AN INDIGENOUS peoples' (IP) leader is urging her fellow IPs in Cagayan de Oro to protect and preserve their ancestral lands instead of selling them to big landlords and foreign investors.
Nena Lumandong, currently working for the City Government as an IP focal person, has been representing the lumads residing in the hinterlands of the city and serves as a voice to the marginalized IPs.
Lumandong has been advocating the protection and preservation of the IPs' ancestral land, prohibiting the land to be sold, to be served as collateral or to be pawned.
"Maraming nagbebenta, marami rin yung bumibili na hindi mga katutubo. Kaya parati naming sinasabi na 'Please protect your land because land is life.' Para sa amin, yan lang yung natira mula sa ninuno namin," Lumandong said.
(So many have sold their land and a lot have also bought the land even if they’re not members of the indigenous peoples. That is why we always say ‘Please protect your land because land is life.’ This is the only thing that our ancestors has left us)
"Sana maintindihan kami sa mga ibang investors na papasok sa loob ng komunidad; irespeto nila, hahanapin nila kung sino yung mga tribal leaders na nasa community," she added.
(We hope investors will understand us if they plan to invade our communities. Respect, and look for the tribal leaders in the community)
According to Lumandong, a family member being ill is one of the commonly used reasons as to why IPs sold portions of their land to landlords or investors.
"Ito ay naging problema na sa hinterlands ng Cagayan de Oro," Lumandong said.
(This is already a problem in Cagayan de Oro’s hinterlands)
According to the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of 1997 or the IPRA Law, the "indigenous concept of ownership generally holds that ancestral domains are the IP's private but community property which belongs to all generations and therefore cannot be sold, disposed or destroyed."
Lumandong said that there are some IPs that have been sending complaints to the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) over the issue.
The IP focal person also urged for the implementation of the Republic Act 8371 or the IPRA Law to be efficient as there are others who didn't know about the law, particularly those involved in the selling of ancestral domain.
"At tsaka yung mga pinoproseso na ancestral domain sa bawat komunidad sana bigyang pansin para na rin magkatitulo na sila para may sarili na silang lupa, hindi na sila maging squatters sa sarili nilang lupa," Lumandong added.
(Also those ancestral domain claims that are now being processed, we hope this will be given attention so the IPs can now officially claim these lands as theirs and not squatters in their own land)
The city of Cagayan de Oro recently celebrated the National Indigenous Peoples Month on Wednesday, October 24, highlighting the tribal dances of the IPs which were executed by Higaonon youth from different high schools.