PWG Meetings PDF Print
Monday, 17 September 2007
Alliance meetingOn Local Alliances
Last April 24, 2007, the Philippine Working Group had a meeting on Local Alliances and Natural Resource Management at the ESSC Conference Room, Manila Observatory, Ateneo de Manila campus.
The meeting gathered participants most of whom were involved in either upland/forest or coastal resource management work. At the beginning part of the meeting, a presentation was made on selected local alliances and their key characteristics. These were the alliances and councils visited by a team of ESSC-SPARK which went around the country to document the collaborative management practices employed by joint efforts of the local government units, local NGOs, POs, and other civil society groups. Some alliances were all municipality-based while others included already the city and the provincial government units. After the presentation, a discussion followed which revolved around the topics on alliances and their financial sources, their mechanisms to curb illegal activities, leadership and sustainability challenges, functions and roles of LGUs, and others. The meeting also explored possibilities to find focus for the PWG action. Some focus issues were identified such as comprehensive land-use planning and livelihood, delineation of protected and production lands, engagement with DENR on strategic issues, production of maps of new Philippine forest cover, strategic engagement with the media, and etc. For complete documentation report of the meeting, please see PWG Documentation.


On the IPRAIPRA meeting

As a way to commemorate the 10th anniversary since the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA) was made into law, the Philippine Working Group (PWG) arranged a meeting last July 5 which focused on the theme “IPRA: its implementation and impacts.” The meeting gathered participants from the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP), the DENR, some NGOs and individuals working for the indigenous peoples and their concerns. As in the previous PWG meetings, participants attended the meeting on their personal capacity. Before the meeting, participants were treated to a poster exhibit featuring PWG’s history, strategy, involvements with IPs concerns and needs, and the Apu Palamguwan Educational Center’s (APC) work in Bukidnon. The meeting was held at the ESSC Conference Room, Manila Observatory, Ateneo de Manila University campus.


Some important points that came up in the discussion include the following: updates from the NCIP on the status of current commissioners and on the implementation of the IPRA; challenges of the IPRA in the ARMM and with the new advent of mining in the country; possibilities to make IPRA work beyond titling and ownership of land; finding mechanisms that strengthen local culture while IPRA is implemented; and empowering IPs through the LGUs. The meeting also produced important recommendations and actions for the group. Some of these include the following: exploring avenues for more effective incorporation of IPs at the local level; re-evaluation among NGOs of their strategies and plans in relation to indigenous peoples; culture-based education for IPs; empowering/increasing the capacity of communities; and review of the NCIP processes. For complete documentation report of the meeting, please see PWG Documentation.

Last Updated ( Monday, 17 September 2007 )