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PART IV. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISM

The implementation mechanism shall be consistent with the development

framework of the region, with due regard to the existing indigenous knowledge

systems and practices, customs and traditions of the locality. It shall be

delineated to consist of (a) direct line and (b) indirect line or coordinative

mechanisms.

1. Direct Line

The Council of Elders which composed of the community leaders/tribal

elders shall be the initiator and prime mover of the local participation, through the

sectoral core groups, in the implementation of the programs, projects and

activities/services of the ADSPP within the ancestral domain with the tribal

communities as the primary service centers and focus of development. The

hierarchy of administrative management, control and supervision of plan

implementation shall be the existing self-governance and customary way of the

tribes.

2. Indirect Line or Coordinative Mechanism

The inter-governmental or inter-sectoral linkage of promoting people-

government partnership to mobilize meaningful and popular support and

participation between and among National Government Agencies (NGAs), Non-

Government Organizations (NGOs), Indigenous Peoples Organizations (IPOs)

and other private organizations (POs) performing service delivery functions shall

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likewise be adopted, installed and institutionalized. In this case, the organized

tribal councils, barangay councils which constitute the council of elders hand in

hand with the sectoral core groups shall be mobilized to implement the plan.

3. Formal Structure of the Plan

3.1 Barangay Level

All programs, projects and activities seeking funding or technical

assistance from the LGU and national government agencies and other external

sources, shall be indorsed jointly by the Barangay Tribal Council (BTC) and the

Barangay Council (BC) through the Barangay Development Council (BDC) to

the Municipal Development Council (MDC) and Municipal Federation of Tribal

Council (MFTC) which in turn indorses to the Provincial Development Council

(PDC).

Endorsement of the BTC/BDC shall also include those programs, projects

and activities emanating from the NGOs and other private entities in the locality

seeking financial and technical assistance from various funding agencies and

institutions.

3.2 Municipal Level

The MDC shall ensure the consistency of programs and projects

contained in the ADSDPP with the development plan of locality prior to their

endorsement to the PDC.

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3.3 Provincial Level

The provincial government through its PDC shall review all programs,

projects and activities emanating from the municipality prior submission to the

RDC.

3.4 Regional Development Council

The programs, projects and activities of the ADSDPP shall be consistent

with the national policies, directions and program thrusts of the national

government with due regard to the customs, traditions and indigenous knowledge

systems and practices (IKSP) of the ICCs/IPS of the Kankanaey/Bago tribes of

the ancestral domain. It shall be implemented consistent with the MPTPDP-IP,

MDG and the ten-point agenda of the President of the Republic of the Philippines

to effectively carry out the operationalization of the ADSPP.

Programs, projects and activities contained in this plan which require

funding or technical assistance form the national government or from any

external sources (foreign aids) shall be submitted by the council of elders within

the ancestral domain through the local government (LGU). The LGU have the

option to submit the programs, projects and activities to PDC for endorsement.

3.5 Provincial Office and Community Service Center of the National

Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

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The NCIP provincial offices and community service centers shall provide

technical assistance to the council of elders and sectoral core groups in

spearheading fund sourcing and coordinating and monitoring the implementation

of all the programs, projects and activities contained in the ADSPP.

3.6 Barangay Council of Elders

The Barangay Council of Elders in collaboration with the sectoral core

groups shall implement all the programs, projects and activities, whose funding

support are released thru the NCIP.

The NCIP will provide technical assistance in collaboration with the LGU

and other NGAs and NGOs serving then general welfare of the IPs within the

ancestral domains.

The principle of “bayanihan” or self-help, roll-back and food for work

schemes of implementing all development programs, projects and activities

within the ancestral domain shall be adhered to and strengthened among the

project beneficiaries in accordance with the ICCs/IPs customary way.

Livelihood programs extended to either individually or in group shall adopt

the roll-back scheme which must be covered by a Memorandum of Agreement

(MOA).

The underlying motivating factor of the plan therefore is to develop the

tribal groups into self-reliant communities with emphasis on positive values on

empowerment. However, free labor shall only be encouraged on selective basis.

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In this particular case, the NCIP, through its provincial office and service

center, shall maintain close coordination with the council of elders and the

ADSDPP Community Working Group (CWG) and the LGU in all aspects of

project planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of the plan.

3.7 Cooperative

The existing Alilem Multi-Purpose Cooperative in the ancestral domain

shall serve as a conduit to credit financing institutions for livelihood programs and

other economic activities which generate income and employment opportunities

for the tribal people.

3.8 Roles of the National and Local Government Agencies and Non-

Government Organizations (NGOs)

The resources and expertise of the national and local government

agencies and non-government organizations serving the general welfare of the

indigenous peoples within the ancestral domain particularly in the provision of

technical and financial assistance for the implementation and monitoring of the

plan shall be mobilized.

They shall also be encouraged to actively participate and involved

themselves in empowering the beneficiaries of the programs and projects. This is

to achieve a triumvirate partnership by the tribal communities, the private

organizations and the government working hand in hand in ensuring an effective

and efficient implementation of the plan using their respective resources.

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THE COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECT MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES IN THE

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAMS, PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES (PAPs) OF

THE ADSDPP RELATIVE TO THE PROTECTION, PRESERVATION AND

UTILIZATION OF THE NATURAL/MINERAL RESOURCES OF OUR ANCESTRAL

DOMAIN

A. Collective Local Participation and Involvement of the ICCs/IPs in Project

Management Activities in the Implementation of the Plans, Programs, Projects and

Activities of the ADSDPP

Being the direct beneficiaries of the socio-economic and cultural

development of the ancestral domain, we shall be the main actors and

implementers of the project management activities of our ADSDPP. Such being

the case, it is our mandate to directly and actively participate in all community

development undertakings making use of our existing best practices, customs

and traditions, indigenous, knowledge systems and practices (IKSP). In the

exercise of our self-governance, being one of our ancient customary way of

managing our community affairs, we need to be empowered more actively to

assume full responsibility and accountability of our leadership roles in managing

and administering the proper implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all the

programs, activities and projects (PAPs) of our ADSDPP in collaboration with the

concerned agencies of government, NGOs, IPOs and other sectors of civil

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society working for the general welfare of the ICCs/IPs to ensure the proper

protection and preservation of our ancestral domain.

1. Organization of the Project Management Team and its Sectoral Core Groups

In order to facilitate and achieve a more effective and efficient scheme of

implementing the PAPs component of the ADSDPP, a project management team

shall be organized in each of the (9) barangays of the domain. Each

management team shall be composed of not less than five (5) members of the

Council of Elders or recognized community leaders belonging to our tribe. The

management team shall be assisted by the sectoral groups which shall be

constituted within the barangay representing the different development sectors.

a) Agriculture & Industry Sectoral Core Group

b) Infrastructure & Utilities Sectoral Core Group

c) Education Sectoral Core Group

d) Health and Nutrition Sectoral Core Group

e) Waterworks System Sectoral Core Group

f) Environment and Forestry Sectoral Core Group

g) Tourism and Industry Sectoral Core Group

h) Culture and Arts Sectoral Core Group

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The sectoral groups shall be the community core groups who will assist

the project management teams in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation

of the PAPs of the ADSDPP.

2. The ”Bayanihan” or “Gamal” or Self-help, Food for Work and Roll-back

scheme of Implementing PAPs of the ADSDPP.

a) The Bayanihan or Gamal or Self-Help Scheme

Following this scheme, we shall implement our community

development programs and projects/activities without any compensation.

This scheme needs no payment of labor compensation. This self-help

scheme will sustain our ethnic and customary way of implementing

community projects within our ancestral domain. By this scheme, our

spirit of cooperation, collaboration, teamwork and unity are further

strengthened through the leadership of our council of elders and IP

community leaders who constitute the project management teams and

sectoral groups of the domain. Being the beneficiaries of this form of

project implementation scheme of community development programs,

projects and activities of our domain, it is our mandate to provide the labor

and manpower components of the project as our counterpart.

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b) The Roll-Back Scheme

Under this scheme of project implementation, projects funded by

the LGU of Alilem, Ilocos Sur, non-government or international foreign

funding agencies, either in the form of a seed capital or credit loan

assistance, shall be released to the existing tribal council organization of

the domain. The organization, in turn, shall distribute the same to

qualified individuals or to a group of project beneficiaries. The project

beneficiaries are made to repay the principal amount of assistance to the

organization with a minimal interest rate based on a consensus

agreement. The same scheme of project implementation shall be adopted

or replicated in the other ancestral domain areas to allow fair access of

equal opportunities of the same or other type of benefits to the next set of

beneficiaries.

a. The Food for Work Scheme

This scheme is similar to that of the “bayanaihan” or self-help

scheme implementing community development projects. The only

difference is that in the “bayanihan” or self-help scheme, the laborers are

paid in kind such as canned goods, rice, milk, coffee, sugar, dried fish,

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beans, and other assorted food items based on the prevailing daily wage

in the community.

This shall be done in the construction, rehabilitation and repair of

small infrastructure projects such as public school building, tribal halls,

farm to market roads, suspension or hanging foot bridges, irrigation

systems, spring development projects, mini-irrigation dams and

reforestation projects.

The project management teams and the sectoral groups shall see

to it that the role of women in terms of work and leadership opportunities

be treated with utmost respect and they shall be treated just and fairly

along with the men.

3. Preparation of Project Proposals, Programs of Work, Plans and Designs for

each Development Project.

The technical staff of the NCIP Community Service Center of

Tagudin, Ilocos Sur and the local government unit of Alilem, Ilocos Sur

shall assist the sectoral groups in preparing project proposals, programs

of work, plans and designs of those identified priority projects included in

the ADSDPP for funding either by the national and local GOs, NGOs,

IPOs and international/foreign funding agencies.

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The project implementation mechanism shall be designed with due

regard to our existing customs, traditions and indigenous practices.

Allocation of funding resources shall also be made equitably in

accordance with the priority of the concerned barangay.

4. Availment of the Technical Skills of Local Residents and Utilization of the

available Indigenous Local Materials for Socio-Economic and Cultural

Development Projects.

The available technical skills of the local residents shall be availed

of specially those that are industry and infrastructure related projects with

bigger allocations of project funds. This is a strategy to generate off-

farming employment among our skilled laborers of the community.

We shall also make use of the available indigenous local material of

the domain for the implementation of all community development projects

more specifically those needing lumber or wood products, bamboos,

“talahib,” vines, rattan and other forest products including boulders/

stones, and aggregates for infrastructure projects. This is to reduce the

expenses of purchasing and hauling commercial products from the

lowland commercial centers to the remotest project sites.

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5. Fund Sourcing and Allocation of Resources

The project management teams and the sectoral groups, in

collaboration with the tribal councils and the LGU of Alilem, Ilocos Sur,

shall formulate fund sourcing strategies to generate project funds for the

implementation of the various priority PAPs of the ADSDPP. Allocation of

funding resources shall be equitably distributed based on the community’s

priority needs.

6. Monitoring and Evaluation

We shall conduct a periodic project supervision, monitoring and

evaluation of the implementation of the PAPs of our ADSDPP to assess

and evaluate the success and failures and identified problems and issues

that were encountered in the process of planning and implementation. To

identify lessons learned and best practices that were encountered and

adopted that may have enhanced, facilitated or hindered in the process of

project planning and implementation schemes. And to evaluate/assess

whether or not the goals and objectives sought to be attained been

achieved during the plan period.

A report based on the results of the evaluation using a simplified

form or mode of assessing the status or outcomes, both physical and

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financial aspects of the PAPs, shall be made as bases for the project

management, the CWG and sectoral groups as well as the community, in

the re-planning and identification and prioritization of the development

needs of the community.

B. The Protection, Preservation and Utilization Activities of our Ancestral Domain’s

Natural Resources.

1. Prevention of Forest Fires

We shall endeavor to collaborate with the LGU, DENR/NCIP, other

concerned agencies, entities, NGOs, IPOs to ensure at all times the strict

adherence to our ancient customary ways of preventing the occurrence of

indiscriminate forest fires specially during summer seasons when the

vegetative areas of the domain are vulnerable to fire incidents due to

“kaingin” or slash and burn practices.

This can be done through the conduct of periodic information

education and consultations, symposia, focused group discussions,

meetings, dialogues and community assembly by the project management

teams and members of the sectoral groups of the ADSDPP with the

technical assistance of the NCIP/DENR and LGU of Alilem, Ilocos Sur.

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2. Regulating the Utilization of the AD and Forest Resources

We shall also regulate the utilization of our AD’s forest resources by

prohibiting our farming practice of “kaingin”, cutting of trees, bamboos,

gathering of vines, light bamboos or “bohos” for commercial purposes.

We shall strengthen our strict adherence to our customs and traditions of

prohibiting the gathering of all kinds of forest products without the consent

of the community elders and institute stiffer penalties according to our

customary way of imposing punishments to those found guilty by the

council of elders.

3. Reforestation through Sustainable Watershed Development Program

We shall endeavor to conduct massive and community-wide

reforestation trough sustainable development program within the

mountains, rolling hills and slopes along the river basin of the Amburayan

River specially those portions of the domain that are barren due to

indiscriminate deforestation activities of our people.

This can be done by institutionalizing tree planting as our way of life

which shall start from our families, in the schools and communities where

the grade school pupils, the youth, farmers and women sectors are

motivated to get involved and actively participate. The significance of

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these activities shall be highlighted during the month of June every year

which is the onset of rainy season. Each barangay shall establish its own

forest nursery and adopt an area within the barangay as its communal

forest and protected area or parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

The trees which are of native species that have since time

immemorial been thriving in our ancestral domain must be massively

propagated and planted along the river basin.

Participation in this type of community project shall be on voluntary

basis.

4. Preservation of Sanctuary and Burial Sites

We shall endeavor to adhere strictly to our customs, practices and

traditions of protecting and preserving the sanctity of our designated burial

grounds which serves as our ancient sanctuaries within our ancestral

domain by prohibiting the cutting of trees, diggings, treasure hunting, bio-

prospecting, mining and other forms of development aggression and

extraction, utilization of mineral resources that are found therein. We shall

also endeavor to preserve, protect and prohibit the conversion of these

areas into residential, commercial, institutional and agricultural areas.

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5. Regulating the Entry of Migrants and Prohibiting the Conveyance by of

whatever form of our AD to Non-IP.

We shall strictly adhere to our customary practice of regulating the

entry of migrants or non-IP to occupy or possess any portion of our

ancestral domain without our consent. We prohibit the conveyance of any

portion of our AD through sale or transfer to any migrant especially to non-

IPs.

C. Strict Observance and Adherence to the following Operating Principles of the

Process of Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) in the Exploitation, Extraction,

Utilization and Development of the Natural Resources of our Ancestral Domain.

The free and prior informed consent is our collective and popular

consensus which is determined based on our own customary laws and practices

within the community that is free from any external manipulation, interference and

coercion and obtained after the intent and scope of the plan, program, project and

activity have been fully disclosed by the proponent in a language and process which

is understood by us. Our written consent is given only by us upon the signing of the

Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) which contains the terms and conditions,

requirements, benefits as well as penalties with the contracting party.

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1. The Primacy of our Cultural Integrity

The holistic and integrated adherence to our respective customs, beliefs,

traditions, indigenous knowledge systems and practices (IKSP) and the assertion

of our character and identity as peoples shall assume an important consideration

in the decision-making processes required for the issuance of the Certification

Precondition (CP) by the government through the National Commission on

Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) as pre-requisite to the introduction, implementation

or operation of plans, programs, projects or activities in the ancestral domain.

This is to ensure that our culture and traditions are recognized and respected in

the process and the promotion of our general well-being.

We shall strictly adhere to the exercise of the primacy of our customary

practice through the process of consultation and consensus building before any

decision or non-consent is given to individuals, groups or mining companies who

will secure new or renewal of permits, licenses and concessions from the

government or to enter into contract or agreement to any agencies or entities for

the purpose of exploiting, extracting, utilizing or developing in whole or in part of

our AD. In this regard, we shall strictly observe and exercise our rights to self-

governance and empowerment as well as our prior rights to exploit, utilize,

extract and introduce development over our ancestral domain. However, the

exploitation, extraction, utilization and development of our mineral resources can

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only be made possible after our written consent shall have been properly

obtained by the concerned parties through the process of a free and prior

informed consent as enshrined in Section 56 of RA 8371.

2. The Right to Manage our Own Land and other Resources of our Ancestral

Domain

The right to manage and develop our own land and other resources within

our ancestral domain shall be respected. This is to guarantee the compliance of

the state policy through the NCIP to ensure our priority right as ICCs/IPs to

manage and pursue development plans, programs, projects or activities (PAPs)

within our ancestral domain. Accordingly, in the utilization, harvesting,

development, extraction and/or exploitation of natural resources and any

alienation or transfer of these rights from us to entities, being the right holders of

our ancestral domain, the mandatory requirements of obtaining our written

consent through the process of a free and prior informed consent or FPIC, shall

be conducted through consensus building and decision-making mechanisms with

strict adherence to the primacy of our customary laws.

The conduct of FPIC process shall be transparent among stakeholders.

The applicant for the issuance of a certification precondition (CP) by the NCIP

shall make full and accurate disclosure of information concerning the proposed

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program, project activity in a manner that is both accessible and understandable

to us ICCs/IPs as AD right holders in the community.

3. Sustainable and Responsible Development and Protection of the Ancestral

Domain

Whenever consent is given after the conduct of FPIC, the requisites of

sustainable and responsible development and protection of our ancestral domain

shall be ensured so as to benefit the present and future generations.

4. The Exercise of Ownership Over Titled Properties within Ancestral Domain

The exercise of rights of titled property holders within our ancestral

domain shall carry with it their responsibility of respecting our rights as AD right

holders and/or owners. In the event the exercise of the rights of owners of such

titled properties accorded to them by law is such that it affects adversely our

rights, consultations among us shall be undertaken through our community

elders/leaders. But the subject of the consultation shall be limited only to the

determination and proper compensation with corresponding agreement with

respect to loss, damage or injury that may be suffered, and to our satisfaction

that measures shall be undertaken to mitigate if not to totally avoid loss, damage

or injury on our part.

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5. The Exercise of our Traditional Resource-Use Rights.

Gathering, hunting and such other traditional use by us who are AD right

holders of natural resources found within our AD including gathering of rattan and

other forest products for family/personal consumption and subsistence livelihood,

do not require our free and prior informed consent. However, it only requires

validation by the NCIP of such utilization only upon complaint of any member of

the council of elders/leaders.

D. Plans, Programs, Projects or Activities which Require Our Free and Prior

Informed Consent.

The following plans, projects or activities which require our free and prior

informed consent (FPIC) are as follows:

1. Large and small scale development, exploitation and utilization of land,

water, air, and other natural resources within our ancestral domain.

2. Exploration of mineral and energy resources within our ancestral

domain;

3. Programs, projects and activities that may lead to our displacement

and/or relocation;

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4. Resettlement programs or projects by the government or any of its

instrumentalities that may introduce migrants into our ancestral domain

whether temporary or permanent;

5. Management of protected and environmentally critical areas and other

related undertakings within our ancestral domain;

6. Bio-prospecting activities;

7. Large-scale tourism projects;

8. Industrial land use including the establishment of economic zones;

9. Large-scale agricultural and forestry management projects;

10. And other activities similar or analogous to the foregoing.

11. Commercial research undertaken by government, private persons or

corporations of foreign entities for the purpose intended directly or

indirectly for commercial use, such as publication, documentation, paid

lectures, among other;

12. Unsolicited government projects for the delivery of socio-economic

services and development including projects of charitable institutions,

and civic or NGOs, the direct and primary beneficiary of which are

ICCs/IPs like us who own the AD except when the same are formally

coordinated with the NCIP or as implementer in connection with the

latter’s programs, projects or activities, in which case our consent is

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not necessary. Provided that the said programs or projects are

validated by the NCIP to be acceptable to us either because the same

conform to our ADSDPP or shall become part thereof in the future.

13. Activities that would affect our spiritual and religious traditions,

customs and ceremonies, including ceremonial objects or access to

religious and cultural sites, archeological explorations, diggings, and

excavation unless our council of elders/leaders require the issuance of

our consent.

14. Programs, projects and activities not requiring permits from

government agencies;

15. Occupation of military or organizing para-military forces, establishment

of temporary or permanent military facilities, or military exercises

within the domain except when requested by concerned elders/leaders

of the domain.

D. Promotion, Protection and Preservation of our Indigenous Knowledge Systems and

Practices (IKSP), Customary Laws, Peace Building and Consensus-Decision-

Making Processes, Ethnic Costumes, Artifacts, Songs, Dances, Rituals, Chants,

Farming Technologies, Traditional Medicines and Healing Practices

Our ethnic cultures, customs and traditions, IKSPs, customary laws, peace-

building, consensus and decision-making processes, ethnic costumes, artifacts,

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songs, dances, chants, traditional medicines and healings practices, farming

technologies, rituals and many other ancient ways of life of our Bago and Kankanaey

tribes within our ancestral domain shall be promoted, protected and preserved by us

in so many ways in order to perpetuate and sustain their ethnicity, genuineness,

authenticity, and their originality since time immemorial historical significance. This

can be done through active participation and involvement of all members of our

tribes in various cultural presentations in community gatherings, special occasions

and celebrations both public and private gatherings. Our promotion and

preservation activities shall not be limited only to the involvement and participation of

our tribal leaders and community elders but it shall be the responsibility and

commitment of all of us more specifically to the practitioners of our ethnic cultures

and traditions. Our responsibility shall be to motivate and encourage the active

participation and involvement of our younger generation such as our school children,

college students, out of school youth, our young adults and the elderly in cultural

presentations. The household and farming sectors shall be encouraged to adhere to

their roles in the practice of their farming and off-farming industries which are

culture sensitive activities like loom weaving, basket weaving. Our tribal farmers

shall be encouraged to continue propagating and planting our traditional and native

farm crops, plants and animals such as the glutinous rice, native root crops,

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vegetables, beans that are high yielding varieties including the native pigs, goats

chickens and native cows and carabaos.

Our ethnic rituals with respect to birth, wedding, death, burial, and healing

practices shall always form part of the cultural presentations during special

occasions and gatherings which shall be performed especially by our school children

and youth.

The practice of “canao”, “bagat”, or “begnas” celebrations as manifestation of

thanksgivings for gaining good luck, bountiful harvest and celebration of victory and

success from all kinds of endeavors.