NCIP needs strengthening to address Indigenous Peoples' needs –Baguilat

Senatorial bet and former Ifugao Representative Teddy Baguilat said on Sunday the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) needs to be strengthened to help the IPs address their plight, particularly in claiming their ancestral lands.

In Vice President Leni Robredo's weekly radio program, Baguilat spoke on behalf of his fellow IPs in Negros and Bukidnon who complain about the slow process in getting their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT).

“Yan ang magsisigurado na meron silang kinikilalang ninunong lupa. Otherwise, matataboy sila, kung san-san sila pinapalayas. ‘Yung CADT talaga for Indigenous Peoples napakahalaga. Pero ‘yun nga, ang bagal ng kilos ng NCIP,” he said.

(The CADT will ensure that the IPs have a recognized ancestral land. Otherwise, they will be evicted, and have to leave their lands. The CADT is really very important for Indigenous Peoples the NCIP's response has been slow.)

“Walang budget ang NCIP. Napakaliit ng kanilang budget para tugunan ‘yung kanilang mandato na pangalagaan ‘yung ninunong lupa ng IPs,” he added.

(NCIP has no budget. Their budget is too small to meet their mandate of protecting the ancestral land of the IPs.)

Baguilat also claimed that most of those red-tagged by the current administration are members of the IPs as they express dissent on issues such as mining and other energy-related projects.

“Pinaglalaban lang nila ‘yung karapatan nila and yet, nare-redtag sila. Kasabwat dito ‘yung NCIP. Kaya ‘yun ‘yung masaklap sa mga IPs. Kwento nila na ‘yun sanang ahensya na magtatanggol sa kanila, ‘yun pa ‘yung kasabwat doon sa mga nagre-redtag sa kanila,” he said.

(They are just fighting for their rights and yet, they are being red-tagged. The NCIP is complicit in this. The IPs are embittered by this. They said that the agency was supposed to defend them, but instead, it was an accomplice of those who redtag them.)

On March 2, the NCIP issued Resolution 08-009-2021 denouncing the use of the term “lumad” when referring to Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICC) and different Indigenous Peoples (IPs) groups.

It stated that the elders, leaders, and members of different ICC/IP groups in Mindanao requested that they not be called “lumad.”

A church official then criticized the NCIP, saying even words were not spared from "red-tagging."

IP education

Baguilat, who is running under the slate of presidential candidate and Vice President Leni Robredo, added that he would push for all IP youth to get a formal education if he wins the senatorial race.

“Malaking bagay kasi kung merong makapagtapos sa mga katutubo ng kolehiyo. Ang aking panaginip is lahat ng kababatang katutubo ay makapagtapos ng kanilang formal education,” he said.

“Ang mga IPs hindi sila mangmang. Meron kaming sariling kaalaman. Kinakailangan din talagang makapagtapos sa kolehiyo, dumaan sa formal education,” he added.

(It's a big deal if the IPs graduate from college. My dream is for all IP youth to complete their formal education. They are not ignorant. We have our own knowledge. It is also really necessary to graduate from college and for them to go through formal education.)

— DVM, GMA News