Innabuyog - Alliance of Women's Organizations in the Cordillera

06/08/2026

STOP TRIBAL WAR, PROTECT WOMEN AND CHILDREN!

INNABUYOG is urgently calling for a cessation to the ongoing tribal war between the Betwagan and Butbut tribes. Yesterday, August 5, shots fired by the Betwagan directed at the Butbut community left one woman seriously injured while she was on her way to feed the pigs. We urgently appeal to both parties to undergo the 'warang' or 'sipat' through their respective mediators.

In the warang, the tribe that seeks to make peace with its enemy sends a token – a spear, bolo, axe or any weapon made of iron, and in doing so, declares a unilateral ceasefire.

Women, elderly and children are the most vulnerable in times of tribal war. The Binodngan People’s Organization (BPO) in its primer Tribal War and Peacepacts (2004) reported that 20 Mangali, including several women and children, were killed in the Lubo-Mangali war which lasted from 1978 to 1983. BPO also reported that in late 1999, Dallic evacuated over 600 women and children to Guinaang during the former’s tribal war with the Pidlisan tribe.

Life is too precious to be consumed in vengeance meted out so indiscriminately. Let us hold true to our Indigenous values upholding life and honoring our women. Stop tribal war, and instead build inter-tribal unity against the aggressors of our self-determination as Indigenous Peoples. Tribal war will not result to any positive gain for either party, only loss of lives.

Tribal war, isardeng. Masakbayan ti sangoen!

INNABUYOG-GABRIELA
August 6, 2026

27/07/2026

Beyond the SONA: Indigenous Women in the Cordillera Demand Accountability, Justice, and Genuine Change

As President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. prepares to deliver another State of the Nation Address (SONA), Innabuyog-GABRIELA calls on the public to look beyond official pronouncements and examine the realities faced by Indigenous women and marginalized communities across the country.

Last year, President Marcos challenged corrupt officials with the words, "Mahiya naman kayo." Yet, the Filipino people continue to wait for those words to be translated into concrete action. Accountability cannot end with rhetoric. It must be demonstrated through impartial investigations and the prosecution of corrupt officials, regardless of their position or political affiliation. Allegations of corruption continue to hound public institutions, while accountability remains elusive. Political controversies, including the impeachment proceedings involving high-ranking officials, have further eroded public trust and distracted the government from addressing the urgent needs of the people.

For Indigenous women in the Cordillera, these political controversies have done nothing to improve their lives. They continue to endure poverty, rising prices of basic commodities, limited livelihood opportunities, and inadequate access to quality health care, education, and other basic social services.

Across the region, Indigenous women remain at the forefront of defending their ancestral domains against large-scale mining, energy projects, and other forms of development aggression that threaten their lands, livelihoods, culture, and environment. Instead of recognizing their role as defenders of land and life, many communities continue to experience militarization, harassment, red-tagging, surveillance, and the filing of trumped-up charges against women human rights defenders and Indigenous activists for asserting their collective rights.

Equally alarming is the increasing incidence of violence against women and their children (VAWC) in the region. Despite the many existing laws, many Indigenous women continue to suffer domestic abuse, sexual violence, and other forms of gender-based violence, while access to justice and survivor support remains inadequate, especially in geographically isolated communities.

The government's development agenda continues to prioritize corporate interests over the rights and welfare of Indigenous Peoples. Genuine development cannot be achieved by sacrificing ancestral lands, destroying the environment, or disregarding the right of Indigenous communities to free, prior, and informed consent. Development must strengthen communities—not displace them or destroy the very resource that sustains their communities and future generations.

Indigenous women also continue to shoulder the heaviest burden of the economic crisis. They work to feed their families, preserve Indigenous knowledge and culture, care for their communities, and defend their territories—all while facing worsening economic hardship and the impacts of climate change.

The true state of the nation cannot be measured by economic growth figures or infrastructure projects alone. It must be measured by whether Indigenous Peoples' rights are protected, whether women live free from violence and discrimination, whether communities enjoy sustainable livelihoods, and whether public officials are held accountable for corruption and abuses of power.

As the President delivers his SONA, Innabuyog-GABRIELA demands that the administration move beyond promises and deliver concrete action to end corruption, uphold human rights, protect ancestral lands, respect IP rights to self-determination, effectively address the rising incidence of violence against women and their children , and address the worsening conditions faced by Indigenous women and marginalized communities.

At the same time, we challenge the Filipino people to remain vigilant, organized, and united in holding those in power accountable. Real change will not come from speeches alone but through the collective actions of citizens committed to defending democracy, advancing women’s rights, protecting ancestral lands, and building a society based on justice, equality, and genuine development.

The resilience of Indigenous women in the Cordillera remains unwavering. Despite the escalating attacks on their rights and welfare, they continue to stand firm in defending their land, life, and their future. Their voices demand more than promises; they demand accountability, justice, and genuine social change that upholds the dignity and rights of all.

23/07/2026

10/07/2026

URGENT ALERT
Mining company CMDC Secures 72-Hour TRO and Serves Summons Against Mankayan Residents Defending Ancestral Land

On 10 July 2026, the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 64 in Abatan, Buguias, Benguet issued a 72-hour Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in favor of Crescent Mining and Development Corporation (CMDC) in its petition for injunction. The order directs the named Mankayan residents, along with other persons allegedly acting under them, to refrain from preventing CMDC's access to and exploration activities for 72 hours, pending a hearing on 13 July 2026.

On the same day, the court also served summons on the respondents, requiring them to file their answer within thirty (30) days from receipt of the summons. Failure to answer within the prescribed period may result in the court proceeding with the case based on the plaintiff's claims.

These legal actions come amid the continuing and peaceful resistance of the people of Mankayan against CMDC's mining project and raise serious concerns over the use of legal remedies that could affect the communities' collective assertion of their ancestral land rights.

We call on all people's organizations, church institutions, Indigenous Peoples, human rights advocates, lawyers, media, and solidarity partners to stand with the people of Mankayan in defending their ancestral lands and right to self-determination.

Stop CMDC's exploration now!
Stop Large-scale mining!
Defend CordiPH!
Biag, Daga, Kinabaknang Salakniban!

03/07/2026

03/07/2026

🚨PUBLICATION ALERT ||

CWEARC first published the handbook on women’s laws in 2006. Since then, new laws for the protection of women and children in the Philippines were passed in Congress and enacted. We owe it to the vibrant women’s movement in the Philippines that these laws were enacted, and we also owe it to our champions in Congress for making sure that the house bills were fought for, until these were eventually passed. Specifically, we acknowledge and laud the Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP) for being the voice of women in the House of Representatives since 2004. GWP authored and supported landmark laws for women and children’s right such as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710), Expanded Maternity Leave Law (RA 11210), Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Law (RA 11861), Occupational Safety and Health Standards Law (RA 11058), Safe Spaces Act (RA 11313) and the Anti-Child Po*******hy Act (RA 9775).

In our engagement with communities, education on violence against women and the laws for the protection of women and children remain vital and relevant. The conversations and discussions we had with the women and their communities demonstrated the continuing need to facilitate empowerment on women’s rights, particularly laws for women. Similarly, we encountered persistent challenges, such as prevailing norms on VAW and r**e. It is therefore of utmost significance that knowledge of the laws for women and children, as well as the services and remedies available to them, be urgently disseminated. At the same time, it is important to strengthen the existing laws — it is in this regard that we are including in this handbook highly relevant policy recommendations by distinguished bodies on women’s rights such as the Center for Women’s Rights (CWR), Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), UN Women, the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) and of course, GWP.

This handbook is intended for women’s organizations wherever, local government units especially at the barangay level, educators and advocates who tirelessly fight for women’s rights, particularly working for women’s access to justice and eliminating barriers to accessing justice.

IEC and knowledge sharing will continue to be our priorities in facilitating women’s empowerment. We are grateful to the International Work Group on
Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) for making this project possible.

To request for your copies, please send us a message at [email protected] and kindly answer this form. You can also check our other publications at our website cwearc.org. Thank you!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe90EN_rBs9MqMgxqSNqeeeA75YtwJT6tCzVQxDQeGdC9AYBA/viewform?usp=header

02/07/2026

01/07/2026

Protect Children, Address the Roots of Violence

Innabuyog-Gabriela extends its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the students who lost their lives in the tragic shooting incident at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City. We stand with the victims, their families, and the entire school community in their pursuit of justice, accountability, and healing.

This tragedy compels us to look beyond the immediate act itself and confront the deeper conditions that influence young people and children to commit violence. The response of some lawmakers calling for the lowering of the minimum age of criminal responsibility shows a failure to understand the roots of the problem. Instead at examining why children are exposed to violence, how they gain access to weapons, and what institutions have failed to protect them, these proposals seek to punish children and treat them as the source of crisis they did not create.

Lowering the age of criminal responsibility is dangerous and a misplaced response. It will not prevent these incidents from happening again. It will not address the proliferation of fi****ms, the influence of violent environments, the failures of child protection systems, or the conditions that allow children to be drawn into acts of violence. It only widen the reach of punishment against children while allowing adults, institution, and the system itself that shape these conditions to evade accountability.

Children are not born believing that violence is the answer. They are shaped by the environment around them—by the messages they receive, the examples set by adults, institutions and the systems that influence their understanding of power, conflict, and human relationships. When a society normalizes armed force, glorifies violence, and allows impunity to prevail, children become vulnerable to absorbing these dangerous lessons.

As Indigenous women, we know that violence does not emerge from nowhere. Our communities have long experienced the impacts of militarization, displacement, the loss of ancestral lands due to extractive projects, threats against community defenders, and the use of force as a means of control. We have witnessed how a militarist mindset teaches that problems are solved through domination rather than dialogue, accountability, and respect for human rights.

We understand that violence does not only happen through a single act. It is also reproduced through systems that deny children their rights, undermine community safety, and strip people of their dignity.

The question we must ask is not only why these young people committed violence, but also: Who exposed them to this mindset? Who allowed them access to weapons? What systems and institutions failed to protect them and prevent violence from taking root?

The victims and their families deserve justice. At the same time, accountability must go beyond punishing children. It must examine the adults, institutions, and conditions that enable children to be influenced, exploited, or pushed toward violence.

Lowering the age of criminal responsibility will not remove fi****ms from communities. It will not end the culture of impunity. It will not stop the recruitment, manipulation, or exposure of children to violence. Instead, it risks shifting public attention away from the deeper failures that must be addressed.

Innabuyog-Gabriela calls on the government and communities to confront the root causes of violence and uphold the rights and welfare of children through the following measure:

A. Conduct a serious and independent investigation into how children gain access to fi****ms , including the individuals, networks, and conditions that influence them toward violence.
B. Strengthen child protection mechanisms in communities affected by poverty, conflict, and militarization to ensure children’s safety, rights, and well-being.
C. Provide accessible psychosocial support, education, and rehabilitation programs for children involved in violent incidents, recognizing that accountability must be accompanied by healing and transformation.
D. Hold accountable individuals, institutions, and systems that normalize violence, promote impunity, or use children as instruments of conflict.
E. A shift away from militarized responses toward community-based, rights-centered, and culturally grounded solutions that address the root causes of violence.

Children need protection, care, education, and opportunities—not a society that teaches them that force is the solution. Children do not create cultures of violence; they are shaped by the conditions created by adults, institutions, and systems around them.

We must confront the forces that teach violence, challenge the militarist mindset that normalizes killing, and build communities where children learn the value of life, justice, accountability, and peace.

Protect children.
Uphold accountability.
End the culture of violence.
Transform the conditions that allow violence to grow.

Innabuyog-Gabriela
July 1, 2026

01/07/2026

Innabuyog Gabriela attended the Gabriela National Council Meeting on June 25–26, 2026 in Manila, together with women leaders and representatives from different regions and sectors. The gathering served as a venue for sharing the situations and experiences of women in their respective communities, strengthening solidarity, and deepening collective efforts in advancing women’s rights and welfare.