The NCIP represented by Engr. Victor Bumatnong and DENR – CAR Regional Director Ralph C. Pablo, together with other technical personnel from both DENR and NCIP, in a meeting held recently prepared and agreed on an action plan to facilitate the implementation of the Integrated Natural Resources Environmental Management Project (INREMP) in the Cordillera Region.
During a meeting held recently, the DENR – CAR and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples–CAR (NCIP-CAR) agreed on some concerns regarding the implementation of the INREMP, a Foreign-Assisted Project.
One of the agreements reached for the INREMP is that the consultation and validation of project implementation and activities should be conducted for each Ancestral Domain. Also, the travel plans of validating teams must correspond with the prepared Provincial Work and Financial Plan (WFP). RD Pablo stressed that the Work and Financial Plans of provinces with INREMP Project should be finalized in coordination with the Provincial NCIP Officials and to be submitted and consolidated in the DENR Regional Office. Pablo added that “the use of funds released by the DENR should be used solely for INREMP activities in accordance with the Government Accounting Manual (GAM) and Project Administration Manual (PAM)”.
This meeting is conducted to implement the provisions of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) entered into and signed by the NCIP and DENR Central Offices represented by then Commissioner Atty. Leonor Oralde-Quintayo and Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez, respectively.
The MOA spells out the functions of each office wherein the DENR shall provide the NCIP the areas covered by INREMP and the basic INREMP documents, assist the NCIP in the validation process, provide technical and financial resources based on the approved WFP and to ensure the implementation of social safeguards with clear guidelines for protecting the rights and welfare of indigenous peoples. Likewise, the NCIP shall provide to the DENR some information such as list of maps of areas covered by ancestral lands and domains whether these areas have approved Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) or Certificate of Ancestral Land Title (CALT), still under application, and some other information regarding the areas covered by INREMP. They shall also facilitate the validation process, support the Social Preparation activities, project identification and selection activities during project development workshops and assistance to communities as well as provide technical assistance to strengthen IP community organizations.
Jointly, the DENR and NCIP shall ensure “a culture-sensitive facilitation strategies” of INREMP in IP areas consistent with IPRA, the operationalization of region-specific validation processes and the effective working relationship between the parties.
With the compliance of the provisions of the MOA, the project activities of the INREMP shall be facilitated especially for the projects needing the Certificate of Pre-condition which only the NCIP could issue.**Pearl Nerja, DENR –CAR Release
