Indigenous Peoples, envi defenders, urban poor raise rights violations in dialogue with UN expert

[TAGALOG] Sa dayalogo kasama ang UN expert, mga Katutubo, tanggol-kalikasan, maralitang lungsod tinalakay ang mga paglabag sa karapatan

The Indigenous Peoples, human rights advocates, environmental defenders, and members of urban poor communities held a roundtable discussion with Dr. Pichamon Yeophantong, a member of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights (UNWGBHR) for the Asia-Pacific region, August 12, 2026. 

Environmental defenders from Kalikasan and the Center for Environmental Concerns exposed how mining corporations in Palawan and other regions continue to violate the people’s rights, displacing communities and destroying ecosystems. KADAMAY highlighted the worsening plight of the urban poor, pointing to privatized housing projects, lack of access to utilities, and the criminalization of organizers. From Southern Tagalog, members of the Save Laguna Lake Movement and Kalikasan Timog Katagalugan described how reclamation, dam projects, and corporate expansion threaten livelihoods and cultural heritage, while recalling the violence of the Bloody Sunday Massacre.

Moreover, groups from the National Capital Region, including farmers from Samanako Diliman and residents of Smokey Mountain, spoke of land grabbing and waste‑to‑energy projects that forcibly displace families. Each testimony underscored recurring patterns of red‑tagging, intimidation, and systemic neglect.

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Panaghiusa highlights that the roundtable was not only a venue for reporting community struggles but also a concrete expression of solidarity. The convening of the Indigenous Peoples, human rights advocates, environmental defenders, and urban poor communities ensured that local realities are elevated to international platforms.

Photo from UP Institute of Human Rights.

The participants emphasized the calls to resist destructive projects, demand accountability from corporations and the state, and ensure that the struggles of the farmers, fisherfolk, urban poor, and the Indigenous Peoples are upheld.

This roundtable was part of the academic visit hosted by Panaghiusa Philippine Network to Uphold Indigenous Peoples’ Rights, Indigenous Peoples’ Rights International, UP Institue of Human Rights, KATRIBU Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas, Tebtebba Foundation, Coalition for Human Rights in Development, Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center, Alyansa Tigil Mina, and Rights Energy Partnership. It followed up on Panaghiusa's earlier engagement in 2024 with Dr. Yeophantong and former UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Francisco Cali Tzay, continuing the effort to bring grassroots voices into global human rights processes.

Photo from UP Institute of Human Rights.

The visit aims to deepen engagement with the Indigenous Peoples and civil society, examine Free, Prior, and Informed Consent in mining and critical minerals, and contribute to recommendations for the Philippines’ National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights. Dr. Yeophantong’s visit was supported through her Australian Research Council (ARC) grant. With this support, she leads the Responsible Business Lab as well as the Environmental Justice and Human Rights Project, both anchored in her ARC-funded research. #