PART II – Feb 14: 9th Central Luzon Inter-Agency Visitation of NCIP Chairperson & other agencies of government to the Ayta ICCs/IPs

PART II
Feb 14: 9th Central Luzon Inter-Agency Visitation of NCIP Chairperson & other agencies of government to the Ayta ICCs/IPs under CADT No. 025 and 001 held at Covered Court, Sta. Juliana, Capaz, Tarlac.
Present were the Municipal Mayor together with other Local Officials: Provincial IPMR, City IPMRs, Municipal IPMRs, Tribal Elders/Leaders & IP Youth plus Barangay Officials.
The Chairperson emphasized the importance of 12 Lines of Efforts (LOEs) of Executive Order (EO) No. 70 issued by President that created the NTF-ELCAC and institutionalized a Whole of Government (WOG) & whole-of-nation approach towards obtaining sustainable peace to put an end to more than five (5) decades of local communist insurgency.
Joining the Chairperson were Commissioner for Region 3 and the Rest of Luzon Roland Rivera, Commissioner for Region 2, Norberto Navarro, Regional Director Atty. Roland Calde, Director, Office of Empowerment and Human Rights, Renaldo Dingal, Director Ancestral Domains Office Atty. Caesar Ortega, Director, Legal Affairs Office Atty. Gillian Dunuan, and OIC – Director Administrative Service Ms. Rosanna Lingating, at the Covered Court, Barangay San Vicente, Bamban, Tarlac with the participation of the Community from the BATA, MATA, and STA, with their IPS (Tu-a), IP Women and IP Youth, IPMRs, EAP Grantees from CADT No. BAM-1204-025-A Barangay Anupul, San Vicente, San Nicolas Sto Nino All in Bamban Tarlac and Portion of Mabalacat City Pampanga.
The visitation was also participated by partner Government Agencies and other stakeholders from DepEd Tarlac, Maria Celina L.Vega and Helen R.Bose- NHA Tarlac, Frank Norman Balleser and Zea Medina, PIA, Director William Beltran, AFP PA, LTC.Eugene Henry Cabusao, PNP, PMAJ.Edward Castulo, BCDA, Richard Cepe, DENR, Avelino Bacallo, CDC Bonifacio Jarenio Jr, Lito Romero, Ronald Antonio, Astrud Aguinaldo, Nelson Miclat, Jay Balingit-Punong Barangay Sn.Nicolas Bamban.
Before proceeding to the discussions of burning issues, the chairperson expressed the need for unified action by the community through their customary laws in engaging all kinds of issues affecting their rights. Resolving conflict through restorative justice rather than through legal remedies where penalties are imposed.
Then the Chairperson continued to discuss the 11 Building Blocks of a Resilient, Responsive, and Relevant ICCs/IPs from the 36 Specific Rights from the 4 Bundles of Rights provided for by the IPRA of 1997 and the correlation of the 11 Building Blocks with the 12 Lines of Effort, NTF ELCAC Framework.
The burning issues and their corresponding ways forward were discussed as follows:
1. The weakening of Customary Laws and Practices through non-use – Fast tracking of the completion of the Documentation of CADT 025 IPS and to have it presented for validation by the NCIP with the participation of the whole community.
2. Selling of ADs – Inventory of ADs sold to whom it was sold to or who are in possession thereof. Firstly, to discuss the implementation of CALOM/CADLA. Secondly, to subject the matter for healing and reconciliation addressing the issues through customary laws. Thirdly, for the conduct of case build up for purposes of initiating legal action
3. Non- implementation of the JMA that resulted to conflict between the community and the CDC – Conflict Resolution through Customary Laws. Inventory of the Royalties. Review or enhancement of the MOA. Finally, to facilitate legal action but for sworn statements from the community shall be submitted first.
4. Lease of part of CADT 025 facilitated by the CDC with consent by the ICCs/IPs, however for 2 Hectares only but what was leased was 42 Hectares – For the CDC and the Community with the NCIP Region, Province, and CO to conduct a meeting for transparency.
5. On other issues, like the withdrawal of the total amount of 11M without consent of the Community, for it to subjected to proper accounting.
6. Finally, the Chairperson encouraged the community to create their Email Addresses, to continue their coordination with LGU, AFP, DSWD, DENR and all other NGAs and Stakeholders in addressing their concerns. Then further encouraged the community to open account and gave an reasonable amount of financial assistance to further support the programs of their IP Organizations and the functions of their ADMO.
The program officially closed by giving the community their copies of the Coffee Table Books, NCIP Annual Reports for FY 2019 and 2020 and NTF ELCAC FY 2019 as advocacy materials for the full recognition, respect, promotion and protection of the ICCs/IPs.
The Chairperson was also interviewed by the Philippine Information Agency.
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