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FactSheets
7 out of 10 IPs are aware of the rights to ancestral domains and lands,
reveals findings from the METAGORA1 Pilot Survey 
(FS-200612-SS2-02, posted 22 December 2006)
Based on the results of the 2005 Pilot Study on the Diagnosis of Indigenous People’s Rights to Ancestral Domains in the Philippines2 under the METAGORA Project, 7 out of 10 respondents or 72% are aware or have heard the right to ancestral domains and lands (Figure 1)3.
Respondents came from 750 sample households from the three tribes of Bago in Sugpon, Ilocos Sur; the Kankanaey in Kibungan, Benguet; and the Bugkalot tribe in Aurora, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino.
The study attempts to determine, among others, the level of awareness, realizations, and violations of Indigenous Peoples’ (IPs) rights to ancestral domains and ancestral lands as defined under the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 (IPRA).
Local consultations and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were also conducted to enrich data gathered from the survey.
Findings also showed that the right to develop the lands and right of ownership are among the highest rated rights. The right to safe and clean water was also top in the list of specific rights but was not among those frequently mentioned in the FGDs. According to the study, 41% or 4 out of 10 respondents reported violation of rights to ancestral domains and lands in their communities (Figure 2).
Of those who reported violations of rights, 64.9% experienced illegal entry, 48.7% had encroachment and 29.5% encountered pollution problems, and 11.4% were displaced or relocated (Figure 3). Cases of land being taken away were reported by 12.8% of all households. Most of these households (86.2%) reported that private individuals, including their relatives, other IP tribes, and, notably, even members of the Council of Elders/Leaders, took away their lands. Development aggression mostly by private companies, discrimination by other communities, and poor delivery of basic services were also cited as grievances of IPs during consultations.
The IPRA defines IPs as a group of people or homogenous societies identified by self-ascription and ascription by others, who have continuously lived as organized community on communally-bounded and defined territory, and who have, under claims of ownership since time immemorial, occupied, possessed and utilized such territories, sharing common bonds of language, customs, traditions and other distinctive cultural traits, or who have, through resistance to political, social and cultural inroads of colonization, non-indigenous religions and cultures, became historically differentiated from the majority of Filipinos. The IPRA in general seeks to recognize, promote and protect the rights of the IPs. These include the Right to Ancestral Domain and Lands: Right to Self Governance and Empowerment; Social Justice and Human Rights; and the Right to Cultural Integrity. Currently, the NCIP roughly estimates the number of IPs in the Philippines using the number of ethnolinguistic groups or tribes, which numbered 110 groups or tribes with an estimated total population of around 12 million found in the various parts of the country based on a listing done in 19964. Region XI has the highest total population with roughly 2.5 million, followed by Regions X and CAR with populations of around 1.4 million and 1.3 million, respectively. Meanwhile, the 2000 Census of Population and Housing of the National Statistics Office (NSO) estimates the total number of IPs in the country based on the “members of the households’ identity of self-ascription, as one belonging to a group, by blood”5. There are around 6.3 million IPs based on this count, distributed by regions as follows: 21.7 percent in ARMM, 14.0 percent in Region XI, 13.5 percent in Region XII, 11.9 percent in CAR, 10. 5 percent in Region II and the remaining 28.4 percent are in the rest of the regions. Collaborative efforts between the NCIP and NSO are currently undertaken to provide more reliable estimates of the IP population from the next Census of Population. |
Source: 2005 Pilot Study on the Diagnosis of Indigenous People’s Rights to Ancestral Domains in the Philippines, Book I: The Study and its Findings
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1Metagora, a 24-month pilot project “Measuring Democracy, Human Rights and Governance” is a project under the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), implemented by the OECD-Paris21 with funding from the European Commission. The Philippines conducted one of the pilot studies with the Commission on Human Rights as Partner Implementing Organization, and the following as strategic partners: NSCB, National Statistics Office, Statistical Research and Training Center, and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.
2This document has been produced within the framework of the METAGORA Project implemented by the OECD with financial assistance of the European Union, France, Sweden and Switzerland
3No generalization for the whole Philippines was done in the study.
4Office of Northern Cultural Communities (ONCC) & Office of Southern Cultural Communities (OSCC) 1996 Accomplishment Report
5Enumerator’s Manual, 2000 Census of Population and Housing, NSO
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