NCIP pushes non-military means to Cordi insurgency

By Rocky Ngalob 

QUEZON CITY -- The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples – Cordillera Administrative Region urged non-military approach to stop insurgency in the Cordillera last week in response to the government’s “Whole of Nation Approach” to address the problem.

The NCIP-CAR) set its priorities on the identified 47 red areas of Cordillera as its main recipients of its services in the recently concluded national management conference of the Commission.

The same is anchored on the Executive Order 70 Series 2018, where it discouraged military approach in solving insurgency and urged convergence of all government agencies to join hands in delivering services in conflict riddled communities to make the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and other insurgent groups irrelevant.    

In the conference, NCIP CAR devised its 2019 – 2022 strategic plan underscoring on the security and management of ancestral lands particularly on the confirmation of the Indigenous Political Structure (IPS), delineation of Certificate on Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) towards the Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development Protection Plan (ADSDPP) formulation, to the identified red areas of the region.

“These three components are symbiotic with each other – one cannot stand alone without the aid of the other”, said NCIP CAR regional director lawyer Roland Calde.

He added if these three components, are properly implemented to benefit indigenous peoples (IPs), “Ancestral domain and the dwellers therein will be self-sustaining and self-governing with little aid from the government and influence of the CPP.”

During the recently concluded Regional Development Council - CAR meeting, the 47 areas identified by the Armed Forces of the Philippines  (AFP), were the most vulnerable communities to most likely lean on the side of the insurgents – New People’s Army (NPA) due to the lack of government presence  and services. And even if there were any, it is not felt by the same.

These shortcomings were the same recognized by those in attendance during the RDC meeting and agreed, as collegiate body, to full execution of the “Whole of Nation Approach”. 

 “Apart from help facilitating the proper execution of IPS confirmation, CADT delineation and ADSDPP formulation towards a self-sustaining and self-governing Ancestral Domain, NCIP CAR will be wining back the hearts and minds of the disgruntled IPs by pouring available funds to Social, Economic and Development livelihood projects within the IP communities”, Said Calde.

These supposed self-sustaining and self-governing Ancestral Lands are considered, said NCIP chairperson, Allen Capuyan, as “IP Nations” themselves within the Philippine nation.

 As of this writing, there 138 Ancestral Domains in CAR; among these ancestral domains, 26 were issued with titles while only six CADTs are registered with the Registry of Deeds (ROD).

NCIP – CAR proposed 2019 -2022 strategic plan before the National Commission an average sufficient funding of 1.2 Million per ancestral domain delineation, 500,000 for IPS confirmation and another 500,000 for ADSDPP formulation or upgrading.