“We cannot sleep well these days because we fear that they will enter the community. Our husbands have skipped work and our livelihoods have been paralyzed just so we can defend our ancestral land from their attempts to seize it. Our children sometimes do not have anything to eat.”
The dispute over Hacienda Almeda dates back to the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program in 1988. The 1,546-hectare property, spanning the municipalities of Mamburao and Abra de Ilog, was initially placed under agrarian reform coverage due to its agricultural use.
“The nominees of Epanaw have no rightful claim to represent Indigenous Peoples (IP). Their reckless red-tagging has endangered the lives of IP leaders, organizations, and communities,” said Beverly Longid, national convener of KATRIBU.
“We live in a society where those who would do good are those who would be put to jail while the real terrorists and killers are free and in government positions.”
More than a decade ago, Srang Lanh alongside members of the Bunong indigenous communities in Kbal Romeas raised multiple concerns on the implementation of the Lower Sesan 2 Hydropower Project – a 400-megawatt dam project funded by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) through its financial intermediary. The Lower Sesan 2 dam is situated below the confluence of the Sesan and Srepok rivers and 25 kilometers from the Mekong River.
Badjao, also known as “sea gypsies,” are indigenous people from the islands of Mindanao. They are known to have a rich maritime heritage. Historically, they have traversed the water of Sulu and lived nomadically. However, the long-running armed conflict in Mindanao has displaced them, forcing them to migrate to urban areas like Lucena City.
The case stemmed from a solidarity mission that was aimed to bring food and other essentials to Lumad students of the Salugpongan Ta’Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center Inc. (STTICLC) and the Community Technical College of Southeastern Mindanao (CTCSM) that are based in the hinterlands of Talaingod.
“While no words can truly console Kuni's family, we stand in unwavering solidarity with them and all Lumad people fighting for their children's right to education amidst escalating violence, militarization, and impunity in their ancestral lands,” said SOS Network, demanding justice for Kuni, his family, and all victims of Lumad killings.
“It is crucial to recognize the challenges faced by indigenous peoples. These include land rights issues, displacements from their ancestral domains due to mining activities, and militarization leading to armed conflicts and human rights violations,” the project rationale said.
"We knew from the start that this law would only be weaponized in silencing dissent. They try to make us falter; we, indigenous peoples and human rights defenders. But we will never deter."
“Life on the run” aptly describes the situation of the Lumads, the collective name for the 18 indigenous ethno-linguistic groups in Mindanao. These tribes have found life more dangerous since the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) launched Oplan Alsa Lumad, the...
“As we commemorate Indigenous Peoples Heroes Day, let's strengthen international solidarity with other Indigenous Peoples globally, acknowledging shared roots of our problems. We must carry forward the legacy of those who sacrificed for it. With so many lives given to the cause, we must intensify our calls for genuine liberation."
A human rights group assailed the possible promotion of a ranking police officer that spearheaded an operation that led to the killing of nine indigenous peoples in Panay back in 2020.
If put together as bits and parts of a large puzzle, all the repressions, oppressions, marginalizations and directed violations of Tumandok rights as indigenous people the picture amount to ethnocide. There exists a deliberate and systematic destruction of their life and culture as vulnerable people.
Will this gathering of world leaders finally heed the demands of environmental defenders for genuine and systemic solutions to the climate crisis? Will the world’s biggest polluter be finally made accountable?
While their reality seemed gloomy at the evacuation site, it was also where Salika Maguindanao co-founded the Maranao Collectible Service Cooperative, which has helped them preserve their tradition and provide a livelihood to those who lost their homes and livelihood to the Marawi Siege.
While it remains a seasonal livelihood, having a honey processing facility has helped honey hunters of Rizal a lot. Such development, however, is threatened by mega-projects like the Kaliwa Dam,
The dam projects in Apayao threaten to displace thousands of indigenous peoples, farmers and fisherfolk.
These three short documentaries show how the New Clark City, touted as the first green city in the country, has wreaked havoc on the livelihood of Ayta Hung-ey and on the environment. Their collective rights, particularly the right to their ancestral domain, have been deliberately violated.
“If given the chance, I would like to speak with the Asian Development Bank, investors, and corporations to ask them why are they supporting the New Clark City project that brazenly violates our rights,” Chieftain Pet stated.
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