NCIP Region XI recognizes ROLMIN’s work to promote IP rights

On August 9, during the celebration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Region XI awarded the GIZ Project "Promotion of the Rule of Law in Mindanao (ROLMIN)" as one of the champions of IP rights and welfare. The NCIP recognized the Project’s work in promoting Indigenous Peoples' (IP) rights, particularly in relation to their access to justice and land rights. The Project, through its peacebuilding initiative, collaborates with various agencies and stakeholders to improve the access of IPs and migrants to judicial and conflict resolution services in Mt. Apo Natural Park (MANP).

Given Mt. Apo’s status as a protected area and ancestral domain, the Project aims to harmonise overlapping policies and jurisdictions in the area. It also seeks to enhance the communities' access to information regarding IP rights, specifically their rights to ancestral lands, through various capacity-building and awareness-raising activities. The awarding ceremony took place during the Davao Region IP Youth Conference, where ROLMIN also presented its work on promoting IP rights and documenting Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSP).