A MINDANAO-WIDE task force that will focus on addressing key concerns confronting indigenous peoples (IPs) is set to be created, according to Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus G. Dureza. Speaking at a celebration in the town of T’boli on March 6, Mr. Dureza said the task force, to be established through a Presidential executive order, will be headed by retired Col. Allen A. Capuyan, who comes from the Manobo tribe.

“The President emphasized the need for greater convergence among national government line agencies on IP concerns,” Mr. Dureza said. He further explained that the task force will consolidate IP-related issues as well as development priorities, which will then be integrated into existing governance mechanisms.

He added that another executive order is being proposed to provide full recognition and protection of the IP’s rights and welfare across the country. The peace adviser said he expects these proposals to help address the root causes of the insurgency in the country, specifically those which impact on the ancestral domain areas of IPs. The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) has also established an IP Peace Panel headed by Atty. Reuben Dasay Lingating. — Mindanao Bureau

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