The Alliance of the Tri-People for the Advancement of Human Rights(ALTAHR) was formed in 2000 by some local organizations, to address human rights issues in the communities in Mindanao affected by the government’s “all-out-war” against the Moro Islamic LiberationFront (MILF). ALTAHR is an alliance of various local NGOs and community-based peoples organizations in Mindanao. Presently, ALTAHR has 39 active member organizations from different provinces.

ALTAHR has envisioned a society where every person has enjoyed her/his human rights. To achieve the vision, ALTAHR works for the improvement of the human rights situation in the tri-people communities in Mindanao through empowering the local human rights defenders. Although there is very limited funding, ALTAHR is still able continue its HR works over the years. through organizational formation and organizing of communities, over the six years from the reinstitionalisation of ALTAHR, 4 cluster formation have been established and this is still continuing to support and strengthen its peoples organization in the communities to promote and protect their basic rights. ALTAHR is looking forward to working hand and hand and seeking support to strengthen and empower it members in the communities.

ALTAHR as an alliance of human rights in Mindanao, the 6 years of experience of in advancing and promoting human rights in the communities is a significant milestone of our journey. as we remember way back in 2015 up to present, ALTAHR has funding support from CCFD on capacity building of HRDs and on monitoring and documentation of human rights issues in selected communities in Mindanao. The project works on organizational strengthening, documentation and monitoring of human rights issues, community education/awareness activities, and networking with other HRgroups/movements. Capacity-building activities for local HR monitors are also provided in the project. Last 2016, ALTAHR worked on strengthening HR mechanisms and structures in the indigenous communities in Maguindanao province with support from Samdhana Institute. Through the project, ALTAHR established coordination with the tribal leaders and assisted in instituting human rights structure in their tribal governance structure. ALTAHRchampions are that clustered formation that has been operationalized.

Full Project Title: Strengthening Capacities of Alliance of Bangsa SangilFederation(ABSF) through Accessibility and representativeness inDavao and Sarangani Province

In Mindanao, the current health crisis adds up to the existing challenges faced by the ethnic groups, youth, women, and people organisation operating within the poverty and conflict-ridden zones. On the side of poverty and conflict,the vulnerability of these sectors in terms of terrorist recruitment and gender-based violence is well-documented (GSDRC, 2018. The Sangil tribe is an Indigenous people native inhabitants of Southern Mindanao and they live since time immemorial. The Sangil people are the direct descendants of that population that has developed on along the coastal areas of Sarangani bay and Celebes sea in the province of Davao Occidental and Sarangani Province before the start of the modern era. These Sangilshave since become Filipino and belong to the Bangsamoro group of people. Indeed, Sangil Families can relate genealogies to connectionwith Maguindanao or that enrich Maguindanao history particularly thefact that Buayan royalty also ruled the Sangil Island, Davao Region,and Sarangani on the time of SultanKudarat. Their population is concentrated in Balut and Sarangani Island Municipalities (15,037)and Jose Abad Santos (4,070) in the province of Davao Occidental where there are a total of 19,107 (NCCA). Lately, declared one of the minority group among Bangsamoro outside core territory. BalutSarangani Island is a coastal part of Davao Occidental along Celebessea as well as the boundary of the Philippines and Indonesia. In 2018, Sangiltribe has been experiencing an alarming situation of identity existence and citizenship from National Commission of Indigenous people as they form part of Bangsamoro ethnic group as well as Indigenous people. The tribe through their organization Alliance of Bangsa SangilFederation, a people organization member of ALTAHR has no available documentation of their customary laws as it practiced verbally since time immemorial. In the existing criticism among the tribe, due to lack of knowledge and capacities, their ancestral domain approximately with a land area of six thousand hectares( 6,000) and fifty thousand hectare of water area covered that occupied by Sangil tribe since time immemorial have claimed by another tribe through NationalCommission on Indigenous People( NCIP) Region XI in 2018. Presently, the War on drugs and war on terrorism including executive order 70, experienced by some leaders of the Sangil specifically, tagging associated with international terrorists because of the border areas between Philippines and Indonesia particular in Balut Island lead by the military forces and PNP in the region. There are existing criminalisation among Sangil leaders such as the case of 4 Sangiltribe faced trump up charges and illegal detention. Most of the youth, especially the youth, women face discrimination of Citizenship, the identity of being the minority among minorities. The overall objective of theproject is to strengthen the Capacities of Sangil Tribe through accessibility, Representation, and Empowered Communities in their provinces. This project will be implemented within the period of 12months targeting 500 leaders who came from the Alliance of Bangsa SangilFederation in the 16 communities that are community partners of the altar in Sarangani Province, General Santos City, and DavaoOccidental. The action will employ three (3) mutually reinforcing strategies of Awareness raising, capacity development building, campaign and Research documentation. The target groups are themembers of the Alliance of Bangsa Sangil Federation (ABSF), fromdifferent 16 communities within 6 Municipalities ofDavao Occidentaland Sarangani Province, comprise of Balut Sarangani Island, JoseAbad Santos, Glan, Kiamba, Maasim and GeneralSantosCity. This project contributes, the communities of Sangil tribe are Oriented interms of their rights to self-determination and Ancestral domain; practice through capacity and skills and reduced their vulnerability as one of the minority group within their community.