PASIG CITY — The Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) continues to play a crucial role in strengthening collaboration and addressing pressing issues between the national and Bangsamoro governments.

This, after the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs (MIPA) inked on Monday, February 10, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), which aims to resolve key issues being faced by indigenous peoples (IPs) and indigenous cultural communities (ICCs) in the Bangsamoro region.

This MOA, whose signing was facilitated by the IGRB, aims to preserve the rights of IPs, ensure their welfare, and empower them to face emerging challenges to their well-being as a people.

The agreement forged today came after the Memorandum of Cooperation between the NCIP and MIPA expired in November 2024.

This development prompted the IGRB to facilitate the creation of a technical working group in 2021 with the goal of tackling issues affecting IPs in the BARMM, leading to the signing of the MOA.

Sustaining partnerships for IPs

In her message, which was delivered by Undersecretary Wilford Will L. Wong, Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, who also serves as the IGRB co-chairperson for the national government, emphasised the role of the IGRB in sustaining the partnership between the two parties.

“…the IGRB has taken necessary steps to facilitate its renewal, allowing the collaboration between the NCIP and the MIPA to effectively address the concerns of the indigenous peoples and indigenous cultural communities within the BARMM,” Pangandaman said.

According to the budget chief, the IGRB “is fully committed in further improving our coordination with the NCIP and MIPA that would help our services to the indigenous peoples and indigenous cultural communities in the BARMM.”

Pangandaman also reaffirmed her department’s full support to IPs in the Bangsamoro, saying, “we remain fully committed to supporting the policies and programs that advance the interests and rights of our indigenous peoples.”

“Our unwavering goal is the improvement of the welfare and well-being of all as we strive for a Bagong Pilipinas,” she added.

For his part, BARMM Education Minister and IGRB co-chairperson for the Bangsamoro government, Mohagher Iqbal noted that the MOA “is a significant step in ensuring that our indigenous peoples in the Bangsamoro are not only recognized, but are fully included in the governance, development, and decision-making processes that shape their lives.”

Iqbal also underscored that inclusivity is at the heart of the IGRB’s mandate.

“It is a guiding principle that reminds us that through autonomy and self-governances, [we] must immerse all voices, raising the voices especially of those of our indigenous communities whose rich traditions, ancestral lands and cultural heritage form an integral part of our region’s identity,” he said.

Championing IPs rights, welfare

In his closing message at the signing ceremony, Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Sec. Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. emphasized that the MOA will “facilitate cooperation, provide protection, and champion the rights of our IPs.”

Galvez expressed hope that the agreement will expedite the collective efforts of stakeholders in resolving key issues while fostering inclusive peace and development for non-Moro indigenous peoples and their communities in the Bangsamoro.

He also gave the assurance that the Office of Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) “will continue to carry out initiatives that aim to foster sustained peace, equitable resource distribution, and inclusive development for all our countrymen living in the Bangsamoro region.”

“As the path to peace is a shared journey, OPAPRU’s social, economic, development and cultural interventions are anchored on the principle of ‘by all and for all.’ As we walk side by side in this shared path to peace, we will make sure that no one will be left behind,” he said.

He further stressed President Ferdinand R. Marcos’ Jr.unwavering commitment to ensure greater inclusivity in all the national government’s peacebuilding interventions.

“Ang sabi nga po ng ating mahal na Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. – walang maiiwan at walang iwanan. Sama-sama po tayo sa ating pagsulong at pag-angat tungo sa isang mas maganda at mapayapang kinabakusan. Makakaasa po ang ating mga kapatid na IP na hindi natin sila kailanman pababayaan.”

The Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB), which is composed of representatives from line agencies and ministries from national and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) governments, was established under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) in 2019.

The IGRB’s primary mandate is to facilitate closer coordination and resolve key issues between both governments through the conduct of regular consultations and negotiations in a non-adversarial manner.

Grand Kanduli for BIPAs enactment

In a related development, the OPAPRU, represented by its Social Healing and Peacebuilding Office (SHAPEO) Program Head and IGRB Secretariat Deputy Head Dir. Ishmael Bahjin, attended the Grand Kanduli Thanksgiving on the enactment of the Bangsamoro Indigenous Peoples Act (BIPA) of 2024 at the Upi Municipal Gymnasium on February 8.

The event was organized by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, particularly by the Office of Member of Parliament (MP) Mary Ann Arnado and other MPs representing Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples.

The Kanduli was graced by Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim in a historic first time official visit to the Upi Municipality, home of the Teduray tribe.

IP leaders from the Teduray, Dulangan Manobo, Higaonon, Erumanen Ne Menuvu, B’laan, and Sama, gave their messages of support and gratitude for the passage of the law.

The OPAPRU’s participation in the Grand Kanduli is a testament of the national Government’s commitment to uphold the principles of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), particularly the recognition and protection of the IP communities in the region.

The BIPA aims to strengthen the relations and deepen the collaboration between the national and Bangsamoro governments to ensure that the law is effectively implemented and will largely benefit IPs and their communities in the BARMM.###