The
National Commission on the Indigenous Peoples or NCIP conducts a forum on
Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro
last August 5-7, 2015. The event is aimed at updating on the status of CADT
applications of the 7 sub-tribes of the Mangyans in the whole island of Mindoro, to
clarify the the processes being undertaken by the NCIP, Department of
Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
and the Land Registration Authority (LRA) to speed up the issuance of pertinent
documents and certifications for the registration and eventual awarding of
their CADTs. The event held Juan G. Santos Memorial Gymnasium was
sponsored by the Provincial Government of Occidental Mindoro.
NCIP
Commissioner Dionesia O. Banua and Ruben S. Bastero, CESO III, director for Region
IV serve as the forum’s main reactors. Focusing on the Joint DAR-DENR-LRA-NCIPAdministrative Order No. 1, Series of 2012, it was attended by hundreds of
Mangyan leaders and tribal elders including those coming from Oriental Mindoro
who are saluted by Mayor Romulo M. Festin and SP Member Roderick Q. Agas
representing both Gov. Mario Gene J. Mendiola and Rep. Josephine Ramirez-Sato. Mario Mulingbayan, the province's Mangyan affairs officer oversee the logistical needs for the event.
The forum highlighted the presentation of the Revised Omnibus Rules on Delineation
and Recognition of Ancestral Domains and Lands of 2012 presented by Engr. Sandy
P. Padilla, Engineer IV of NCIP IV. It was followed by status of CADT in whole
Occidental Mindoro by Noe Raul A. Zoleta. There was also presentation of IP
Issues and Concerns coming from the 7 Mangyan leaders from all over the island.
On
her opening message, Commissioner Banua, gave special recognition, among
others, to the exemplary support of Sablayan LGU under Mayor Eduardo B. Gadiano especially in terms in the
realization of the IPMR or the IP Mandatory Representation to the local
municipal legislative board which was first in the whole island. She challenged
all the attending LGUs to do the same. RD Bastero said that since there are
glaring differences in the mandates of concerned government agencies like DENR,
DAR, LRA and of course NCIP, towards the tittling of the ancestral lands, there is a dire need to discuss major policies regarding
such requirements and processes. Indeed, there are jurisdictional and
operational issues between and among said agencies that was clarified by the
Joint Administrative Order or JAO. The JAO is truly a welcome development for the Mangyans and their mission partners.
The
activity also serves as venue for the airing of grievances of the Mangyan
leaders and elders concerning the government projects, like the National
Greening Program, the PLAs, CBFM, and the likes. Speakers from different
agencies made suggestions and promised actions on the matter with the
cooperation of the IPs themselves.
During
the Responses and Commitment part of the Forum, this lowly blogger discussed what
the LGU is presently doing for the Taobuid and Alangan of Sablayan.
Specifically on the local government’s mission of empowering them by taking
part in the development and in governance, a room in the mainstream government
respecting their culture and rights. Majority of the Municipal LGUs with
considerable number of Mangyan population were in attendance.
In
their concluding talks, both Banua and Bastero lauded the Municipality of
Sablayan for having the establishment of Tribal Barangays in our CADEV-ELA and
our advocacy for the Indigenous Peoples’ Mandatory Representation or IPMR which
are under the mandate of NCIP. All of the barangays of Sablayan now have their
respective IC/ICC representatives through the IPMR.
Day
Two dwells with the formulation/validation of IPMR Guidelines for the IP
representation at the Provincial Level and the undersigned only served as
observers. The forum was facilitated by Mr. Noe Raul A. Zoleta, the NCIP OIC Provincial Officer along with his staffs coming from its offices in Mamburao,
San Jose and Sablayan headed by Sablayan Field Officer Mr. Reynaldo F. Tupas,
CDO-III and Ms. Ann Stephanie T. Tapales, CAO I at San Jose Field Office, as the gathering's emcee.
We
all gathered in San Jose that day looking for a bright future where the
Mangyans, Mindoro’s indigenous people maintain control over their ancestral
lands and territories. As proximate stewards of our upland ecosystems, their rights
must be respected as stipulated in the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act or IPRA law also known as RA 8371.
So,
CADT Now!...
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(Photo grabbed
without permission from Steph T. Tapales’ FB wall)
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