NCIP holds virtual levelling meeting in Pampanga

OF SAN FERNANDO-- About 600 government and community leaders in Pampanga participated in a virtual provincial levelling meeting organized by National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

It aims to provide a deeper understanding of the four bundles of rights and 36 specific rights of indigenous cultural communities (ICCs) and Indigenous Peoples (IPs); as well as the 11 building blocks of a resilient, responsive and relevant IPs ancestral domain.

In his message, NCIP Chairperson Allen Capuyan said this activity aims to engage the IPs and their partners all over the country in protecting about 1,400 ancestral domains in order to strengthen multi-sectoral approach and collaboration in advocating and protecting these.

“First and foremost, we need to understand that the ICCs/ IPs are development partners of the government. Let us all work together and strategize how we can achieve our vision for their [IPs] ancestral domain. It is also an opportunity for government agencies to see the situation and suggest how they can help based on their respective mandates and based on the whole-of-nation approach,” Capuyan said.

For his part, NCIP Ethnographic Commissioner for Region 3 and Rest of Luzon Undersecretary Rolando Rivera stressed the importance of unity not only among different sectors, but also among IPs in order to sustain their development.

“By being united, we see the bigger picture of the direction we want to take in this development effort. We have come a long way in addressing burning issues raised by the IPs… We [ commissioners] want to leave NCIP with a solid foundation that will be used in building a strong community for the indigenous peoples,” Rivera said.