TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples-Kalinga continues to organize communities in delineated ancestral domains in adherence to indigenous generic rights for self-governance and empowerment and freedom of assembly traditionally embedded in their culture.
Provincial NCIP Officer, Atty. Catherine Gayagay-Apaling, said NCIP provides technical assistance in the formulation of by-laws of indigenous peoples organizations (IPO) for them to have legal identity, stronger representation, and for IPOs’ use for registration and accreditation requirements.
NCIP also facilitates the issuance of Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) on delineated ancestral domains.
A CADT formally recognizes the rights of possession and ownership of IPs over their ancestral domains identified and delineated in accordance with the law.
A Certificate of Ancestral Land Title, on the other hand, refers to a title formally recognizing the rights of IPs over their ancestral lands.
The NCIP is also installing monuments in boundaries between delineated ancestral domains, a provision required in the by-laws to determine an IPO domicile.
During the second quarter of this year, ancestral domain boundary monuments were installed between the ancestral domains of Dao-angan-Limos, the tri-boundaries of Dao-angan, Poswoy and Salogsog, and Biga-Taloctoc.
Two concrete markers were installed between Dao-angan and Limos by a team with two more possible monuments to be installed to complete the boundary landmark.
The NCIP provincial office with its community service centers is also facilitating peaceful settlement of boundary disputes including on-site validation.
“Representatives from elders of ancestral domains must be present during the installation of monuments,” Apaling said. – Peter Balocnit
