MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 10 December) – The Bangsamoro Parliament unanimously approved the Bangsamoro Indigenous Peoples Act (BIPA) of 2024 on its third and final reading during a special session on Tuesday, according to a press release from the regional legislative body’s Publication and Media Relations Division.
The law, which was passed with 63 votes in favor, zero against, and no abstentions, “has been recognized as a historic success in the region’s ongoing peace process and commitment to inclusive governance.”
BIPA recognizes the IP’s ownership over their ownership of their ancestral domains, referred to as fusaka ingëd, and natural resources in these territories.
The press release quoted Ramon Piang, chair of the committee on Indigenous Peoples affairs as saying that the BIPA is an enhanced version of the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act, “specifically designed to meet the unique needs of the Bangsamoro’s indigenous population.”
Indigenous Peoples in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) include the non-Moro IPs (Téduray, Lambangian, Dulangan Manobo, Erumanun Ne Menuvu, Higaonon, B’laan), and the Badjao, Sama Dilaut, Jama Mapun, Sama Bangingi, and Sama Pangutaran in the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
The Supreme Court, however, has ruled with finality on Sulu’s removal from BARMM. (MindaNews)
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