Cagayan de Oro City — Regional agriculture and indigenous rights officials held a two-day workshop here last week to strengthen dispute management and the development of ancestral domains in Mindanao’s tribal communities.

The session, organized by the Department of Agriculture’s Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (DA-MIADP) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), focused on aligning customary tribal processes with the project’s grievance redress mechanism. Officials said the goal is to ensure sustainable development for indigenous peoples (IPs) while respecting traditional governance.

The activity began with the traditional Dasang and Pangapog tribal rituals. Participants included leaders from the Daraghuyan, Kalanawan, Bukidnon-Tagoloanon and Bukidnon ICC ancestral domains, alongside local implementation units from Gingoog, Impasugong, Malitbog, Malaybalay and Valencia.

Discussions centered on the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act, or Republic Act 8371, which guarantees the right to self-governance.

Dexter Precioso, a lawyer with NCIP-10, briefed attendees on legal protections for ancestral lands. He noted that such lands are community-owned and carry a private character based on ownership dating back to ancient times.