RECOGNIZING THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

RECOGNIZING THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES What are the requirements for a certain population to be recognized as indigenous peoples (IPs)? Do they need to have ancestral lands? Is a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) needed to be classified as an IP community? Are these two legal frameworks interrelated? To cite an example, let us discuss the case of the Butuanon people. They are said to be descended from the ancient Lapaknon people of the old Butuan kingdom. The Lapaknon are known to be the “people of the marsh”, closely related to the Tausug people who are known to be the “people of the current”. By now, the old ancestral lands of the Lapaknon have all become private lands, and there is no more land left that could be issued a CADT. Howevert, their old language survived, now known as Binutuanon. Because of new laws allowing indigenous languages to be used as the medium of instruction in IP communities, Binutuanon could be used as a medium of instruction, except for the fact that the Butuanons are not classified as an indigenous people, and they have no CADT. What can be done to solve this problem? Is a new law needed? Or an Executive Order (EO) perhaps? Or a Department Order (DO) from the DEPED? Or maybe a City Ordinance (CO) would suffice? Share with me your ideas. IKE SENERES/05-14-2024