Bangsamoro Parliament OKs Indigenous Peoples' Act of 2024

BY KEITH BACONGCO

Dec 12, 2024 10:12 PM 

DAVAO CITY – The Bangsamoro Parliament passed the long-awaited Bangsamoro Indigenous Peoples’ Act (BIPA) of 2024 on third and final reading during a special session on Dec. 10.

The BIPA, also known as the Indigenous Peoples (IP) Code, was approved with 63 votes in favor, zero against, and no abstentions. 

FARMERS haul bags of corn in Barangay Kuya, South Upi, Maguindanao del Sur. (Keith Bacongco)

The BIPA is one of the priority measures that must be passed during the transition period under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

As mandated by the BOL, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was tasked to pass  the IP Code, one of the six codes eyed to be passed before the end of its term and in time for the first BARMM parliamentary elections next year.

The BTA has passed other priority measures, including the Administrative Code, Education Code, Civil Service Code, Local Governance Code, and Electoral Code. 

The BOL recognized the IP groups within region as Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples (NMIP), composed of the  Téduray, Lambangian, Dulangan Manobo, Erumanun Ne Menuvu, Higaonon, B’laan, Badjao, Sama Dilaut, Jama Mapun, Sama Bangingi, and Sama Pangutaran, among others. 

In a statement, the Bangsamoro Parliament said the passage of the law is a historic success in  the region’s ongoing peace process and commitment to inclusive governance.

It added that the law seeks to address the long-standing challenges faced by tribal communities in the Bangsamoro region, adding that the newly-enacted law introduces a comprehensive legal framework to protect and empower the NMIPs that represent about two percent of the BARMM’s 4.4-million population.

Many of these IP groups are located in the hinterlands of Maguindanao provinces and some villages in the Special Geographic Areas.

Under the newly-enacted law, one of its core provisions is the explicit recognition of IPs’ ownership over their ancestral domains, referred to as fusaka ingëd, which include the lands, forests, rivers, and other natural resources historically owned and utilized by these communities.

The IP Code also established the Fusaka Ingëd Development Office (FIDO) under the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs (MIPA) which will coordinate efforts for the socio-economic development of ancestral domains.

Prior to its enactment,  various NMIP groups have expressed concern on the version of the IP code that the BTA had been pushing.

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The NMIP groups are wary that the BTA’s version of IP Code may not truly reflect the aspirations of IPs in the region. 

Among the groups that expressed concern are the Gempe te Kelindaan ne Kamal te Erumanen ne Menuvu (Erumanen ne Menuvu), Mënubù Dulangan Tribal Justice and Self-Governance (Mënubù Dulangan), and Timuay Justice and Governance (Tëduray and Lambangian). 

These IP groups have yet to issue a statement on the enactment of BIPA as of posting time. 

BTA Committee on Indigenous Peoples Affairs (CIPA) Chairman Ramon Piang said that the BIPA is an enhanced version of the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act.

Piang added that the BIPA is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of the Bangsamoro indigenous population.

He said that the law also aims to rectify historical injustices and combat the socio-economic marginalization of IPs, ensuring they have better access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities.

Under the new law, an Indigenous Peoples’ Council will be created to ensure the voices of tribes are heard in matters affecting their communities.

Bangsamoro Parliament Speaker Pangalian Balindong said that BIPA is aligned with the Bangsamoro government’s larger vision for creating a better and more just society in which no group is left behind in its pursuit of development.  

Indigenous Peoples' from Philippines set to join United Nations biological diversity confab in Colombia

BY KEITH BACONGCO

  

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DAVAO CITY – A Indigenous Peoples delegation from the Philippines is set to join the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Colombia next week to share an IP-led plan to help save key biodiversity areas in the country.

DELEGATES to the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Colombia.

In a statement, representatives from IP groups and IP rights’ advocates said that they will present an indigenous-led plan to save the globally important biodiversity hotspots of the Philippines. 

It added that 96 out of 128 key biodiversity areas are located in IP territories.

At the COP16, delegates from governments, corporations, industry, and non-government organizations will gather  to discuss mobilization of resources to support global action on biodiversity. 

Jill Cariño, an indigenous Ibaloi woman leader and coordinator of the Partners for Indigenous Knowledge Philippines (PIKP), said that along with IP advocates, they have been developing an Indigenous Peoples Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (IPBSAP) which binds their collective commitments to protect the country’s last remaining ecological corridors.

“Indigenous governance and knowledge systems currently protect over 1.35 million hectares or one-third of the Philippines’ key biodiversity areas situated within our ancestral domains,” said Cariño. 

The delegation to the COP16 represents the Indigenous Peoples and Biodiversity Coalition Philippines (IPBC PH), a newly formed national gathering of IPs and support organizations upholding the tribes’  rights towards the protection, conservation, enhancement, and sustainable use of biodiversity.

It added that the IP-led plan is aligned with the 23 targets set out in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), the latest agreement passed by the UN CBD in 2022 in which the Philippine government is a party to.

“The IPBSAP aims to highlight local indigenous plans, agro-ecological knowledge systems and practices, and other culture-based nature solutions as indispensable to halting biodiversity loss in the country.”

The IPBSAP, Cariño said, is a living document that is rooted in the realities of the ancestral domains and indigenous territories across the country.  “It is supported by actual local community knowledge, practices, and initiatives that need to be recognized as valuable contributions of indigenous peoples to biodiversity conservation in policy formulation,  legislation, and governance.”

Asami Segundo, a young Ikalahan-Kalanguya woman from the northern Philippines, said that bringing the IPBSAP to Colombia is part of the process to enrich the home-brewed plan.

“We hope to share this indigenous-led plan with the rest of the world at the CBD COP. The IPBSAP can cross-pollinate with other strategies and innovations from other nations. But most importantly, we hope it sends the signal to world leaders that they must let indigenous peoples lead as we have the blueprints to save life on Earth as we know it,” Segundo said. 

She added that seven of the 23 KMGBF targets reaffirm the respect and recognition of rights, knowledge and practices, and territories of IPs.

“Clearly, indigenous peoples are part of the plan. We hope the IPBSAP inspires other nations on one hand, and instills deeper commitment for the Philippine government on the other, to support the time-honored customs of biodiversity governance of indigenous peoples.” 

Philippine Eagle ‘Uswag’ dies 1 month after release

BY KEITH BACONGCO

Aug 5, 2024 03:12 PM

  

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DAVAO CITY – Philippine Eagle “Uswag” died after the raptor crashed and drowned in the coast of Baybay City in Leyte on July 30, just a month after its release in the forests of the province. 

The Philippine Eagle Foundation said in an incident report on Monday, August 5, that Uswag, which was equipped with a solar-powered global positioning system transmitter, may have crashed into the sea sometime on July 30 based on GPS record.

USWAG flies during its release in Leyte last June 28. (Keith Bacongco) 

It coordinated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and other partners to conduct a search and rescue operation on July 31.

“But after July 31, we have not received any GPS reading until August 2 that stated that Uswag was already along the coast between Poro and Ponson Islands (Camotes Islands) in Pilar, Cebu,” Dr. Jayson Ibañez, PEF Director for Operations, said.

The PEF searched the coast of Baybay City on August 1 with the assistance of the Philippine Coast Guard. Heavy rains prompted them to abort the search after 14 hours at sea and covering 700 hectares.

The following day, PEF and PCG continued the search between the shores of Baybay and Cuatros Islas and covered an area of about 6,000 hectares. They still failed to find the carcass of the eagle. 

After 42 hours of search covering about 1,000 hectares, Uswag’s carcass was eventually retrieved near Ponson Island in Pilar on August 3.

It was brought to the College of Veterinary at Visayas State University in Baybay City for necropsy. An X-ray was conducted in a pet clinic. 

Based on veterinarian’s estimates, Uswag has been dead four to five days before it was retrieved.

“There’s no foul play, no indication that it was shot. It’s just accidental drowning,” Ibañez said.

Ibañez added that Uswag was healthy and fit and there was evidence based on field observations that it has already hunted successfully in the wild during the first few days after his release.

Uswag, a male Philippine Eagle about three- to four-years-old, was released along with female eagle named “Carlito” in the forests of Barangay Kagbana in Burauen, Leyte last June 28.

Ninth case

Ibañez said that Uswag was the ninth documented case of an eagle that crash-landed at sea since 1993.

He theorized Uswag may have lost his flight bearings and was sucked towards the sea by the rains and winds from the southwest monsoon or “habagat.” 

Like Uswag, the eight other eagles that crash-landed at sea were also immature eagles.

USWAG’S transmitter showing latest location between Poro and Ponas Islands Camotes Islands on August 2. (PEF)

Seven of these eight eagles that crash-landed in the water were from coastal towns in Mindanao.  The other one crash-landed at Lake Lanao in Lanao del Sur.

The PEF said that Uswag was the first reintroduced wild eagle and the first with a GPS tracking device to crash at sea. 

The other eagles were untagged. But seven out of eight birds were miraculously alive and saved by fishermen, the PEF said.

Ibañez they will investigate Uswag’s case further and ask assistance from government experts to study how weather patterns affect the movement of Philippine Eagles.

He said that they are saddened by the incident but said that it also serves as a lesson to further improve their release and conservation decisions.

“We will further investigate and explore systematic GIS mapping and modelling of topography, wind patterns, and other climate parameters at these crash sites to determine patterns and assess risks,” Ibañez said.

Flood swamps Mindanao

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By KEITH BACONGCO

DAVAO CITY – Several provinces in Mindanao were flooded on Friday, July 12, and left some road networks temporarily impassable following heavy rain in the last two days.

One of those severely affected was Maguindanao del Norte and parts of Lanao del Sur due to flashflood triggered by heavy rains amid the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) since July 10. 

RESIDENTS cross a damaged bridge in Barangay Kidayan, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat on Satuday, July 13. The bridge linking the towns of Kalamansig and Palimbag was damaged due to flooding caused by heavy rains. (Photo courtesy of Sukelco Lebak-Kalamansig)

Reports showed that at least five persons were reportedly killed in the flashflood while seven others remain missing as of Saturday morning, July 13.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidence (READi) disclosed that 19 individuals were injured in the flashflood. 

It added that the flooding also affected at least 4,000 residents in Matanog, Maguindanao del Norte.

A portion of the Narciso Ramos National Highway in Balabagan, Lanao del Sur, which links the towns within BARMM and to Zamboanga Region, was temporarily closed to traffic as of 6:40 p.m. on July 12. As of 11 a.m. on July 13, the highway remains closed to traffic.

The severe flooding also affected the neighboring town of Kapatagan in Lanao del Sur.

The highway linking Wao town, also in Lanao del Sur, and Kalingangan in Bukidnon province, was also temporarily closed at 9:45 p.m. on Friday due to a landslide.

It was cleared and declared passable at 1:30 a.m. on July 13, according to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Lanao del Sur.

On Friday evening, the PDRRMO issued an orange warning over Lanao del Sur, which means there could be about 75,000 to 150,000 drums of rain per square kilometer in the province.  

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) issued a weather advisory at 11 p.m. on July 12 stating that the southwest monsoon will bring heavy to intense rains (100 to 200 millimeters) over BARMM, Zamboanga Peninsula, Sultan Kudarat, Misamis Occidental, and Lanao del Norte until Saturday night.

Severe flooding and landslides were reported in some barangays in the coastal towns of Lebak, Kalamansig, and Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat province on Friday.

As of 10 a.m., the Department of Public Works and Highways-12 reported that the Kalamansig-Palembang Road remains unpassable due to landslides and damaged bridge in Barangay Santa Clara in Kalamansig.

The Kalamansig-Lebak Road, which was briefly closed on Friday night, is now passable after the DPWH cleared the road of debris following a landslide in Barangay Bolebak on Friday.

In the neighboring province of Sarangani, some rice farms in Kiamba were swamped by floodwaters since Friday due to heavy rains.

In Zamboanga City, the local government reported on its Facebook page that about 3,000 individuals from 11 barangays were evacuated to higher grounds due to severe flooding on Friday.

At 6:34 a.m. on Saturday, the city government announced that flights to the city have been suspended due to flooded runway.

On Friday evening, some areas of Cotabato City were also submerged in floodwater.

These severe weather disturbances took place just as PAGASA issued a La Niña alert on Friday stating that its climate monitoring and analyses suggested a 70 percent chance of La Niña forming in August-September-October (ASO) 2024 season and is likely to persist until the first quarter of 2025.

This was due to further cooling of the sea surface temperatures (SSTs) across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific (CEEP), it added.

“With this development, the DOST-PAGASA ENSO Alert and Warning System is now raised to La Niña alert,” PAGASA said.

“The country may experience a higher chance of increased convective activity and tropical cyclone occurrence which may bring above normal rainfall over some parts of the country in the coming months. Potential adverse impacts may include floods and landslides over vulnerable areas, with varying magnitude.”  

Dr. Jayson Ibañez: Philippine Eagle conservationist

BY KEITH BACONGCO

  

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With a population of about 400 pairs left in the wild, the critically endangered Philippine Eagle needs utmost protection against deforestation, poaching, and other human activities that contribute to the loss of its habitat.

IBANEZ

Thanks to the dedicated people at the Philippine Eagle Foundation who are tirelessly for the conservation of the rare Philippine Eagle.

One of the most important figures in the eagle’s conservation efforts is Dr. Jayson Ibañez, research and conservation director, at the Davao-based Philippine Eagle Foundation.

For nearly 30 years now, Ibañez, who obtained a PhD degree at Charles Darwin University, has dedicated his career for the conservation of the Philippine Eagle.

The seasoned conservationist pioneered research on Philippine Eagle home range, survival, and habitat use through radio, satellite, and GPS/GSM telemetry.

Under his watch, his team studied 26 eagles with state-of-the-art telemetry technology that improved the scientific knowledge on Philippine Eagles.

Moreover, Ibañez also contributed to PEF’s “culture-based conservation” approach that engages marginalized Indigenous People communities in species and nature conservation programs.

“We realized that more than 80 percent of the eagle habitats of Mindanao are within the ancestral domain of the indigenous peoples,” Ibañez said. This made the indigenous communities the front liners in environmental protection.

Under the program, the PEF is conducting extensive education in indigenous communities as well as providing them with livelihood programs. 

Along with the PEF team, his conservation work has also contributed in protecting the watersheds to help strengthen natural defenses against environmental hazards and calamities.

His accomplishments in the field of conservation have earned him numerous awards and recognitions from local and international communities.

Among them are Bronze Award from the UK-based BP Conservation Program in 2004, Biodiversity Recognition Award from the government in 2015, and Second Place for the Yale International Society for Tropical Foresters (ISTF) Innovation Prize-Biodiversity Conservation edition in 2015.

Ibañez  was also a recipient of Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN-UK) conservation awards in 2015 and received a continuing grant award in 2017 which is also referred to as the Green Oscars that recognizes and supports conservationists from around the world who are making a difference through grassroots and science-based approaches.   

The most recent recognition was the Charles Darwin University Alumni Awards given last November.

Specialty coffee auction in Davao City set

BY KEITH BACONGCO

  

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DAVAO CITY – Coffee producers from the famed village of Balutakay at the foot of  Mount Apo in Bansalan, Davao del Sur will hold its first auction of specialty coffee here on January 20.

A FARMER sorts coffee cherries in Barangay Balutakay, Bansalan, Davao del Sur.  (Photo courtesy of MCN)  

Rhoda Ruth Pillerin, chief executive officer of the Model Cooperative Network, said the specialty coffee beans are from 18 producers from the Balutakay Coffee Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (Bacofa).

Pillerin added that the Arabica coffee green beans have been graded by Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) certified graders.

MCN is providing technical assistance to  support the coffee value  chain activities under its project Strengthening the Implementation of Regional and Local Peace and Development Agendas (SPADe) and Mindanao Peace and Development (MinPAD) RISE Program of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

It is also supported by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Pillerin added that only those graded 80 and above have been selected for auction.

Over 100 producers submitted their samples but only 18 made the cut.

The highest cupping score was earned by Cherry Gil Cabanday with 85.45 with cupping notes berries, cinnamon, and wine.

Unlike other coffee varieties, Arabica coffee is considered the superior coffee and sold at higher prices.

“This is the first time that Bacofa will hold an auction of their specialty coffee in the Philippine market,” she admitted. “We are also testing the water through this auction to see the response of the market.”

Pillerin added that most these producers also belong to winners circle of Philippine Coffee Quality Competition (PCQC).

Coffee producers in Bansalan have been consistent in the winners circle in PCQC since 2018.

As of January 12, several prospect buyers have signified their interest in the auction that will be held at Park Inn by Radisson Davao.

Under this project, Pillerin hopes to educate the public on the value of the specialty coffee from the Davao region.  

MCN assists the coffee producers in making sure that they are following top quality standards in processing their coffee beans, she added.

She urged local coffee shop owners, roasters, and even home brewers to patronize the local specialty coffee to further boost the income the local producers.

“Because when you are buying local specialty coffee from Bacofa, it could help in the expansion plans of the group,” Pillerin said.

PEF eyes 3 M trees near PH Eagle nesting sites under Project RegAIN

BY KEITH BACONGCO

  

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DAVAO CITY – The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) aims to plant and nurture at least three million native tree species and fruit trees near Philippine Eagle nesting sites in three years under its Regenerative Agroforestry for Indigenous Well-Being and Nature or Project RegAIN.

THE Philippine Eagle Foundation aims to plant trees for Philippine Eagles under its Regenerative Agroforestry for Indigenous Well-Being and Nature or Project RegAIN. (Keith Bacongco)

Dr. Jayson Ibañez, PEF director for breeding and conservation, said the project hopes to regenerate 1,500 hectares of forests to bring back degraded ecosystems due to human activities. 

The project, he added, is not just for the benefit of the critically endangered Philippine Eagles but also for other animal species as well.

He explained that the regenerative agroforestry intends to restore what had been lost due to human encroachments and sustainable land uses.

“The project has five key outcomes: Improving soil health, enhancing water retention and quality, conserving biodiversity (including expanding Philippine Eagle habitats), promoting ecosystem health and resilience, and sequestering carbon,”  the PEF project briefer read.

It added that forest restoration is seen as a solution to address these issues and support sustainable development goals, combat biodiversity loss, and mitigate climate change impacts.

“The goal of the project is to restore key areas that are currently grasslands and brushlands in indigenous territories adjacent to Philippine eagle nesting sites using community-based afforestation and agroforestry. This initiative involves planting native trees and fruit trees in designated restoration areas.”

Many former forests, Ibañez added, have lost their quality of soil. Thus, the project, he said, intends to bring back quality of soil as well as restore lost biodiversity.

The native wildlings were collected by the partner indigenous communities and will be planted in the eagle nesting sites in reforestation sites in this city, Davao de Oro, North Cotabato, and Bukidnon.

Recently, PEF project partner Reduce, Reuse, Grow, Inc., visited the newly inaugurated central nursery for the project at the Philippine Eagle Center in Barangay Malagos this city.

Reduce, Reuse, Grow Inc. is a reforestation company that helps enterprise-level clients counteract their operation's environmental impact by planting a plant with each high-volume transaction made.

Among the tree species to be planted are banaba, bagtikan, bangkal, maluggay, narra, ous, pili, red lauan, white lauan, ulayan, and ylang-ylang. 

The project will incentivize the participation of at least 180 indigenous families and their communities, the PEF briefer said. “Additionally, agroforestry practices will contribute to food security, income generation, and cultural spaces for indigenous well-being."

Washington Post taps lady comics artist from Davao for investigative series drawings

BY KEITH BACONGCO

DAVAO CITY – Every comic artist dreams to get their work published on the pages of notable publications.

But for a 27-year-old Davaoeña comics artist, getting an email from one of the most respected newspapers in the world was the least she expected. 

REN Galeno shows her work for an anthology book ‘Ten Years to Save the World’ during the Philippine Book Festival at SMX Convention Center in Davao City. (Keith Bacongco)

“I didn't think it was real at first,” recalled Ren Galeno, adding that she was working when she received an email from Washington Post last February 24.

"I actually thought it was just a spam email," she told Manila Bulletin with a chuckle. Of course, I'm wishing for a big break but I did not expect this to happen this soon." 

Galeno was behind the evocative illustrations for the Washington Post’s “Searching for Maura,” an investigative series in an illustrated reporting form about the missing Filipino girl from Cordillera.

The story is about Maura, an 18-year-old Filipina who was taken to Saint Louis, Missouri for the World’s Fair in 1904.

"Maura fell ill and died, and records suggest a renowned Smithsonian anthropologist, Ales Hrdlicka, traveled to Saint Louis and took the cerebellum of her brain to study as part of his ‘racial brain collection,’” a part of the caption read. 

Galeno recalled that an editor of the Washington Post told her that they had read “I pray you're born with gills,” a short comic she made for Ten Years to Save the World book.

She added that she had online meeting with the editors and then with the other members of the team involved in the investigative story.

“I had sent a few drawings to see if my style was what they had envisioned, a few likeness studies and a location study. They responded positively to them, and we got to work as soon as the script was finalized.”

As part of the creative process, the team sent her pictures for references. 

Then she started working on the illustrations in April and eventually finished everything in June.

“They were incredible collaborators, I learned so much from this project. They were clear with their vision from the beginning,” she admitted.  “It was a great collaboration, and their passion for the investigation was infectious. It was my first time working with a writer and a team, and I'm really lucky I got to learn from them.”

The Searching for Maura was perhaps the first ever story of the Washington Post translated into Filipino.

Furthermore, Galeno admitted that, as a Filipino, there was a little bit of pressure when she was working on the drawings. "I felt the pressure and the responsibility to illustrate it accurately and with empathy."

Love for drawing

According to her father Ferdinand, her daughter started to scribble around two-years-old.

“I taught her how to draw by singing the nursery rhyme Small Circle Big Circle until it is formed into a teddy bear,” recalled Ferdinand, who runs a restaurant in this city.

Since then, he had already seen her daughter’s love for drawing.

Upon finishing high school, Ferdinand recounted that her daughter wanted to take up Fine Arts in college. “Since she was not yet 18-years-old, I encouraged her to take up architecture first because I believe that it’s a good foundation for drawing. And she agreed.”

After spending a year at Ateneo de Davao University, she moved to University of the Philippines-Mindanao here and took up Communication Arts for a year before moving to UP Diliman in Quezon City to take up Fine Arts.

"I've always loved to draw. I don't remember a time when I wasn't drawing. I knew I wanted to be some kind of artist, and for a while I thought that was a painter. After graduation I just returned to comics, the transition felt natural. I had always loved manga and comics, it felt like it made sense,” Galeno said.

Body of work

Prior to her collaboration with the Washington Post, Galeno’s biggest project was for the comic anthology “Ten Years to Save the World, ” a project supported by the British Council as part of a number of creative commissions in response to climate change and COP26.

She contributed the “I pray you're born with gills,” a sobering reflection on the anxiety of bringing children into a climate change world.

Currently, she is working on her first full graphic novel "Full of Grace," an official selection of the 2nd Philippine International Comics Festival (PICOF) in September.

Moreover, she has also produced seven mini-comic books:  II (2019), Sta. Monica Falls (2020), Egg (2020), Romaragit (2020), Aiyeee (2020), Sa Wala (2021), Mga Palaka ng San Antonio (2022).

Another upcoming graphic novel, "Sa Wala," is set to be released this year.

She left an advise to aspiring artists.

“Be curious and open to everything! Observe the world around you, know your interests, and allow yourself to try new things,” said Galeno.