The EED Philippine Partners

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• The EED Philippine Partners Task Force for
  Indigenous Peoples Rights

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• The EED- Task Force on Indigenous Peoples Rights
  (eedtfip) is a network of 12 non-government
  organizations working in different regions in the
  Philippines and at the national level for the
  assertion of indigenous peoples rights to food,
  land and resources, with support from the Church
  Development Service of Germany.
• It was established in 2001 after we saw the need
  to strengthen our capacities and advocacy for the
  recognition of indigenous peoples rights

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Its members are the following

• Cordillera Womens Education Action Research
  Center (CWEARC)
• Consortium of Christian Organizations in Rural
  Development (CONCORD)
• Episcopal Church of the Philippines (ECP)
• Iglesia Filipina Independiente Visayas Mindanao
  Regional Office Development (IFI-VIMROD)
• Integrated Devt. Program for Indigenous People in
  Southern Tagalog (IDPIP-ST)
• Regional Development Center Katinnulong Dagiti
  Umili ti Amianan (RDC-KADUAMI)
• Montanosa Research and Development Center (MRDC)
• Project Development Institute (PDI)
• Southern Christian College Community Education
  Research and Extension Administration (SCC-CEREA)
• Sibol ng Agham at Teknolohiya (SIBAT)
• Tebtebba Foundation (Indigenous Peoples
  International Center for Policy Research and
  Education)
• PRISMS

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Issues of indigenous peoples (IP) in the
Philippines

• Rights to land rightful claim to resources,
  including indigenous knowledge and biodiversity
  and the use, protection and sustainability
  thereof toward ensuring food security.
• However, these rights are now seriously
  threatened by destructive development projects,
  incursion of modern agricultural technologies,
  historical neglect by the government of the
  welfare and basic services for indigenous peoples.

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• Ensuring IP Food Security

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Thus, EED-TFIP saw the need to pursue the
following strategic goals, for indigenous
peoples

• To secure access to, and control over their
  ancestral lands and domains, and
• To exercise the right to self-determination

by advancing a a six-point agenda towards
ensuring food security and rights to land and
resources for indigenous peoples.
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1. Indigenous peoples have the right to determine
their own development.

• We assert and defend the indigenous peoples
  right to self-determination. Thus, we shall work
  so that
• The struggle of indigenous peoples for
  self-determination is recognized and that genuine
  development programs are undertaken and asserted
  by the indigenous peoples themselves,
• Support is mobilized for national and local
  campaigns and advocacies to assert indigenous
  peoples right to self-determination
• International instruments recognizing indigenous
  peoples rights, such as the United Nations Draft
  Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
  the International Labor Organization Convention
  No. 169 on Indigenous Peoples (ILO 169), Article
  8J of Convention on Biological Diversity, etc.
  are ratified and implemented by the government.

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2. Ancestral domains are the basis of indigenous
peoples survival and development.

• Thus, we defend and promote indigenous peoples
  right to ancestral domain through the following
  efforts
• Study State policies toward proposing
  alternatives that genuinely protect the
  indigenous peoples rights to ancestral domains
  and promote sustainable use and management of
  resources,
• Initiate or support campaigns by conducting
  policy briefings on IP-related issues,
  participating in solidarity activities,
  Congressional hearings, lobby for local
  legislations, e.g. Support the campaign for the
  repeal of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995

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3. Indigenous knowledge systems are the basis of
development, hence, they must be studied,
protected and promoted.

• Thus, we shall work towards
• Reviving and strengthening indigenous
  institutions, knowledge and practices that
  promote and enhance food security and
  agricultural biodiversity,
• Conduct research and showcase exemplary
  indigenous knowledge systems on natural resource
  management, sustainable agriculture, conflict
  resolution, etc.
• Engage government in a dialogue and embark on
  grassroots advocacy to recognize, protect and
  promote indigenous knowledge systems,
• Work for the implementation of a genuine free,
  prior and informed consent (FPIC) process.

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4. Genetic resources form the essential core of
the livelihood system and food security of
indigenous peoples.

• We thus advocate for the
• Implementation of sustainable natural resource
  management programs, specifically those that
  rehabilitate the forest and water resources
• Conduct scientific research on the effects of
  genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on
  indigenous peoples,
• Review state legislations and policies that
  affect indigenous peoples genetic resources and
  propose alternatives thereto,
• Embark on grassroots advocacy to protect and
  promote the rights of indigenous peoples to their
  genetic resources
• Declaration of GMO-free zones at the local
  level, and the assertion of the rights of
  indigenous peoples to their cultural integrity
  and FPIC in relation to GMOs.

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5. Indigenous sociopolitical systems are
essential to food security.

• It is thus necessary to
• Recognize exemplary indigenous sociopolitical
  systems operating in local communities,
• Enhance the engagement of indigenous
  sociopolitical systems in local governance,
• Provide a venue for the open exchange of ideas
  and experiences about the operation of indigenous
  sociopolitical systems
• Provide mechanisms for multi-media dissemination

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6. Food sufficiency and food security are
essential conditions for the survival of
indigenous peoples.

• We shall thus work to
• Promote sustainable agriculture practices and
  intensify food production to achieve staple crop
  sufficiency
• Diversify livelihood activities of indigenous
  communities in order to ensure food security,
• Locate and protect market niches for selected
  produce from indigenous communities,
• Recognize and advance the role of indigenous
  women as co-stewards in ensuring food and
  livelihood security
• Intensify the campaign and advocacy regarding
  issues that threaten food and livelihood security
  of indigenous peoples, such as Agricultural
  modernization and trade liberalization,
  extractive industries, piracy of biogenetic
  resources, development aggression, and
  militarization

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In pursuit of this agenda, the EED-TFIP shall

• conduct researches
• organize educational fora
• tap news media
• build and strengthen linkages
• launch and support campaigns
• initiate and support policy reform efforts, and
• enhance the capacity of partner organizations, as
  well as those of our stakeholders and advocates.