As the event continues to be a platform of knowledge exchange among participating countries, more areas of opportunities to improve respective approaches were realized.

On NCIP’s presentation, OIC Executive Director Caesar M. Ortega shared the Historical Perspective of the Struggle of the Indigenous Cultural Communities and Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) in the Philippines, which highlighted the historical injustice narrative, the legal concept of Native Title, the Indigenous Concept of Ownership, the four (4) bundles of rights with identified 36 specific rights under the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997, and the continuing struggle to attain the absolute recognition, respect, protection, and promotion of IP rights.

Atty. Ortega also introduced the framework of the 11 Building Blocks of a Resilient, Responsive and Relevant ICCs/IPs Ancestral Domains which genuinely concretize the provisions of the IPRA: Resilient enough to overcome all obstacles and challenges, responsive enough to be able to answer the call of government to become a major partner in nation building, and relevant enough to be recognized as a major stakeholder in the attainment of peace, unity and national development, within the context of IPRA.

He emphasized that the IPs are only too willing to be development partners of the government.

Further, the presentation also included the status of IPRA implementation, and the milestones achieved by the NCIP with the Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples.

The Executive Director also expressed gratitude as the event became a venue for the Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines to connect with other participating countries.