Insights of Indigenous Peoples in Bukidnon, Philippines
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Improving Tenure Security REFLECTION PAPER of Smallholder Farmers in Select Areas in the Philippines BUILDING FOOD-SECURE COMMUNITIES THROUGH ENHANCED TENURE SECURITY: Insights of indigenous peoples in Bukidnon, Philippines Members of MILALITTRA, Inc. with SALaR partners from Laos and Uganda. INTRODUCTION With the overall goal of improving land and natural resources tenure security of rural Concerns over the food insecurity situation smallholder farmers, the Global Land Tool in developing countries are reflected in the Network (GLTN), as facilitated by UN-Habitat, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is implementing in Uganda, the Philippines to end hunger, achieve food security and and Laos the program “Secure Access to improved nutrition and promote sustainable Land and Resources (SALaR)” Project through agriculture by 2030. An essential element the support of Germany’s Federal Ministry of in enhancing food security and reducing Economic Cooperation and Development poverty in most rural communities, is improving (BMZ). access to land, increasing security of tenure and enhancing capacities to sustainably use In contribution to SALaR Project, the Asian land and resources. NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC) in partnership with More than one-fifth of the country’s total population - 22 million Filipinos - still live below the national poverty line (Philippine Statistical Authority, 2015). Majority of the poor reside in rural areas and many of them rely on agriculture as the main source of income. Among the subsectors of agriculture, those living in the uplands and engaged in forestry activities have the highest incidence of poverty at 68 percent. Majority of these upland dwellers are indigenous peoples (IPs) estimated to be between 10 to 20 percent of the national population (PIDS, 2012). Ironically, these communities who rely on agriculture for a living are also considered “food poor”. the Xavier Science Foundation, Inc. (XSF) aim hectares and has already completed to enhance the tenurial security of about its ADSDPP. It has 165 family members. 2,500 households of indigenous peoples in two municipalities in Bukidnon, Northern Details of the organizational profiles of these Mindanao through the initiative “Improving three IPOs are available at https://angoc. Tenure Security of Smallholder Farmers in org/resources/profiles/. Select Areas in the Philippines.” WHAT IS THIS PAPER ABOUT? In particular, ANGOC and XSF shall collaborate with three IP organizations to increase the This document aims to contribute to the uptake and enhance their capacities to learning process of SALaR Project from the implement land tools towards increasing point of view of the partner IP communities. tenurial security. Located in the province of Bukidnon, Mindanao, Philippines, these IP As such, the contents of this document are organizations are the: drawn from the reflections of the partner IP organizations arising from a series of focus n Miarayon Lapok Lirongan Talaandig group discussions (FGDs) facilitated by XSF Tribal Association, Inc. (MILALITTRA, staff. Around 77 IP community representatives Inc.), covering four barangays in the (leaders, women, youth, members) from municipality of Talakag. MILALITTRA, Inc. MILALITTRA, Inc., NAMAMAYUK and PTTA, is composed of approximately 2,500 Inc. provided their insights on land and food households. The group was awarded security, relevance, most significant change, a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title fostering partnerships, sustainability, major (CADT) of 11, 367 hectares in 2003. On challenges, key opportunities and lessons the other hand, the group’s Ancestral learned from the GLTN-ANGOC-XSF initiative. Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan (ADSDPP) is being The insights are complemented from updated. information contained in various sources: n Nagkahiusang Manobong Manununod a) project progress reports; b) exchanges sa Yutang Kabilin (NAMAMAYUK) covers between and among staff of ANGOC and barangays Bacusanon and Nabaliwa XSF; c) discussions during the SALaR Mid-Term in the municipality of Pangantucan. Review Mission; and, d) reflections from the NAMAMAYUK has applied for a CADT SALaR Learning Exchange Visit. of 3,506 hectares and has already formulated its ADSDPP. The community DEFINING LAND AND FOOD SECURITY is composed of 208 households. FROM THE LENS OF IPs n Portulin Talaandig Tribal Association, Inc. (PTTA, Inc.) covers barangays Portulin, Land tenure security according to the IPs, is a New Eden, Concepcion and Dagolos right to land as members and stewards of the in the municipality of Pangantucan. ancestral domain. Respondents of the FGDs It has applied for a CADT of 6,679.83 define land tenure security as: n A guarantee or assurance that land will expand/move and even impulsively not be susceptible to land grabbing destroy his/her neighbors’ crops. threats and affected by plantation n During time immemorial, ancestors expansions owned by corporations and would verbally give out lands without private sectors. Chiefly, it is a right not to clear boundary indicators and be displaced from their homes. measurements. Since the ancestral n Security is earned through a tangible domain eventually consisted of mixed medium or document (e.g. certificate ethnicities, e.g. lumads and Bisayas, signed by government officials and not everyone is knowledgeable of such tribal chieftains to recognize the IPs boundaries. entitlement to land) which does not n Minor disputes among family members necessarily equate to a land title. on land boundary matters; the need to n The ability to reclaim and sustain land subdivide land for their heirs. tenure even to small parcels of land n Dilatory process in claiming the CADT. through a tangible evidence. n Lack of knowledge and resources e.g. n Financially able to work the land and tools, equipment, livestock towards land invest in farming and agricultural cultivation, and capital for agricultural livelihood. livelihood. n Land security does not and should not n Some residents sell land to non-IPs. endorse leasing or selling out lands as n Deception due to lack of education an endowment for their heirs and for (e.g. submission to those who sell-out the incoming generations to live. land in the ancestral domain). n Land tenure should abide with the n Parcels of land were sold to non- indigenous peoples’ cultures. indigenous individuals; some IPs do not n Lives depend on land; and as their own land. source of refuge, tenure security n Most lands in the barangay are bought. should include rights to protecting However, they do not hold any legal the forestlands of Mt. Kalatungan as it document to support their tenure; not comprises their ancestral domain. even a “deed of absolute sale.” n Entails the importance of land n Borrowed lands from families before delineation among family members to were sold and were no longer retrieved prevent disputes and good relations for lacking any supporting document, between neighbors on land boundary tangible proof or evidence. matters. In order to manage and resolve such disputes, However, unclear delineations and arbitrary IPs resort to their Council of Elders. Whenever land claims give rise to disputes among family there are conflicts or small disagreements and community members. Among the issues on the part of the households particularly on and challenges encountered on land tenure boundary issues, these are being brought to are as follows: the attention of the Elders. n Minor disputes among neighbors and On the other hand, food security to their family members due to overlapping understanding pertains to the ability to provide land claims, arbitrary land boundary nutritionally-adequate food not only to their indicators and absence of any respective families but should also be made supporting land document to certify available for the general populace, including occupancy. non-farming individuals. Thus, engaging to n Reluctance to till due to vague and farming and agricultural livelihood is a matter arbitrary boundary indicators among of utmost concern. neighbors where one can easily Respondents defined food security as follows: tenurial challenges and issues. As such, entitlement to land increased their hopes for n Be able to utilize the land with various their CADT application. crops e.g., corn, lutya, etc. or root crops as an alternative to rice. From arbitrary boundary indicators, house- n Be able to raise crops in one’s holds are now informed of their respective land backyard to avoid the harmful effects boundaries that has promoted understanding of chemically-fertilized crops in the between neighbors. Subsequently, measuring market. and delineating land alone would resolve n With land security, households are disputes in the community in general. enthused to work the land and thereby achieve food security. In addition, the concepts of land conflict n Food intake quantity depends on the management and resolution have been size/space of their farm lots. introduced to the IPs during the Forum and n Their survival is dependent on their Training of Trainors on Landscape Gover- territory. nance in June and July 2019 in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental and Valencia Thus, there is a strong link between land and City, Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao, food security. In fact, land security is food Philippines. Such tools are among the critical security. IPs depend on land resources for methodologies and mechanisms in defending livelihood where they can access and/or the land rights and tenure