The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) on Wednesday, Nov. 16, held a summit with various government and Indigenous Peoples (IPs) officials to promote and protect the welfare of Indigenous Cultural Communities/IPs (ICCs/IPs).
The event with the theme, "Building Families, Building Ancestral Domain/Ancestral Land Communities and Building the Nation," was held at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Commissioned Officers' Clubhouse in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
The summit highlighted the role that NCIP and government agencies play in nation-building and for the well-being of the country's ICCs/IPs.
NCIP Chairperson Allen A. Capuyan cited that the ICCs/IPs are "more than ready to partner with the public and private sector" and that they all share the journey towards abundant opportunities for the former.
Meanwhile IPs' Rights Act Center Chairperson Marlon Bosantog, in his speech, noted that the framework for ICCs/IPs' sustainable way of living is consent.
He encouraged government agencies and other offices to work on the "idea of consent" before going and providing assistance to the ICCs/IPs.
"The source of discrimination starts with the word 'tulungan natin ang mga IP kawawa naman sila' (The source of discrimination starts with the word 'let us help the IP because they are pitiful')," he said.
Bosantog added that even before the concept of "sustainable development" arose, the ICCs/IPs were already working on that themselves.
"I hope that when you speak again in your policies of inclusive growth, you think of us. When you talk about peace and order, you think of us. Because at the end of the day, the values of the nation, the values of this country, will always be reflected on how we treat the Indigenous Peoples," said Bosantog.
Almost 18 million of the total Philippine population are comprised of ICCs/IPs and they occupy more than 30 percent of the country's total land area.
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