Under Resolution Number 07-134.2018 of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), the Ancestral Domains Sustainable Development and Protection Plan (ADSDPP) is the consolidation of the plans of Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) within an ancestral domain for the sustainable management and development of their land and natural resources as well as the result of human and cultural resources based on their indigenous knowledge, systems, and practices. Such a program shall be the basis of the Five Year Master Plan for ICCs/IPs.
What Is The Primary Goal Of The Ancestral Domains Sustainable Development And Protection Plan (ADSDPP)?
The main goal of the Ancestral Domains Sustainable Development And Protection Plan or ADSDPP is to empower ICCs/IPs toward fulfilling their well-being without sacrificing the needs of their future generations. However, to fulfill its primary purpose, it shall be divided into smaller, quantifiable goals such as:
- Ensuring the compliance of ICCs/IPs to their responsibilities to maintain ecological balance, restore denuded areas as well as observe the requirements of the IPRA;
- Facilitating the conduct of the FPIC process and;
- Providing a checklist of prioritized development programs/projects as a ready reference for collaborative efforts with development partners and/or grant of assistance to ICCs/IPs in an ancestral domain.
Although the NCIP is the one facilitating the ADSDPP, the communities of ICCs/IPs are the ones responsible for its formulation. The basis of assessment is the extent to which each plan supports the four-fold rights of indigenous peoples. The plan’s effectiveness is responsive to the community’s needs. And the efficiency of the project is manifested by the appropriate match between community assets and programs.
What Are The Essential Components Of The Ancestral Domains Sustainable Development And Protection Plan (ADSDPP)?
The Ancestral Domains Sustainable Development And Protection Plan or ADSDPP serve as a five-year, long-term commitment to holistically improving the lives of ICCs/IPs divided into three significant situationers, which are:
- Ancestral Domain and Community Situationer
- Development Plans and Programs
- Implementation Policies and Mechanisms
In the case of physical planning, however, the Ancestral Domains and Community Situationer would be the most relevant component. This situationer is further divided into three: the Ancestral Domain Situationer, the Community Situationer, the Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSPs), and the Development Needs of the ICCs and their Ancestral Domain.
Ancestral Domain Situationer
For starters, NCIP defines an ancestral domain as areas owned, occupied, or possessed by ICCs/IPs by themselves or through their ancestors. Areas covered include ancestral lands, forests, pastures, residential, agricultural, and other types of lands, hunting grounds, burial grounds, worship areas, bodies of water, and mineral and other natural resources.
This component shall include the profile and conditions of the natural base or resources of the ancestral domain, such as its environmental and ecological conditions and other land and spatial conditions as may be defined by the community. It shall also include the indigenous resource systems, management practices, customs and traditions, and a description of the land ownership systems that helped shape the present conditions of the ancestral domain and the IC/IP community as owners and stakeholders. The problems and conditions shall also be determined, predominantly, but not limited to, the environmentally critical areas.
Community Situationer
This component shall include the history of the tribe, their origin, and time immemorial formation of the ICCs/IPs as a distinctive social and cultural group. It shall also present and discuss the lifeways of the ICCs/IPs and their social, cultural, political, and economic systems and status of human development, including the prevailing conditions and situations as well as the factors affecting the growth of ICCs/IPs. As significant activities in ancestral domains, agriculture and agro-forestry shall include traditional or customary practices such as the conventional self-help systems or cooperation. The component may also establish potential economic activities or opportunities.
Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSPs)
The indigenous knowledge systems and practices of IC/IP communities on land use systems, land ownership systems, forest and watershed management and protection, water resource management and conservation, marine resource management, and mineral resource management and security form part of the sustainable development and protection plan. The system shall also indicate the manner of transferring IKSPs through generations and the capacity of ICCs/IPs to protect their community intellectual rights.
Development Needs of the ICCs and their Ancestral Domains
This portion shall highlight the needs, problems, and concerns to develop the ICCs/IPs and their ancestral domains fully. It shall also identify collective/or community traditional capacities used to protect or claim their rights to their ancestral territories and lands, self-governance and empowerment, social justice and human rights and the right to cultural integrity. The study shall indicate the extent or magnitude of the problem and concerns for determining priorities. Likewise, the program shall demonstrate the strengths, weaknesses, threats, opportunities, and probable resources.
What Are The Steps In Preparing The Ancestral Domains Sustainable Development And Protection Plan or ADSDPP?
The formulation of the ADSDPP shall primarily be guided by the principle of self-determination, participatory planning, and cultural integrity with the primary objective of ensuring the sustainable development and protection of ancestral domain resources and the enforcement of the rights of ICCs/IPs to their Ancestral Domain as well as their rights as a people and as citizens.
The responsibility of formulating the ADSDPP rests with the community, and they may avail of the services and expertise of other agencies and support groups. Upon request of ICCs/IPs, the NCIP shall facilitate the formulation of the ADSDPP with this 10-step process:
1. Pre-planning Consultation
The NCIP field office initiates the process by conducting a series of consultations with three goals in mind: to educate IPs or ICCs about their rights and responsibilities; encourage such to commit to the process, and; identify the members of the working team.
2. Organization Of The Working Group Or Planning Team
The working team should be from the same group of IPs or ICCs that the NCIP is also working with. It shall be well-represented, with members from various sectors such as children, farmers, fisherfolks, women, and the youth. These members shall be among the owners of the ancestral domain concerned.
3. Preparation Of The Work And Financial Plan (WFP)
The working group shall prepare a work and financial plan indicating the planning activities, specific outputs, schedules, responsible persons/groups per activity, and the budgetary requirements, including probable resources or sources of funds. This process shall be done in consultation with the Council of Elders and other members of the community. After that, the same shall be endorsed to the NCIP, through the provincial and regional offices, for approval and possible funding assistance.
4. Data Gathering And Assessment
The process of producing the ancestral domain profile and situationer truly starts here. The working group shall conduct a participatory baseline survey focusing on the existing population, natural resources, development projects, land use, sources of livelihood, income, employment, education, and other concerns. The survey shall include the documentation of the ICC/IP culture or IKSPs and historical accounts or inventory of documents relative to the sustainable development and protection of the ancestral domain. Likewise, it includes the appraisal of the quality and quantity of existing natural resources in the Ancestral Domain. The baseline survey shall target secondary and primary data with survey instruments and procedures.
The Working Group shall assess the data/information, identify and prioritize problems/issues and concerns, determine needs and gaps, and try to understand the underlying causes and how particular problems affect particular community sectors. The output shall be presented to the community for validation of its accuracy and reliability before proceeding to the succeeding steps of the ADSDPP formulation process hereunder.
5. IP/AD Development Framework Formulation
Immediately after validating the assessed data, the community shall collectively formulate the development framework as a people. At the same time, the framework should also provide alternatives.
6. The Interface Of IP/AD Development Framework With Existing Government Policies, Plans, Programs, Projects, Rules, and Regulations
This section begins with the participation of the remaining government and non-government entities. Agencies such as the DENR, DA, DAR, DPWH, etc., shall be invited to discuss their existing policies, plans, programs, or projects so that ICCs/IPs are fully informed of both development prospects and constraints. The suggestions and potential commitments will further direct the identification of ADSDPP programs. On the other hand, the working group will inform various government agencies and non-governmental organizations about the genuine wants and aspirations of ICCs/IPs, which they may consider while reviewing and reformulating their respective agendas.
7. Program or Project Identification And Prioritization
Based on the discussions between the IPs or ICCs, the program shall prioritize government agencies, non-government organizations, and other persons involved, smaller-scale projects, programs, and activities to activate the plan.
Hence, the proposal shall briefly describe the program and project and may include activities and suggestions on implementation strategies or mechanisms. The presentation shall consist of all available resources and external assistance that the IC/IP community could leverage.
8. Formulation Of Ancestral Domains Sustainable Development And Protection Plan With Implementation Strategies and Management Plans
For this step, the organizers shall formulate the more specific parts of the ADSDPP and strategies for evaluating its results.
The Council of Elders/Leaders shall oversee the implementation and management of the ADSDPP, notwithstanding the visitorial powers of the NCIP. To assist the Council of Elders/Leaders (CEL), the IC/IP community may institute a unique body to take charge of specific tasks that the council will identify.
9. Presentation, Validation, and Approval of Draft ADSDPP With IC/IP Community Members
Once the working group completes the final draft, the ADSDPP shall be presented to the rest of the community members in the most effective medium possible such as maps and other visual aids. When applicable, its English translation should also be subject to verification.
10. Submission Of Ancestral Domains Sustainable Development And Protection Plan To NCIP
Upon validation and approval, the community must submit the ADSDPP to the NCIP via its Council of Elders or Leaders and the Provincial Office (PO). The ADSDPP shall be included in the Medium Term or Five Year Master Plan for ICCs/IPs, which shall serve as the foundation for programs/projects listed in the annual and medium-term budgetary proposals of the NCIP and other agencies concerned with the welfare of ICCs/IPs.
Making A Better IP Community With Ancestral Domains Sustainable Development And Protection Plan
The entire process of the Ancestral Domains Sustainable Development And Protection Plan or ADSDPP is commendable because it follows the traditional community planning process in which the ICCs/IPs involved are more comfortable. It highlights the importance of hearing the people’s voices when designing communities for them. Following this approach, it creates the impression of a naturally evolving, people-centric community, but with an added scientific approach to it.
