NEDA/ RDC official presses IPs consent in gov’t projects

BAGUIO CITY – The regional director of the National Economic Development Authority said “free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) of indigenous peoples should be followed in implementation of government projects in the region.

         NEDA Cordillera director Milagros Rimando, who is vice chair of the Regional Development Council, in her “State of the region’s affairs” cited this July 29 during culminating activity of the 33rd commemoration of Cordillera Month.

          During a media forum, Rimando said the region performed well in its goal of ensuring cultural integrity and identity with the continuous work in promoting indigenous peoples rights.

         She cited the lesson from the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project in 2019 which involved the provinces of Kalinga and Cayagan in Region 2.

         Implementation problem resulted to the passage of RDC resolution requesting that the Cordillera Administrative Region participate in the FPIC process in public consultations for projects involving the Cordillera and other resource regions. Rimando added that this will be done in the ongoing Ilocos Norte-Ilocos Sur agricultural irrigation project which covers Abra and Region1 provinces.

         Meanwhile, Michael Umaming of National Commission on Indigenous Peoples said, “The best protection that we can give to protect the IPs is to respect their right to the FPIC process. The FPIC should be strengthened to respond to projects such as extractive industries that will change the landscape.”   

         CAR was reportedly able to complete 60 ancestral domain sustainable development and protection plans and updated 26 plans out of total 148 ADSDPP target for the entire region.

          Rimando said these plans should be completed if “we are serious in using the ADSDPPs as the basic basis for regional planning”. 

          These plans, she added, “highlight importance of indigenous knowledge systems and practices (IKSPs) that are unique to each of the indigenous groups in the region. The adoption of these in local development plans and policies recognizes the rights of IPs to chart the development that they want.”
          RDC indigenous peoples’ concerns committee co-chairperson and RDC private sector representative Ryan Mangusan reported the increasing number of documented IKSPS and customary laws.

          RDC chairperson and Abra Gov. Joy Bernos backed recognition of rights and culture of IPs saying the Cordillera people’s resilience from the current health crisis was attributed their unique cultural practice of “binnadang” or the practice of helping and looking out for each other.