ADSDPP As Roadmap To Sustainable Future of IP Communities: Corazon L. Abansi
ADSDPP As Roadmap To Sustainable Future of IP Communities: Corazon L. Abansi
ADSDPP As Roadmap To Sustainable Future of IP Communities: Corazon L. Abansi
Communities
Corazon L. Abansi
University of the Philippines Baguio
The Cordillera Review, Journal of Philippine Culture and Society 3 (2) , 2011 | Page
Nos:
Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283655294_ADSDPP_as_Roadmap
_to_Sustainable_Future_of_IP_Communities
Type of Publication: Journal Article
Abstract
Introduction
IPRA provides that while IPs have rights to their ancestral domains
(Sections 7 and 8), they too have responsibilities (Section 9). This essay aims to
assess the ADSDPPs in terms of how the plans uphold the rights of ICCS/IPs as
stated in Section 2 of AO 1 and how they ensure compliance of ICCs/IPs to their
responsibilities as required in Section 3 of AO 1, to maintain ecological balance,
restore denuded areas as well as observe the requirements of IPRA. Specifically,
assessment is made in terms of the extent to which such plans comply with the
following priority areas and parameters of IPRA: (1) right to ancestral
land/domain; (2) self-determination and empowerment; (3) cultural integrity;
and, (4) social justice and human rights. The ADSDPP is a framework for the
process of human development that is normatively based on, and operationally
directed to the recognition, promotion and protection of fundamental human
rights. Critical attention to the observance of the four-fold bundles of rights is
made using indicators that look at a given plan in terms of its goals and
objectives and implementing mechanisms. Likewise, the essay aims to analyze
the responsiveness of the plan to the community needs and the appropriate
match between programs and community assets. Section 3b of AO 1 defines the
effectiveness of the ADSDPP as the extent to which the strategies and activities
progressively realize the desired results given the amount and quality of material
and human resources brought into a program/project.
The essay also aims to revisit the degree of community participation and
engagement in the process of formulating and drafting the ADSDPPs. Section 4
of AO 1 provides that the approach to the formulation of the ADSDPP must be
community/people driven and consultative, with guidance coming from NCIP
development offices. Through the ADSDPP, IPRA looks at and recognizes the
communities as “part of the solution, as partners, rather than the problem, in the
protection and management of natural resources” (Brett 2001).
The essay is divided into four parts. The next section describes the
ADSDPPs in terms of their distribution across the country and funding sources,
their components and the project proposals forwarded. The section that follows
discusses the methodology for assessing the plans while the analysis is presented
in the third section. Some concluding remarks and insights are provided in the
fourth and final section.
Since the passage of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act, the United
Nations Development Programme and New Zealand Aid (NZAID) have been at
the forefront of providing financial aid for IPs under the Empowerment of
Indigenous Peoples and Sustainable Development of Ancestral Domains Project
(IP-EIPSDAD), and have assisted in the formulation of ADSDPPs covering 11
regions, 21 provinces, and 32 municipalities (with a total area of 647,104.43
hectares and involving 25 tribes totalling to 174,280 IPs). Japan Social
Development Fund (JSDP) also showed significant contribution in the
formulation of ADSDPPS covering five regions, eight provinces and 23
municipalities with a total area of 270,211.7 hectares, involving ten tribes and
87,142 IPs. Comparison among regions reveals that CAR enjoyed the most
funding support from UNDP-EIPSDAD, NAPOCOR, CHARMP, and other
sources. JSDP funded ADSDPPs across the country with concentration in
Regions 2 and 3. Ateneo de Manila University and College of the Holy Spirit are
two of the higher education institutions which have actively supported the
formulation of ADSDPPs.
The second part of the ADSDPP concerns the plans and programs which
highlight the vision, mission, goals and objectives of the community. In some
ADSDPPs, these are stated in their native dialects with supplementary English
translations. The implementing mechanism elaborates on the leadership in the
community, including the customary laws recognized across the generations and
the mechanism for settling conflicts/disputes, administration of justice and
sharing of benefits. In almost all cases, a council of elders/leaders provides the
leadership for the community. The investment plan identifies the programs and
projects which the community endeavours to undertake to empower themselves.
In many cases, the investment plan is categorized by sector such as the social
sector, economic sector, infrastructure and utilities sector, and human resource
development and administration. In other ADSDPPs, the investment plan is
categorized by resources such as human, forest, minerals, water, etc. The
ADSDPP also usually lists proposed projects designed to concretize the
investment plan.
It is obvious from the table that almost 50 percent of the proposals seek to
address the rehabilitation of denuded forests and the development of agro-
forestry with expected benefits of livelihood, watershed protection, preservation
of soil erosion, and potential carbon sequestration after the attainment of
sufficient forest cover. Other proposals focus on equity in water use, fishery,
promotion of indigenous tourism and documentation, and transmission of
indigenous knowledge, systems and practices (IKSP).
Methodology
Rights of IP Indicator
Right to ancestral The plan highlights IP access and control over land and resources
domain The plan shows concretely the benefits that can be derived from
utilization of these resources such as generating employment and/or
providing cash and non-cash contribution to income
The plan results in environmental well-being by ensuring that the
benefits from protection of the environment are closely tied up with
access to and utilization of resources
Self- The plan has established protocol supporting the principle of free and
determination prior informed consent
and The plan provides explicit statements on customary laws, justice
empowerment system, conflict resolution mechanisms, and benefit-sharing
Cultural integrity The plan supports cultural preservation by prioritizing the
preservation of sacred sites and ceremonial areas
The plan encourages/promotes the use and transmission of knowledge
on culture
Social justice and The plan provides for access to basic social services and infrastructure
human rights The plan upholds political rights and demonstrates that men and
women enjoy equal rights and opportunities
A 3-point scale was used to measure the indicators for the three criteria
indicated below. Likewise, weighted mean score was calculated and interpreted.
Analysis
Access to land
Almost 60 percent of the plans show concretely the benefits that can be
derived from utilization of land and resources such as generating employment
and/or providing cash & non-cash contribution to income. The weighted mean
score of 2.51 testifies to this assertion. All plans spell out the expected benefits
that will lead to a progressive and economically stable community in the
statements of vision, mission, goals and objectives.
Environmental well-being
Among all plans, only 23 percent established protocols for the principle of
free and prior informed consent (FPIC) to harness the benefits of empowerment
from this vital instrument. Consent of the IP community refers to a collective
expression by the community through its leader or his recognized
representatives. The desire for a self-determined and empowered community is
visible in the vision, mission, and goal statements. These plans present the
management structure of the IPO together with the constitution and by-laws.
Among others, the constitution provides for the review and approval of
programs and project agreements or contract submitted by proponents for
development or management of any component or portion of the ancestral
domain. The implementing rules and regulations are also formulated to provide
guidelines on the implementation, supervision, and monitoring of all programs
and projects, particularly in the areas of natural resources utilization, benefit and
responsibility sharing, issuance of regulatory instruments, land allocation, and
distribution and entry of migrants. The investment plans include a program in
organizational development with 12 areas for capability building. In
communities with several tribes coexisting, a united leadership is envisioned and
achieved through the institution of a tribal council.
More than 30 percent of the plans showed a mechanism for dealing with
development projects that might come which will need free and prior informed
consent, but only to a lesser extent. The bigger 46 percent has no mechanism at
all. The weighted mean score for this indicator is at a low 1.77. However, the
absence of such explicitly described mechanism in the plan, does not limit the
opportunities for collaboration with potential partners. A case in point is the
most recent announcement on the construction of the proposed “Tinoc III Mini-
Hydro Power Plant Project” to begin second quarter of 2011 following the
finalization of the feasibility and Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between
concerned government agencies and the affected communities. The ADSDPP of
Tinoc does not contain a section on implementing mechanisms for plans and
programs but the announcement informs the people that consultations with the
communities affected by the project have been conducted since 2009 and all the
pertinent papers and requirements have already been completed and filed with
the National Commission of Indigenous People (NCIP) and the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) which issued the Environmental
Compliance Certificate (ECC) (See 2011).
Cultural integrity
The desire to preserve culture is evident in the vision, mission, and goal
statements of ADSDPPs although such is mostly concerned with promoting the
use and transmission of knowledge and culture for succeeding generations. Only
27 percent of the plans support to a great extent cultural preservation by
prioritizing the preservation of sacred sites and ceremonial areas. These plans
provide an inventory of traditional resources and sacred sites accompanied with
a traditional resource map. Among the programs in the investment plan, the
preservation of cultural heritage is a priority and covers areas such as the
establishment of a museum for cultural heritage and training related to
indigenous artifacts, instruments, and ornaments.
Half of the plans encourages and promotes the use and transmission of
knowledge on culture to a great extent. An inventory of herbal medicine, trees,
and animals as well as traditional practices that guide major decisions in all
aspects of life is provided in almost all plans to showcase existing natural, social,
and cultural capital of the community. The investment plans prioritize programs
on arts and cultural development covering several areas such as IKSP
documentation and transfer to the youth and traditional craft training and
production. In addition to the projects on community-based sustainable tourism
proposed in many plans, there is also an overwhelming desire to establish a
multi-purpose community center to serve as the venue for cultural gathering, a
showcase of the culture of the community, and an evacuation center in times of
disaster. One ADSDPP proposed to establish a school of living traditions to
preserve the cultural integrity of the community and maintain its spirituality.
More than half of the plans uphold the political rights of the IPs and
demonstrate that men and women enjoy equal rights and opportunities in the
social, economic, political and cultural spheres of life. To a great extent, these
plans show respect and recognition for the participation of women in decision
making and the importance of women’s organizations. Likewise, livelihood
opportunities for women have been identified in the plans while programs for
maternal health have been forwarded. The statements of mission, vision, goals
and objectives of the plan articulate the desire of the ICCs to work with other
organizations and communities for peace and development and to coordinate
with government, NGOs, and potential partners.
It must be noted here that ADSDPPs given a rating of one in the four
major indicators provide information on their situation and needs but do not
propose programs and actions that could respond to their needs. No investment
plan is forwarded that can harness potential resources and partners to help the
community attain the goals as articulated. This does not necessarily reflect the
lack of capability and willingness of the community to work together but can be
explained by differing understandings and perspectives each community may
have toward natural resources and their management. While natural resource
planners often break resources into its constituent parts, indigenous people may
often view them more synergistically.
The programs and actions contained in the ADSDPP are also examined to
assess how responsive they are to the needs identified by the community. This
measure is important to gauge the effectiveness of a project or activity in
fulfilling the goal the community has set for itself.
Some 15 percent of the ADSDPPs propose programs that may not respond
well to the identified needs. These plans expound on the need for basic services
but do not list any specific program to address this need, even as projects are
envisioned for intercropping such as abaca and coffee to increase income. These
projects may not directly provide the basic services required but may somehow
contribute indirectly to the fulfilment of said need.
The remaining 35 percent of the plans are not responsive to needs at all.
For instance, there is a plan that expresses the need to address the health impact
of the intensive use of fertilizer and pesticide in the vegetable terraces but lists a
project in ecotourism. Other plans merely provide a listing or enumeration of
needs, but do not rank the identified needs in terms of critical priority. One can
see a long list of personal and community needs grouped in varying categories in
such cases, something to be expected of groups of people already so accustomed
to being represented as poor and desperately needy (Cahill 2010). There are also
other plans with no identification of needs, nevertheless needs are embedded in
the statement of objectives. In other plans, needs are expressed as issues or
problems. It is possible that communities like these have gone through the
process of needs identification but were not successful in explicitly reflecting
them in plan formulation.
Table 5. Responsiveness of ADSDPPs to need and matching between programs and assets
% Distribution
INDICATOR 1 2 3 WM I
Effectiveness
The plan identifies programs that respond to the 35 15 50 2.15 LR
identified and prioritized needs of the community
Efficiency
The plan presents programs that match the existing 23 38 38 2.15 AS
assets of the community
WM – weighted mean; LR – less responsive; I –- Interpretation; AS – accurate match in some programs
Taking the previous two subsections together and what they reveal, it is
obvious that in introducing programs, it is essential that there be parallel efforts
to respond to the needs, and optimally exploit the natural, social, and cultural
capital of the community. In the template for ADSDPP programs, projects and
investment plans, ERPR (2007) highlighted the importance of identifying the
assets of the community and suggested the listing of priority projects
supportable by the socio-economic and cultural profile of the IP community.
These priority projects should then be clearly defined with targets, direct and
indirect beneficiaries, and attendant costs. The IP capacity to carry out the plan
as reflected in the implementation mechanism and investment plan would also
need to be clear and convincing.
The study also attempted to take a glimpse of the process that unfolded in
the formulation of the ADSDPP, specifically focusing on the extent of
participation of the members and the guidance provided by community
development agents from NCIP and various organizations.
1. Preparatory phase
a. Information dissemination on IPRA and related laws through
meetings and seminars
b. Formation and training of technical working groups
2. ADSDPP Preparation
a. Baseline data gathering and analysis
b. Community ancestral domain sectoral development planning
through workshops
c. Consolidation of sectoral plans
d. Drafting of the community ADSDPP
3. ADSDPP validation
a. Presentation and validation of ADSDPP at the barangay level
b. Presentation and validation of the ADSDPP by the concerned LGU
4. Adoption of the ADSDPP
a. Adoption by the community
b. Adoption by the LGU and incorporation into the municipal
development plan
Presentation,
Validation and Incorporation of the
Management Submission of ADSDPP into the
Plan Approval of Draft ADSDPP to
ADSDPP with IC/IP Local Government
Formulation NCIP Plans
Community
Members
At first glance, the process seems to follow a simple linear path, a series of
straight forward tasks, each of which is tackled in sequence. In structuring the
plan, the community working group tended to present their work in this sort of
logical manner. In every step of the process, the ICC working group demanded
to consult with every member of the community so that consensus was reached
prior to any conclusion or decision. This illustrates the active participation and
engagement of the community in the process. Inclusion and participation can
build commitment to the effort; differing perspectives can help identify
improved solutions; and can ensure more accountability for results from the
planning team. The photographs included in the ADSDPP document are living
proofs of well-attended meeting and assemblies and provided vivid images of
IPs in action.
Analysis has shown that the parallel targets of effectiveness and efficiency
in formulation of plans will continue to be a work in progress among the IP
communities. In like manner, the formulation and adoption of the ADSDPP is
just the beginning of the journey of the IPs toward their desired destination of
sustainable development. In this journey, they have to be armed with skills and
have to be provided company especially during the usual rough times and
confusing crossroads. The imperatives of a responsive capability-building
program and extensive partnership with like-minded groups cannot be
overlooked at this point.
It may also be necessary to go beyond the ICC and beyond the project
approach to mainstream IPs’ concerns and perspectives at all levels and to carry
out sustained policy dialogue with government on all levels. Although the right
type of project is necessary to improve the livelihood of IPs and enhance their
resilience, addressing indigenous concerns encompasses a broader spectrum of
issues that isolated projects cannot tackle in and of themselves. Mainstreaming of
the ADSDPPs to arenas at different levels–government and like-minded agencies
and groups, and targeting appropriate message routes are certain to make the
ADSDPPS a living document for the IPs.
Success requires that all those committed to supporting indigenous
peoples’ rights work together, reinforcing each other’s efforts to translate a
common vision into reality. The ADSDPPs can catalyze a unique fora for
discussing specific means to support the rights of indigenous peoples, aimed at
mobilizing political will, technical expertise, and financial resources, so that the
cause of indigenous peoples, reducing poverty, and sustainable development
become achievable.
References
Brett, June. 2001. Concepts of Ancestral Domain in the Cordillera Region from
Indigenous Perspectives. Perspectives on Resource Management in the Cordillera
Region. Baguio: UP Cordillera Studies Center.
Conduct of
Filing of CADT/ Initial Review Notification
Community-wide
CALT and Evaluation of
Information,
application of Submitted Delineation
Education and
Documents Activities to
Consultation
stakeholders
Community/
Establishment of Preparation of Verification of Applicant Survey
Project Control and Survey Returns Survey Returns Plan Validation
Perimeter Survey
Endorsement of the
Claim Deliberation and
1. PDT/CDT endorses Registration of Awarding of
Approval of the
to RRB; the CADT/ the CADT/CALT
CADT/CALT
2. RRB evaluates and CALT to the
application by
endorses to ADO; claimant/s
the Commission
3. ADO evaluates and
endorses to the NCIP
Commissioners
Recording of
Approved Survey
plan with the LMS-
DENR Regional
Office