POLICY PAPER

Indigenous Sector in the Philippines: Examining their causes of poverty

Submitted by: Espinosa, Cyril Ann Fernandez, Jade Ayanna Santos, Maria Farina Kim IV- AB ISD

Submitted to: Girlie Casimiro ISD 105 Aid, Development, and Fiance

February 11, 2012

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SITUATIONER

The Philippines is the only Asian country that has officially used the term indigenous peoples and recognized their rights as such (ADB, 2002). Indigenous Peoples, as defined by The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act or IPRA (1997), are: A group of people or homogeneous societies identified by selfascription and ascription by others, who have continuously lived as organized community on communally bounded and defined territory, and who have, under claims of ownership since time immemorial, occupied, possessed and utilized such territories, sharing common bonds of language, customs, traditions and other distinctive cultural traits, or who have, through resistance to political, social and cultural inroads of colonization, nonindigenous religions and cultures, become historically differentiated from the majority of Filipinos. There are about 171 different languages in the Philippines, 168 of these are still being used today, while 3 of are already considered extinct. These different languages also represent the different tribes of indigenous peoples in the country (Summer Institute of Linguistics, 2012). According to the National Commission of Indigenous People (NCIP), the estimate count of indigenous peoples in the Philippines, as of 1998, is between 12 - 15 million (ADB, n.d.). There is an estimate of about 40 different indigenous groups in the Philippines and majority of them, 61%, resides is Mindanao. Luzon has the 33% of their population, while Visayas houses the remaining 6% of them (ADB, n.d.). But most importantly, it should be noted that the actual number of indigenous population in the Philippines might even exceed 20% more of the recorded total as there may have been individuals or groups that were excluded in the count because of the qualifications indicated in the technical definition of the term 'indigenous' (ADB, n.d.). Indigenous groups situated in Luzon, particularly the northern mountains or Cordillera, are collectively termed as Igorots (IWGIA, n.d.), Mangyan for those in Visayas (ADB, 2002), while those belonging in southern Mindanao are collectively called Lumad which is the self-ascription and collective identity of the non-Moro indigenous peoples of Mindanao (ADB, n.d.). Indigenous peoples usually live in isolated areas that lack access to social aid and economic activities (IWGIA, n.d.) but as perks of living in these areas, they have the first hand

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access to natural resources such as forests and rivers. Although some IPs may have adopted some ways of modernity, these groups still believe and practice their culture, rituals, and traditions (IWGIA, n.d.).

Poverty and the Indigenous Sector

According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), there are 900 million people, 75% of the worlds extremely poor mostly living in rural areas. Indigenous peoples make up an important group of rural poor. According to them, there are about 300 million indigenous people living in more than 70 countries, and the majority of them are poor. They are also among the most vulnerable and marginalized of the rural poor (IFAD, 2003 & 2009). In the Philippines, half of its population lives in rural areas where people living below the poverty line are the most severe and common. In general, illiteracy, unemployment and the incidence of poverty are higher among indigenous people than those living in the cities. The situations of indigenous people who are in the midst of the poverty line are living as small-scale farmers, landless workers, and fishers. There are also differences in the level of poverty between the regions and provinces, and the poverty gap between urban and rural areas is increasing. Indigenous people living in fragile and vulnerable places, like people in the uplands of the Cordillera highlands and on Mindanao Island are among the poorest in the country (IFAD, 2002). The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) stated under the established Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) that indigenous peoples are spread widely throughout the Philippines. Indigenous peoples and their communities are located throughout the Philippine archipelago, in the main islands of Luzon to the north and Mindanao to the south, and in several islands of the Visayan chain in the central Philippines (NCIP, 2002). In the Philippines, the main issues of the indigenous people are the ancestral domain and traditional land rights, and local self-governance and respect for traditional institutions (Plant, 2002). The causes of poverty in rural areas in the Philippines vary. Among the causes of rural poverty are: (1) diminished productivity and profitability of farming, (2) smaller farm sizes and (3) unsustainable practices that have led to deforestation and depleted fishing waters because of this, rural areas are lagging in economic growth and have higher underemployment rate. People

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living in poverty along these areas also have little access to productive assets and business opportunities. Some vulnerable groups also face specific problems. For example: (1) indigenous peoples have high illiteracy rates and are affected by the violation of modernization, cultures, traditional norms and practices; (2) fishers face problems of reduction in their catches and they have few opportunities outside fishing; and (3) the indigenous women have limited roles outside of marketing and family responsibilities (ADB, 2002). Lands and their rights to the land were considered as the most sensitive among all the issues because there are always threats in their traditional lands and forest, and this has often been regarded as the principal cause of poverty. Land grabbing of ancestral domains are likely to be problems of overlapping claims between indigenous communities, mining and other external interests. These lands are mostly converted into industrialized areas, mining site, and other economic means for the government or the private sector. Indigenous people are forced to leave their own ancestral land and to find another place to live (ADB, 2002). Some people in Southeast Asia often hold the most burden of living in poverty. Indigenous peoples in the Philippines, being in the Southeast Asian region, live in areas where basic services are weak. Their access to the lands, forests, and other natural resources are their only source of livelihood but these are being threatened by the processes of development and modernization. Their traditional land areas are opened up for settlement to non-indigenous groups and outside investment (Plant, 2002). In the report of the Asian Development Banks about the topic of Indigenous People and Poverty Reduction - to act upon the needs of the indigenous people is to first identify who they are, where they are located, and their population. They say that it is important to determine if they are a minority or not in order to know if they earn or not in their livelihood and if they have access in development and modernization without disregarding their cultural values and traditional beliefs. However, some members of ethnic groups that are part of the minority are not really vulnerable or experiencing disadvantages. For example, there are some families that have acquired land tenure for their own production and distribution and some even had an access to political power in the government, but still, they consider themselves as part of the minority group or indigenous people. Because of this, indigenous people who are truly in need of assistance from the government are disregarded (ADB, 2002).

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Indigenous People are generally members of the ethnic groups that are considered living in or below the poverty line throughout their lives. They usually lack or have a limited access to resources such as capital, transportation, and machineries. They lack in opportunities like time and money to learn new skills and ideas. They become indebted; they dont have a regular source of income, and do not have alternative amenities for a television, appliances, or LPG for cooking. Some doesnt even have properties like fields for farming, and are therefore forced to work on other peoples land. They lack food to eat, money to buy their basic needs, their children are not properly clothed, and have difficulties on sending their children to formal schools therefore instigating illiteracy (IFAD, 2002). Basically, economic statuses do have a very particular meaning for the indigenous peoples as it is usually equated with their cultural integrity the concept of poverty. Also, indigenous peoples share the same aspirations as other population groups with regard to educational achievement, productivity, and income earning opportunities. As indigenous people wishes to maintain the integrity of their community, they also wish that their children can earn a livelihood outside the community.

POLICY PAPER DEVELOPMENT: FRAMEWORK

People living below the poverty line often are faced with deprivation of food, shelter, education, and health that allows them to become vulnerable to ill health, economic dislocation, and natural disasters (World Bank, 2001). More specifically, the indigenous sector in the Philippines faces much weakness to poverty because of unsustainable development practices like deforestation, kaingin, and, bombing of fishing waters. Also, the indigenous sector in the Philippines experiences high illiteracy rates and limited mobilization of resources and opportunities (IFAD, 2002). The World Development Report in 2001 by the World Bank reiterates that poverty is not just an outcome of one specific dimension, but rather, it is an outcome of economic, social, and political processes that interact with and reinforce each other in ways that can worsen or ease the deprivation poor people face everyday. Therefore, the question is now: how to achieve a rapid, sustainable, and pro-poor development (World Bank, 2001). And in order to help alleviate poverty, there are three measures that should be properly observed - giving opportunity, assist

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empowerment, and improve security at the local, national, and international levels (World, Bank, 2001). The following framework for action is the proposed framework by the World Bank in order to successfully attack poverty:

Figure 1: Framework for Action The first box in the framework is opportunity: This means expanding opportunities for indigenous peoples. Giving them more opportunities suggests that there should be an improvement in their markets and helping them build their assets (World Bank, 2001). Markets are central to the lives of poor people (World Development Report, 2001) and therefore, there should be reforms that can (1) eliminate marginalization in the markets, (2) building registries that should allow the establishment of small producers, and (3) developing insurance policies that can help and assist small-scale businesses. On another note, gaining assets are also crucial in achieving opportunities. These assets do not only mean material assets like houses, lands, and properties but also, human capabilities such as health and education are of intrinsic value and social networks, often also play an instrumental role (World Development Report, 2001). This means that gaining access by the indigenous sector in the Philippines to properties are not the only essential key in attaining development, but other assets like education, health, and social connections also play key roles in assuring them of a longer-term solution that is important in alleviating poverty. And in order to ensure assets, the state should have a central role that can facilitate rules and policies that can provide attainment and access to basic assets and services (World Bank, 2001).

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The second box in the framework is empowerment: This means raising awareness of the indigenous sector regarding their condition in order to properly allocate resources and use knowledge to reduce poverty. Empowerment of indigenous peoples would mean (1) increasing their capacities and capabilities that can help them partake in decision-makings, and (2) removing barriers that can marginalize the indigenous sector (World Bank, 2001). Empowering the indigenous sector should be part of the governments plan for the people, because it would mean good governance for the citizens. It is true that opening opportunities for the indigenous sector can serve as one way of empowering them, but more efforts are needed in order to empower them. Aside from turning social institutions and the state to adopt pro-poor programs, more specific actions like mobilizing these indigenous peoples in their own organizations to hold state institutions accountable and ensuring the rule of in their daily lives are also crucial in empowering them (World Bank, 2001). Empowerment on social interactions also begets a vital significance in alleviating poverty in the indigenous sector. The indigenous sector is very much dependent in their culture their traditional ways and norms and this could be a cause of marginalization and discrimination that can hinder their empowerment. By removing discrimination of the indigenous peoples through confronting gender inequalities, and other forms of marginalization, can the indigenous sector only experience faster empowerment and development (World Bank, 2001). The third box in the framework is security: This means increasing the sense of security of the indigenous sector to decrease susceptibility to different types of risks like ill health, economic shocks, and natural disasters. This sense of security is the guaranteeing and ensuring the indigenous sector of the right poverty reduction strategies and of what they truly need (World Bank, 2001). Increasing security is strengthening, supporting, and maintaining of the programs addressed to reduce poverty in the indigenous sectors. This would mean providing the indigenous sectors with means in order to manage themselves during risks and disasters, strengthening their market through the help of public and private institutions, supporting assets of the indigenous people, supporting institutions that help the indigenous sectors, and supporting risk management institutions that upholds poverty reducing strategies. Aside from these, a more people-oriented approach of securing security is needed. This would entail covering health insurances, giving assistance and pensions to older people, unemployment insurance, sustaining

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social funds, establishing microfinance programs, and more importantly, ensuring safety nets to support immediate consumption needs and to protect the accumulation of human, physical, and social assets of the indigenous sectors (World Bank, 2001). The fourth box, lying under the three main boxes indicates proper interactions between the local, national, and international levels in order to make sure that opportunities, empowerment, and security are well implemented and monitored. Just like how the different dimensions that causes poverty are intrinsically linked, areas for action should also be interconnected (World Bank, 2001). Local and national governments should work hand-in-hand to ensure proper flow of poverty reduction program, maintenance of these programs, and proper monitoring of these programs. They should be able to set up certain policies and rules that do not only eliminate poverty causes but should also put forward the material and well-being development of the indigenous sectors. As the central government that houses the Indigenous sector, they should feel responsible and feel the need to ask for help when the need arises (World Bank, 2001). International actions should also be sought because sometimes, the local and the government actions are not enough to alleviate poverty in the indigenous sectors. This would mean (1) acknowledging in international conferences and conventions the voices of those countries that cannot properly implement poverty reduction programs to help their indigenous sectors, and (2) providing aid that can help provide opportunities, empower, and secure indigenous peoples (World Bank, 2001).

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

In order to address poverty in the Indigenous Sector of the Philippines, it very important to identify first the causes of poverty along with its effects and toll among the indigenous peoples of the Philippines. The following policy recommendations seek the help, guidance, action, and monitoring of the Philippine government, along with local governments and the international community: y To have an intensive and extensive research on the situation and experiences of indigenous people. Before doing any action, it is vital that data gathering and research should be well-implemented. This will aim to know the different histories and conditions

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in life of the indigenous peoples which will allow the government to identify their needs. By conducting a thorough research, the government will be able to properly line up agendas, policies, and other programs that will surely be accurate and fitting to the needs of the people. Therefore, more strategic actions that are directed in a focused subject matter will be implemented. This will reduce the risks of failure and wrong implementation because of the lack of understanding of the experiences of the indigenous peoples. y Developing different fields for interventions. Governmental agencies and organizations should avoid the one size fits all solution. There should be an establishment of varying divisions for action implementation in order to specialize in a particular issue to solve. This would mean decentralization of national works in order to put into action, manage, and monitor programs more effectively and closely. y Ensuring effective partnerships between the governing body and the governed. This would mean engaging development planners and organizations in the community of the indigenous peoples. This will enable trust to flow therefore enabling data gathered to be more accurate and specific. Building effective partnerships would serve as a means of giving respect to the cultural identity of the indigenous people while promoting long-term sustainable programs because of the trust built between the governing body and the governed. y To put more efforts in resolving land conflicts. Indigenous peoples are known as territory markers, meaning, they only declare their properties through verbal announcement or markings. Because of this, clashes and tensions are created. The government should put an effort into land appropriations for short-term solutions accompanied by land titles for long-term solutions. y To improve the indigenous sectors well-being. This means strengthening not only the economic profitability of the indigenous sector but also their social and mental skills in order to have more opportunities in life. This would mean (1) setting up local markets where indigenous peoples can sell their products and agriculture without marginalization and discrimination; (2) providing intensive basic education to indigenous peoples without pay and not too far from their community; and (3) organizing personality workshops that

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will empower indigenous peoples and develop their confidence and communication skills.

These policy recommendations only serve as a stepping stone in a proposed strategy outlined by the researchers: To establish an institution that utilizes the educational capacity of a school and the lending services of a cooperative. This institution will have different branches in the communities of the indigenous peoples and will have staffs, development practitioners, law makers, and volunteers that will serve as their people. This institution will serve as a school of empowerment, raising awareness, and conducting economic workshops and seminars about livelihood and other means of income. If they have achieved a certain level in the school they will be allowed to borrow money from the lending arm of the institution in order to put their gained knowledge into action. Aside from fact that the institution will be able to help the community in terms of their well-being, they are also being exposed to the situations of the indigenous peoples by living with them in their communities. This means implementing governmental policy with the complete cooperation and partnership by its people.

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REFERENCES

International Fund for Agricultural Development (2009) Enabling poor rural people to overcome poverty in the Philippines. International Fund for Agricultural Development (2003) Indigenous People and Sustainable Development. Plant, R. (2002) Indigenous People/Ethnic Minorities and Poverty Reduction Regional Report. Asian Development Bank Plant, R. (2002) Indigenous People/Ethnic Minorities and Poverty Reduction Philippines. Asian Development Bank Plant, R. (2002) Issues in Indigenous Poverty and Development. Asian Development Bank International Fund for Agricultural Development (2009) Enabling poor rural people to overcome poverty in the Philippines. International Fund for Agricultural Development (2003) Indigenous People and Sustainable Development. Plant, R. (2002) Indigenous People/Ethnic Minorities and Poverty Reduction Regional Report. Asian Development Bank Plant, R. (2002) Indigenous People/Ethnic Minorities and Poverty Reduction Philippines. Asian Development Bank Plant, R. (2002) Issues in Indigenous Poverty and Development. Asian Development Bank World Bank. (2001). The World Bank: Attacking Poverty . Retrieved February 3, 2012, from The World Bank: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPOVERTY/Resources/WDR/ English-Full-Text-Report/ch2.pdf