National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) conducted a community consultation and inter-agency visitation in barangay Bangkal in Abucay Bataan.
This aims to address the issues of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) communities relative to their rights to ancestral domains, self-governance and empowerment, social justice and human rights, and cultural integrity.
“We are conducting this kind of activity in order to show our IPs that they are not being forgotten and left behind, and different government agencies are here to help them address the issues relating to their communities, as promised by President Duterte,” NCIP Chair Allen Capuyan said.
He stressed that this initiative would help resolve issues in each community, especially issues concerning their ancestral domains and rights to self-governance, with the intervention of different government agencies through their programs.
The official likewise encouraged IP communities to continue preserving their culture and promote unity among others.
11 building blocks of a resilient, responsive and relevant IPs ancestral domain were also emphasized during the activity.