‘Reclaiming Ancestral Lands, Sustaining Indigenous Culture’ is a 3-year project by the OND HESED Foundation that is implemented in two municipalities in Mindanao. The project supports the Taboli Manobo S’daff Claimants Organisation (TAMASCO) in claiming their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) from the government, and demanding a private entity to move out of their ancestral lands. The project also employs community-based approaches to support the community in managing available resources (tangible and intangible) towards increased productivity, increased access to basic services, and strengthened cultural integrity.

OND Hesed Foundation has been existing for seventeen years and has engaged in different community development work, social advocacy, social services and institution building in South Central Mindanao. It has served and continues to serve multi-cultural people, especially in places where few organisations would dare to go.

“Tribal leaders are now more aware on what to do or how they can cope on certain issues especially in human rights violation and security issues in the area. They meet every month to talk about the issues and concerns per sitio of the community and more active and participative to join activities, trainings and meetings. They are at least knowledgeable on their rights as indigenous peoples, thus assertive to their rights specially in reclaiming their ancestral land through  legal initiatives such as signed position papers.”

OND HESED Foundation worked with the Taboli Manobo S’daff Claimants Organisation or TAMASCO in a four-year influencing project that aimed to support the latter to claim their ancestral lands. Major challenges, especially in safety and security, were encountered by the project team and TAMASCO, but they continued to work on their goal.   

After four years of program implementation, the TAMASCO community has sustained their territorial claim, indigenous political structure and cultural integrity. They continued their struggle and never gave up in spite of the harassment and threats, and even the loss of lives. As a fruit of their struggle, a Cease and Desist Order was granted by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in favour of their claim on September 12, 2019 and gained support from other agencies. The return of 100 hectares of land to the TAMASCO Community gave them a ray of hope. The struggle to claim the land continues as not all of the claimed lands was returned. 

Further, the Tribal Council members are now capable of decision-making as they embrace their roles, responsibilities and function as leaders. In terms of their strategies in the implementation of their plans, it was observed that they can do it without relying on NGO support. Women are now showcasing their own initiatives and claiming their rights as partners of men in development and decision-making through membership in the Tribal Council and in managing their community savings through their self-help group and self-initiated income generating project, rice vending or “bugasan”. 

The TAMASCO community were able to voice out their struggle and more proactive to the forum that conveys the reclaiming fight for their Ancestral Domain. The acquired knowledge from trainings, seminars and workshop were used as a tool to develop and sustain their way of living and ensures that they can endure on their own feet regardless of their social and economic standing. Women participation in community group discussions and as well as in decision making is another treasured change happening. 

Future plans 

Sustaining the TAMASCO Indigenous political structure was achieved by the project since, and the tribal council is now functional and is the one that plans and implements activities. OND Hesed is pleased to see what  has become of  the TAMASCO community. Though they have not fully won back the land that was rightfully theirs, seeing the leaders’ commitment and the support of the community to continue the claiming process while preserving their culture are rays of hope to behold. OND Hesed is appreciative of the flexibility of VOICE specially during the height of the COVID-19, the delay caused by  security threats both to the community and the  implementing institution ,  and its linking and learning process both virtual and face to face.