES OF THE PHILIPPINES OR RMP is a national organization, inter-diocesan and inter-congregational in character, of men and women religious, priests and lay people. We live and work with the rural poor. Founded by the Association of Major Women Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMWRSP) in 1969, RMP members commit themselves to support the Filipino peasantry’s quest for social justice, freedom, and genuine agrarian reform. As a Church of the Poor, the RMP aims to strengthen the awareness of the rural poor regarding the truth that all have the right to live fully as human beings, to self-determination, and to freedom from oppression and all forms of exploitation.
RMP-NMR has been established to promote missionary work in Northern Mindanao sub-region. RMP-NMR is duly registered in the Security and Exchange Commission with registration number CN-200927387 as a non-stock, non-profit corporation on 22 June 2009, and with TIN Number 408-441-015-000.
‘Kidlap’ is a Cebuano term for ‘sparks.’
KIDLAP Magazine is the official, semi-annual publication of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-Northern Mindanao Sub-Region (RMP-NMR), Inc.
KidlapMAGAZINE
Special Issue, March 2016EDITORIAL BOARD
Sr. Ma. Famita N. Somogod, MSMSr. Mary Jane C. Caspillo, MMS
Agustina C. JuntillaMelissa A. Comiso
Sr. Susan M. Dejolde, MSM
STAFF FOR THIS ISSUEAilene Villarosa
Amy DoydoyBeverlita Rendon
Mary Louise G. DumasClarin C. Pasco
Ronan Andrew G. UlandayEvelyn L. Naguio
Photos by Winbel Mordino M. Visitacion, Gary Ben S. Villocino, and Erwin Mascarinas
Contributions, comments and inquiriesare welcome. Please send them to:
Rural Missionaries of the PhilippinesNorthern Mindanao Sub-Region (RMP-NMR), Inc
Rm. 01, Kalinaw Lanao Center for Interfaith Resources
0016 Bougainvilla Puti, Villaverde9200 Iligan City Philippines
T/F: +63 (63) 223 5179E: [email protected]
Soft copies of this issue can be downloaded fromwww.rmp-nmr.org
Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/rmp.nmr
Follow us at Twitter: @rmpnmr
This special issue is published with support from the European Union. The views expressed in
this issue are the sole responsibility of RMP-NMR and do not necessarilyrepresent the views of the donors.
About the COVERA Matigsalug woman collects firewood. The Matigsalug communities in Quezon, Bukidnon have been trying to maintain their traditional lifestyle, subsistence farming their main means of living. They gather abaca fiber and some do gold panning to earn cash which they use to buy basic necessities such as salt, instant coffee, and sometimes bread. Their simple lifestyles, however, is threatened with large-scale mining. With a paramilitary group already gaining control over the small-scale gold mining in the neighbouring municipality of San Fernando, resource conflicts are now escalating in the Matigsalug communities.
Kidlap MAGAZINE | 3
Kidlap contains relevant
information on the state of human
rights in Mindanao which need
public attention. The feature
articles and abstracts of various
commissioned researches in
this magazine promise to offer
a systematic analyses of issues
such as the impact of industrial
practices on the well-being
of indigenous communities in
Mindanao. They are also useful
to anyone who are interested
in social research of regional
and sectoral issues pertaining
to indigenous peoples or the
Lumads.
Congratulations to the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-Northern Mindanao
Sub-Sub-Region (RMP-NMR) for the publication of this special edition of Kidlap
magazine.
MESSAGE FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION
FRANZ JESSENAmbassadorHead of Delegation
The EU considers human
rights as a priority and supports
initiatives aimed at ending all
forms of discrimination against
indigenous peoples and is working
towards ensuring their rights
are respected, protected and
fulfilled. As stated by our High
Representative and Vice President
Federica Mogherini:
“The EU reaffirms its support
to the UN Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples
(UNDRIP) and is determined to
work closely with indigenous
peoples, along with other partners
and stakeholders”.
In line with this, the EU supports
the RMP-NMR’s initiative to assist
the vulnerable sectors of Mindanao
through the “Healing the Hurt Pro-
ject”. The project, which is financed
by our European Instrument for De-
mocracy and Human Rights (EIDHR),
aims to empower the indigenous
communities living in north Mind-
anao region in combatting discrimi-
nation and rights violations.
I hope that this publication will
contribute to the people’s increased
awareness about the Lumads of
Mindanao; and, perhaps more
importantly, lead to a sincere social
dialogue among all concerned.
4 | Kidlap MAGAZINE
SR. MA. FAMITA N. SOMOGOD, MSMPROJECT MANAGER
The Rural Missionaries of
the Philippines was first formed
during the dark years of martial
law. People were killed for their
ideas. There was absolutely no
respect for human rights --most
importantly the right to life --
during that period. The state was
then the enemy of the people.
Fast forward to today, two
EDSA revolutions, and a cacophony
of politicians elected through
supposedly democratic processes
later, we see the same bleak
situation. The assertion of the
people of their right for a self-
determined development is held
at gunpoint. While this is true
for many sectors -- the farmers,
workers, fisherfolk, and others
who are forced to conform to the
elitist economic framework of the
government -- the indigenous
communities most especially
feel this. The resources that are
targeted by large companies are
mostly in their ancestral lands.
And when they fight for their right
MESSAGE FROM THE PROJECT MANAGER
to these resources, they become
victims of brutal state repression.
The human rights situation
in this country has improved
little since the dictatorship.
What is probably worse is that
the government is blatantly
supporting the perpetrators. Hasn’t
it promoted the creation of special
auxiliary units to the military that
will serve as investment defense
forces? Any resistance to the
entry of these business interests is
automatic target. And this is what
has cultivated this impunity, the
violence in the ancestral domains.
We are grateful for the timely
arrival of this project, Healing
the Hurt. While we work widely
in our advocacies, we are not
financially big. What we bank on
are our dedicated workers, and
most importantly, committed
communities who are eager to
capacitate themselves to better
combat threats against them.
The project has allowed us better
mobility and faster pacing of our
campaigns. This has also allowed
us to materialize ideas that we
have long considered such as the
backing of our campaigns with
concrete data through research,
and the provision of community
financial opportunities that would
help them with their resources
while they struggle for their rights.
Healing the Hurt, a collabora-
tion of various organizations, seeks
to address the intensifying issue of
marginalization and rights viola-
tions of our Lumad communities in
Mindanao. This special issue of Kidlap
wishes to elaborate our engagement
so that readers might find inspiration
and perhaps join us in this endeavor.
We would like to thank
the European Union through
the European Instrument for
Democracy and Human Rights, for
supporting the idea of coming up
with this special issue. Finally, we
are most grateful to the Healing
the Hurt staff who put the pieces
of the project, together with their
reflections, in their articles.
I WISH TO REITERATE ONE OF THE QUESTIONS POSED BY THE MISSIONARY
SISTERS OF MARY in our statement on the recent killings in Lianga, Surigao del
Sur: What is to become of our society if the state, which according to Catholic
Social Teachin g should be an ‘instrument to promote human dignity, protect
human rights, and build common good,’ is the perpetrator of attacks against its
constituents?
Kidlap MAGAZINE | 5
In the rapid expansion of monocrop plantations,
aggressive interests in mining and other resource-
intensive business ventures, the still resource-rich
ancestral lands of indigenous peoples are threatened.
The pattern of violence over the years shows that
most of the victims of attacks associated with
the entry of extractive industries come from the
indigenous communities.
Unfortunately, these communities are the
least prioritized by the government and even non-
government institutions. The partner organizations
got together to formulate a strategy to help address
the situation.
The over-all objective of the intervention is to
contribute to the advancement of the rights and
continued development of the indigenous peoples
in Mindanao, starting with a focus on the Northern
Mindanao Region and some parts of the CARAGA.
This contribution specifically seeks to protect and
enhance the capacities of Lumad socio-political
structures, which include traditional and community-
based organizations. Trainings, financial aid, and the
organization of human support networks are among
the activities planned to achieve this objective
Specifically, the components of the project are
based on the results it aims to realize:
THE PROJECT ‘HEALING THE HURT’ was conceived to address the issues faced
by Lumad1 communities in Mindanao. The proponent organizations recognize
that indigenous peoples’ rights have to be respected and upheld to achieve a
just and lasting peace in the region.
BY THE ‘HEALING THE HURT’ PROJECT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
1Collective term for Mindanao’s indigenous peoples
6 | Kidlap MAGAZINE
Increased number of research studies on the historical development of discrimination against Lumads and their present-day legitimate struggles.
RESULT 1
RESULT 2Increased number of educational and informative channels, activities and materials with the end view of increasing awareness and promoting public support for the Lumad struggle.
To arrive at this result, a research and media center
will be established. It will be, known as the Mindanao
Interfaith Institute on Lumad Studies. The institute
will invite research fellows to focus on specific Lumad
concerns. Furthermore, for issues needing immediate
attention, the institute will also invite media associates
who can provide investigative reports. All the fellows
and associates will be provided with venues to train,
exchange ideas, and build their capacities for further
advocacy on Lumad issues.
Under this component, a website will also be set
up to provide interested individuals or institutions easy
access to the data that shall be generated from these
reports. On top of this will be the publication of books
meant to popularize the contents of the formal research
reports.
The activities for this component target both the
urban and rural communities, including the Lumad
themselves.
In many areas outside the urban centers, radio is
still the main medium of mass communication. Because
of this, the establishment of a community radio is the
principal activity in this component. Programming will
be solely composed of Lumad stories, advocacy songs
for the Lumad, and traditional Lumad songs and oral
narratives.
To gather broad support from the urban areas,
theatre productions on the Lumad struggle will be staged
in at least five major universities in Northern Mindanao.
An interfaith exposure program in Lumad communities
as well as biblio-theologico reflection sessions would
be offered and would be open to different religions.
The aim of these activities would be to promote non-
discrimination of the Lumad through cultural and
religious understanding.
Educational materials on the Indigenous Peoples’
Rights will also be distributed to secondary and tertiary
schools as well as to churches.
Kidlap MAGAZINE | 7
RESULT 3
Increased financial, material and other forms of support for the protection and security of Lumad victims of rights violations.
RESULT 4
Enhanced capacities of indigenous communities to monitor, document and report rights violations; and enhanced human rights campaign management, organizational and financial capacities of indigenous leaders and structures of community development.
The third component is focused mainly
on providing concrete support to the Lumad
communities who are actively struggling for their
rights. It has two major parts -- one is support for the
economic needs, and the other is for the legal/extra-
legal needs of the communities in the run of their
campaigns.
To help with their financial situation,
cooperatives will be set up in the intervention areas.
The design and function of these cooperatives will
be done by community members themselves, based
on the resources and skills that they have. Although
the project will initially fund them, the communities
will man their functions and operations with the
project staff only providing trainings and monitoring
so that they can continue after the end of the
project.
The help with the legal and extra-legal needs
of the communities, a support network to be called
“Higala sa Lumad” (Friends of the Lumad) will be set
up. This will be composed of interfaith advocates
who will help provide protection for the Lumad
leaders and community members. The network will
also serve as an informal network that would monitor
IP rights violations. This network, together with the
initiatives from other components of the project, will
establish a central data bank for this monitoring and
release urgent alerts on human rights cases. Shadow
reports will also be submitted to international
monitoring bodies.
To best monitor and report cases of human
rights violations in communities, the residents
themselves need to know their rights and are able
to report when these are abused. This is ensured
through the establishment of community-based
human rights teams to be called “Katungod Lumad
Monitors” (Lumad Human Rights Monitors). They
will be equipped with necessary skills through
documentations and paralegal trainings. The output
of the documentations will aid in filing appropriate
charges against perpetrators before judicial and quasi-
judicial bodies.
Under this component, a Lumad Academy for
Human Rights will also be organized. The academy is
an informal training program that will provide inputs
on various human rights mechanisms and procedures,
campaign management on land rights, organizational,
and even financial management.
8 | Kidlap MAGAZINE
Community representatives from all over
Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Agusal del Sur and
Agusan del Norte gathered to conduct a ritual
vowing to protect their lands from companies
that would destroy their lands, and an assertion of
their right to self-determined development and
governance. The compact was also an expression
of their opposition to regular military operations in
their communities.
Four years later, the narrative has not changed.
Instead, the situation has worsened. Without any
case solved, impunity has emboldened paramilitary
groups and state forces to commit several human
rights violations.
The start of this year saw several Banwaon
families seeking refuge in the center of Barangay
Balit in San Luis, Agusan del Sur after Necasio
Precioso, Sr. was killed on December 22, 3014.
Precioso was both a local government official -- the
In December 2010, the council of
the Kalumbay Regional Lumad
Organization decided to organize
a Pigsapaan1 among its member
communities. The previous year,
Lumad leaders Datu Mampaagi
Belayong and Datu Mansubaybay
were allegedly killed by the armed
groups of Mario Napongahan and
Datu Manlapangan Bato. Both of
the Datus had been openly against
the entry of mining into their
ancestral domains.
The intervention shall provide venues for
discussions and dialogues among interfaith groups
and different sectors. The major gathering, which
shall be held annually, will be called “Panumpa
Katungod”1 a colloquium which hopes to foster
solidarity among indigenous leaders.
RESULT 5
Improved cooperation among Lumad communities where they can synergize indigenous resources; and enhance dialogue among stakeholders to surface specific land and human rights issues of indigenous communities.
1 ‘Pledge for Human Rights’
BY SR. FAMITA N. SOMOGOD, MSM
Kidlap MAGAZINE | 9
barangay captain of Balit -- and a
traditional datu of the Banwaon.
He was a leader of the Banwaon
organization Tagdumahan.
Members of Tagdumahan were
distraught that even a locally
elected government official would
be targeted by what they suspect
to be members of a paramilitary
group protected by the military
stationed in their municipality.
The second quarter saw
again a series of evacuations --
three of them by the Higaonon
community from Camansi,
Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental,
who were demanding the
pullout of the military from their
communities. On May 1, 252
individuals evacuated to the
Central School of Lagonglong
after parts of their community
were bombed by the military,
which claimed that these were
meant for the New People’s Army
(NPA). The residents reported
that the military cannons were
angled to release bombs to
their community and not at the
forested mountains where the
alleged NPA camp was.
June was a turning point
in Northern Mindanao for the
campaign against paramilitaries
and militarization. Higaonon
residents of Cabanglasan and
Malaybalay, Bukidnon gathered
together in front of the province’s
THE STATE OF LUMAD HUMAN RIGHTS:
UNCHANGING NARRATIVES, WORSENED SITUATION
capitol grounds and set up a
camp, revealing that families
and individuals have slowly been
leaving their communities in
fear of an armed group headed
by Romulo Dela Mance and his
brothers. Later on, this group was
discovered later on to be a part of
the Alamara, a paramilitary group
operating in Davao del Sur.
According to the evacuees, the
group had been on a killing spree in
their communities since December
of last year. In the span of half a
year, the group had killed seven.
The most prominent of the killings
had been that of Frenie Landasan,
the chairperson of the Higaonon
Tribal Association of Dalacutan,
10 | Kidlap MAGAZINE
Cabanglasan. Landasan had been
accused of supporting the New
People’s Army. For several years, the
group had already been harassing
the residents, one of the Dela
Mance brothers holding a position
in their local government unit.
Because of the protest actions
held by the evacuees, a warrant of
arrest had been released against
Romulo Dela Mance, Mario Mesto,
alias Lolong Kumaingking, alias
Mako Santas, and alias Enad Santos.
But despite this, none of the
brothers nor their subordinates
had been arrested. In fact, residents
say they see the group with the
military when they conduct their
operations.
With the evacuees still camped
up in the Capitol Grounds in
Malaybalay, another major incident
erupted. Five Manobo civilians were
killed in Pangantucan, Bukidnon
following an armed encounter
between the Armed Forces of
the Philippines and the NPA. The
military at first insisted that the men
they killed were members of the
NPA. But then proved wrong by a
fact-finding mission conducted by
several Lumad and human rights
advocates, they changed their tune
and said that the NPA killed the five.
Despite various demands
for justice both in the local
and international levels, the
government is not taking serious
action on these matters. These
Lumad communities happen to be
in resource-rich areas, targets for
the entry of extractive industries.
The government’s economic
policies push for the entry of these
companies, irrespective of the
Lumad communities’ assertion for
self-determined development.
The project team is
anticipating a further escalation
of incidents. With the coming
nationwide elections, many
promises of politicians to investors
are nearing their deadlines. The
increasing incidences of violence
towards the Lumad are a symptom
of this growing urgency. But at
the same time, the indigenous
communities themselves are
upping the ante of their struggle
by conducting wider campaigns
and seeking the support of
different sectors. They want to
show that while attacks continue
against them, they have become
more resolute in their fight.
The choice is between the protection of the marginalized Lumad and the promotion of plunder
1 A ritual of pledge
Kidlap MAGAZINE | 11
RE-SEARCHINGWHERE ARE WE NOW?
BACK IN COLLEGE, we had a joke among us that the only answer an activist could give to a question is ibagsak1. Of course the joke was not meant to offend as we were among those shouting ibagsak with utmost feelings.
1 A ritual of pledge
BY MARY LOUISE G. DUMAS
It has been more than a decade since my first
rally. But to this day, when I pass by demonstrations,
I still hear the very same chants. Imperyalismo--
ibagsak! Burukrata kapitalismo -- ibagsak! Pyudalismo
-- ibagsak! And I’d think, haven’t these organizations
thought of something more creative to chant?
The slogans are the same. But then perhaps, the
question should be, has nothing changed? Has
society remained the same so that these calls are still
appropriate, still valid? The only way to find out is to
re-search these issues. Data and concrete analyses of
situations are needed to substantiate claims.
Researches, for so long synonymous with
academics and done on a theoretical level, have
not always touched base with the social actors. This
could have been for various reasons. It could be the
jargons. Or maybe the discussion is too theoretical.
Or sometimes, there is no involvement of the people
in the communities that they feel detached from the
reports that are actually about them.
At the same time, community movements are
gaining momentum. And many of their success stories
remain undocumented, not assessed, or remain an
internal organizational knowledge.
What the Mindanao
Interfaith Institution on
Lumad Studies would like to
do is to marry both -- research
and action. Action based on
research is surer, more strategic.
Research based on action is more
grounded and pragmatic.
To start, the first and a half
years of the institution focus on
nine major researches:
1.) the systematic marginalization
of indigenous peoples;
2.) the laws that affect indigenous
communities;
3.) experiences on the free prior
and informed consent in the region;
4.) the heightening problem of paramilitarism and
militarization in ancestral lands, 5.) the effect on
mental health of militarized and violent situations;
6.) what has become of the logged ancestral lands
in the headwaters of the region’s main river basin;
7.) state of large scale mining in the region;
8.) state of monocrop plantations, and
9.) the socio-economic effects on indigenous
communities of power generation from
megadams.
After these major researches, smaller case studies
will be conducted in all the communities identified in
the project as priority intervention areas.
Slogans would always be a component of
popularization campaigns. But if these haven’t
evolved for so many years, the critical audience
starts to wonder. And with so many opinions thrown
around, people need proof that that the demands are
legitimate and reasonable.
1 “down with..”
12 | Kidlap MAGAZINE
But the reality is simple
economics. News is what sells, what
puts food on the table. Perhaps
many journalists started idealistic,
bent on informing society of issues
that matter -- issues that should
matter. But in the long run, this
responsibility becomes secondary.
“Media concern [on Indigenous
Peoples] is low,” said Beverly Longid
from the Asia Indigenous Peoples
Network on Extractive Industries
and Energy, the resource person for
the sessions on Indigenous Peoples’
Rights Reporting that the Mindanao
Interfaith Institute on Lumad
Studies (MIILS) organized in July.
“They are used to press releases,
chopped stories. Companies can
afford classy restaurants but the IP
communities cannot.”
Ms. Longid underlined the state
of Philippine media, which largely
revolves in sensationalism. This
consequently leads to two trends
THE FIFTH ESTATE
AND THE LUMADBY MARY LOUISE G. DUMAS
THEORETICALLY, LOCAL JOURNALISTS WOULD understand issues at their backyard better than ‘parachuters’ – those who are based in the country’s capital, or are from another country, who briefly fly into an area to cover some stories then go back to their base. Theoretically, based on this understanding, local journalists are more sensitive in dealing with delicate matters such as conflicts, deaths, and cultural traditions.
in reporting about indigenous
peoples. First, the information is
either lacking or wrong, which
in turn leads to a misinformed
public. Second, the information
romanticizes indigenous practices
too much, and this again ends with
a misinformed public.
MIILS, as an institution
advocating for knowledge
generation on the issues of
indigenous peoples -- especially on
rights protection and promotion
-- seeks to lessen this information
hitch through a program for media
associates.
The institute has adopted
a fellowship scheme with four
batches of intakes. Five media
workers are invited to become
associates for each intake. These
associates are given funding for
mobility, giving them the freedom
to cover indigenous peoples’ issues
without worrying where to get
funding or if their expenses would be
covered by what their stories would
earn. The aim is to allow the idealist
in the media workers to rekindle --
what would they write about if their
income were not at stake?
Under the program, trainings
and discussions are also organized
to better capacitate the journalists.
While it is assumed that the
individuals who will be invited
as associates already have an
advocacy for indigenous peoples,
they are not necessarily experts in
indigenous cultures and traditions.
Conversely, organizations and
advocates of indigenous peoples’
rights also need to hone their
relationship with the media.
“Sometimes, with regards
to those organizations who
are bringing the media to the
communities, they are too
assuming that the journalists are
already culturally aware, which
is not always the case,” said Ms.
Grace Cantal Albasin, the editor
in chief of SunStar Daily Cagayan
de Oro during the round-table
discussion organized for the media
workers. “Also, some organizations
who invite to the area portray the
situation of the indigenous peoples
too dramatically that it is no longer
appealing to journalists.”
For this, the institute will be
working with the other project
components to train indigenous
leaders and support organizations
on how best to communicate
their situation and issues to the
broader public.
The institute is firm on its
stand that news -- even hard
news -- is never objective. The
process of crafting a media output
involves too many layers of human
intervention to be objective. Who
does the media person interview?
What, among all the information
gathered, gets included in the cut?
And most importantly, what story
-- and in many cases, whose story
-- should be told?
Kidlap MAGAZINE | 13
RESEARCH ABSTRACTSOF THE MIILS
Social Suffering and Hope among the Lumads in Mindanao [Structural Discrimination of the Lumads of Mindanao, Philippines]
RESEARCHER ARNOLD P. ALAMON
1
2Marked: a study on investment defense forces, paramilitarism and militarization of selected indigenous territories in Mindanao
RESEARCHERS MARY LOUISE DUMAS & GRACE CANTAL ALBASIN
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
IN THE MULTIPLE NARRATIVES of the Filipino nation, the story
of Mindanao and its people is a frayed thread. More than a
century after the nation’s birth from the bosom of colonial
rule and governance mostly emanating from political centers
of the North, the inhabitants of the country’s Southernmost
Island remain locked in a bitter struggle over land and
rights. The indigenous peoples of Mindanao comprising of
numerous ethnolinguistic groups who consider themselves
falling under the collective identity of “lumad” or natives are
the unfortunate victims of the regime of resource-extraction
in the form of logging, mining, and large-scale agricultural
enterprises by a growing migrant population from the North
and the Visayas backed by foreign economic interest in the
past century. This has led to the lumads’ social, political, and
economic displacement together with a significant Muslim
population of the South. Mindanao has thus been the site of
these national contradictions that tear upon the imagined
fragile fabric of peaceful co-existence among its tri-partite
peoples.
This study aims to trace the history and evolution of
these narratives of structural discrimination among a number
of lumad communities in Mindanao. It seeks to document
the stories of social, political, and economic marginalization
from the past to the present that are the bases for their
continued structural discrimination. Through the gathering
of community histories and life-stories among the old and the
young from select lumad communities, the study aspires to
surface not just the stories of oppression but also highlight
the narratives of resistance and hope among the indigenous
peoples of Mindanao.
Abstract
Abstract
IN EARLY 2015, several families of the
Banwaon community in Agusan del Sur
left their homes in fear and sought refuge
in a makeshift evacuation area in Balit, San
Luis, Agusan del Sur. They were members
of the indigenous people’s organization,
Tagdumahan, calling for the cessation of
the Magahat, a systematic killing of the
organization’s members. It was shortly
after one of their leaders was killed by a
group of rebel returnees who had re-
armed themselves and joined military
operations against the communist-led
14 | Kidlap MAGAZINE
PUTTING HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTATION
INTO THE LUMAD’S HANDS BY RONAN ANDREW G. ULANDAY
“DAKO KAAYO NI NGA TABANG KANAMO (This is a huge help to us),” Bae Jocelyn of Brgy. Butong, Quezon, Bukidnon happily conveyed during the Katungod Lumad Monitors’ (KLM) Training.THE MONITORS
Nine batches of KLMs have been targeted for training. The first batch
came from the Higaonon communities of Camansi, Tapol and Anahaw
of Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental. These communities were the victims
of human rights violations committed by the elements of the 58th
Infantry Battalion on June 4, 2015.
The presence of the military, and the subsequent harassment,
intimidation, and their being tagged as supporters of the New People’s
Army (NPA) forced them to leave their communities. They temporarily
camped in front of the capitol grounds of the province of Misamis
Oriental. Their experiences were the highlight of the training making it
rooted in the realities on the ground.
After the breakthrough training,
five more batches were trained: two
batches from Agusan del sur and
Agusan del Norte and three batches
from Bukidnon. The succeeding
batches were trained in the most
accessible venues for the Lumad
who came from the hinterlands.
The schedule for the remaining
three batches was put on hold
due to the heavy militarization
of their areas. Nevertheless, some
communities dared to defy and
took the risk and attended the
training.
“Maayo kay naa ni nga
pagbansay (It’s good that there
is this discussion),” said Bombay
Manlomanta, a Matigsalog of Santa
Felomina, Quezon, Bukidnon on the
necessity of the training.
Datu Dodong Antugon added,
“Karon kabalo na mi sa among
mga katungod ug kinahanglan nga
panalipdan (Now we know what
our rights are and what we need to
protect).”
Their remarks have affirmed
the objectives of the training. The
main objective had been to equip
the KLMs with knowledge on Basic
Human Rights, Documentation
and Paralegal Action. The Union
of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao,
a project partner, took charge in
developing the training.
Kidlap MAGAZINE | 15
PUTTING HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTATION
INTO THE LUMAD’S HANDS
After the breakthrough training,
five more batches were trained: two
batches from Agusan del sur and
Agusan del Norte and three batches
from Bukidnon. The succeeding
batches were trained in the most
accessible venues for the Lumad
who came from the hinterlands.
The schedule for the remaining
three batches was put on hold
due to the heavy militarization
of their areas. Nevertheless, some
communities dared to defy and
took the risk and attended the
training.
“Maayo kay naa ni nga
pagbansay (It’s good that there
is this discussion),” said Bombay
Manlomanta, a Matigsalog of Santa
Felomina, Quezon, Bukidnon on the
necessity of the training.
Datu Dodong Antugon added,
“Karon kabalo na mi sa among
mga katungod ug kinahanglan nga
panalipdan (Now we know what
our rights are and what we need to
protect).”
Their remarks have affirmed
the objectives of the training. The
main objective had been to equip
the KLMs with knowledge on Basic
Human Rights, Documentation
and Paralegal Action. The Union
of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao,
a project partner, took charge in
developing the training.
Concretizing their zeal on
the plight of the Lumads through
the training, the trainers poured
their best effort in realizing the
objectives of the training, which
is to equip the Lumad with the
skills to gather and document
information related to indigenous
peoples’ rights violations in their
communities and nearby areas.
The participants came from
many communities from the
provinces Misamis Oriental,
Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte
and Bukidnon. The Lumads belong
to Higaonon, Manobo, Talaandig,
Tigwahanon, Manobo-Pulangihon,
Matigsalog, Ata Manobo and
Ummayamnon groups. Aside from
defying militarization, they trekked
mountains and crossed a number
of rivers just to attend the training.
The KLMs were selected after
consultating with Datus and Baes
(Lumad community leaders) and
facilitated by the Kalumbay Lumad
Regional Organization, a project
partner .
EXPECTED IMPACT
“Dili na gyud mi madali-dali nga
malapasan sa among katungod
(Human rights violations will not
be easily committed against us,”
said Bactom Cambusan, a mother
of four from Bulunay, Mahan-aw,
Impasug-on, Bukidnon.
With knowledge gained from
the training, the participants can
now muster enough courage to
assert their rights and identify and
document violations.
KLMs joined a fact-finding
mission co-sponsored by RMP-NMR
and assisted in the documentation
of the Pangantucan Massacre1.
Local organizations will
provide guidance to the KLMs
operations and this mechanism
will ensure the protection of
indigenous peoples’ rights in areas
where there is a Katungod Lumad
Monitor.
1 Five Lumad were reportedly shot by elements of the 3rd Company of the 1st Special Forces Batallion of the Philippine Army under the 4th Infantry Division in Pangantucan, Bukidnon
1 Five Lumad were reportedly shot by elements of the 3rd Company of the 1st Special Forces Batallion of the Philippine Army under the 4th Infantry Division in Pangantucan, Bukidnon
16 | Kidlap MAGAZINE
3The Psycho-social Effects of Militarization and Protracted Armed Conflict on Women and Girls in Communities of Indigenous Peoples on the Balatukan (Misamis Oriental) and Kitanglad (Bukidnon) Mountain Ranges
RESEARCHER LINA SAGARAL-REYES
RESEARCH ABSTRACTS FROM PAGE 13
New People’s Army (NPA). This situation was an
echo of the killing of a leader in Bukidnon by a
paramilitary group and the consequent evacuation
of his community had occurred in Bukidnon in 2012.
Over the years, the killing of leaders of indigenous
organizations have been reported by human rights
groups, the perpetrators always these paramilitaries
who the victims seemed to know personally.
This study looks at how these armed groups
came to be in selected areas in Mindanao. The
groups are specifically those that have been
identified by the communities as active in military
operations, directly or indirectly employed by the
state. The study’s research questions are: 1.) When
did these armed groups start operating in the
communities? 2.) Who are their usual victims? 3.)
What are their stated reasons for their actions?
A historical approach will be employed in doing
the research using the life story methodology,
focusing on the elders’ experience living in a conflict
area. The stories will then be compared, looking for
patterns and similarities of their experiences. Reports
on previous Human Rights Violations will be used as
secondary data and will be processed quantitatively.
Abstract
THE STUDY SEEKS to find out the short-term and
long-term effects/impact of human rights and
International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations on
the individual and collective lives of women and
girls, specifically on their emotional well-being
and mental health. It will determine how the
Kidlap MAGAZINE | 17
4
Study on the impact of laws and relevant national policies on extractive industries in selected areas of Mindanao
RESEARCHER ATTY. JARLEY SULAY-TRUGILLO
KidlapMAGAZINE
female lumad (indigenous peoples/IP) respond to
repeated traumatic experiences of armed clashes
and subsequent evacuations in recent memory, as
well as the violations of HR and IHL in these milieus.
The study will include documenting the responses
of individuals, families, communities and local
governments units to gender-based mental health
needs. It will also delve into cultural/indigenous
rituals, ethno-interventions of trauma healing that
encourage and build resistance, resilience and post-
trauma growth in these milieus.
There is scarce research on the impact of armed
conflict on the psycho-social functioning of women
in Mindanao (Dwyer and Guiam, 2013); much less
among the marginalized lumad communities, which
in the past 40 years have been caught in the crossfire
between the military and the nationalist freedom
fighters. In some instances, the lumad themselves
have become frontline defenders of their homelands.
The first phase of the project involves a two-
tier survey/assessment questionnaire on trauma
symptoms/syndromes among primary information
sources and focus group discussions in situ.
The second phase are in-depth interviews with
other key Informants/stakeholders (women leaders,
traditional healers/baylan, barangay health workers,
municipal doctors, psychologists, social workers and
first responders, disaster risk and reduction team
members, staff at the National Commission on IPs,
peace and order councils). A Free and Prior Informed
Consent (FPIC) process, a (p)review of related
literature and analysis, processing of the gathered
data will also be essential parts of the research.
Abstract
THE STUDY LOOKS at the different laws and policies
-- such as but not limited to the Mining Act, the
Indigenous Peoples Rights’ Act, the National
Integrated Protected Areas System, and others
pertinent to indigenous communities -- in general
and their interplay with each other. It reviews the
loopholes that can be found in them, and the
recommendations on how to consolidate / improve
the laws based on experiences from the ground.
While the majority of the research will be
a review of the laws, field research will also be
done to get the sentiments from the indigenous
communities who are directly affected by the laws.
18 | Kidlap MAGAZINE
6
The effects of logging and the current situation of the Lumad communities in the headwaters of the Cagayan de Oro River
RESEARCHER GRACE CANTAL ALBASIN
5Schizoid Praxis of the Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in Two Mindanao Ethnoscapes
RESEARCHERANTONIO MONTALVAN III, PHD
Abstract
WHAT ARE THE TENSIONS in the practice of the Free
Prior and Informed Consent? What is a cultural FPIC
and what is the FPIC of the National Commission
on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)? What has brought
about the bifurcation? If the NCIP is “the primary
government agency responsible for the formulation
and implementation of policies, plans and
programs to promote and protect the rights and
well-being of Indigenous Cultural Communities/
Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs)” in the Philippines,
why the heterogeneity of the FPIC? Does the IPRA
law itself accommodate cultural FPICs? If not, has
it unwittingly brought it to existence? Is there
now a paradox of two competing assertions of
principle and law, thus bringing about an aporia, an
irresolvable antinomy? Is the praxis of the cultural
FPIC seen as a counter-modality to the NCIP FPIC and
hence a form of resistance to government? Or is it
simply a simulacrum of the other? Is it motivated by
an anxiety that cultural folkways are inassimilable
in government praxis? Conversely, is the NCIP-
sanctioned FPIC an illustration of what Renato
Rosaldo calls the imperialist nostalgia, a mourning of
the passing of what we ourselves have transformed
or are transforming?
These are the questions of the study that shall
focus on two localities of indigenous communities:
Kalugmanan in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon and a
hinterland barangay in Opol, Misamis Oriental. The
study will collect data from resource persons by way
of interviews and focus group discussions during
the course of fieldwork.
Abstract
IN THE 80S, the Higaonon communities in Agusan
del Norte declared a tribal war against the Nasipit
Lumber Company and its sister company, the
Anakan Lumber Company. This resulted to the
death of Higaonon leader Datu Mankalasi. His son
took up his battlecry together with several other
Higaonon datus in their resistance against the
company. Despite their losses, they were victorious
when NALCO finally pulled out from their ancestral
domain. This was one of the very few victorious
stories against logging, which was at its height
in the 70s and 80s in Northern and North-Eastern
Mindanao. This victory, however, is slowly eroding
with the remaining logging concessions gradually
eating up the staunchly defended forests of the
indigenous peoples. The problem of denuded
mountains only resurfaced when natural disasters
worsened and badly hit Northern Mindanao.
This study aims to present the current
environmental situation of the areas that had
been logged in the decades past. This is to look
at possible scenarios of worsened environmental
conditions, and its effects on the traditions of
indigenous communities. The area it seeks to cover
is the headwaters of the Cagayan de Oro river which
claimed more than a thousand lives when it flooded
in 2011 due to a mere Tropical Storm.
The study specifically aims to answer the
questions: 1.) What is the current forest cover? What
was its rate of deforestation in the past? 2.) What
has become of the logged area -- environmentally,
socially, politically? 3.) What had been the effects of
the massive logging in the past on the culture and
traditions of the indigenous peoples living in the
areas where the concessions were operating?
18 | Kidlap MAGAZINE
Kidlap MAGAZINE | 19
8On Large Scale Mining in Mindanao
RESEARCHER AUDREY DE JESUS
9On Corporate Plantationsin Mindanao
RESEARCHER MA. JENNIFER HAYGOOD-GUSTE
7On Megadams
RESEARCHERGLENIS TERESA C. BALANGUE
Abstract
Abstract
THERE IS INCREASING aggressive ‘development’
in Mindanao, including the construction of
mega-dams. The government is pushing for the
implementation of energy projects, such as the
Pulangi V Hydro-Electric Power Plant (HEP) in
Bukidnon, which is expected to generate 300
megawatts (MW) of power in Mindanao.
Areas targeted however are part of the ancestral
domain of the indigenous peoples (IP) of Mindanao,
collectively called Lumad. The 3,300-hectare
Pulangi V HEP threatens the existence of Manobo
communities including farmer settlers and fisherfolk
in the 22 barangays (villages) in seven municipalities
of Bukidnon and Cotabato provinces, which the
energy project is seen to submerge under water.
The construction of large dams, otherwise
called megadams, whether for power or irrigation,
as in the cases of Pantabangan, Binga and San
Roque dams, has led to physical displacement and
economic dislocation of IPs. It has also subjected
them to greater forms of structural discrimination.
The over-all objective of the study is
determine how the construction of megadams,
particularly Pulangi V HEP, contributes to structural
discrimination of IPs and violation of their human
rights in order to provide for protection and
enhanced capacities of IPs against structural
discrimination and rights violations. Data shall be
gathered through Desk Research, Key Informant
Interviews, and Focus Group Discussions.
THE RESEARCH AIMS to answer the problem: What
are the impacts of large-scale mining (LSM) on
the rights of indigenous people (IP) in Mindanao,
collectively called Lumad? The general objective
of the research is to analyze the impacts of LSM
on the rights of the Lumad in order to support the
campaign on combating structural discrimination,
human rights violations and impunity.
Specifically, it aims to: 1.) explain the policy of
mining liberalization in the Philippines 2.) describe
LSM activities in Lumad areas in Mindanao (with
focus on Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del
Sur, and Agusan del Norte; 3.) articulate the rights
of the IP according to the UN Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP); 4.) show
the impact of LSM on the promotion of UNDRIP ;
5.) explain the impact of LSM on Lumad access to
land and resource 6.) analyze the impact of LSM
on the environment, agriculture, forest-based
activities, fisheries, and artisanal mining of Lumad
communities; and 7.) analyze the impact of LSM on
socio-cultural practices.
Data shall be gathered through Desk Research,
Key Informant Interviews, and Focus Group
Discussions.
THE RESEARCH AIMS to answer the question: What
is the impact of the renewed proliferation of
corporate plantations in Mindanao (oil palm, rubber
and agrofuels) on the rights of the Lumad?
Its general objective is to determine the
violations that may be committed by corporate
plantations in Mindanao of the rights of the
indigenous peoples (IP) as stipulated in the UN
Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples
(UNDRIP). Specifically, it aims to: 1.) describe the
activities and processes in the establishment of
corporate plantations in Mindanao (with focus on
Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Sur, and
Agusan del Norte); 2.) document the violations of
the UNDRIP principles in the process of establishing
corporate plantations; 3.) document the impact of
corporate plantations on existing socio-economic,
political and cultural structures and practices of
the Lumad communities; 4.) explain the impact of
corporate plantations on Lumad access to land and
resource, livelihood and decent incomes; and 5.)
analyze the impact of corporate on the Lumad’s
environment and other sources of livelihood.
Data shall be gathered through Desk Research,
Key Informant Interviews, and Focus Group
Discussions.
Abstract
20 | Kidlap MAGAZINE
GET TO KNOW THE RESEARCH FELLOWS OF THE
MINDANAO INTERFAITH INSTITUTE ON LUMAD STUDIES
ARNOLD P. ALAMON completed his graduate and
undergraduate degrees in Sociology at the University
of the Philippines -Diliman where he also taught for
several years. He is a member of CONTEND or the
Congress of Teachers and Educators for Nationalism
and Democracy where he co-edited a number of
the progressive organization’s publications on the
Philippine educational system, the history of the radical
student movement in UP, among others. He now
teaches Sociology at the Mindanao State University
- Iligan Institute of Technology and maintains a twice-
weekly column for Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.
GLENIS TERESA C. BALANGUE is Senior Researcher
of IBON Foundation. She is IBON’s specialist in
mining, health and power. She is the lead researcher
and writer of several major researches: Implications
of Large-scale Mining on Food Security (2014) and
Privatization and the Right to Health (2014) with
Third World Health Aid, Climate and Food for the
Asia-Pacific Research Network (2012), Poverty and
Crisis in Eastern Visayas (2010), and A Study on the
Socioeconomic Impacts of the Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic
Mining Project on the Residents of Rapu-Rapu, Albay
and Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon (2007). She also writes
for IBON’s flagship publication IBON Facts and
Figures. She joined IBON in 2004 after finishing her
B.A. Political Science degree at the University of the
Philippines Diliman.
GRACE C. ALBASIN is the editor in chief of Sun.Star
Cagayan de Oro. She used to write for the Philippine
Daily Inquirer before she took her masters in Media
Studies at The New School in New York. She had also
been a fellow of the Southeast Asian Press Alliance.
MARY LOUISE G. DUMAS worked as a journalist after
obtaining a degree in Development Communication
from Xavier University in Northern Mindanao. She then
engaged for some years with Lumad communities
when she joined the Ethnic Groups Development
Resource Center. She presently serves as the Executive
Director of the Mindanao Interfaith Institute on Lumad
Studies. She holds an MA in Media, Peace and Conflict
Studies from the University for Peace in Costa Rica.
MARIA JENNIFER HAYGOOD-GUSTE is Senior
Researcher at IBON Foundation. She has been with
IBON since 1994. She currently specializes on
Philippine Agriculture and Agrarian Reform. She was
main researcher for IBON’s various books on
Globalization of Philippine Mining, WTO in Philippine
Agriculture, and Philippine Financial System, and led
IBON’s field researches on various socio-political
issues. Before working with IBON, Jennifer also did
volunteer work for indigenous peoples in the
Philippines through Tunay na Alyansa ng Bayan Alay
sa Katutubo (TABAK or Network of Advocates for IP
Rights), Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng
Pilipinas (KAMP or Alliance of
Indigenous Peoples of the
Philippines), the Ecumenical
Movement for Justice and
Peace (EMJP); with farmers
and fisherfolks in Southern
Tagalog and helped produce
the region’s major crop and
fisheries studies; and, likewise
did volunteer work at Wantok
Environment Center which
assists Ni Vanuatus in
conserving their environment
and culture in Vanuatu.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 25
Kidlap MAGAZINE | 21
REFLECTIONS OF A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
HIGALA SA MGA LUMAD
BY CLARIN C. PASCO
“Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” Psalm 82:3-4.
The message here is really very
simple: help those in need. But
who are these people in need?
I have spent the first three
years of my high school life in a
sectarian school. I often hear our
teachers say that we should help
the needy to be a real follower
of Jesus Christ. But to make the
story short, I stepped out from
that school, still without entirely
knowing who - and perhaps more
importantly, how - to help.
In my college years, I got a
picture of who are those needing
my helping hand. It was at that
time when I was introduced to a
student organization that taught
me to be vigilant and be vocal
against issues of corruption and
plunder, against human rights
violations, the tyranny and social
injustice causing poverty, hunger
and indecent living conditions
of the people. The organization
taught me, little by little, how
to open up to the poor (which,
astoundingly composes almost
99% of our population despite
the luxuries I see around me in the
urban centers) by devoting my
intellect, energy and courage to
build a better society devoid of
corruption, inequality and social
injustice.
It was also at that time that I
learned of the Rural Missionaries
of the Philippines (RMP). Although
then, their work was a bit vague
to me, my idea of them similar
to other congregations who do
charity works (that is, give one or
two kilos of rice to poor families or
cooking lugaw every third Sunday
of the month for street children)
while preaching the word of God.
Now, after so many years, I
finally got the chance to work in
a project under RMP -- a project
for the Lumad communities in the
provinces around me. Here I finally
understood the biblical passage
better -- not just understood in
fact, but started to live it.
The Lumads are
considered the most historically
marginalizedgroups in the country.
We hear and see stories and news
about the life-and-death struggles
of the Lumads against intrusion
of extractive and destructive
industries in their ancestral
territories. They were dispossessed
of their land, despised for their
culture, abused, and murdered.
They have been discriminated and
subjected to violence and other
forms of human rights violations
while they were defending their
ancestral domains, right to a self-
determined development and
cultural practices.
Indigenous communities from
different regions of Mindanao
are calling for support in their
fight to defend their ancestral
land from military encroachment
and harassment. In the recent
months, throughout the region,
Lumad families have traveled for
hours and even days to leave their
ancestral territories to make a
political statement and expose the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 25
22 | Kidlap MAGAZINE
EXPRESS YOUR CONCERN to the Philippine Government by writing to:
H.E. BENIGNO S. AQUINO IIIPresident of theRepublic of the PhilippinesMalacanang PalaceJP Laurel Sr. San Miguel, ManilaFax: (+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected] HON. LEILA M. DE LIMASecretary, Department of Justice DOJ Main Building Padre Faura Street, ManilaTel: 523-8481 (loc. 211/214 ), 521-1908 Fax: 524-5936Email: [email protected] RET. LT. GEN. VOLTAIRE T. GAZMINSecretary, Dept. of Nat’l DefenseRoom 301 DND Building, Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, E. de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City Voice:+63(2) 911-6193 Fax:+63(2) 911-6213 HON. JOSE LUIS MARTIN GASCON Chairperson Commission On Human Rights SAAC Building, Commonwealth Avenue UP Complex, Diliman Quezon City928-5655, 926-6188 Telefax: 929-0102 SEN. AQUILINO PIMENTEL IIIChair, Justice and Human Rights Committee, Philippine Senate Rm. 512 GSIS Bldg., Financial Center, Roxas Blvd., Pasay CityTrunk Lines: (632) 552-6601 to 70 loc. 5548 Direct Lines: (632) 822-9758Fax No.: (632) 822-9759Email: [email protected]
KATUNGOD LUMAD ALERT DEMANDJUSTICE NOW!
Five Manobos massacred in Pangantucan, BukidnonFive civilians from the Manobo community of Barangay Mendis, Pangantucan,
Bukidnon, were reportedly massacred by members of the 3rd Company of the
Special Forces Batallion under Col. Nasser Lidasan after an armed encounter
between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (NPA)
on August 18, 2015.
According to a 15 year old boy who survived, the military came to their farm-
house shortly after they heard gunfires. At that time, he, his 70-year old father,
his brother, nephew, and two neighbors were busy preparing a meal. They
were ordered to come out and form a line. When the military started shooting
them one by one, the boy ran back to the center of their village.
Almost immediately, Colonel Lidasan claimed that they had killed five mem-
bers of the NPA. However, after a fact-finding mission found out that those
killed were civilians, the military allegedly changed their statement and said
that the NPA killed the five.
Witnesses came up, claiming that on the morning of August 18, before the
armed encounter happened, military men who pretended to be members of
the NPA came to them and asked to be guided to their camp in the mountains.
The residents of Mendis claimed that it had been a long time that they have
not seen NPAs in their village and that they did not know of any camp in the
mountain. However, they were forced to guide, and fearing harm, they agreed.
(Next to farming, their source of income is working as guides for mountain
climbers. So they knew the paths around the mountain.)
The military to this day has encamped in the center of Barangay Mendis, oc-
cupying the barangay hall. The residents are said to be forbidden to go to
their farms without permission from the military. They are ordered to sign a
logbook whenever they need to go to their farms and they need to be back
in their community before dark. Many of the families have opted not to go to
their farms as these were far and the time allotted to them was very short.
In addition to the economic limitation, this Manobo community was not able
to hold their rituals in the mountain, where their sacred areas are. And the bod-
ies were immediately taken by the military which did not allow the families to
bury them according to the tribe’s ritual.
According to International Humanitarian Law, civilians are to be protected and
should not be targeted in situations of armed conflict. Public structures and
spaces meant for civilians should not be occupied by any of the armed groups,
and the community’s economic, social and cultural rights should remain re-
spected. However, these were not observed in the case of Pangantucan.
We call out to all concerned individuals and organizations to join the families
of the victims in their demand for justice. We urge you to send a letter to the
Commission on Human Rights, the National Commission on Indigenous Peo-
ples, and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process to peti-
tion for an in-depth and honest inquiry on the massacre, and prosecute those
responsible for the crime.
Kidlap MAGAZINE | 23
‘HIGALA SA MGA LUMAD’ (Friends of the Lumad)
Network, is a support group composed of
a broad range of interfaith personalities
/ representatives of organizations
synergizing relevant capacities and
resources- legal services, medical and
psychosocial support, sanctuaries, research
and advocacy support, etcetera - for
Lumad communities and Lumad victims
of violence and other forms of human
rights violations. ‘Higala’ also serves as an
informal monitoring network for Lumad
human rights.
‘Higala’ has been established with the
support of the European Union.
REP. GUILLERMO ROMARATE JR.Chair, Human Rights CommitteeHouse of RepresentativesQuezon City Rm. RVM-426Phone: (632) 931-5001; local 7051, 9518974 LEONOR T. ORALDE-QUINTAYOChair, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples 2/F N. dela Merced Bldg. cor. West & Quezon Ave., Quezon City Tel: 373-9942 HON. JOSE MA. ZUBIRI, JR.Governor Province of BukidnonProvincial Capitol, Malaybalay CityTel.: (088) 221-2523; (088) 813-3845 HON. MANOLITO G. GRACESMayor, Municipality of PangantucanMunicipal Hall, Pangantucan, Bukidnon Copy furnish your letters to [email protected]
Contact us at:
HIGALA SA LUMAD NETWORKRoom 01, Kalinaw Lanao Center for Interfaith Resources0016 Bougainvilla Puti, Villaverde9200 Iligan City, PhilippinesT/F: +63 (63) 223 5179E: [email protected]
24 | Kidlap MAGAZINE
BY CLARIN C. PASCO
TRAINING LUMAD COMMUNITIESTO COLLECTIVELY PREPARE VS. ATTACKS
The first training I did was for a group from a Higaonon community in Misamis
Oriental. When I entered the function room, they greeted me “Madagway
masolom (good morning).” I responded “Maayong buntag pod (Good morning
too – in Bisaya). Tawaga lang ko sa akong ngalan not mam (Just call me
by my name, not maam).”
THE HIGAONON LADY smiled and
said “Basta maka lipstick, mam na
para sa akoa (Anyone wearing a
lipstick is ‘maam’ for me.” And every-
body, including me, was laughing. I
had expected butterflies in my stom-
ach during my first presentation but
the light and happy atmosphere
reassured me.
Last September 2014, a month
before I got my certificate of com-
pletion for my Professional Educa-
tion, I got a call from a friend work-
ing in the Rural Missionaries in the
Philippines. He offered me to work
on a project under the organization.
I was hesitant at first since my hus-
band and I have already mapped out
my so-called career plan. However,
after my friend discussed to me the
necessity of the project and its main
objective, I eventually agreed.
Our project on ‘Healing the
Hurt’ is about unleashing the power
of interfaith action to combat dis-
crimination, human rights violations
and impunity against the Lumads of
Mindanao. As a Project Officer, one
of my responsibilities is to establish
the Community-Based Emergency
Fund for Lumad in nine clustered
communities. In other words, I am
expected to set up cooperatives in
these communities.
The main purpose of the
cooperative is to provide for the
practical and urgent security and
protection requirements of Lumad
victims of human rights violations,
including their families, if necessary.
The proceeds of the cooperative
will be used to respond to the legal,
medical, psychosocial and sanctuary
needs of a leader or member of the
community experiencing violence
or criminalization because of their
effort to defend their people from
aggressive industrialization and
encroachment of their ancestral
domains. This sounds romantic and
very ideal.
Before the establishment of the
cooperative, I will have to give them
first a training on cooperative devel-
opment to capacitate them in start-
ing up and managing their respec-
tive cooperatives. Here lies the catch
for me. For me, giving a training is
not an easy task – much more to Lu-
mad communities whose language
I could not speak. I was afraid that
I could not deliver the training ef-
fectively since public speaking never
seemed to be my cup of tea. For the
first 28 years of my life, I had avoided
public speaking wherever possible.
So I looked for the best alterna-
tive. The first two trainings last July
was given by Wildon Barros of the
Mindanao Farmers Resource Center
and I was only the facilitator. But it
was agreed that I will be the main
speaker in the remaining seven train-
ings. And thanks to that Higaonon
lady who greeted me that morning
that was to be my test of fire, I have
conquered my apprehensions.
During the entire duration of
the training, I saw in their eyes the
happiness that at last a project like
this will be implemented in their
community. Sometimes, I could see
their difficulties in digesting the
technical and financial terms regard-
ing a cooperative since some par-
ticipants had very low literacy skills,
but the eagerness to listen and learn
were reflected in the their faces and
made up for what they lacked. In the
trainings, we discuss not only about
cooperative but we also their situa-
tion in their communities. Everybody
had a common story - they were
exploited and had been - or known
- victims of human rights violations.
This was an opportunity for them to
pursue their struggles without wor-
rying their funds.
I knew that they had walked
miles for many hours, and some even
days, just to attend the training and
it’s so fulfilling to hear from them
in the end that their hardships had
been worth it.
The next trainings were then
light and relaxed for me. I wore no
lipstick anymore but they still called
me Maam.
Kidlap MAGAZINE | 25
‘HIGALA’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21
human rights violations they have
been experiencing. Unfortunately,
most academics, journalists, and
filmmakers do not take the time
to hear what these people have to
say. They summarize their stories
and often miss the point of what
the Lumad are trying to say.
The RMP sub-regional office
in Northern Mindanao (or RMP-
NMR) decided to help in the efforts
to make indigenous voices be
heard. On April 22, 2015, the core
group of ‘Higala sa mga Lumad’
[Friends of the Lumads] or ‘Higala’
was established through the RMP-
NMR-led project, Healing the Hurt.
‘Higala’ is a support group
composed of a broad range
of interfaith personalities/
representatives of organizations
synergizing relevant capacities
and resources -- like legal services,
medical and psychosocial support,
sanctuaries, research and advocacy
support, etcetera -- for Lumad
communities and Lumad victims
of violence and other forms of
human rights violations. ‘Higala’
will also serve as an informal
indigenous peoples’ human rights
monitoring network-alerting
the public of any human rights
emergency --that can play a strong
protective role for a Lumad leader
or community member, or even for
an entire community under attack.
We believe that if the
indigenous communitie - support
by a network of advocates --would
not persevere in their struggle to
own their rights, the Lumad of
Mindanao will be subjected to a
repeated cycle of oppression and
exploitation. They will remain
as they are -- easily intimidated,
frightened, coerced or killed.
Together with them, we
envision a future where our
indigenous brothers and sisters
are freed from discrimination,
where they can freely move in
their ancestral land and enjoy its
fruits, where their right to a self-
determined development and
practice of cultural traditions are
respected.
We are now in what Filipino
call the “Ber” Months and the
countdown to Christmas is already
starting. The Season for charity is
already kicking in, so to speak. We
invite -- and perhaps challenge -
the faith communities that have
been declaring their love for God
as the core of their lives to go to a
Lumad community and reach out
to them personally, to be a Higala
sa mga Lumad!
‘GET TO KNOW’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21
Jennifer finished her undergraduate degree of
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Development Studies at the
University of the Philippines, Manila.
AUDREY DE JESUS has been a researcher at IBON
Foundation since 2012. She was a member of the
research teams for some of IBON’s major researches:
Viability of Organic Farming in the Philippines (2014),
People’s Disaster Response to Super Typhoon Haiyan
in Eastern Visayas (2014), Implications of Large-scale
Mining on Food Security (2014), and Privatization
and the Right to Health (2014). She graduated with
a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Asian American Studies
and a minor in Women Studies at the University of
California, Los Angeles.
JARLEY SULAY-TRUGILLO is a lawyer, and the
current director of the Xavier University Center for
Legal Assistance. Prior to this, she worked as a legal
consultant of the Legal Rights and Natural Resources
Center / Kasama sa Kalikasan and handled cases
against mining. Atty. Sulay-Trugillo also teaches at
Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan. She is a member
of the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao.
ANTONIO J. MONTALVAN II, PHD is an
anthropologist and ethnohistorian who has curated
different inter-cultural museums in Mindanao. Dr.
Montalvan teaches at the History Department of
Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan and has a
monthly column at the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
He is a Ford Foundation scholar for the doctorate
in anthropology on Mindanao Studies with the
Mindanao Anthropology Consortium.
LINA SAGARAL-REYES is a freelance writer and an
award-winning poet. She took courses in Journalism
and Creative Writing in Silliman University between 1978
and 1983. She researched on the life stories of creative
women in villages for the Writers Involved in Creative
Cultural Alternatives (WICCA). Among her awards are
the Palanca 1st prize in 1987 for (Instead of a Will These)
For All the Loved Ones, with Merlinda C. Bobis, and 3rd,
1990, for Istorya, with Ma. Luisa B. Aguilar-Carino and
Jose Neil Garcia. Her works include Honing Weapons,
Lunhaw Book, 1987 and Storya, Babaylan Women’s
Publishing Collective, Institute of Women’s Studies, St.
Scholastica’s College, 1991. As a journalist, she used to
write articles for periodicals such as the Philippine Daily
Inquirer and the Mindanao Gold Star Daily.
26 | Kidlap MAGAZINE
PROJECT ASSOCIATES
MADAGWAYBABAEYON INC is a coalition of indigenous women's organizations in Northern Mindanao, Philippines asserting our right to ancestral lands, self-determination and indigenous culture.
MORO-CHRISTIAN PEOPLES’ ALLIANCE-LANAO INC is an interfaith organization working for a peace-based on justice in the Moroland and in Mindanao.
SAMAHAN NG MGA LINGKOD NA ARTISTA SA MINDANAO (SALAMIN) INC is an aggrupation of grassroots cultural artists advocating for a mass culture and human rights.
KODAO PRODUCTIONS INC is an award-winning multimedia production outfit producing video documentaries on burning social issues in the Philippines such as environmental destruction, human rights, civil liberties, and many more. They also produce broadcasts for national radio networks and community radio stations throughout the country.
PROJECT PARTNERS
KALUMBAY-NORTHERN MINDANAO REGION (KALUMBAY-NMR) INC Is a regional alliance of 13 Lumad organizations in Northern and Northeastern Mindanao. It works for the defense of ancestral lands, rights and culture through organizing, education and advocacy campaigns.
IBON FOUNDATION is a non-stock non-profit development organization, serving the Filipino people through research and education since 1978. IBON seeks to promote an understanding of socioeconomics that serves the interests and aspirations of the Filipino people.
UNION OF PEOPLE’S LAWYERS IN MINDANAO (UPLM), INC Is a mass organization of lawyers as well as legal workers and law students in Mindanao committed to the promotion and defense of human rights, nationalism, democracy, peace, justice and truth.
COMMUNITY-BASED HEALTH SERVICES-NORTHERN MINDANAO REGION (CBHS-NMR), INC is a network of health professionals and community health workers pushing the advancement of primary health care in Northern Mindanao communities long before the Alma Alta Declaration in 1977.
THE RURAL MISSIONARIES OF THE PHILIPPINES OR RMP Is a national organization, inter-diocesan and inter-congregational in character, of men and women religious, priests and lay people. We live and work with the rural poor. Founded by the Association of Major Women Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMWRSP) in 1969, RMP members commit themselves to support the Filipino peasantry’s quest for social justice, freedom, and genuine agrarian reform.
What is EIDHR?
The European Instrument for
Democracy and Human Rights
(EIDHR) is the concrete expression
of the EU commitment to support
and promote democracy and
human rights in third countries.
Following up on the 2007-2013
EIDHR, it has been established in
2014 to contribute to achieving
the EU’s policies relating to human
rights and democracy in non-EU
countries, including the objectives
outlined in the Strategic Framework
on Human Rights and Democracy
adopted by the Council on 25 June
2012 and its new Action Plan for
2015-2019.
It is mainly channelled through
civil society organisations whose
projects are selected following
calls for proposals (Delegations
or Headquarters). The EIDHR is
complementary to the other EU
external assistance instruments.
About the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights
What does it cover?
The key objectives of the
EIDHR are:
• supporting, developing and
consolidating democracy in
third countries, by enhancing
participatory and representative
democracy, strengthening the
overall democratic cycle, in
particular by reinforcing an active
role for civil society within this
cycle, and the rule of law, and
improving the reliability of electoral
processes, in particular by means of
EU Electoral Observation Missions;
• enhancing respect for and
observance of human rights
and fundamental freedoms, as
proclaimed in the UN Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and
other international and regional
human rights instruments, and
strengthening their protection,
promotion, implementation
and monitoring, mainly through
support to relevant civil society
organisations, human rights
defenders and victims of repression
and abuse.
The EIDHR represents a key
added-value to the EU policy
toolbox, thanks to its flexibility,
its ability to provide assistance
independently of the consent of the
governments and public authorities
of the third countries concerned, as
well as its mixing of advocacy and
field operations. Its interventions
are being implemented under
the EIDHR Multi-annual Indicative
Programme 2014-2017 and its
consecutive annual and bi-annual
actions plans, and fit within:
• the Human Rights Country
Strategies elaborated by EU
Delegations, which give useful
orientations for the implementation
of the EIDHR assistance at country
level;
• the various EU Guidelines on
human rights;
• the “Tool-Box: a Rights-Based
Approach, encompassing all
Human Rights for EU development
cooperation” and its related
Conclusions adopted by the Council
on 19 May 2014;
• the coordination and consultation
mechanisms taking place with
major stakeholders (OHCHR and
other UN family organisations, CSO
active in the area of human rights
and their networks).
In the Philippines, more than
30 projects have been implemented
that reflect the wide range of issues
confronting Philippine society
such as violations of political and
economic rights of vulnerable
groups, gender discrimination,
violence against children and
electoral monitoring.
For more information, please visit the EIDHR website at http://www.eidhr.eu and the EU Delegation website at http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/philippines