Cong. Mangaoang presents accomplishments in 18th Congress

Tabuk City, Kalinga – Before proceeding to the regular session proper, the elected chairperson of the House Committee on Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) and Indigenous Peoples (IPs), Allen Jesse Mangaoang presented before the members the accomplishments of the committee in the 18th Congress.

Mangaoang on Thursday, August 25, reported that during his term in the congress, the committee ‘took charge of 36 measures and acted on 21 of them comprising 17 House Bills and 4 House Resolutions.’

The committee, he said, created four technical working groups, drafted 8 substitute bills, and approved 4 of them at the committee level.

They held 13 regular meetings, 10 technical working group meetings, 1 public hearing with 1 ocular inspection, and 2 executive meetings.

Here’s part of Congressman Mangaoang’s report:

On alleged abuses and violence against ICCs and IPs in Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino

“The committee conducted an ocular inspection and on-site public hearing in the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino for we sought to resolve conflicting reports on one hand of abuses and violence against ICCs and IPs and environmental degradation allegedly committed by a mining company OceanaGold Philippines and on the other hand of indigenous communities in said area denying such claims.

The committee aimed to validate the report submitted by the Commission on Human Rights alleging that the Philippine government has failed to protect the rights of the indigenous cultural communities and indigenous peoples in the Oceana Gold mining areas.

After the conduct of ocular inspection and public hearing, the committee was able to controvert the erroneous allegations of violence and killings and shed light on the claims of human rights atrocities against IPs put forward by those who throng upon the operations of the mining firm.

The committee further recommended to pursue dialogs between the stakeholders to continue addressing issues and concerns, strengthen the free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) process and ensure that the IPs are amply and competently represented so that their interests are expressed and fought for.

In fighting for the right of ICCs and IPs vs. Kaliwa Dam project

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee held a series of public hearings to investigate the contentious issues shadowing the new centennial water source, Kaliwa dam project.

The discussions emphasized 2 crucial elements when large-scale projects venture into indigenous people's territory:

First is the vital role of the NCIP in protecting the right of the ICCs/IPs that stand to lose a great deal being the primary sector that will have to give up their lands and livelihood, surrender to the inevitable and sacrifice their ancestral domain all for the sake of development that aims to solve the impending water crisis affecting Metro Manila and the surrounding areas;

Second is the seeming disregard of the FPIC process in the first phase of the design and the deal scheme, which alienates indigenous communities and indigenous people from the beginning of the process. It was only in the second phase of the construction implementation that the free, prior, and free consent process was conducted.

The committee firmly advised the project proponent to accord the host communities the maximum financial remunerations counting the horrendous and permanent cause of the development venture to the lives of the entire indigenous communities.”

‘A proud legacy’

Chairperson Mangaoang expressed that though his committee’s accomplishments in the previous congress ‘may not seem staggering by the numbers,’ he is confident that such efforts have a deep long-lasting impact on the indigenous communities and indigenous people.

“It is a proud legacy that I as chairperson and the committee members carry to this congress,” he stressed.

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