POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES 1

DISPLACED INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN QUEZON PROVINCE

AND THE ROLE OF NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE (NCIP) IN ASSURING THE SURVIVAL
OF THEIR CULTURE

A Literature Review
Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Sta. Mesa, Manila

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

DPA 726- Problems and Special Issues in Development Administration

Dr. Alex Gonzales

by

Sarah Dane B. Lising

July 2022
 POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES 2
Introduction

Nations from all over the globe are now experiencing an era of unprecedented

migration and displacements. These phenomenon of migration and displacements

were closely associated with environmental change and development. According to

Oliver Smith (2009), more people were involuntary displaced in the 20th century than in

any other time in recorded history. Changes in the environment in the aspects of

political, social, economic, demographic, and environmental drivers led social groups

to move away from their original dwelling places in search of a better life. These

circumstances would later “pull” individuals to a community with better economic,

demographic, political, social environmental conditions. At the same time individuals

are “pushed” to new locations due to unfavorable conditions in their location of origin.

But is its noteworthy that such “push and pull” factors would not always resort to

improved lifestyle.

On the other hand, development induced displacement is generally

acknowledged by the United Nations, the major development banks and many national

governments all over the world. These institutions already installed safeguard

mechanisms to prevent such development induced displacement, yet it is still highly

prevalent around the world.

Environmental change and development induced displacements are true with the

case of Indigenous People worldwide who in the context of widespread discrimination

are vulnerable to different experience of migration and displacement where their well-

being and development are severely curtailed (Minority Rights Group International,

2017)

One interesting condition for analysis in order to have a better appreciation of the

interplay between environmental change, displacements, adaptive capacities and

 POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES 3
development is the case of Indigenous People in Quezon Province. A large crowd of

Indigenous People particularly the Dumagats can be found in the town of General

Nakar, while few of them can be spotted in three municipalities of Polilio Island. The

Dumagats have been relocated to more than 47 settlements areas by the government

(Escamilas, 2012). While the Badjao tribe who have been greatly affected by the

effects of armed conflicts and poverty forced them to leave their home seas and settle

in various urban areas in the Philippines such as Quezon Province.

Surprisingly, the focus of researches in the last few decades has circled in the

major streams related to land rights, socio-economic situations, political culture,

cultural expression and language disapperances. Although there are many literatures

containing discussions about IP displacement but these were usually taken from other

social sciences such as psychology. Hence, the reseacher envisions through this

paper to fill in the research gaps by specifically putting more emphasis on the

interplay of environmental change, displacements, adaptive capacities and

development of Indigenous People to gather bases on how to holistically address the

concerns of these tribes through sound policy.

Purpose

This review of the literature on the content of discourse relating to the displaced

indigenous people in Quezon Province and the role of the government particularly the

National Commission on Indigenous People in assuring the survival of IP culture,

knowledge and practices despite being displaced.

The purpose of this paper is to outline:

1. Who are the displaced IPs in Quezon Province?

 POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES 4
2. What are the political, social, economic, and environmental causes of IP

displacement in Quezon Province?

3. What have been the issues, challenges and problems encountered by Indigenous

People being displaced.

4. What is the role of the government particularly the National Commission of

Indigenous People in guarding the IP core rights despite being displaced?

The literature review was conducted in a very short timeframe and not

exhaustive. One thing that is clear from the review is the rich and dynamic nature of

the current discourse on displaced IPs in Quezon Province.

Indigenous People in Quezon Province

According to Aetatribes Organization, Gen. Nakar is a place with aborginal

Dumagat Communities. These group is different from the Aeta since their region is

located quite far from Mount Pinatubo and they were not affected by the volcanic

eruption in 1991. The Dumagats live in Mount Daraitan of Quezon Province. In 2015,

Deparment of Social Welfare and Development presented the demographics of a total

of 793 families belonging to the indigenous Dumagats and Agta groups living in the

isolated areas of Rixal and Quezon Province. These indigenous people and families

have children under 18 years of age and are considered vulnerable and disadvantaged

based on the assessment conducted by DSWD.

The Dumagats are one of the major groups of indigenous peoples in the

Philippines living in the Southern Tagalog region south of Manila. The Dumagat tribe is

an indigenous group in Luzon. With physical features similar to the Aetas, they trace

their origins from the Negritos, one of the first inhabitants in the Philippines. The

Dumagats, now numbering only about 30,000, inhabit the fertile Sierra Madre Ranges
 POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES 5
on Quezon province's northern tip. A large throng of this ethnic tribe can be found in

the town of General Nakar, while a few of them can be spotted in three municipalities

of Polillo Island in Quezon province (Espada, 2003).

A large crowd of this ethnic tribe can be found in the town of General Nakar,

while a few of them can be spotted in three municipalities of Polillo Island. Primarily,

the Dumagats depend on farming, kaingin, paid labor, vending logs and other forest

commodities as livelihood. Secondarily, they rely on fishing, hunting animals, gathering

crops and other natural bounties for survival. Loan dependence (usury) has reduced

many of them to dismal poverty (Escamillas,2012). The government allocated more

than 47 settlement areas as their home. There are four settlements within the area of

General Nakar. Dinigman Settlement at Barangay Canaway, Lamutan Settlement at

Barangay Lamutan, Tamala Settlement at Barangay San Marcelino, and Cynthia

Village of Barangay Umiray are officially supervised by the Office for Southern Cultural

Communities (OSCC) of Social Services and Development. However, given this

opportunity, the Dumagats are having still the tendency to become nomads which still

brings them to the inner part of Sierra Madre (Escamillas, 2012).

Based on the Administrators of Bureau on Cultural Heritage of BARMM

(2019). Badjao or Bajau is a tribal group known as the Sea Gypsies because they

move with the wind and the tide on their small houseboats called vintas. They are

found in many coastal settlements and inhabit the waters and shores of Sulu

archipelago. According to Payatas Orione Foundation Inc. (2015) over 200 Badjao

families have settled to form a community in Dalahican, Lucena City. After being

displaced in their hometown in Sulu and Zamboanga following the armed confrontation

between government forces and rebels, the Badjaos resorted to living in stilt houses

with no electricity, no hygienic means of food and water, and live off from roaming the
 POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES 6
streets of Manila, Lucena and other areas, begging for alms to make ends meet. In

Lucena City, many Badjaos are often seen in the streets begging for spare change.

The sea gypsies can also be seen in their small boats close to port areas in Dalahican

where passenger ships dock. The Badjaos ask passengers to throw coins and the

Badjao in return will show the passengers their skills in diving after the coins.

Political, Social, Economic, and Environmental causes of IP displacement in

Quezon Province

At least 122 Agta individuals had been displaced, of whom 71 people involuntary

relocated, for the sake of infrastructure and tourism development. The Agta case

signifies how a misrepresentation of mobile hunter-gatherers as not being place-

bound, is used to justify their displacement and trivialize the severe impacts that

relocation, sedentarization and an influx of farming immigrants will have on their well-

being. Upland-dwelling minorities have borne the brunt of the social and environmental

costs of dam construction on the margins. This has been the case for mainly three

reasons: most of them live in the topographically and climatically most suitable places

for such projects; their customary land rights provide little or no security of tenure; and

they are politically weak or powerless vis-à-vis dominant or majority ethnic groups

(Hirsch 1999; Xanthaki 2003). On the other hand, most of the project benefits, such as

the provision of energy and water supply, usually accrue to distant urban populations.

According to Bracamonte et al (2011), the violent clashes between government

forces and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) armed groups in the 1970s has

been one of the major reasons why a number of Badjaos reportedly fled to several

parts of the country. The loss of their traditional fishing grounds due to big commercial

fishing businessmen is also another factor that led them to migrate to other places.
 POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES 7
These circumstances have forced the Badjaos to leave their land in search of a better

life in other coastal areas and urban areas. They continue to build their houses on stilts

and make a living from the sea. Badjaos have also learned to look for alternative

sources of income as fishing is not enough to sustain their daily needs. The

experiences of Badjaos over decades of conflicts, migration and overfishing have led

them to change some of their traditional culture and ethnic identity in order to adapt to

new social conditions.

Issues, Challenges and Problems encountered by Indigenous People being

displaced.

Poverty is the major problem that the Dumagat group faces. Families can rarely

afford to buy food that is sufficient for a day. Second problem is the supply of

electricity. The Dumagats just use lamp or flash light that their municipality gives them

(Sta. Ana, 2012). Poor shelter and housing is another problem of the Dumagats. If

there is a typhoon, they are worried for their houses since those were only built using

light materials like bamboo and pulpy leaf of plants like the coconut. Though they do

not experience flood, they are afraid that their houses will be blown by strong winds

(Sta. Ana, 2012). Furthermore, the land that the houses of the Dumagats were built is

under the possession of the government. The government plans for a rehabilitation

along the Angat river, and this leaves no other choice for the residents rather than to

leave their homes (Sta. Ana, 2012). Next is the schooling adversities. Since poverty is

the major problem, the education of the Dumagats is severely affected. With no

money, there is no education. Often times a Dumagat had to stop studying because of

financial instability (Sta. Ana, 2012).

 POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES 8
The study conducted by Yren and Jordan (2022) revealed that Several

problems were encountered by the Badjaos after being displaced from their provinces.

Firstly, they lack domicile which they could call their own as they are displaced by war,

piracy, discrimination, and environmental issues among others. The second problem is

the lack of financial support and opportunities. Since the time of displacement, the

respondents have been suffering from financial crisis. They had no other livelihood apart

from fishing and collecting sea stones and pearls. Because of this, the respondents were

forced to beg in the streets of urbanized places. They were not able to send their

children to school. Furthermore, most of them cannot find stable job since they are

uneducated or illiterate. The third problem that occurs in the community is the lack of

access to proper and adequate medical services, and the malnutrition especially among

children. The community is affected by lung-related health issues. This is worsen by the

unsubstantiated or unscientific medical practices of the Badjao from their traditions and

beliefs such as medical practices before going to health centers and bathing in the sea

as a medical alternative as they believe it can cure diseases. The last problem

encountered by the Badjao tribe is the discrimination. According to the respondents,

there were instances where they feel discriminated. They were made fun of because of

their physical appearance and their primitive culture. They were insulted verbally and

sometimes physically or people just simply avoid them.

The role of the government particularly the National Commission of

Indigenous People in guarding the IP core rights

Rights to ancestral domain

On the first core mandate, the number and extent of approved CADTs and CALTs in the

regions is a significant manifestation of the NCIP’s performance. The identified concerns

 POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES 9
regarding ancestral domains and tenurial security encompassed conflicting land

ownership claims, non-representative IP political structures, poor anthropological and

demographic documentation of recognized IPs/ICC, and unrecognized rights of IPs/ICCs

still yet to be reached by NCIP. Although the AD application and approval processes still

need to be perfected, and certain integral issues in domain delineation and IP and

cultural community representation need to be addressed, the current reported numbers

are already an indication of relative success. 45 An articulated weakness is the

seemingly poor anthropological documentation of IP culture and heritage and the lack of

masterplan toward eventual program conclusion in ancestral domain coverage. The IP

ancestral domain universe needs to be defined as there is still no clear estimate on full

coverage. Still undocumented IPs/ICCs and their respective ancestral domains need to

be looked into with urgency. The NCIP must not only be dependent on CADT/CALT

applications, rather, proactivity in terms of covering unsurveyed areas need to be

manifested. Appropriate anthropological research, and demographic and geodetic leg

work need to be initiated at the level of the commission even without prompts from its

constituents. Tenurial concerns, due to conflicting policy and ownership claims, for both

government and non-government entities, need to be addressed. The IPs/ICCs’ cultural

integrity is bound to their respective ancestral domains and all the resources therein,

hence this core mandate is inviolable.

Rights to self governance and empowerment

On the second core right, strong representation in bureaucratic platforms is a good

indicator for self-governance and empowerment of indigenous peoples and ICCs. This is

seen especially in platforms covering regulatory functions, program implementation and

governance councils where there are opportunities for decision-making roles and/or
 POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES 10
avenues to contribute. The NCIP’s leverage is also enhanced when it is represented in

bodies significant to furthering development at both local and national levels. However,

the Commission must recognize and play up its innate institutional strength and authority

to effectively manifest such leverage. The above platforms also allow IPs and indigenous

cultural communities to mainstream their interests or at the very least, have their

concerns heard. The strength and spectrum of IP representation greatly varied among

the visited sites: in CAR, there is an empowered NCIP regional office and IP population

as they are able to effectively articulate and leverage; in Region XI, there is

commendable multi-level IP representation through the IPMR, the Mindanao Conference

Committee, and the NCIP; and, in Region VI, the same NCIP and IP representations

were visibly weak with an apparent disconnect between the bureaucratic arm and its

local constituents. Such varied institutional translation and success only point to the still

hugely unexplored authority and strength of the Commission. The IPRA upholds the

IP/ICC’s right to self-determination, including the right to decide on development

priorities affecting their lives, beliefs, institutions, spiritual well-being, and the lands they

own, occupy or use. Recent events at the national and sub-national levels seem to

disrespect this core mandate with the imposition of key infrastructure projects that would

disrupt the integrity of awarded ADs. It is given that the state has the inherent power

eminent domain and expropriation when public interest is at stake. But great caution

must be exercised by the national government and concerned stakeholders in resorting

to this, lest the accorded right to IPs/ICCs with respect to their ADs is unjustly violated.

Ultimately, the courts may have to decide on an acceptable conclusion to this dilemma,

but the institutional processes that are already in place like the FPIC must first be

exhausted.
 POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES 11
Rights to social justice and human rights

The third core right is social justice and human rights. Enshrined in the IPRA is the

ICCs/IPs’ equal protection to the rights and privileges enjoyed by the rest of the citizenry.

They have the 46 right to be free from discrimination and to have access to immediate,

effective and continuing improvement of their economic and social conditions, including

in the areas of education and training, employment, settlement, sanitation and health,

social protection and security. The Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines

recognized the IPS, IPOs and IPMRs as conduits to empower the IPs, as well as protect

their rights and promote social justice. But, like the more entrenched legal defenders in

the system, these select groups and individuals suffer threats and unjust retribution

when engaged in talks about IP rights to ancestral domain, self governance, social

justice, and cultural integrity. The mainstream legal and governance system of the

Philippines, need to manifest its protection over the more vulnerable members of the

population, including the IPs/ICCs

Rights to cultural integrity

The last core right to cultural integrity particularly refersto the protection of indigenous

culture, traditions and institutions. IPs/ICCs are accorded under the IPRA the freedom to

exercise their indigenous traditions and customs, with the State supposedly respecting

such in the formulation and grounding of national policies and programs. They are also

given the right to education, without prejudice to their preferred systems and institutions

consistent with their language, and cultural methods of teaching and learning
 POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES 12
Conclusions

1. There are two groups of IPs in Quezon Province who are currently occupying

mountainous areas of Gen. Nakar and Polilio namely the Dumagats and the Agta.

A significant number of Badjao tribes is also present in Dalahican Area which is a

coastline community of Lucena City.

2. Two themes emerged as a major cause of IP displacement in Quezon province

were development and conflict induced displacement.

3. Poverty is till the leading problem among IPs in Quezon Province. Another

challenge faced by displaced IPs is their lack of domicile which they can truly call

their own. Some other themes emerged in this category were adversaries in

education and limited livelihood opportunities.

4. Governemnt’s role in guarding the core rights of the indigenous people are

embodied in the IPRA law and is being implemented and safeguarded by the

National Commission for Indigenous People. The current literature review did not

specifaclly covered the extent to implementation of IPRA in Quezon Province.

 POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES 13

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