The 1Sambubungan IP Agenda 2025
- Panaghiusa Philippine Network
- 13 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Framing the IP Electoral Agenda
Indigenous Peoples and communities in the Philippines are under attack.
The IP struggle for identity, ancestral domain, social justice, and human rights was violently pushed back, demonized, and criminalized by an authoritarian government that views Indigenous Peoples and communities as enemies of the State.
Indigenous lands have become battlegrounds of conflict, pitting communities against powerful forces that aim to grab these lands and resources to advance their political and economic interests in support of a national development agenda that is driven by corporate greed. Dispossession and displacement of IP communities from their ancestral lands continue unabated despite the recognition of IP rights in national as well as international human rights law.
The political landscape has become increasingly unstable following the election of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as president and Sara Duterte as vice president, despite reports of electoral irregularities. This shift has deepened the country's crisis. Consequently, a change in regime during the upcoming 2025 midterm elections remains essential to prioritize the needs of marginalized sectors over the political ambitions of those in power.
The urgent task for the next administration is to stop the attacks against Indigenous communities, bring the perpetrators to justice, initiate a process of genuine peace dialogues between the State and Indigenous political structures, and support efforts to assert and advance their development plans. These are the crucial and necessary steps to begin the process of restoration and healing needed in the IP communities.
The full realization of Indigenous Peoples rights as enshrined in both national and international laws remains at the heart of the agenda and the overarching goal of Indigenous Peoples across the country. The struggle for IP rights is grounded on the realization of rights to our ancestral domain, identity, and culture, the fulfillment of social justice and human rights, and to self-determination.
The IP struggle for development encompasses the demands for better access to social services, such as health services, sexual and reproductive health services, education, social protection, and social security. This also entails the recognition of the IP contribution to development at various levels. At the level of their ancestral domain, this is expressed through the formulation of their community-based ancestral domain management plan, or for some communities, with their ancestral domain sustainable development and protection plans. Beyond the ancestral domain, the IP’s social and economic struggle is underpinned by the articulation of the IP agenda in both local and national development plans.
The democratic struggle of the IPs has revolved around issues of political representation in the areas of IP Mandatory Representation (IPMR) and the formation of IP political parties and their engagement in the party-list elections. The struggle is also manifested in the continuing assertion for recognition of indigenous political structures of governance, anchored on the right to self-determination. A key area of their assertion is also the Free, Prior and Informed Consent process, where they participate in good faith.
In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the political struggle finds expression in the push for the full inclusion of the rights of non-Moro Indigenous Peoples in the Bangsamoro Organic Law and the meaningful implementation of these rights. Central to this is the recognition of the non-Moro Indigenous People’s ancestral domain. The first-ever BARMM Parliament election in 2025 is a decisive factor in shaping legislation that is crucial for protecting and promoting the rights of non-Moro Indigenous Peoples in the region. However, it was postponed again despite opposition.
Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples (NMIP) face challenges in gaining recognition within the region. The Bangsamoro Indigenous Peoples Act (BIPA) of 2024, currently finalizing its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), expands protections from six tribes to eight. Despite progress, many indigenous women remain unaware of parliamentary processes. NMIP recognition, advocated strongly in the IRR, was achieved through tribal assemblies, as it was excluded from the act’s main provisions.
As long as the national government does not duly recognize the rights to self-determination and ancestral domain, conflicts in the region will only ensue, especially as it remains a hotspot during elections. Thus, the commitment of the next officials from both the national and BARMM Parliament elections to uphold the rights of non-Moro Indigenous Peoples is necessary for a just and inclusive society in the Bangsamoro region.
With the current political climate marked by parties vying for their interests, the upcoming midterm elections are poised to play a crucial role in shaping the trajectory leading up to the 2028 Presidential elections. The outcomes are likely to set the stage and influence the tone of future laws and policies. Reframing how the State views Indigenous Peoples and Communities and their contributions to Philippine society is the long-term aspiration of this IP Electoral Agenda. The realization of this goal hinges on the positive steps on six identified key issues and concerns that would have to be undertaken by the state.
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