Office of the President of the Philippines

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER ON THE PEACE PROCESS

7th Floor, Agustin 1 Building, F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, 1605 Pasig City Tel (+632) 8636-0701 Fax No: (+632) 638-2216

CONCEPTUALIZATION WORKSHOP FOR THE

DEVELOPMENT OF THE HEALING AND RECONCILIATION FRAMEWORK FOR THE
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
Concept Note

I. Background
The armed conflict between the Philippine Government and the CPP-NPA-NDF forces has spanned over
five decades, resulting in large numbers of internally-displaced persons, loss of lives, damage to property,
and widespread human rights violations. For decades, the armed conflict has threatened the security and
stability of the affected areas and worsening the plight of the vulnerable groups in the country, including
that of the indigenous peoples (IP) resulting from their deprivation, exploitation and human rights and
International Humanitarian Law violations being committed against them.

It was only under the 1987 Constitution (Section 5, Article XII National Economy and Patrimony) that
the rights of IP communities to their ancestral domain was first recognized as never been part of the
public domain, but are private community property of the ICCs/IPs (Section 5 of RA 8371 0r IPRA).
However, despite this and the passage of Republic Act No. 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act
(IPRA) in 1997, the IPs continue to suffer from various atrocities and incursions into the ICCs/IPs’
ancestral domain without free, prior and informed consent (FPIC).

To radicalize dissent against government, the CPP-NPA-NDF continues to spread the propaganda that
IPRA is an instrument to perpetuate further oppression of IPs and that the NCIP (National Commission
on Indigenous Peoples) are agents of oppression. IP leaders advocating for the full implementation of
IPRA are then treated as collaborators or traitors. Hence, among IP leaders and members in CPP-NPA-
NDF - controlled ancestral domain areas, the divide is between those who advocate for the full
implementation of the IPRA and those who remained to believe CPP-NPA-NDF narratives and
propaganda. The occurrence of “Lumad killings” in Mindanao is just but an offshoot of this divide.

This situation consistently manifest itself in all IP Peace Table Conversations held by OPAPP as well
as in 2016 Nationwide consultations held by the NCIP.

In 2018, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) received a concept note
on Indigenous Peoples’ Healing and Reconciliation (IPHR) from its consultant, Atty. Reuben Dasay
Lingating, who is providing technical expertise on matters related to the IPs. A set of propositions
aimed at correcting the historical injustice suffered by IPs was enumerated in the document.

It highlighted the existence of division among IP communities, as well as the long history of conflict
between Government and the CPP-NPA-NDF forces which went down to the level of IP communities,
clans, and families. This situation poses challenges on the communities’ readiness to engage with the
peace and development efforts of the government. This reinforces the need to provide a space and

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 mechanism for healing and reconciliation among these divided communities, which shall serve as the
first step of IP convergence, followed by government assistance such as provision of basic social
services and establishment of infrastructures, among others. It shall prepare IP families and
communities to engage peace and development efforts of the government as a community.

II. Activity Description

Through OPAPP’s Social Healing and Peacebuilding (SHAPE) Program, it is committed to carry out
interventions that are designed to address key drivers of conflict and bring about the transformation of
vulnerable groups in conflict-affected areas into resilient, peaceful, and harmonious units of society.
Among its interventions, it shall prioritize addressing the needs and concerns of the IPs in the conflict-
affected ancestral domains, with particular focus on healing and reconciliation. According to Lederach
and Appleby, promoting healing and reconciliation is critical to the peacebuilding process. In situations
of protracted conflict, healing is defined as a means of conflict prevention which includes rebuilding
social trust, addressing issues of intolerance, and nurturing respect for human rights 1, among others,
while reconciliation aims to “transform attitudes through a process of coping with feelings and re-
establishing trust.”2

To help address the root causes of the decades-long communist armed conflict, the Philippine Government
adopted the Whole-of-Nation (WNA) approach, through the issuance of the Executive Order No. 70, s.
2018. In harmonizing and providing basic social services and other government interventions in conflict-
affected and -vulnerable communities. EO 70 created the National Task Force to End Local Communist
Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), in which OPAPP is a member, to ensure effective and efficient
implementation of the National Peace Framework.

For its part, OPAPP is committed to develop a Healing and Reconciliation (H&R) Framework for IPs that
will guide the development of programs that will not only heal the wounds resulting from years of armed
conflict, but also bring about reconciliation within and among their communities. This shall serve as the
initial stage towards the implementation of an IP Convergence program.
A series of Conceptualization Workshops shall thus be conducted to map out existing conflict resolution
mechanisms/process of IPs and their communities.

A. Objectives

The Conceptualization Workshop intends to achieve the following specific objectives:

1. Conduct a conflict context analysis in the IP communities identifying and analyzing the profile,
causes and factors, actors (peace and conflict actors), and dynamics of conflict;
2. Gather inputs and insights on social healing and reconciliation from the IP perspective;
3. Map out and document existing traditional conflict resolution mechanisms including processes
and actors involved; and,
4. Identify and assess areas for government support in the conduct of IP H&R processes.

B. Expected Outputs
The following outputs are expected at the end of the activity:
1. Documentation report on the traditional conflict resolution mechanisms and processes of IPs;

1
Wessels, Michael, Post-Conflict Healing and Reconciliation for Peace: The Power of Social Mobilization. Lexington
Books, 2007.
2
Hofmann, Nicole, Reconciliation in the Transformation of Conflict. Center for Conflict Studies, 2010.
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 2. List of identified and well-examined conflict issues/causes of divisions and actors and their
dynamics; and,
3. List of vetted government interventions in support of the conduct of H&R processes.

C. Target Date and Venue

The first workshop shall be held in May 2021 (exact date TBD) in Big 8 Corporate Hotel, Tagum
City, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte.

D. Target Participants

OPAPP intends to invite members of the Indigenous Political Structure (IPS) in the following Ancestral
Domains in the Davao region:
1. Nabunturan
2. Mawab
3. Maco
4. Mabini
5. Maragusan
6. Pantukan
7. New Bataan
8. Baganga
9. Caraga
A total of 60 participants is expected to participate in the said activity.

E. Partner Agencies/Organizations
The implementation of the activity shall be supported by the following agencies/mechanisms:
10. RTF-ELCAC Region XI Localized Peace Engagement (LPE) and Sectoral Unification and
Capacity-building and Empowerment (SUCBEM) Cluster Members;
11. PTF-ELCAC of Davao de Oro and Davao Oriental; and,
12. Mindanao Indigenous Peoples Council of Elders and Leaders (MIPCEL).

III. Provisional Activity Design

DATE TIME ACTIVITY OFFICE OF
(TBD) PRIMARY
RESPONSIBILITY
DAY 1 2:00PM onwards Ingress
DAY 2 6:00 – 8:00AM Breakfast
8:00 – 9:00AM Opening Ritual MIPCEL
9:00 – 9:10AM Opening Remarks RTF-ELCAC
Officials
9:10 – 9:30AM Presentation of Activity Rationale, NCIP/OPAPP
Objectives, and Expected outputs
9:30 – 9:50AM Presentation on the Historical Atty. Reuben Dasay-
Perspective of IP’s Struggle in the Lingating
Philippines
9:50 – 10:30AM Workshop 1: Visioning
- What is a peaceful and secured
community?
10:30 – 12:00PM Presentation of WS1 Outputs
12:00 – 12:30PM 11 Building Blocks to Attain a Resilient, NCIP
Relevant, and Responsive IPs/ICCs

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 12:30 – 1:30PM Lunch Break
1:30 – 2:30PM Presentation on Conflict Analysis OPAPP
(armed conflict with the CPP-NPA-NDF)
2:30 – 4:30PM Workshop 2: Conflict Analysis
- Is there a history of conflict in your
area?
- What are the current peace and
security issues in your area?
- What factors can be considered as a
cause/proximate cause of conflict?
What are the key drivers of conflict?
- Who are identified as the peace and
conflict actors?
4:30 – 6:00PM Presentation of WS 2 Outputs
6:00PM onwards Closing of Day 1 and Dinner
DAY 3 6:00 – 8:00AM Breakfast
8:00 – 8:30AM Preliminaries and Recap
8:30 – 10:00AM Presentation on CTG Atrocities MIPCEL
10:00 – 12:00NN Workshop 3: Mapping of Existing NCIP (Facilitator)
Conflict Resolution Mechanisms /
Processes
- How do you resolve or settle a conflict
in your tribe?
- Who are the main actors? What are
their roles?
- How do you define/articulate healing
and reconciliation in this context?
12:00 – 1:00PM Lunch Break
1:00 – 3:30PM Presentation of WS 3 Outputs
3:30 – 4:30PM Open Discussion
4:30PM Closing of Day 2
6:00 PM Dinner
DAY 4 6:00 – 8:00AM Breakfast
8:00 – 8:30AM Preliminaries and Recap
8:30 – 10:00AM Workshop 4: Identification of
Government Support to IP H&R
Processes
- What are the government
interventions, if any, that support your
conflict resolution processes?
- What are the strengths and challenges
of the program?
- What kind of support do you think the
government should provide in support
of the conduct of H&R processes
10:00 – 11:30AM Presentation of WS 4 Outputs
11:30 – 12:30PM Open Discussion
12:30 – 1:30PM Lunch Break
1:30 – 2:00PM Next Steps and Closing Remarks NCIP, OPAPP
2:00 – 2:30PM Closing Ritual MIPCEL/NCIP
DAY 5 2:30PM onwards Egress