The Commission on Human Rights joins in solidarity with the indigenous communities in the Philippines in amplifying the call to respect and protect indigenous peoples’ rights, especially now that the we are facing a global pandemic.
In 2015, the Philippines marked 09 August as the celebration of the “National Indigenous Peoples Day” after adopting the United Nations’ annual observance of the “International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples” to bring greater appreciation and attention to their rights and welfare. This is a separate commemoration from the “National Indigenous Peoples Month” every October.
Even before the Philippines became a nation state, it is important to recognise that our indigenous communities were the first peoples to resist oppression from colonial powers. Since then, they have relentlessly defended their ancestral domains, natural resources, and the preservation of their cultural tradition and languages. History can attest to the tremendous resilience and courage of our indigenous peoples as they continue to stand up against corporate greed, dispossession, and encroachment of their lands by both state and non-state entities.
As if their long-held struggles as a politically and economically marginalised group are not difficult enough, the current Covid-19 situation has left indigenous peoples at a particular disadvantage. Many of them have less or no access to relevant information and healthcare, and have expressed experiencing discrimination in availing health services. They too lack access to safe water and sanitation that are crucial in preventing the spread of the disease.
Like every Filipino, they endure some of the most devastating impacts of the virus including disruption of food systems, joblessness, and of course, the threat of illness and death.
In implementing any policy, programme, or intervention that affects indigenous peoples, the government must always secure their Free, Prior, and Informed Consent. Response should include intercultural approach that takes into consideration traditional health practices while providing their local healthcare takers all the relevant training in their own languages about contention measures. In the same vein, the government must ensure that all forms of humanitarian assistance will be available and accessible to these communities, especially that most of them reside in far-flung areas.
Despite the country being under community quarantine, there are still reports of continuing attacks against indigenous groups and red tagging of some of their tribal leaders. This year, a report by the Global Witness declared the Philippines as the deadliest country in Asia for land and environmental defenders. It is alarming that while the country experiences the atrocious effects of global crises such as climate change and the coronavirus pandemic, our environmental defenders including indigenous peoples, are being criminalised and killed. With the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Law, indigenous people’s groups have been more vocal of their concern over threats of being labelled as enemies of the state and the constant militarisation of their communities.
The Commission urges the government to intensify protection measures to mitigate possible human rights violations against them, and to stop external settlers, private firms, and industries who are taking advantage of the present crisis, from entering indigenous peoples’ territories.
As we grapple with this humanitarian crisis, the CHR underscores the need to pay closer look at the various vulnerabilities of the indigenous peoples and to stop any further marginalisation and disenfranchisement of our traditional custodians of land. ###