Jay Vee P.

Estrada
Ms. Reynaldo
Eng 10 WFX2
October 30, 2016
The Struggle of National Minority Groups in the Philippines
For the longest time, we have seen numerous issues about our
national minorities all over the country. Among the issues are the following:
being victimized of extrajudicial killings by elite groups, being deprived of
their rights on ancestral domains primarily the lands, and being culturally
disintegrated due to modern developments. 1 They have been living on the
fringes of the society, but although they are being viewed as the lower class,
they still possess the right to be heard and to experience democracy.2
Discussion in their identity as national minorities and the evidences that
show the issues mentioned previously makes one aware about who the
national minority groups are and what their driving mechanism for
struggling towards peace and genuine social change is. Actions of the
government with regard to this issue is also important to cover. It is
necessary to know this social issue because the culture of the national
minorities is part of the whole Filipino culture where we belong in, and the
deprivation of their ancestral lands will lead to the loss of both their
identity3 and their culture. Aside from giving them their right for their own

1. Federico Labaglay, On Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines, Missionary

Oblates of Mary Immaculate, July 15, 2006,
http://omiusajpic.org/about/stories/ip/on-ip-in-the-philippines/.
2. Celeste Ann Castillo, The Road Ahead for the Indigenous Peoples, University
of the Philippines, September 25, 2012, http://www.up.edu.ph/the-road-ahead-forthe-indigenous-peoples/.
3. Jose Mencio Molintas, The Philippine Indigenous Peoples Struggle for Land
and Life: Challenging Legal Texts, Arizona Journal of International and
Comparative Law 1, no. 21 (2004): 273, accessed October 29, 2016,
http://arizonajournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Molintas.pdf.

lands, the preservation of their culture is also of sheer importance because

it contributes to the rich culture and diverse identity of the Filipinos.
About 3,000 Lumads and 500 natives from Cordillera, Central Luzon, and
South Luzon went to UP Diliman for the Lakbayan 2016an annual event of
a caravan of over 20 national minority groups who have marched to Manila
to voice out the deprivation of their rights and the abusive attacks of the
government to a larger audience of communities. The term national
minority is more appropriate to use than the term indigenous people
because Moros and some groups in Cordillera are not classified as
indigenous people. According to Chancellor Michael Tan of UP Diliman, this
minority status is a social condition where in, people are dispossessed of
basic rights such as the rights to ancestral domains. 4 They are part of the
national minorities who constitute 15%-20% of the 90 million 5 population of
the country. They are composed of 153 ethnolinguistic groups and they are
the following: Moro people (13 ethnolinguistic groups), Lumad of Mindanao
(18 ethnolinguistic groups), people of Cordillera and Aggaym Kalinga (7
ethnolinguistic groups), other groups in North Luzon, Aeta of Central
Luzon, the tribes of South Luzon (Dumagat, Mangyan, and Palawan Hill),
and the Tumandok and Ati of the Panay region in Visayas.6
The rights of the aforementioned groups are enshrined in The Indigenous
Peoples Right Act of 1997 (IPRA). The declaration of this policy is stated in
the Section 2:
The State recognizes the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable
rights of all members of Philippine society as the foundation of
freedom, justice and peace. The rights of indigenous cultural
communities / indigenous peoples are universal, indivisible,
interdependent and interrelated. It is, therefore, the policy of the
4. Aldrin Villegas and Camille Pajarillo, Gabay sa Lakbayan, Philippine Collegian,
October 18, 2016.
5. Census of Population, Philippine Statistics Authority, July 31, 2015,
https://psa.gov.ph/statistics/census/2015-census-of-population.
6. See note 4 above.

state to recognize and promote all individual and collective rights of

ICCs/IPs within the framework of national unity and development in
accordance with the Constitution and applicable norms and
principles.7
This policy adheres to the principles such as cultural diversity, consensus
and peace-building, cultural integrity, human dignity, subsidiarity, solidarity,
and total human development. However, state security forces continue to
violate this policy. The minority groups have been seeking accountability for
the abusive attacks against them. In areas especially with mining and
plantation interests, they are often the victims of human rights violations by
paramilitary

groups.

Before

Duterte

became

the

president

of

the

Philippines, there were already 490 victims of extrajudicial killings, 82 of

which were indigenous people, 8 were Moro, and 283 were farmers. There
were also 34 victims of enforced disappearances, 2 of which were
indigenous people, 2 were Moro, and 23 were farmers. 8 One specific
incident is Datu Roger Alakis case. He was a local indigenous leader in
Agusan del Sur in Mindanao and was known for his strong stand against
large mining companies. He was allegedly shot dead in August 2014, amid
the growing resistance from the indigenous people community. 9 A year after,
on August 18, 2015, five Lumad (Manobo), including a 13-year-old and a 17year-old children, were brutally killed by armed men in Pangantucan town
in Bukidnon.10 A month after this incident, in September 2015, two tribal
leaders and a school administrator were killed by members of a military7. Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines, Republic of the Philippines,
accessed October 29, 2016, http://www.gov.ph/1997/10/29/republic-act-no-8371/.
8. See note 4 above.
9. Imelda V. Abano, Worlds Indigenous Peoples: Sacrificing Lands, Rights, Lives,
Philippine EnviroNews, April 22, 2015, http://environews.ph/climatechange/indigenous-peoples-sacrificing-land-rights-life/.
10. Karlos Manlupig, TIMELINE: Attacks on the Lumad of Mindanao, Rappler,
September 16, 2015, http://www.rappler.com/nation/105847-timeline-attackslumad-mindanao.

backed paramilitary group in Lianga town in the province of Surigao del Sur
in Mindanao, causing hundreds of students and residents looked on. 11
Victims of these killings include the tribal leader and environmentalist
Jimmy Liguyon who was killed in Bukidnon last 2012, and Jimmy Saypan,
secretary general of the Compostela Farmers Association, who was shot by
unnamed gunmen in Compostella Valley province just this month.12
Perhaps, the central issue to the national minority groups is the land. For
them, land is granted and entrusted by one Creator for the people to live on.
Their existence lies on this concept of land, and it is very important for
them.13 In fact, in the Philippines, the remaining biodiversity hotspots and
forests are in their territories. However, these areas are threatened due to
industries, energy projects, and other corporate interests on the natural
resources.14 Moreover, paramilitary groups focus more in militarizing these
ancestral lands. In 2015, there were 40,000 minorities who were forced to
leave their lands for militarization. Aside from this, there were 95 cases of
attacks by paramilitary groups to schools in Mindanao, 81 of which are
affected causing 4,265 students to be affected as well. 15 On September
2015, at least 2,000 residents were displaced from Diatagon in Lianga,
Surigao del Sur, after a group of paramilitary killed Emerico Samarca,
executive director of the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural
11. Carlos H. Conde, Philippine Tribal Minorities Demand Justice, Human Rights
Watch, October 18, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/10/18/philippine-tribalminorities-demand-justice.
12. Death of Mining Activist in Compostella Valley Mourned, Sun Star, October
12, 2016, http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2016/10/12/death-miningactivist-compostella-valley-mourned-503064.
13. See note 3 above.
14. State of the Indigenous Peoples Address 2015, Legal Rights and Natural
Resources Center, August 9, 2015, http://www.lrcksk.org/singlepost/2015/08/09/State-of-the-Indigenous-Peoples-Address-2015.
15. See note 4 above.

Livelihood Development (ALCADEV). On the same month, the MagahatBagani paramilitary group burned at least 10 houses and a Lumad school in
Panocmo-an in Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur. Corn sheller owned by a
community in Kabulohan was also burned by same group.16
As what was said earlier, the national minority groups are deprived of their
rights to ancestral domains. They are also attacked by paramilitary groups
for militarization. In spite of this, there are actions that the government
officials do to show care for their welfare and to preserve and respect their
culture. The Department of Education (DepEd) already announced that it
would establish 251 new schools in areas within Zamboanga Peninsula,
Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen and Caraga. The agency also
hires 583 new teachers who will be trained to implement the IPEd program.
It aims to develop 500 indigenized lesson plans this year, in pursuit of
their aim to strengthen its partnership with IP communities to effectively
implement its IP Education (IPEd).17 Meanwhile, the secretary of the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) had announced
that

the

department

would

make

solutions

to

remedy

the

impact

militarization on the welfare of farmers and Lumads. 18 There were also

problems identified with regard to the health condition of the minority
groups. An Indigenous People (IP)-inclusive Barangay Leadership and
Governance Program for Health was established and was aiming to serve 16
chosen villages in Sarangani. It was supported by the United Nations
Population Fund, the Department of Health (DOH) and the Zuellig Family
Foundation

(ZFF).

It

aims

to

improve

health

and

nutrition

in

IP

16. See note 10 above.

17. Jocelyn R. Uy, DepEd to Establish More Schools for IPs, Inquirer, August 31,
2016, http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/811276/deped-to-establish-more-schools-for-ips.
18. DJ Yap, Taguiwalo Backs Lumad Fight to Reclaim their Land, Inquirer,
August 28, 2016, http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/810412/taguiwalo-backs-lumad-fightto-reclaim-their-land.

communities.19 Another effort of the administration is seen when the

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary
Regina Paz Lopez promised to bring the groups of the national minorities
back at home and pursue justice to their victimized family members. She
visited more than 300 Lumads in Barangay Gupitan, Kapalong in Davao del
Norte and Barangay White Kulaman in Bukidnon. She expressed her
sympathy to the victims of militarization and vowed to end it.

20

October is the month of the national minorities and it is just proper to end
this month by showing respect for their human rights and the existence of
cultural diversity in the country. Various concerns such as the deprivation of
their rights to lands and extrajudicial killings of national minorities have
been an issue of the society. As a citizen of this country, conforming to the
actions of the administration towards respect for the culture and well-being
of the national minorities would mean a boost preservation of the Filipino
culture.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abano, Imelda. Worlds Indigenous Peoples: Sacrificing Lands, Rights,
Lives. Philippine EnviroNews. April 22, 2015.
http://environews.ph/climate-change/indigenous-peoples-sacrificingland-rights-life/.
19. Frinston Lim, In IP Communities, Program Seeks to Change Mindset on
Health, Birth, Inquirer, July 3, 2016, http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/793960/in-ipcommunities-program-seeks-to-change-mindset-on-health-birth.
20. Christine C. Cudis, Gina Lopez to Bring Back Land, Peace to Militarized
Lumads in Mindanao, Philippine Star, August 6, 2016,
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2016/08/06/1610709/gina-lopez-bring-back-landpeace-militarized-lumads-mindanao.

Castillo, Celeste Ann. The Road Ahead for the Indigenous Peoples.
University of the Philippines. September 25, 2012.
http://www.up.edu.ph/the-road-ahead-for-the-indigenous-peoples/.
Census of Population. Philippine Statistics Authority. July 31, 2015.
https://psa.gov.ph/statistics/census/2015-census-of-population.
Conde, Carlos. Philippine Tribal Minorities Demand Justice. Human
Rights Watch. October 18, 2016.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/10/18/philippine-tribal-minoritiesdemand-justice.
Cudis, Christine. Gina Lopez to Bring Back Land, Peace to Militarized
Lumads

in

Mindanao.

Philippine

Star.

August

6,

2016.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2016/08/06/1610709/gina-lopez-bringback-land-peace-militarized-lumads-mindanao.
Death of Mining Activist in Compostella Valley Mourned. Sun Star.
October 12, 2016. http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/localnews/2016/10/12/death-mining-activist-compostella-valley-mourned503064.
Labaglay, Federico. On Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines. Missionary
Oblates of Mary Immaculate. July 15, 2006.
http://omiusajpic.org/about/stories/ip/on-ip-in-the-philippines/.
Lim, Frinston. In IP Communities, Program Seeks to Change Mindset on
Health, Birth. Inquirer. July 3, 2016.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/793960/in-ip-communities-program-seeksto-change-mindset-on-health-birth.
Manlupig, Karlos. TIMELINE: Attacks on the Lumad of Mindanao.
Rappler. September 16, 2015. http://www.rappler.com/nation/105847timeline-attacks-lumad-mindanao.
Molintas, Jose. The Philippine Indigenous Peoples Struggle for Land and
Life: Challenging Legal Texts. Arizona Journal of International and
Comparative Law 1, no. 21 (2004): 273. Accessed October 29, 2016.
http://arizonajournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Molintas.pdf.

Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Republic of the

Philippines. Accessed October 29, 2016.
http://www.gov.ph/1997/10/29/republic-act-no-8371/.
State of the Indigenous Peoples Address 2015. Legal Rights and Natural
Resources Center. August 9, 2015. http://www.lrcksk.org/singlepost/2015/08/09/State-of-the-Indigenous-Peoples-Address-2015.
Uy, Jocelyn. DepEd to Establish More Schools for IPs. Inquirer. August 31,
2016. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/811276/deped-to-establish-moreschools-for-ips.
Villegas, Aldrin and Camille Pajarillo. Gabay sa Lakbayan. Philippine
Collegian. October 18, 2016.
Yap, DJ. Taguiwalo Backs Lumad Fight to Reclaim their Land. Inquirer.
August 28, 2016. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/810412/taguiwalo-backslumad-fight-to-reclaim-their-land.