RDC expands membership to push indigenous peoples issues

By Marlo T. Lubguban

BAGUIO CITY – The Regional Development Council’s committee on indigenous peoples’ concerns welcomed its new members for 2019 to 2022 recently

The groups will discuss development matters on indigenous peoples of the Cordillera and the emerging culture and arts sector.

The committee confirmed National Commission on Indigenous Peoples Cordillera Regional Director Roland Calde as its chairman, with RDC private sector representative Manuel Ano of the Igorot Global Organization as co-chair.

Labor and Employment regional director Exequiel Guzman was elected the committee’s vice-chair.
The committee decided to expand and invite more members from the private sector through the RDC’s pool of civil society organizations.

The CIPC will also extend invitations to the Police Regional Office Cordillera, Dept. of Energy, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration among others to consolidate programs and policies concerning IPs in the Cordillera.
Unlike other regions having only four sectoral committees (development administration, economic, infrastructure and social development, the Cordillera has six.

The CIPC, along with the watershed and environmental management committee, are unique sectoral committees of the Cordillera RDC.

This is in recognition of the region’s unique cultural and environmental situation as compared to other regions.
Given majority of the Cordillera population belongs to various indigenous cultural communities, a committee focused on indigenous peoples will help ensure their concerns are addressed in accordance with the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997. “Our committee is intertwined with the functions of the different regional line agencies, environmental management, social welfare, education, etc.”, Calde said.

“The committee is an avenue for convergence where agencies can consolidate their programs for indigenous peoples,” the NEDA-CAR added.
Calde, as chair of the committee, cited importance of culture and the committee’s role in regional development.

He previously detailed the accomplishments of the committee during the 2019 state of the region address on August 13.

He reported increased support for culture-sensitive governance through the establishment of the local councils for culture and arts, the issuance of certificates of ancestral land titles, and the preparation of ancestral domain sustainable development and protection plans (ADSDPP) among others.

Calde also urged boosting of the region’s creative economy given Baguio City’s declaration as a UNESCO creative city for folk arts and crafts.
The NEDA-CAR, as RDC secretariat, said culture has become more important for development with its inclusion in the UN sustainable development goals for 2030 and the current administration’s 0+10 socio-economic agenda.

The Cordillera regional development plan aims to strengthen cultural integrity and identity through establishment of the Autonomous Region of the Cordillera.