IAG's Political Education Targets Remote Indigenous Areas
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- IAG Philippines
In the second installment of a series of political education sessions, the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG), in collaboration with the Indigenous Women Resource Center (IWRC), extended its outreach to another remote area. This initiative aims to deliver essential political knowledge directly to the heart of the community.
Around 60 Erumanen ne Menuvu and settler families benefited from much-needed voter education, especially since the upcoming election on May 12 will be the first time people in the SGA will elect their municipal officials. The SGA, comprising 63 barangays across six municipalities in North Cotabato, became part of BARMM following a two-part plebiscite in early 2019. On April 13, 2024, eight new municipalities were established from these barangays, with Malidegao being one of them.
The IAG team provided a comprehensive overview of political developments and the peace process, culminating in the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). They emphasized the significance of the national and local elections on May 12 and the first-ever BARMM parliamentary elections on October 13. Video presentations demonstrating voting procedures were also used to enhance participants' understanding of the election processes.
Liberty Maria del Rio, a member of Kamal, the Indigenous Political Structure of the Erumanen ne Menuvu, expressed her gratitude for the voter education provided by IAG. She emphasized the importance of this initiative, saying, “We are very thankful because we did not expect to be reached by organizations like IAG. This is the first time such voter education has happened in our area.”
Del Rio highlighted how the community session has been beneficial for her tribe and fellow women, particularly in understanding the voting system in BARMM. She noted, “It is a big help for my tribe and fellow women to understand the voting system in BARMM, since the parliamentary system is different from what we are used to.”
She also pointed out the uniqueness of the SGA ballot during national and local elections. “In the case of the SGA, for instance, during national and local elections, it's a big help that we were educated that the ballot for the SGA is different. We will only be voting for senators, party-list, mayor, vice mayor, and municipal councilors,” Del Rio explained.
She expressed enthusiasm about the upcoming elections and what this means for the new municipalities in SGA. “We are also excited to vote so that there will be a mandate for who will lead our new local government unit since right now it's still under an OIC (Officer-in-Charge),” she added.
The Erumanen ne Menuvu have at least 50,000 constituents situated in North Cotabato, including the now carved-out SGA, and the southern part of Bukidnon.
Although men also attended, the series with IWRC is particularly targeted at women. Sheila Algabre, Director for Programs at IAG, emphasized the importance of educating voters about the structure of the Bangsamoro Government and the electoral system.
Algabre also highlighted the need to orient voters on basic gender concepts and the significance of women's political leadership. She explained, “Alongside the BARMM electoral system, it is important that they should also be oriented on the basic gender concepts and principles as well as the importance of women’s political leadership which will serve as their guidepost in choosing the right candidates whom they think could advocate the primordial needs and agenda of women.”
A recent IAG Research survey revealed that women constitute a significant majority (54.2%) of likely voters in the BARMM. However, the same data indicates that women’s rights issues are often overshadowed by economic concerns. Most critically, the survey highlighted an alarming lack of awareness about the new voting system, with over 58% of respondents having no knowledge at all.
Bencita Saliling, IWRC board member and chairperson of Deyangba Women’s Organization Inc., highlighted the challenges faced by women in the village. She noted, “The biggest challenge I see for women here is that they're still not familiar with the BARMM government. Earlier, when we discussed the history and context of BARMM, I noticed they couldn't answer most of the questions because BARMM is still new to them.”
Saliling emphasized the need for follow-up voter education and a more comprehensive approach. She explained, “The challenge now is that we need follow-up voter education, and it needs to be more comprehensive. Beyond just voter education, it would be great to include information about BARMM governance. Since they're now part of BARMM, they need to understand how it works so they know how to exercise their rights as women.”
Saliling's organization, Deyangba, has members in Barangay Nalapaan and adjacent Barangay Panicupan, which falls under Tugunan, another newly created municipality in the SGA. Deyangba women from both barangays were present in the forum.
The value of community-based forums like this cannot be overstated, as they also provide an opportunity for people to raise issues closest to home. For the residents of Sitio Baruyan, basic needs remain a priority. “We have two main concerns here in our community. First, the water system. We're really struggling with water because we have to fetch it daily, and it's like we're lining up for relief goods – everyone has to queue just to get water. We also hope they'll focus on scholarships for the children's education and consider criteria beyond just grades. It would be better to set aside slots specifically for indigenous people,” said Timuay Leonardo Pangundas of the Erumanen ne Menuvu Kamal.
“It's no secret that indigenous communities are very poor, so they really need livelihood opportunities. Besides livelihood, another reason women aren't fully participating in activities is the lack of proper infrastructure, like good venues. As we've seen, we could do these activities much better if we had a decent venue, like a tribal hall,” added Saliling.
“We're tired of politicians' promises. What we want is genuine help. We've experienced vote-buying, and we told them, even if you don't give us money, if we choose to vote for you, we will. We won't vote for you because of money. What we're looking for is real and sustainable help for the people,” said Pangundas.
The community forum in Sitio Baruyan was made possible through the support of the Australian Government to IAG’s political dialogue program.