Friday, August 29, 2008 Tribal leader questions NCIP cultural study
AFTER the National Commission on Indigenous People's (NCIP) allegedly received a funding grant to run a cultural research in Barangay Macambol, City of Mati from local mining firm Asiaticus Management (Amcor), some IP leaders feared that the study might just get slanted.
Mindanao Indigenous Peoples Conference for Peace and Development chair Datu Joel Unad, upon learning of the move of NCIP to run a research to solve the tribal conflict in the area, was hesitant when he found out the study is backed by a local investor in the nickel-mining project.
The NCIP allegedly received a huge amount to run the cultural research.
However, Unad said the study will not arrive at its target result if its focus is limited to areas like Barangay Macambol, an area which is faced by a tribal feud brought about by a mining conflict between Australian-owned BHP Billiton and its local investor Amcor.
"They must also include the whole Mandaya tribe not just those settling in the area," he said.
Also, he said it is best if the council of elders will be included in the series of consultations as the elders represent all the clans in a given tribe.
Unad believes the council of elders is more credible for this kind of activity as they are respected and have shown laudable achievements in their respective areas.
The IP leader is not against the move of the NCIP that initiated the cultural study. He said he believes that a clear genealogy of the IPs in a given community would prevent internal conflict in future developments like investments in the area.
However, the only reservation felt by the MIPCPD chair is the possible manipulation by the funding company of the people who will participate in the research.
He also admitted that despite the released guidelines from NCIP Manila on the policies of ancestral domain, the government agency still failed to remain independent and firm in its guidelines.
"The NCIP must stick to the procedures from the research phase until the implementation phase by remaining open and just," he said. (CPM)
