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MANILA, Philippines — An international human rights watchdog warned that the country’s indigenous peoples (IPs) have become more vulnerable to pressure and exploitation following recent changes in the mechanism that requires their “free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC)” before business ventures can proceed in their ancestral lands.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is calling on the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to “go back to the drawing board and ensure the participation of indigenous peoples in the revision process.”
The FPIC guidelines are meant to give IPs a crucial say before business projects or major developments like mining, logging operations, dam construction and other land-altering activities can proceed, tap local resources and affect their way of life.
However, HRW said, the revised edition of the FPIC guidelines has eroded this right and does not offer IPs a clear recourse should violations occur.
