BACKGROUND
OF THE ORGANIZATION AND THE LUMAD PEOPLES’ PROBLEM
The Lumad Mindanaw Peoples Federation (LMPF)
started as “Lumad Mindanaw (LM) in 1980. It was organized by progressive networks and
organizations popularly known as “Tribal Filipino Support Groups”. Most of
these networks were church-based: Catholic apostolates; different organizations
and institutions of the Protestant’s National Council of Churches in the
Philippines-NCCP; advocates of human rights, justice and peace; progressive
sectoral organizations of farmers, workers, women, youth and the like.
One of main
programs of action of LM was the “struggle for the respect of Lumad rights to
self-determination (RSD).” The Lumad Peoples, being one of the most oppressed
and neglected sectors, naturally identified themselves with these support
groups. For a decade or two, the Lumads and their territories became bases for
guerrilla fronts. Large numbers of the members of the communities became active
participants both in the meta-legal and underground movement as activists,
propagandists and guerilla fighters. Even to this day, about 80% of the CNN
combatants, controlled territories and “hostage” communities (masa) are Lumads.
After a decade of existence, the Lumad leader of LM sought to put substance to
the program of RSD. However, this move contradicted the CPP-NPA-NDF (CNN)
ideological perspective of classifying the Lumads as primitive communal,
backward and unscientific. In due course, support to LM by the CNN (CPP-NPA-NDF)
organs were withdrawn. This led to the weakening and eventual cessation of the
former’s existence. The Lumad leaders themselves were hounded with various
threats.
In the final
moments of LM before it was abolished, the Lumad leaders were able to draft two
important documents which articulated their vision as a united people: 1) The
1994 Mul’bulan Document that called for the restructuring of Lumad Mindanaw
into a confederacy of genuine self-governing tribes and communities (adopting
the concept of a “Peoples Federation”- Lumad Mindanaw Peoples Federation-LMPF;
2) the La Victoria Document which called for State recognition of the Lumad
People’s rights and the Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) in form of a
treaty, consistent with the spirit of the 1987 Constitution that mandated the protection
of the Lumads.
Eventually,
these two documents were superseded by RA 8371 (Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of
1997) which recognizes, respects, protects and promotes the individual, as well
as the inherent, collective and inalienable rights of the 14 million indigenous
peoples in the country.
However, after
more than 20 years from the approval of this landmark legislation, the full
intent of IPRA remains unrealized, particularly the delineation of ancestral
domain. The government, particularly the legislative body, apparently gives
lesser importance to IPs as shown by its allocation of a meager budget for the
NCIP. In so far as LMPF is concerned, RA 8371 is among the more important statutes
of the country that priority funding support, because it seeks to benefit the poverty-stricken
and centuries-long neglected beneficiaries of the IPs, and the much needed
delineation of their ancestral domain.
This problem
has been exacerbated by the fact that successive national administrations placed
the RA 8371 implementing arm, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)
under various departments as an attached agency. It seems that the DAR’s
Certificate of Land Ownership Agreement-CLOA, and DENR’s mining and other
permits, are processed and issued much faster than the Certificate of Ancestral
Domain Title (CADT) or Certificate of Ancestral Land Title (CALT).
Out of the
more than 30 Katawhang Lumad in Mindanao, only the Matigsalug Manobo of
Bukidnon and Cotabato had its entire territory processed and awarded as CADT.
The rest are still wondering how and where to secure funds in order to process
the legal documents to cover their traditional territories. Meanwhile, mining
corporations and other businesses aggressively and continually encroach into
the land of the Lumads. This difficult situation has inevitably resulted to
tension and conflict among the tri-people of Christians, Muslims and IPs.
To bridge the deep divide or otherwise transform
conflict into cooperation, the recognition, respect and protection of the land
rights of the Indigenous People (IP) has been pointed to as the just and
peaceful way forward. This will certainly promote and instill peace, development
and cooperation among the tri-people. It will also finally address and curb
insurgency in all the Lumad territories in Mindanao.
Thus, the LMPF calls on the Government to place high priority for the budgetary
allocation of adequate finance resources, coupled with strong implementation,
to expedite the delineation of the ancestral domain of the IPs, under the
concept of “One People, One Territory, One Governance” and in accordance with tribal
governance based on indigenous political structures and customary law.
The LMPF also calls on the Government to
rectify the government’s long neglect, exploitation and destruction of the lands,
territories and resources of IPs, including the review and revision of wealth
sharing arrangements to ensure that the Lumad Peoples are given their fair,
just and equitable share in the utilization and development of natural
resources found in their ancestral domain.
Finally, as the
natural landscape of the Lumad Peoples’ homeland continues to be altered,
destroyed and desecrated at an increasing pace, the LMPF strongly calls on the
Government to carry out its constitutional mandate and fully protect the rights
of the Indigenous Peoples to their ancestral lands, to ensure their economic,
social and cultural well-being.
LUMAD MINDANAW PEOPLES FEDERATION
18 May 2020
