16 May | The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Chairperson and NCIP Region XIII conducted Ancestral Domain (AD) Leaders engagement meeting with the Manobo-Lapaknon Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) at the Agusan Del Norte Provincial Training Center, Capitol Grounds in Butuan City.

 

The NCIP Chairperson led the activity along with NCIP XIII Regional Director Ordonio P. Rocero, Jr.; also present were NCIP Regional and Provincial staff; and IP leaders and elders. The rest joined the meeting through Zoom.

 

It tackled the status of the Manobo-Lapaknon Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title Application.

 

Currently the NCIP Agusan del Norte Provincial Delineation Team has conducted series of meetings with stakeholders to validate the ancestral domain claim of the said ICC/IP.

 

Chairperson advised to conduct an in-depth research on the identity of the Manobo- Lapaknon as sub-tribe of the Manobo ICCs/IPs; such will be a source of secondary data to prove the claim. The NCIP Region XIII shall also submit a proposal to the NCIP Central Office on the processing of the said CADT, for funding and implementation.