Stop military encampment in schools and communities.
Implement RA 7610, Article 10 - Section 22 Uphold Indigenous People’s Right to Education.
Defend Indigenous People’s Schools.
The Salugpongan Ta Tanu Igkanugon Community Learning Centers (STTICLC) and Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation Inc. (MISFI) Academies have served for more than a decade as grassroots partners in providing basic education that is free, accessible and culturally responsive in far flung Lumad communities, where there has been no basic social services being provided by the government.
The struggle of the Lumads of southern Mindanao in defending their ancestral lands and their right to self determination through education and unifying their communities has been an inspiration and shining light in the Philippines and around the world.
Today, sadly their schools are under attack and are threatened to unjust shut downs by harassment, threats, intimidation, brutal force and sham legal tactics by the military and paramilitary forces.
The military, under the guise of the counterinsurgency program "Oplan Bayanihan", has tagged and labeled these schools as "rebel schools". They have told families not to enroll their children in the schools. They have told leaders to burn their schools down. They have told community members they will shoot the teachers when they arrive in the community. In some communities, paramilitary are staying inside the school campuses. These are direct violations of RA 7610, Article 9 - Section 20 which prohibits discrimination against children of indigenous cultural communities and Article 10 - Section 22 that states "Children as Zones of Peace" that (a) "shall be protected from any form of threat, assault, torture..." and (e) "Public infrastructure such as schools...shall not be utilized for military purposes."
Ironically, the military and paramilitary have targeted these schools that are accredited by the Department of Education as well as civilian community members such as students, parents, teachers, administration and support groups. Communities and people that the military should ultimately be protecting and serving are being targeted and violated.
Many of the community members believe the real reason why they are targeted as "rebels" as well as their schools is because the military and government have different interests rather than serving the Lumads in protecting their ancestral lands and seeing them educated.
In actuality the community believes they don't want them to be educated because with an education they will not be fooled into selling their lands to the large scale mining and logging corporations and big plantation owners, which the military and Philippine government has (open and back door) partnerships with.
Currently a total of 400 community members (children, women and families) have been displaced and evacuated "bakwet" from their ancestral lands in Talaingod and other far flung communities of Davao Del Norte such as Muling and Kapalong and are now in sanctuary at the UCCP Haran site in Davao City because of militarization and harassment. These families are in dire need of support specifically with food, since they are far from their farms and have no money. Many of the "bakwet" children are students of Salugpongan Schools or Misfi Academies.
We the undersigned demand that the Department of Education continue to uphold the "Survival, Protection and Development" of "Children of Indigenous Cultural Communities" as stated in RA 7610, Article 9 - Section 17 by implementing the following items:
The resignation of Department of Education, Davao del Norte Division, Superintendent Dr. Josephine Fadul who authored Dep Ed Memo 221, ordering the closing of indigenous people's learning centers, as well as attempting to create a public high school in Butay, Talaingod, utilizing military personnel as “para-teachers”.
Scrap Dep Ed Memo 221
End militarization in schools and communities. Stop military encampment in schools and communities.
Implement RA 7610, Article 10 - Section 22
Uphold Indigenous People’s Right to Education. Defend Indigenous People’s Schools.
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