DOCUMENT: IBALOI.TXT
REPORT BY A MEMBER OF THE
IBALOI PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES
TO THE WORKING GROUP ON INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS, 1984
REVIEW OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CORDILLERA PROVINCES:
NORTHERN LUZON
The Ibaloi people, together with other indigenous people
inhabiting the Grand Cordillera mountain range in northern Luzon
are known as the Igorot people. The Igorot number around 600,000
people and we are among the 6 1/2 million indigenous or tribal
peoples living in the Philippines.
This is the first time that a member of an indigenous people from
the Philippines will speak at a session of the UN Working Group on
indigenous populations, and I wish to inform the working group
about recent developments affecting the human rights and
fundamental freedoms of my people.
Our experience and understanding of our oppression are showing us
the way forward in articulating our rights which must be
guaranteed and protected if we are to survive as distinct peoples.
The Igorot people and other indigenous peoples in the Philippines
were not colonized during the Spanish colonial period from the
16th to 19th century. We have successfully maintained our
traditional homelands, our political institutions and our cultural
traditions through the American, and Japanese periods from 1900 -
1945. And up to today, we still exhibit a high degree of self-
reliance and independence.
Because we have successfully resisted colonization, we have not
been assimilated into the dominant colonial culture which is now
Christianized and exhibits strong features of the lone years of
Spanish and American rule. Our culture is still centrally the
traditional Malay culture which has been ours prior to
colonization.
Out of the present Philippine population of around 50 million, the
indigenous peoples constitute 6 1/2 million or 15% of the whole.
We are defined by the government as national cultural minorities.
Our people, the indigenous people do not enjoy equality under the
Philippine state. Even if the Philippine constitution provides
that, "The state shall consider the customs, traditions, beliefs
and interests of national cultural communities in the formulation
and implementation of state policies," we suffer today from
discrimination and national oppression, which has been our
situation since the advent of colonization.
During the American period, through the Public Land Act of 1902,
all land which was without Spanish title was declared part of the
public domain. Subsequently, other laws were passed which
allocated public lands for mining and logging concessions, forest
reservations, pasture leases and other purposes. These laws
totally disregarded the indigenous peoples prior rights to the
land and our indigenous law which existed long before the colonial
creation of the Philippine state. These laws are still the basis
of present day law. More recent laws like Presidential Decrees
410 (Declaring Ancestral Lands Occupied and Cultivated by National
Cultural Communities Alienable and Disposable, and for Other
Purposes) and Presidential Decree 705 (Otherwise known as the
Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines) seriously undermine and
take away the indigenous peoples rights to their land.
The non-recognition and violations of our rights as peoples -- our
land rights and our right to self-determination -- has led to the
steady deterioration and continuous worsening of our problems as a
people.
OUR PRESENT PROBLEMS ARE:
First, the violation of our people's rights to our ancestral
domain. By virtue of unjust land laws, direct landgrabbing and
so-called development projects, the Philippine government has
attempted to dismember the Cordillera ancestral domain, and has
made us squatters in our own land. If we allow this to continue,
they very territorial base of our distinction as a people will be
threatened.
Second, the denial and deprivation of our ancestral proprietary
rights to the utilization, disposition and management of all the
natural resources within the ancestral domain. While so much of
the wealth of the Cordillera has been tapped by the state and big
business, we have not been given a fair share in the beneficial
returns of such development.
Third, the non-recognition of the persistent viability of our
indigenous socio-political structures and political
misrepresentation. In many parts of the Cordillera, we continue
to practice and have recourse to our indigenous institutions such
as the ATOR and the GODONG, but these structures do not receive
recognition in the present set-up. Instead bureaucratic
structures have been imposed, as also the artificial division of
the Cordillera into two regions. Worse, there have been instances
when our institutions have been misused by the state and the
military to create divisions among us.
Fourth, disrespect and non-recognition of our cultural identity
and integrity. Our rituals and our cultural traditions have been
vulgarized and commercialized for the tourist dollar. Movies and
the mass media continue to disrespect indigenous culture and
spread discriminatory ideas about indigenous peoples.
Fifth, militarization. Because of our people's growing awareness
of common problems and a growing Cordillera unity, the Cordillera
region is now heavily militarized. Numerous abuses have been
committed against our people. Even whole communities have been
displaced from our ancestral lands.
The heavy militarization in our homelands is threatening our very
right to life, to physical integrity and the security of our
people.
I now wish to cite the recent developments in my home which are an
example of the very real and urgent situations that we, as
indigenos peoples are facing.
In the months of June, July and up to the present, large-scale
operations by the Armed Forces of the Philippines have been taking
place in the homelands of the Igorot people in northern Luzon.
These so-called counterinsurgency operations are aimed "at
clearing and occupying" the boundary areas of the three provinces
Abra, Mountain Province and Kalinga-Apayao, which are deep in the
traditional heartlands of the Tingguian, Kankanai, Bontoc and
Kalinga people.
Since the operations started in June, the area has been saturated
with 3,000 troops composed of the 41st and 48th Philippine Army
Infantry battalions and reinforced by a composite group of
Marines, Scout Rangers and Constabulary soldiers. Philippine Air
Force T-28 war planes and helicopters bombed and strafed various
villages in Tinglayan municipality and Betwagan in late June and
early July. The extent of the damage has yet to be assessed.
Several villages were declared "no man's land" where entry and
departure from these villages were banned and where strict curfews
are also in force. There are documented cases of summary
execution, gang-rapes of women, indiscriminate firing of arms and
theft of food and livestock.
Because of the ongoing military campaign, the rice crop from the
terraced fields have not been harvested. The mere presence of
persons outside their homes could invite being shot by the
military.
Since the campaign is massive and may take a long time, there are
fears that the people in the affected areas will suffer forced
evacuation, hunger, disruption of family and community life,
neglect of their farms and livelihood and ultimately death. The
Kalinga-Bontoc Peace Pact Holders Association, and organization of
the respected elders and indigenous leaders has called the
campaign a "genocidal campaign" against the tribal peoples.
Strong appeals have been made by the indigenous people's
organizations, the local civilian authorities, the local church
and Philippine human rights organizations to immediately stop the
military operations, which continue up to today. Madame
Chairperson, detailed documentation is available on these recent
events, which I will submit to this working group.
Situations such as those being suffered by my people underline the
urgency of the responsibilities before us today. I would
therefore urge the following actions:
1. That this assembly reaffirm the indigenous peoples right to
life, physical integrity and security;
2. That the Working Group on Indigenous Populations make a note
in its report to the Sub-Commission about the continuing
genocide of indigenous peoples throughout the world and the
present situation faced by the Igorot people in the
Philippines;
3. That this working group address as a matter of urgency the
development of standards for the protection of the rights of
indigenous peoples.
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