HUNDREDS of participants, including 18 IP leaders, policymakers, government agencies, and development partners across Mindanao, gathered for the 1st Mindanao Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) Conference, with the topic “Enhancing Indigenous People’s Participation in National Environmental Governance”, at D'Leonor Inland Resort & Adventure, Davao City, Wednesday morning, November 20, 2024.
Organized by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) the event focused on the integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSPs) into national environmental governance, as well as PES methods, action plans, and policies which will alleviate the lives of the IPs in Mindanao.
The event was also in support of the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (Ipra) of 1997 which protects the land of Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) and Indigenous Peoples (IPs) by recognizing their ancestral domains and lands.
MinDA Secretary Leo Tereso Magno said during the conference that among their goals is to ensure that “economic benefits” are shared equitably by IP communities and further enhance their “well-being and socio-economic development”.
“Gi-acknowledge mo sa atong gobyerno nga kamo ang katutubo sa atong lugar, kamo nga mga IPs, ang naay katungod dapat kung naay programa ang gobyerno ug pribadong sektor sa inyong lugar, ang una dapat makinabang ang IPs (You have been acknowledged by our government that as the indigenous people of our area, you must have the right. If there is a program between the government and the private sector in your area, the IPs should benefit first),” Magno said.
On the same day, MinDA and Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the crafting of the PES policy.
Through this policy, Magno said that communities should be given both monetary and non-monetary incentives to manage and conserve ecosystem services, such as water supplies, carbon storage, and biodiversity preservation.
Meanwhile, under the MOU, AdDU will be responsible for coordinating community involvement and lobbying at the local level and ensuring the active participation of all parties involved, especially local communities, indigenous peoples, and academic sectors.
AdDU will also create educational materials and policy suggestions that combine traditional knowledge, scientific research, and best practices in ecosystem management. DEF
