(File photo) MANILA - The National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) said the Philippines is leading the world in terms of recognizing and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples (IPs). This was reported by Lawyer Norberto "Jong" Navarro, Ethnographic Commissioner of the NCIP, during the virtual press conference of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Wednesday in celebration of Indigenous People's Month this October. Navarro said this achievement was made possible through the creation of NCIP which is mandated to implement the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act or the IPRA Law and promote IPs' rights "in their own perspective" and over their "ancestral domain". The NCIP made processes and validations of all IPs' claims easy to implement, Navarro explained, as shown by the 43 policy guidelines issued by the Commission that are responsive to the needs of every IP community. To date, NCIP has already id
When we think about indigenous peoples and cultural communities in the Philippines, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Perhaps it’s their culture and beliefs that many of us are unfamiliar with, or their colorful clothing and accessories, their religious or spiritual practices that are quite different from ours.…