The brief community visits RAOEN undertook in August and September 2025 were occasions to witness local pathways to synodality as the local Church accompanies indigenous communities in three sites in Bukidnon, Quezon, and Palawan. Through conversations with the youth, women leaders, and tribal elders, stories emerged in how communities navigate the paths of youth identity, indigenous leadership, and integral ecology.
Higaonon youth in Malitbog, Bukidnon, Mindanao: Grateful, blessed, and proud to be indigenous
At the San Pablo Apostol parish in Malitbog, Bukidnon, the indigenous Higaonon youth shared that they feel the presence of the church most in the company and guidance of the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS). The Higaonon youth are scholars of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro share a residence at the parish beside the convent of the Holy Spirit Sisters.
The youth found the kumustahan (how are you) sessions meaningful as they felt seen and heard in terms of their daily struggles in studies, socialization, and growing up. They shared their feelings of exclusion, discrimination at times. But the weekly dinners together with the SSpS sisters are occasions to share stories, talents, and new skills learned. They feel affirmed in their culture and identity as indigenous, developing more pride in their culture and encouraged to celebrate as they speak their language freely. This is so as their language is often sidelined when indigenous youth engage with mainstream society, including the use of mobile phones and modern technology.
What brings them joy is the camaraderie and friendships formed in their small community with the Sisters, whose presence and personal attention to them is lifegiving and gives them hope and encouragement. One scholar shared that her faith journey was enriched with the accompaniment of Sister. Another shared that Sister’s affirmation and encouragement push them to take pride in their indigenous identity and to continue living out their rootedness in the culture and the land.
The Higaonon youth scholars share a common resolve to live out their culture as they grow in their faith life and community together with the Sisters.
Dumagat-Remontado community in General Nakar, Quezon, Southern Luzon: Deep aspirations for ancestral land protection, stronger tribal leadership, and transformative faith
A great challenge to the tribal elders and women leaders of the Dumagat-Remontado indigenous community is the threat of major infrastructure and investment projects to their ancestral lands and way of life in Southern Sierra Madre where around 300 hectares of forest cover and at least 10,000 of their members of their communities are adversely affected.
Southern Sierra Madre is the southern part of the longest mountain range in the Philippines and located in eastern Luzon. The New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project is an infrastructure flagship project under the national government’s Build, Build, Build program and funded through a loan from the Export-Import Bank of China. The project is contracted to the state-owned China Energy Engineering Corporation.
The dam location is in Quezon Province, specifically at Sitio Cablao, Barangay Pagsangahan in General Nakar and at Sitio Queborosa, Barangay Magsaysay in Infanta, areas that are within the ancestral domain of the Dumagat-Remontado indigenous communities issued with certificates of ancestral domain titles on 2008 and 2009. Within the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, the proposed project area is part of the Kaliwa River Forest Reserve, a declared watershed in June 1969 and natural park, wildlife sanctuary, and game preserve in April 1977.
The raw water conveyance tunnel traverses from the dam location to Teresa, Rizal where the outlet portal will be constructed. The Kaliwa Dam Project, expected to supply around 600 million liters daily to Metro Manila, will also serve as a redundant water source to reduce Metro Manila’s dependence on Angat Dam that currently supplies 97% of water supply. The Kaliwa Dam Project is part of the governmen
The situation of the Dumagat-Remontado communities was brought to the attention of the UN Human Rights Council in a joint submission in July 2023 for the fourth Universal Periodic Review of the People’s Republic of China. The joint submission “points out China’s breaches of its extraterritorial obligations (ETOs) in human rights, environment and natural resources, and climate change” through the funding and construction of the Kaliwa Dam Project. (Source: Submission to the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Technical Working Group for the 4th UPR of the People’s Republic of China 45th Session (January-February 2024): China’s Extraterritorial Obligations in the Area of Human Rights, Environment and Natural Resources, and Climate Change in the Philippines – Case of New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project)
Yet with all these national and international attention to their plight, the division in the community is noticeable. Some are viewed as supporters of the project for personal gain, while others remain committed to stand their ground for the greater interest of the community.
During the conversation, the elders shared how these struggles weakened and fragmented their own leadership. They expressed a strong desire to learn from the tribal councils and leadership in Mindanao in the southern part of the Philippines who are also engaged in struggles for their lands.
A woman leader acknowledged that while many in their community are believers of the Catholic faith, and their basic ecclesial community (BEC) is active, she longs to see a personal conversion and transformation: one that is felt in family life and community involvement.
Indigenous communities in northern Palawan, Luzon call for accountability
Tribal leaders and representatives from the Tagbanua, Cuyunon, Agutaynen, and Batak indigenous communities from northern Palawan (Culion, Busuanga, Coron, and Taytay) joined the 2nd Indigenous Peoples’ Congress on 18 and 19 September 2025 at the Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay for a dialogue with key government agencies to seek responses to their concerns.
The Social Action Center and the Indigenous Peoples’ Ministry of the Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay organized the congress that is on its second annual run.
Decade-old concerns were brought up anew on the recognition of their rights to their ancestral land, their safety and security, and maintaining cultural integrity. There is the protracted delay in the processing of their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT), the exorbitant fees to cover land delineation activities, some mountain areas fenced off as private property, and the presence of an airport in a landscape of ricefields flood-prone communities.
Even with key representatives of invited agencies not showing up, community leaders resolved to continue to seek responses to their concerns and to call for accountability. A resolution was drawn up among the indigenous groups and the Indigenous Peoples’ Ministry of the apostolic vicariate as more elders spoke and church leaders joined the call for collective action including Bishop Broderick Pabillo. The group identified key people in local government they will contact as well as strategies for a next dialogue with all key agencies present.
It was faith-in-action unfolding in three days and each day was an occasion for the indigenous communities to gather as church and as a bigger community sharing their joys and their struggles. Each day closed with a celebration of the Eucharist where the messages from Bishop Pabillo and other priests centered around hope that is anchored on faith.