IPs want representation in municipal councils in Ilocos Norte

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff Reporter

To promote equality between lowlanders and highlanders, both must have representation in the municipal councils with tribal communities, indigenous peoples in four tribal municipalities in Ilocos Norte urged.

Like the Isnags of Carasi town, Evelyn Corpuz, the town’s municipal accountant and spokesperson of the Isnag tribe told IPs in the municipalities of Dumalneg, Adams, Vintar and Nueva Era to assert their right to have an equal representation in their town’s respective Sangguniang Bayan.

Just like having an ex-officio representative for the Liga ng mga Barangay in the municipal councils, the IPs must also have their representative in the respective councils where they live so they could assert their rights when local lawmakers enact resolutions and ordinances.

For three years now, Corpuz reported that the Isnags of Carasi enjoy a representation at the town council backed by the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP).

In view of this, Corpuz reported that their certificate of ancestral domain, being pushed by their IP representative, is expected to be released within this year to protect their boundaries from possible encroachment by neighboring municipalities.

Of the five tribal communities of Ilocos Norte, only the municipality of Carasi has an IP representative in the town council.

Like in any part of the country, members of the IPs belong to the poorest of the poor.  Because they live in the mountains, they are often looked down on by the personal biases and prejudices of some lowlanders.

But this should not be the case. According to Orlando Cardinal Quevedo, who met with the IP community in Ilocos Norte during his homecoming at the Holy Spirit Academy of Laoag, the lowlanders must look up to the highlanders as its literal meaning suggests.

While the new cardinal was in the province, he took time out to listen to the concerns of the IPs and passed them on to the local government units concerned for proper action.

Ilocos Norte Governor Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos, who was also present during the dialogue with the IPs, assured that her priority agenda include the IPs, as she stressed that she envisions to half poverty of IPs by 2015.

Under the localized Millennium Development Goals program of the provincial government, Ms. Marcos said her administration has initiated various programs and projects such as the “Task Force Trabaho” and gender and development programs meant to create more jobs and generate livelihood particularly for those living in the highlands.