Post Pepeng accounts and MP-Igorots' collective response

(The following is an account by Presidential Assistant for Cordillera Affairs (PACA) Tom Killip on the recent Typhoon Pepeng's fury which hit northern Luzon especially that of Baguio City, Benguet, and Mountain Province. PACA Killip wrote this letter to US-based Archie Stapleton, member of yahoo egroups' Kotim ya Eta (KyE). The blogger, also a KyEr, deems the letter is of public interest so here goes.... )

Dear Archie and Ol,

Am back here in Baguio City for almost a week since we forced our way into half-cleared landslides that covered whole stretches of roads along the Benguet side of Halsema Highway specially parts of Tublay and Buguias in order to reach Baguio. But just to continue my long story which I believe is relevant up to this writing as the trauma and effects of the recent disasters hereabouts continue to affect entire communities:

(Oct. 13,2009)

I am e-mailing here at the Rural Bank of Sagada which is probably the only internet that is working in this town since the aftermath of Typhoon Peping and since that fateful evening of October 8, 2009 when nature struck with such fury ramming down the heaviest blows into the neighboring areas of Benguet Province , Baguio City and Mountain Province . I am lucky there is a generator running at this bank otherwise it is total brownout in the entire province as there is extensive damages to electrical facilities all over it may take more than a week to rehabilitate.

As of this writing information gathered thus far shows that Benguet Province and Baguio City suffered the most number of deaths at 182+. La Trinidad was hardest-hit as one area at Barangay Puguis gave in to mud, slime, and rocks burying alive more than 70 people and countless homes. At Abatan 90 in Buguias town, the edge-part of the public market area gave in causing a landslide that buried houses below it. Twenty eight (28) people many of them students were buried alive. In different towns of Benguet Province such as Bakun, Mankayan, Tublay, and Kabayan scores of people were also killed all contributing to the total number of casualties in Benguet Province and Baguio .

Meanwhile here at Mountai Province around 42 deaths were accounted for. The biggest tragedy occured at the beautiful village of Kayan, Tadian when at around 6:30 p.m. at suppertime on Oct. 8, 2009 a landslide occurred at the road just above Kayan East.The mix of rocks, soil, and mud gave in to heavy rains creating an avalanche that gained momentum as it bulldozed its way into a residential area from top to bottom until it reached the main avenue leading into to the main town. Entire families were lost in the rubble and landslide.A total of 35 people were listed missing as rescue and retrieval operations begun that very night. At Bunga, also a barangay of Tadian, 3 members of a family were killed by an avalanche which tore apart their home. In Barangay Betwagan, Sadanga, 12 houses were wrecked by a landslide but only one was killed as most of the residents noticed the danger and were able to evacuate to safer ground. At Talubin, Bontoc 2 people died as they drowned in a swollen river.All told Mountain Province has 40+ victims due to Typhoon Pepeng.

During the entire period of rescue and retrieval operations from the date of tragedy, most areas of Benguet and Mountain Province were cut-off, totally isolated by landslides, road washouts, destroyed electrical facilities, shortage of fuel, limited transportation, and limited communications. But as usual the finest quality and noble character of the Igorot rose up to the occasion during this whole period of disaster, a story of a people worth telling and re-telling. Of course it was expected that all agencies of government and churches had to come out as is their mandate and function. It must be to the credit of some local government units and government agencies that rescue, retrieval, relief, medical care, were forthcoming from the beginning.

The Municipality of Tadian through Mayor Constito Masweng should be commended for a very efficient disaster coordination and management work. We can likewise say the same to all provincial agencies and local government units involved as a matter of duty and function. Likewise, Col. Bismarck Soliba of the Philippine Army and Col Albas of the PNP mobilized their respective units to be actively involved in the rescue and retrieval operations. Meanwhile the youth from the college in Bontoc (MPSPC) with many of their teachers were among the first to respond. But what stood out as an outstanding feat of the outlying towns and communities was their collective heroism and the traditional practice to come out in situations of disaster to provide rescue, manpower,food, material support, and various types of services to the stricken communities.

From day one, hundreds of able-bodied men, womenfolk, and youths from nearby towns of Bauko, Sabangan, Sagada, Bontoc,Besao and other places arrived everyday to become part of the work shifts involved in the excavation and extraction of dead bodies. It was non-stop work even at night. You wouldn't miss to observe that this stream of faceless volunteers were mainly lowly farmers and laborers armed with shovels, picks, and garden hoes who did the brunt of the heavy work of extricating bodies from the muck and rubble.I have to take exception to this fact and the way that various mountain communities responded because usually the true accounts get lost in the jumble of media and political projections.

Three feeding stations were organized at the Municipality of Tadian which provided food for the family of the victims, for the volunteer brigades, and for relatives or friends of victims coming to see the situation. Carpenters from all over came to provide free labor by constructing beautiful pine coffins for all the dead with donated lumber and materials.

I must also take exception to the crucial role of some local leaders who initiated moves to trigger an effective and efficient response. Speaking about the involvement of Sagada, the person of ABC Jaime Tigan-o Dugao of Angkileng should be specially cited here. Although he does not hunger for the limelight I am still wondering why his name and his role in these events are never mentioned. (It must be recalled, if only to show how soon people forget that only recently Kapitan Tigan-o has been sitting on top of the peace negotiations between the affected communities of Sabangan, Taccong, and Tulgao as a result of the killing of a Tulgao vendor by a guy from Taccong who is married to a native of Sabangan.

The case is already resolved through the active mediation of the members of the Peace Executive Council of Mountain Province whose members include Mayor Franklin Odsey, Jaime Dugao, Bontoc elder ex-Mayor Kiat-ong, Fr. Pablo Buyagan, and a host of other peacemakers. The provincial government has supported the initiatives of this group. Peace has been finally restored last week as the parties concerned amicably closed the case. This is equally important because it prevented a violent social storm from erupting). If you read local and regional newspapers Tigan-o's crucial role does not appear. Truth to tell, the peace talks would not have advanced significantly without his involvement from the start.

Coming from Bontoc on the afternoon of October 9 where we had a brief conference with Mayor Franklin Odsey the president of the Mayors' League of Mt. Prov. about LGU mobilization for Kayan, ABC Jaime Dugao initiated an emergency meeting of all the barangay captains of Sagada.It was planned and agreed that all families in all barangays would bring out their donations and at the same time organize volunteer brigades for the arduous task of retrieval. That very same morning of Oct.9 the Sagada Police Force and local guides proceeded to Tadian via the circuitous route through Nacawang, Besao as the Sabangan route was blocked by a series of slides. All these moves ensured a steady supply of men and material support from Sagada which accounts for the sustained mobilization throughout the entire period of retrieval. I am pretty sure that similar conduct of mobilizations rooted in "ugali" were likewise carried out in other communities involved. (Pardon me but this is incidentally my dramatic way of introducing folk-leaders like Jaime "Tigan-o" Dugao to KYE)

At one point Undersecretary Tobias called up from Malacanang to inquire about the situation of the Mountain Province since what they knew from scanty information was that the entire provinces of Benguet and ours were in total isolation which was true at earlier days. The situation conjured images of death, devastation, hunger, and helplessness. She sounded unbelieving when I told her that the people of Mountain Province can take care of themselves even at this stage and that there are other calamitous areas and regions of Luzon specially in the cities where people are more helpless. I would understand why it took her some time to comprehend because in the cities the slightest floods could render entire populations helpless and looking up to government for help and relief. But hereabouts in the mountain communities whenever there are disasters of any type (vehicular accidents, fires, landslides, drowning, epidemics, etc.) whether natural or man-made, 'there are no strangers only friends".

And of course there were some comic relief in the course of the disaster operations. A military chopper came over to transport the five injured survivors from the Luis Hora Hospital , Bauko to Baguio for special surgical operations. At the same time the chopper brought in two sniff dogs trained for searching buried victims. The dogs went about for 3 days sniffing for buried corpses but only found dead mice and cats whereupon some elder volunteers suggested that they be better used for the "daw-es" (traditional cleansing ritual).

Still due to the efficient and determined work of volunteer brigades the last victim was finally recovered in a few days time.

Oct. 17 (Sat.)
I went to Sadanga to observe the search and retrieval of three folks from Talubin, Bontoc and Annabel, Sadanga that drowned in the Chico River . Village folks, both men and women from Betwagan, Sakasakan, Saklit, and all villages downstream towards the Kalinga territory were scanning the entire stretch of the river up to where God knows. Two drowning victims were retrieved that day close to the town of Tinglayan and the search continued. Food and manpower were provided by all the communities involved. It is a strong practice in these mountain communities that whenever there is a disaster people even warring communities stop hostilities to help victims no matter if they belong to an enemy tribe. This practice reflects our communities' very high value and respect for life. Ay waday maka-umat is kaneg todi? Only in these Igorot communities.

Oct. 20, 2009
Sagada
Here we are at the Municipal Hall with Mayor Eduardo Latawan and all Sagada folks who have gone to Kayan, Tadian to help in one way or another during those trying times. All vehicles used for the mobilization were likewise required to be grounded at the municipal premises for the "Daw-es" which was performed by town elders. This cleansing ritual is intended to protect the volunteers from nightmares and bad dreams, and to protect volunteers from any form of misfortune. Meanwhile the vehicles were blessed with holy water by the parish priest. After a sumptuous lunch with the people and towns officials we left for Baguio City .

The relief and rehabilitation continues. I am sure that post-disaster period requires very special approach and work among all agencies, organizations, and people concerned whether in the Philippines or from responses coming from outside of the country. The health situation, the emotional trauma, the damages to homes and infrastructures, and livelihood sustenance for surviving victims while they cope up with the next phases of their lives are important matters to consider. At this point as appeals for help are raised, donations and assistance should be channeled to legitimate bodies and agencies duly recognized. The church is one good channel at this point in order to avoid too much politics in the management and administration of relief and rehabilitation. Churches and missions are located inside most of these affected communities thus they can form part of the network for the post-disaster work and rehab as surely this will take a longer time to carry out.

Manong Champag

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(To add more details, the following is an account sent to KyE by Ray Fiar-od, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Officer based in Sagada, Mountain Province. By the way, KyE is an egroup promoting indigenous language.)

P8 en ol,

Sagada consistently sent the biggest retrieval contingent from Day 1 until the recovery of the last body, aside from sending our firetruck to do flushing during and after the retrieval operations. At one time, we sent more than 300 people from all over Sagada. Incidentally, the firetruck of the Bauko Fire Station which was also utilized during the retrieval was manned mostly by firemen from Sagada. Col. Bismarck Soliba also led the Philippine Army contingent from the Montañosa Command.

During the entire duration of the retrieval operations, the old men from Sagada took turns doing the cleansing rituals every afternoon when our crew returned from Kayan. Ikkan da san sapon di danum sakbay ay sumaa nan naki retrieval isnan beb-ey da. Nin daw-es nan amam-a id kubaban. (They will do the water ritual before those who participated in the retrieval of bodies, proceed home. The elder men performed the daw-es ritual) The ritual was presided over by Councilor Joseph Capuyan. Kanan apo konsehal en men daw-es nan municipio ta makaan am-in di as-asi is inagwit nan inmey naki badang id Kayan dapay ta kumedse nan iSagada ta adi da en maamisan is dakes. Inmali da nan amam-a ay nagapo isnan tapi na ay barrio sunga napno nan opisinan Mayor Latawan is bishops ya nan Kayan crew tako. Idi madama nan daw-es, dinamag Lakay Polat nan crew no waday inlaw-an da is pinidit isnan inmeyan da id Kayan ta masapul maisubli. Gawis met tay umegyat tako od ay en men pidit tay lawa isnan kaugaliyan tako.

Inmali gedan si Padi Princel Balitog et siya abes nan nang bendisyon isnan am-in ay lugan ay nausal ay inmey id Kayan. Wada metlang si Pastor Ap-apid id Bugang ay nang bendisyon isnan kinan nan ipugaw.

Men bungsos tako is wakgat tay awnit iyalin Kapitan Dennis Lopez nan napawingan ay kawitan ta kasin mapalti id municipio. Siya di nan culminating activity nan daw-es.

Mabuhay nan heroes,

Polgas
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NCCP calls for State’s accountability on James Balao’s disappearance

BAGUIO CITY- “Let us continue to search for James and the other disappeared. To search for them is to search for justice and peace. To continue searching is keeping alive the hope that we in the Philippines deserve better from those who lead in government. It is a struggle to make that hope a reality. A way is to call our leaders on their accountability”, National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) Secretary General Fr Rex Reyes Sr relayed on September 17 marking the day activist James Balao was abducted a year ago.

James Balao, 47, writer, social activist, and Indigenous Peoples rights advocate, had been missing for a year now. He is strongly believed to have been abducted on Sept 17 by elements of the Military Intelligence Group and Intelligence Service Unit of Region 1, in La Trinidad, Benguet.

Reyes said, “The list of victims of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances which gets longer to this day is a testament to a government whose concept of national security is the elimination of principled dissent”.

Victims have cut across Philippine society – teachers, lawyers, media people, local civil servants, farmers, workers, students, indigenous people, members of civil society and people’s organizations and clergy and other church workers – all unarmed civilians, the NCCP head said.

Among other enforced disappearances are activists Romy Sanchez who disappeared in 9 March, Pepe Manegdeg in 29 November and Albert Terradano in 30 November, all in 2005 also believed to be abducted by elements of the government’s military forces. They are all young men full of dreams for the upliftment of justice and human rights, choosing a path not many would like to tread.

Very recently, 26-year-old Noriel Rodriguez was reportedly abducted by suspected military agents in Gonzaga town, Cagayan province, last week. Noriel is affiliated with the militant Akbayan which does medical missions, literacy classes and peasant
organizing.

Noriel is the 15th Anakbayan member who had either been abducted or killed
under the Arroyo administration, reports say. Among others were University of the
Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño, missing since 2006.

The government’s Oplan Bantay Laya remains to provide the legal framework in this continuing political repression. “As long as the OBL exists, there will be continuing harassment and impunity against advocates of human rights and civil liberties”, Reyes added.

During the observance program held here in the city, the NCCP head also took the opportunity to thank the Baguio City government for the support in the campaign to surface James and for making this occasion a part of the wider city centennial celebration; and the other local governments in Benguet, Ifugao and Mountain Province for showing the same kind of support in the call for surfacing Balao.

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James Balao: Pursuing indigenous peoples rights

The disappearance of James Balao deserves the concern of every Igorot, every Cordilleran, every person concerned about human rights and Indigenous Peoples integrity. On the celebration of Indigenous Peoples month this October or any day for that matter, calls for identifying the selfless commitment of James Balao towards justice and recognition of Indigenous Peoples rights. If you are one, you have all the reason and cause to call for James Balao’s abductors to surface him now!

James Balao, 47, writer, social activist, and indigenous peoples rights advocate, had been missing for a month now. (He remains missing till now. This article is a reprint published October 2008). He was kidnapped on Sept 17 reportedly by elements of the Military Intelligence Group and Intelligence Service Unit of Region 1, in La Trinidad, Benguet.

Balao graduated1981 at the University of the Philippines College Baguio with the degree BS Psychology. He was a consistent honor pupil and topped the national exam maintaining his scholarship from secondary to college at UP. He served as editor-in-chief of the official student paper, Outcrop.

The idealist and the intellectual in him, Balao involved himself in research and writing for both academic and non-government organizations. One of Balao’s major research is "The land problem of the Cordillera national minorities."

Balao had also been a researcher with the schools-related non-government organizations NGO, Cordillera Schools Group which produced resource materials on socio-economic features of the Cordillera which serve as supplementary reading materials for secondary schools, now that the indigenization of the curriculum is widely recognized. He became a member of the Philippines’ Constitutional Commission where he drafted Constitutional provisions on Indigenous Peoples' rights.

“With his vast knowledge we hope and pray that he will not be harmed and set free as soonest so he will continue his work for the upliftment of the lives of the Cordillerans”, Fr. Arthur Balao, James’ father said in his letter to the public. The Balaos are from Atok, Benguet.

James’ many researches and writings and involvement in committees and commissions related to Indigenous Peoples issues has contributed directly and or indirectly, to provisions in the 1987 Philippine Constitution on the recognition of indigenous peoples rights. In one way or another, his researches, writings and concrete involvement on indigenous peoples issues has contributed to the creation of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and land reform covering indigenous issues on ancestral domain.

He has poured his time and intellect in pushing forward the upliftment of Indigenous Peoples in policies beneficial to Igorots specially. Where NGOs only give subsistent allowances to their staff, James has opted to choose this path and work for dreams as his contribution, in one way or another, now enjoyed by Cordillerans/Igorots on the creation of structures, jobs, and opportunities for indigenous peoples of the Cordillera.

Along with other freedom loving ideologues and activists who push forward what indigenous peoples rights and justice means, his is a path which is rarely taken. His path is rare for a first child of the family to take and a family’s sacrifice to take.

It’s a sacrifice worth taking for dreams that can be achieved. For rights to be recognized. His path is extraordinary not everyone would like to take, not a materially benefiting one, for a talented and educated person who has much options to take. James’ father is correct. The knowledge of James is worth continuing.

Already a month since he disappeared, Balao cannot be reached. Nobody knows how he is except his abductors. Is he alive? How is he? Is he hurt? These are questions that need answers. For James’ abductors to kidnap him and deny him of his rights to move freely, and think they can get away from it is not taken lightly.

In news reports, military’s Northern Luzon Command Lieutenant General Isagani Cachuela urged militant groups to “file charges instead of launching propaganda campaigns” blaming them for the mysterious disappearance of Balao. The military commander tagged “search” campaigns by the Baguio-based Cordillera Peoples Alliance as “demolition campaigns” where “the accused have no chance to defend themselves.”

Balao’s disposition as a soft spoken and cultured person and his involvements in person and in work does not in any manner place him to be abducted by any one else, except for the government’s military forces, believed to have done James’ disappearance, the latter being involved with the CPA.

While Lieutenant General Isagani Cachuela says that the “accused“ (military) have no chance to defend themselves exactly puts James Balao in a position where he cannot defend himself. As of now, military authorities have not issued a statement where they categorically denied or admitted that they are responsible for James Balao’s disappearance.

The government’s Oplan Bantay Laya which has labelled progressive organizations such as the Cordillera Peoples Alliance as “sectoral fronts” of the Communist Party of the Philippines has practically placed CPA staff as “communists.” James helped found the internationally renowned organization Cordillera Peoples Alliance in 1984. He works for the Cordillera Peoples Alliance when he was abducted.

Where Balao’s abduction could have been that he is a suspected “communist”, puts a question of, is it wrong to act for the welfare of indigenous peoples and human rights? At this onset, we take recognition of the extra-judicial killings of activists Romy Sanchez in 9 March, Pepe Manegdeg in 29 November and Albert Terradano in 30 November, all in 2005, believed to be perpetrated by elements of the government’s military forces. They are all young men full of dreams for the upliftment of justice and human rights, choosing a path not many would like to tread.

Communism is a thing of the past. The Philippine government and its armed forces command is still stuck on the idea that such an ideology exists to the extent of implementing inhuman and illegal acts of enforced disappearances and extra judicial killings of suspected ”communists.”

Such a reason to exist and hound on perceived “communists” is an outdated figment of the imagination. It is an obsolete, unworkable and unlawful method to this present world which is moving to an international state of up-front, lawful, peaceful, and encompassing means to pursue understanding of basic and complex issues which cuts across politics and economy.

Since Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed power in January 2001, there are now more than 903 reported cases of extra-judicial killings and more than 200 cases of forcible disappearances in the Philippines. It is now the 2nd most dangerous country for trade unionists. Despite this terror, the Filipino people’s resistance continues. I would like to express my deepest concern that James Balao, who has not been seen since 17 September, may have been subjected to enforced disappearance by the security forces.

Northern Philippine Times

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Remembering Burma's Saffron Revolution

September 17 marks the day when monks rallied on the streets of Yangon two years ago to protest the oppression of t Burma’s junta regime on its own people.

Exiled Burmese monk King Zero, one of the instigators of the 2007 Saffron Revolution, forewarns further democracy rallies in Burma. Unless the ruling military junta apologises for killing and imprisoning monks by October 2, King Zero says monks will launch a boycott and again lead demonstrations against the government.

King Zero says people power is needed again.

Earlier, in August 2007, the Burma government raised the price of gas. So pro-democracy activists began to lead demonstrations which led to the arrest of many.
Some Buddhist monks joined a demonstration in Pakokku north of Yangon on Sept 5, 2007. The peaceful demonstration was broken up violently by police. Three monks were tied to telephone polls and beaten with rifle butts. Ten monks were arrested.

Later that day, monks captured more than 10 high-ranking government and military officials in Pakokku and held them hostage, demanding the release of the arrested monks. The hostages were released unharmed after six hours, but the monks demanded the government to apologize, giving a deadline of September 17. The deadline expired without apology and tens of thousands of monks took to the streets in Yangon.

By late September, the government junta retaliated with police charging the monks with tear gas and clubs. Monasteries were raided. Hundreds of monks arrested and sent to prison camps. Many monks fled across the borders into Thailand or India. To this day, the number of casualties is unknown.

Link here for current news:

Monks under the eye of the junta

Save Burma Now

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Loving Baguio and watershed blues

The city government finds a strong ally with the Supreme Court in its battle against squatters in the Busol Watershed area. The lingering scuffle on the Busol Watershed area between squatters and ancestral land claimants against the city government comes with the 2009 decision of the SC upholding the authority of city officials to demolish structures within the watershed area.

A challenging stance for the city government, the SC decision wields strong ammunition they can use against squatters and would be squatters including their supporters on further encroaching and supporting the intrusion of squatters into the major watershed source of the city.

City officials in their case elevated to the SC contended that the city is governed by its charter and “thus, (lot occupants) cannot claim their alleged ancestral lands under the provisions of the Indigenous People’s Rights Act (IPRA).”

Let us see what the Supreme Court say about their latest decision.

The Feb. 4, 2009 SC decision reversed an earlier decision of the Court of Appeals which upheld the jurisdiction of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) to issue temporary restraining orders and later a preliminary injunction to stop the implementation of the three demolition orders issued by then Mayor Braulio Yaranon for the dismantling of the illegal structures constructed by Lazaro Bawas, Alexander Ampaguey Sr. and a certain Mr. Basatan.

The Supreme Court maintained that the lot occupants’ ancestral land claim was not expressly recognized by Proclamation No. 15 which should have justified the issuances made by the NCIP. The highest court said Proclamation No. 15 “does not appear to be a definitive recognition of private respondents’ ancestral land claim.”

“The proclamation merely identifies the Molintas and Gumangan families, the predecessors-in-interest of private respondents, as claimants of a portion of the Busol Forest Reservation but does not acknowledge vested rights over the same. In fact, Proclamation No. 15 explicitly withdraws the Busol Forest Reservation from sale or settlement,” the decision reads.

“The fact remains, too, that the Busol Forest Reservation was declared by the Court as inalienable in Heirs of Gumangan v.Court of Appeals. The declaration of the (reservation) as such precludes its conversion into private property.

The SC decision is clear that the watershed reservation, meaning the lots within cannot be sold or settled on, obviously for reasons that the area is an endangered watershed. While that is so, the SC decision remains to be a question of how far it is going to be implemented and recognized.

Although SC’s ruling comes as a Johnny Come Lately decision since 2006 when the case was filed and led to further structures built through the years, it is highly relevant at this stage when NCIP regional hearing officer Brain Masweng filed TROs against the demolition notices issued by the City executive on illegal houses built at the endangered area. Masweng’s defenses rests on IPRA provisions that indigenous peoples have native titles to their ancestral lands and that Proclamation Order No 15 issued in 1922 grants ancestral claims.

NCIP’s position finds an ally with councilor lawyer Nicasio Aliping who was one in stopping the recent July demolitions despite the SC order which further stalled the embattled Busol watershed from settling to peaceful breezes. While that is do, the provisions of IPRA where indigenous peoples have a right to their ancestral lands stands tested on its superiority with the SC telling what should be and what should not.

At the onset, contempt charges were filed against Masweng for going against the Supreme Court ruling.

City Mayor Reynaldo Bautista said the city government tried to assist the settlers subjected for ejection by looking for relocation sites, but there are no available spaces for relocation. He said the settlers are not entitled to the law which mandates relocation in case of displacement, the city information desk reports.

Only underprivileged settlers can avail of relocation facilitated by the local government and the National Housing Authority, city officials explained.

What about “peaceful co-existence” where new settlers will not be allowed and the current settlers to stay in their premises? Vice Mayor Daniel Fariñas said this is “possible but remote because each party has to be in good faith and approval” of other stakeholders such as the DENR, Baguio Water District and Baguio Regreening Movement and the Supreme Court.

Mayor Reynaldo Bautista in news reports advised the occupants “to voluntarily dismantle their houses.” While the issue of ancestral claims is being decided opun, squatters are coming in fast and building their 2-3 story houses. Some are overseas contract workers.

Some are employees of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources who have acquired properties at the endangered watershed area. This prompted the city government in the past to request Malacanang to probe reports about this. SunStar learned that 32 houses up for demolition are abodes of still unnamed DENR employees.

This, aside from other private individuals. There are some 900 illegal structures in the Busol watershed area with only 33 houses identified for demolition at the moment. Do we see some more numbers coming?

If the city government is not going to act tough, expect more structures creeping in at the watershed area in the next months and years. Surely, the city officials would not want the next set of officials to inherit resolving the issue until groping for solutions is chronically late already. If you are one who wants a safe and assured water supply and a healthy environment with its cool breezes for you and your children and children’s children to enjoy in the city of Pines, you would want to halt this encroachment.

Much as there are sacred spots not culturally set as places for settlement, clearly, there are endangered spots which should not be inhabited lest it be a danger for the welfare of each and everyone.

Where two laws get pitted against the other, the law is meant to be for public interest and public welfare. This lingering claim for environmental protection of Busol watershed area deserves a second and third look. If you love Baguio and want to enjoy living in the place as well with the rest of the community, get squatters out of the watershed.

Northern Philippine Times

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The ‘evolving’ definition of Indigenous Peoples

It was on the occasion of a recent courtesy visit of some IP rights activists including Indigenous Peoples Rights Monitor representative Atty Mary Ann Bayang, to the Philippine Embassy in Geneva, Switzerland when Ambassador Erlinda Basilio told the group that “all Filipinos are Indigenous Peoples.”

The diplomat’s statement comes as an encompassing and limited view on how she sees Indigenous Peoples. Her view tells that all Filipinos are the first settlers of a given territory. This means even migrant Filipinos are IPs and they also have ancestral lands. The Ambassador’s statement tells that all Filipinos preserved their culture at the face of a colonizing force. It tells that all Filipinos have a historical continuity with pre-invasion and pre-colonial societies that developed on their territories.

True? Of course, as anthropology and history tells, the Ambassador’s statement is technically erroneous.

The Philippine Ambassador’s statement likewise finds similarity in the Bangladesh delegate’s statement to an earlier UN Assembly meeting.

The position of the Bangladesh government delegation at the UN Working Group on the Draft Declaration of Indigenous Peoples (WGPD) in 2006, says, “The government of Bangladesh supports the Draft in its present form. However it will not be applicable in Bangladesh as there are no indigenous peoples in the country” (The Independent, November 24, 2006).

The recent UN position of Bangladesh government abstaining from the UN Declaration on Indigenous Peoples Rights aligns its earlier position to the Bangladesh government’s report submitted to the UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination in May 2000 which categorically denied the distinct identity of Indigenous Peoples. The report reads:

“Bangladesh’s geographical location and history have made it a home to people of diverse origins, races, colors, and descent. The assimilative character of Bengal civilization combined with the intermingling of inhabitants has resulted in a composite society which has racially and culturally turned into a melting pot over the millennia.”

Lest we go turning a blind eye that there are no Indigenous Peoples, it would be good to refer to some descriptions of who IPs are.

Anthropological usage of the term “indigenous” refers to the early or even first settlers of a given territory. This usage corresponds to usage in international human rights law.

United Nations Special Rapporteur to the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, Indigenous communities, referred to:

“Indigenous peoples are those which having a historical continuity with pre-invasion and pre-colonial societies that developed on their territories, consider themselves distinct from other sectors of societies now prevailing in those territories, or parts of them. They form at present non-dominant sectors of society and are determined to preserve, develop, and transmit to future generations their ancestral territories, and their ethnic identity, as the basis of their continued existence as peoples, in accordance with their own cultural patterns, social institutions and legal systems.”

The World Council of Indigenous People, 1993 came up with this definition:

“Indigenous People are such population groups as we are, who from old-age times have inhabited the lands where we live, who are aware of having a character of our own, with social traditions and means of expressions that are linked to the country inherited from our ancestors, with a language of our own and having certain essential and unique characteristics which confer upon us the strong conviction of belonging to a people, who have an identity in ourselves and should be thus regarded by others.”

Indigenous peoples are the descendants - according to a common definition - of those who inhabited a country or a geographical region at the time when people of different cultures or ethnic origins arrived. The new arrivals later became dominant through conquest, occupation, settlement or other means.

Further descriptions of indigenous peoples say that Indigenous Peoples inhabited a land before it was conquered by colonial societies and who consider themselves distinct from the societies currently governing those territories.

They (Indigenous Peoples) have a historical continuity with pre-invasion and pre-colonial societies that developed on their territories, consider themselves distinct from other sectors of societies now prevailing in those territories, or parts of them.

Further universal descriptions of Indigenous Peoples say, they, the IPs are very diverse. They live in nearly all the countries on all the continents of the world and form a spectrum of humanity, ranging from traditional hunter-gatherers and subsistence farmers to legal scholars.
In its Operational Directive 4.20, the World Bank views that no single definition can capture the diversity of Indigenous Peoples. However identifying few characteristics, World Bank tries to single out Indigenous Peoples as having: a close attachment to ancestral territories and to the natural resources on these areas; self identification by others as members of a distinct cultural group and indigenous language, often different from the national language; presence of customary social and political institutions; and having primarily subsistence –oriented production.

International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 107 of 1957 defined indigenous or tribal or semi tribal populations in independent countries. According to this definition, “indigenous tribal, or semi-tribal population of a special category who inhabit in a particular region and have specific historical experiences.”

This definition describes the distinct cultural identifies and geographical concentration of the Indigenous Peoples from the rest of the society and they have special relationship with the land which they live in and with the environment surrounding therein.

Yet, with all these descriptive definitions, there seems to be no standard definition of who an Indigenous Person is.

The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) says, “there does not seem to be one definitive definition of indigenous people, but generally indigenous people are those that have historically belonged to a particular region or country, before its colonization or transformation into a nation state, and may have different—often unique—cultural, linguistic, traditional, and other characteristics to those of the dominant culture of that region or state.”

Considering the diversity of indigenous peoples though, an official definition of "indigenous" has not been adopted by any United Nations-system body. Instead the system has developed a modern understanding of this term based on the following: self-identification as indigenous peoples at the individual level and accepted by the community as their member; and historical continuity with pre-colonial and/or pre-settler societies.

Source: Discourses on Policy Perspectives on Land Rights and Adibashis of the Plains of northwest Bangladesh, by Gina Dizon, Published by VSOB, 2008

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SMSS’ers abroad renew ties, help build school

Once again, self-determining alumni of Saint Mary’s School of Sagada (SMSS) manifested their moral and financial support to the school which continues to serve hundreds of students in Mountain Province, especially those located in the immediate town of Sagada. Nearly 150 SMSS alumni living in Canada and the US, and other SMSS resident- alumni of the Philippines gathered at St. Michael's Church, Vancouver, Canada last August 6 to 9, 2009 to observe the 4th SMSS Alumni and Friends Conference.

With theme, "We build our school on you Lord; to you we bring our common need", financial contributions poured in terms of coin collections in sponsoring an SMS faculty.

SMSSInc is a non-profit institution committed to extending affordable quality education, particularly to children of indigenous communities in the hinterlands of the Cordillera. It was incorporated in 2003 as an autonomous entity from the former management of Episcopal Church in the Philippines. SMSSInc was then called Saint Mary’s School established by American missionaries of the Philippine Anglican Church in 1904.

The school enjoyed financial capacity until the Philippine church’s conversion to an autonomous entity in 1990. Since then, SMS suffered financial setbacks along with the autonomous church which experienced similar financial woes.

SMS since 1990 was able to thrive on donations from alumni and friends and other institutions like subsidy from the Department of Education. As of this time, alumni are still supporting the financial sustainability of the school through donations via scholarships, sponsoring salaries of staff, and material donations such as books, and infrastructure.

To raise funds for the school during the Vancouver event, Sponsor a Golf Hole was launched
with sponsors giving in their financial commitments. The golf tournament which was
participated by SMSSer gold enthusiasts was chaired by SMS alumnus Erwin
Killip.

Lambert Sagalla, President of the US-based St Mary’s School Sagada, Alumni and Friends Foundation (SMSAFF) said, ”The Vancouver SMSS conference was the first to be held outside of the United States and the enthusiasm and excitement it created particularly to the younger alumni will definitely help advance the message that: "We are engaged in an undertaking far greater than ourselves; greater than the physical confines of St. Mary's School; greater than the Sagada community.We are engaged in an undertaking vital to the survival of our very own people - the indigenous communities in the hinterlands of Northern Philippines.” (reports from SMSyahoogroups.com)

Photo by Ceasar Castro

Link here

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