Department of Indigenous Peoples

HAPPY WEEKEND
Gina Dizon

MIDSAYAP, Cotabato -- A bill for the establishment of a Department of Indigenous Peoples is being readied.

This, as forwarded by Rep. Nancy Catamco of the 1st District of Cotabato City in her talk during the 2nd National Conference on Indigenous Knowledge sponsored by the Task Force on Indigenous Peoples held here Feb 21-24.

Catamco said the Office of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples which handles IP issues and concerns is not established where it belongs- whether it shall be attached under the office of the President or under the office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

In the light of complaints that the National Commission on Indigenous People’s lacks funds in working out its mandate, Catamco reminded NCIP personnel to have conviction first of all in working for indigenous peoples rights.

Asked about NCIP personnel complained of to be involved in issuing contested certificates of free prior and informed consent (FPIC) and certificates of ancestral domain titles (CADT), Catamco said the committee on cultural committees where she is a member can accept these petitions and shall in their capacity as a committee forward appropriate action.

A member of the congressional committee on cultural communities chaired by Rep. Theodore Baguilat of IfugaoCatamco authored the inclusion of IP curriculum in all levels of education in the country.

In the same development, Catamco, a Manobo- Bagogo by blood announced she allotted 1.5 million pesos for the creation of the Mindanaoan First People Foundation designed to unify and support IP causes in Mindanao.

The 2nd National Conference on indigenous Knowledge sponsored by the TFIP, Tebtebba, Southern Christian College- Community Education Research and Extension Administration (SCC-CEREA) was attended by a hundred IP participants from Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon.