Indigenous land conflict increased by 70,300 hectares in 2023 — report

MANILA, Philippines — A legal and policy research institution revealed a rise in conflicts within indigenous territories, coupled with an uptick in instances of violations against the rights of indigenous people.

The Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC) shared in its 2023 State of Indigenous Peoples Address (SIPA 2023) Report their findings, emphasizing a surge in land and environmental conflicts.

"We found a net increase of over 70,345 hectares of ancestral domains facing land and environmental conflicts, a +6% increase compared to last year," said LRC campaigns support and linkages coordinator Leon Dulce in a release.

"Mining expansion is the main driver with an additional 223,000 hectares approved since last year."

The report cited data from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), highlighting low success rates in recognizing and safeguarding ancestral domains.

LRC stated that only 33% of the commissions target of 1,531 ancestral domains and claims were issued Certificate of Ancestral Domain Titles (CADTs) and Certificates of Ancestral Land Titles (CALTs), and only 30% of a targeted 980 Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plans (ADSDPPs) were assisted and accomplished.

"26 years after the passage of the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act, the government’s adherence to the Regalian Doctrine continues to undermine its meaningful implementation even with no less than the 1987 constitution’s guarantees to indigenous peoples’ right," Dulce said.

"As a result, ancestral domains are not granted its due respect over and above other land and resource uses."

The report noted a surge in alleged human rights violations, documenting at least 45,070 affected IPs. This marks a 62% increase compared to the previous SIPA Report in 2022.

The report highlighted an incident involving the alleged prevention of the indigenous Menuvu Dulangan community members from constructing a community-based off-grid solar power facility. The impediment was reportedly caused by the Special CAFGU Active Auxiliary (SCAA) units, purportedly associated with the Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA) plantation in South Central Mindanao.

The facility