What will it take to empower Indigenous Peoples truly?
On March 11 in Malaybalay City, the Socioeconomic Research Portal for the Philippines Network convened policymakers, researchers, and Indigenous leaders for a closed-door Roundtable Discussion following the 12th SERP-P Knowledge-Sharing Forum.
Key insights from the roundtable:
1. Strengthening Indigenous governance.
Despite the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA), there is still no formal Indigenous governance structure at the provincial or municipal level. Empowering IP communities requires enabling self-governance—not just representation.
2. Addressing critical data gaps.
Reliable and disaggregated data on Indigenous communities remain limited. Without accurate information, it is difficult for government agencies to design targeted and effective development programs.
3. Food security before livelihood programs.
Many development interventions focus on entrepreneurship and livelihood projects. However, participants emphasized that the most marginalized communities often need basic food security support first—including access to seeds, soil inputs, fertilizers, and labor support.
4. Ensuring ethical and respectful research.
Researchers must follow Free, Prior, and Informed Consent processes when working with Indigenous communities. Clearer guidelines and stronger awareness can help ensure that research is conducted ethically and in partnership with communities.
5. Balancing conservation and ancestral domain rights.
Many protected areas overlap with ancestral lands, creating governance challenges. Collaborative approaches show how conservation and Indigenous rights can work together.
Philippine Institute for Development Studies President Dr. Philip Arnold P. Tuaño, Development Academy of the Philippines Vice President Dr. Mark Lemuel Garcia, NCIP Commissioner Atty Albert Lagamon, Impasug-ong Municipal Mayor Executive Assistant Paul Richard Paraguya, and Indigenous leaders who shared the realities and aspirations of their communities joined the discussion.
