DAVAO DEL NORTE (PIA) - The National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) continues to hit the road travelling to indigenous peoples (IP) communities despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Days before the International Indigenous People's Day on Aug. 9, NCIP Secretary Allen Capuyan spent sorties to IP communities in Davao Region for his series of inter-agency Visitation to Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICC/IPs).

He had gone to Talaingod, New Corella and Tagum City in the province of Davao del Norte, and then swung to the municipalities of Laak, New Bataan, Compostela and Monkayo in the province of Davao de Oro before proceeding to Paquibato and Marilog in Davao City to wrap up his Davao Region sortie on Sunday, the International IP Day.

"Ito'y pagbibigay assurance sa ating mga pamayanang tribo sa Mindanao na ang presencya ng gobyerno ay patuloy na ipinapakita natin kahit sa ano mang sitwasyo lalo na sa pandemya. (This is to assure our tribal communities in Mindanao that the government is showing continued presence in whatever situation specially during this pandemic)," he said in an interview with PIA XI.

"The presence of government must be felt sa mga communities lalo na sa panahong ito at yon ang pinaka main reason, tayo ay bumaba. (The presence of government must be felt in communities especially during this time and this is the main reason why we are coming down.)," he added.

NCIP has pre-determined 120 tribal communities to visit to deepen discussion on IP rights as laid out in the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997 or Republic Act No. which aims to "Recognize, Protect and Promote the Rights of Indigenous cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPS) and for other Purposes."

During his visits in early August, Capuyan also brought out the need to productively use ancestral domains in support to food security thrust of the local and the national government to "address hunger" amidst the pandemic.

He urged tribal leaders to put their acts together and move as one for the common cause of strengthening solidarity, which according to him can serve as foundation against exploitation of interest groups.

As Executive Director of the National Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC), Secretary Capuyan also explained to tribal leaders how the communist insurgency groups including its legal fronts, have misled people behind their "intention to topple the government."

In his talk to Dibabawon and Mangguangan tribes during his visit in Barangay Limbaan in the Municipality of New Corella, Capuyan expressed concern over a number of IPs being recruited to join the New People's Army (NPA).

He was bringing along representatives from other national line agencies to create a "learning experience" for tribal leaders to pick up information and lessons beyond their communities, "on what right actions to take during this time of crisis."

Providing his initial assessment drawn from his sorties, Capuyan said the tribal communities need continued explanation of the current situations.

"But I'm happy to note that the local government ay napaka aktibo pala sa mga programa sa community. So ang ginawa natin ngayon ay reinforcing dahil ang ating national government ay bumaba pati ang ahenisya ng gobyerno. (... are active in implementing programs at the community. So what we are doing is just reinforcing. The national government has gone down and also the national line agencies)," he said in an interview. (Jeanevive Duron-Abangan, PIA XI)