ANDANAR JOINS INDIGENOUS PEOPLES MONTH CELEBRATION, CALLS FOR STRENGTHENED LINK WITH IP GROUPS

ANDANAR JOINS

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

MONTH CELEBRATION, CALLS FOR STRENGTHENED

LINK WITH IP GROUPS The welfare of here on Friday. Month isip pagtahod sa indigenous peoples Secretary Andanar, atong mga IPs. We must (IP) remains important who is the Cabinet Officer work with the IPs, ug atong while the government for Regional Development respitaran ang ilang strives to attain peace and Security of Northern mga ancestral domain and development in Mindanao (CORDS [It is important for us to Mindanao, Presidential X), said that the local celebrate the Indigenous Communications government and its Peoples Month, showing Operations Office stakeholders must our respect to all the IPs. Secretary Martin strengthen partnership We must work with the Andanar stressed during with the IPs. IPs, while we respect their the celebration of the IP “Importante ancestral domains],” he Month and the 23rd year gyud para nato nga said. of the Indigenous Peoples atong iselebrar kining “Mamahimong Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997 Indigenous Peoples atong koneskyon ang

mga IPs ngadto sa mga miyembro sa rebeldeng grupo nga dali silang makumbensi kung ang lideres nato ng amga IPs maoy mangusog [They can be our link to influence those members of the communist groups, especially if our IP leaders will lead this],” he added. This year’s celebration of the IPRA has the theme, “Correcting Historical Injustices for Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and Welfare.” The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) is pushing further for the recognition of 36 rights of the indigenous peoples from the four (4) bundles of rights enshrined in the Republic Act No. 8371. Discussing the Executive Order No. 70 which institutionalized the whole-of-nation approach to end local communist armed conflict, Secretary Andanar mentioned some of the projects that he visited over the week which are under the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict 10 (RTFELCAC X). He noted that IP groups are part of this peace strategy.

“Mao na, mga igsoon, ang commitment ni Presidente Rodrigo Duterte nga makatabang gyud ang national government para dili ta maglisod. Pero dili man ni overnight nga solusyon. Kinahanaglan magtinabangay tang tanan, mao nang gitawag nga Whole-of-Nation approach [These are part of the commitment of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte that the national government can help for us to be comfortable. But this is not an overnight solution. We need to help one another, and that is the Whole-of-Nation approach],” he said. 403rd Infantry Brigade Commander Col. Ferdinand Barandon also joined the celebration, where he recognized the welfare of the group remains one of the pillars in attaining peace. “Ang inyo pong Armed Forces, especially the Philippine Army, ay nakikiisa po sa pagcelebrate sa Indigenous Peoples Month. Ang welfare po ng IP ay very important in so far as maintenance of peace and order, especially here in the province of Bukidnon [The Armed Forces, especially the Philippine Army, joins in the celebration of the Indigenous Peoples Month. The welfare of the IP is very important in so far as maintenance of peace and order, especially here in the province of Bukidnon],” he said. He remarked that the primary threat in Bukidnon is the presence of the members of the New People’s Army, who target recruiting and encouraging members of IP groups to join their cause. “Kung kaya nagbibigay kami ng importansya sa atin pong mga kapatid sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay sa kanila ng kaalaman para ma-empower sila nang hindi na sila marecruit at mapalapit pa sa kapahamakan na ibinibigay ng New People’s Army [That is why we give importance to our brothers and sisters by providing them knowledge to empower them and to prevent them from getting into trouble caused by the New People’s Army]” he added.