SIPA 2008

Lumad Leaders Frustrated over PGMA SONA

“What arrogance for the president to claim as SONA accomplishments, the awarding of lands to the lumads. The lumads have lived in their lands before the Independence of Philippines from its colonizers - we have owned our lands way before the creation of the Republic.”  Soliling Onsino Mato of the Apu Manglang Glupa Pusaka decried as he and other lumad leaders watched President Arroyo’s SONA yesterday.

Lumad leaders, gathered together for their own State of the Indigenous Peoples Address (SIPA) in Toril, Davao City, expressed dismay as once again the plight of indigenous peoples was reduced to data on distribution of CADTs.   “Di hamak mahigit sa target ang naipamahagi natin sa nakaraang pitong taon: 854,000 hectares of private farmland, 797,000 of public farmland, and Certificates of Ancestral Domain for 525,000 hectares.” PGMA claimed in her SONA yesterday.

“Even going by her own SONA targets in 2001 of distributing 100 CADTs per year, these 525,000 hectares falls short miserably as these only comprise 67 CADTs in the span of seven (7) years.” countered Judy Pamela Pasimio of the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center – Kasama sa Kalikasan (LRC-KsK). Approximately only 25% of total CADT applications have been issued in ten (10) years of the IPRA.

“It  is frustrating that by lumping the issue of IPs under land reform targets, the government continues to look at ancestral domains as state owned lands that could be applied for by indigenous peoples as a grant from the government.” lamented Datu Tony Lumandong of the Kahiusaan sa mga Higaonon Incorporated (KHI) “We must remember that the recognition of ancestral domains is but part of the overall struggle of indigenous peoples for their right to self determination, clearly the struggle must go on.”

The SIPA conference participants also bewailed the absence of the lumads in the forging of the SONA claimed GRP-MILF agreement on the issue of “ancestral domains”. “This goes against the tri-people character of Mindanao and a violation of the “sapa”, a 13th century peace covenant between moro and indigenous peoples on the recognition and respect of our respective territories. While we welcome any initiatives for peace in Mindanao, peace cannot be achieved with the disenfranchisement of the lumads in any peace agreement.” said Timuay Fernando Mudai of the Pigsalabukan Bangsa Subanon.

The Subanons of Zamboanga Peninsula has long grieved over the destruction of their sacred Mount Canatuan in Zamboanga del Norte by theTVI Resource Development Incorporated, a subsidiary of a Canadian Mining company. Reacting to PGMAs SONA appeal to mining companies  to “ensure that host communities benefit substantively from their investments, and with no environmental damage from operations.” Timuay Jose Anoy decried that “How could this be possible when the law provides for only 1% of the mining proceeds for the community with the bulk going elsewhere; compared to 100% of the destruction left with the community while they all go back from where they came from with the bulk of the mining profits.”

“PGMAs SONA has never reflected the struggle waged by the indigenous peoples for survival, cultural integrity, human rights and self determination. Her dismal accomplishment of distributing 525,000 hectares of ancesttral domain in a total of 7 years could never hide the true state of the indigenous peoples which continues to be that of discrimination, deprivation, disenfranchisement, displacement and disintegration” Pasimio said.#