On National Indigenous Peoples Month this October, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) joins the nation in affirming the rights, dignity, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) across the Philippines. This year’s theme, “Empowering Indigenous Peoples: Strengthening Rights, Culture and Ancestral Domains,” underscores that genuine empowerment requires protecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights, preserving their cultures, securing their ancestral domains, and ensuring their meaningful participation in decisions that affect their communities.

To mark this year’s observance, the CHR, in coordination with CHR Region II, will bring human rights services directly to Indigenous communities in Dupax del Norte, Nueva Vizcaya, on 6–7 October 2026. The activities will engage Indigenous community leaders, government agencies, local governments, academe, and civil society through legal services, human rights training, community dialogue, cultural activities, and advocacy on Indigenous Peoples’ rights. The CHR, in coordination with CHR Region XII, will also conduct monitoring activities and a follow-up community-based dialogue with Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples on 12-16 October 2026 as part of its continuing mandate to promote, protect, and monitor IP rights in the context of business activities and to strengthen their access to protection, justice, and remedies against violence, threats and displacement.

Protecting ancestral lands and the right to participate

Empowering Indigenous communities begins with securing their rights to ancestral lands and meaningful participation. Nearly three decades after the enactment of Republic Act No. 8371, or the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997, gaps remain between the recognition of these rights and their full enjoyment.

The World Bank reported that, as of early 2023, only 55 of 257 ancestral domains with approved Certificates of Ancestral Domain Title (CADTs) had been fully registered, while 202 remained pending registration with the Land Registration Authority (LRA). The CHR welcomes the July 2026 agreement between the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and LRA to address long-standing bottlenecks in the registration of ancestral domain and land titles.

Meaningful participation is equally essential to protecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights. In her July 2026 intervention before the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, CHR Commissioner Faydah Maniri Dumarpa, Focal Commissioner on Indigenous Peoples Rights, highlighted the displacement of Indigenous communities due to armed conflict and concerns over inadequate consultation in post-conflict reconstruction and development projects within their ancestral domains.

In Dupax del Norte, Nueva Vizcaya, as well as Lake Sebu and Tampakan, South Cotabato, Indigenous residents and other community members have also raised concerns over mining exploration activities, particularly the alleged inadequate consultation, potential environmental impacts, and the protection of the rights and welfare of nearby Indigenous communities.

The CHR affirms the right of Indigenous Peoples to meaningfully participate in decisions affecting their communities and way of life. Where required under law, Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) must be respected and carried out free from manipulation, interference, and coercion.

Ensuring economic, social, and cultural rights

Empowerment also requires the full enjoyment of economic, social, and cultural rights. In 2023, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported a 32.4 percent poverty incidence among Indigenous Peoples, equivalent to about 2.93 million people. Education, health, clean water, and social assistance also remain pressing concerns, particularly where poverty, geographical isolation, and conflict limit access to government services.

The CHR calls on government agencies, local governments, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to strengthen efforts to secure ancestral domains and protect and fulfil the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Their voices must carry weight in decisions affecting their lands, communities, and future.

As this year’s theme reminds us, empowering Indigenous Peoples means strengthening the rights, cultures, and ancestral domains that sustain their communities. The rights guaranteed under IPRA must be respected, protected, and fulfilled, while Indigenous Peoples themselves must remain at the center of decisions shaping their communities and future generations. ###