15/12/2025
𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐎𝐃 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬
As a key non-government legal organization, BALAOD continues to assist indigenous cultural communities (ICCs), helping them navigate through our complex system of land laws and assert their rights over their ancestral domains.
In a dialogue between different Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) of Bukidnon, relevant government agencies, the Church and concerned CSOs, BALAOD Mindanaw strongly called out the practice of DENR and DAR of continuously processing land titles for their respective constituents without proper coordination with the NCIP, the government agency mandated to assist the IPs. Such practice has led to the issuances of overlapping land documents which, as consequence, often resulted in the ejectment, non-entry, and displacement of IPs from their ancestral lands.
The dialogue, held in Malaybalay, Bukidnon on December 2, 2025, was initiated by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) in partnership with the Diocese of Malaybalay. It aimed to address and facilitate the establishment of a coordinating mechanism for the peaceful resolution of long-standing conflicting land claims between IPs, private claimants, LGUs, and government agencies which have resulted to threats, harassments, violence, and even deaths of IP leaders in the province. Among those present were representatives from the Manobo–Pulangiyon IPs of Quezon and Kibawe, Manobo-Kirentiken-Ilantungon IPs of Don Carlos, Talaandig IPs of MILALITTRA, Higaonon-Manobo-Talaandig of Talakag all in Bukidnon, NCIP, DENR, DAR, NCIP, CHR, DSWD, AFP, PNP, OPAPRU, concerned LGUs, civil society organizations and the Church led by Archbishop Emiritus Antonio Ledesma, Archbishop Jose Cabantan of Cagayan de Oro, and Bishop Noel Pedregosa of Bukidnon.
“𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘯-𝘐𝘗𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘗𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘴.” - 𝘈𝘵𝘵𝘺. 𝘉𝘶𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘻𝘢 (𝘉𝘈𝘓𝘈𝘖𝘋 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘸)
#𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐎𝐃𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐰
