Content area
Full Text
I. INTRODUCTION
The government of the Philippines has demonstrated a pattern of promoting economic development goals at the expense of the human rights of indigenous cultural communities and peoples. In particular, environmental damage and destruction caused by the pursuit of economic development has risen to a level that violates the rights to environment and self-determination of indigenous cultural communities (ICCs) and indigenous peoples (IPs). Because of their strong ties to the land, harm to the environment is synonymous with harm to indigenous people, their cultural communities, and way of life.
The Philippines continues to struggle with its economic status as a third world country. Having survived periods of control by both Spain and the United States, it is now striving, like many of its neighbors, to establish itself as a newly industrialized country.' The daily lives of many Filipinos are characterized by extreme poverty. Over thirty-five percent of the population has difficulty meeting basic needs such as nutrition. During the first six months of 1998, annual per capita income was as low as U.S.$ 427.3 Disparity in wealth is great. The wealthiest twenty percent of the population controls more than fifty percent of the nation's income, while the poorest twenty percent receives less than five percent.4 Faced with such a situation, it is easy to understand why the Philippines is anxious to raise its status in the global economic community.
Indigenous peoples account for approximately eighteen percent of the populations Considering the extreme poverty described above, the selfsufficient, sustainable way of life exercised by many Filipino ICCs is notable. As in many other countries, land belonging to ICCs constitutes the majority of unexploited land in the Philippines.6 Because this land is also rich in natural resources that have not yet been exploited, the government. of the Philippines turned to these lands in an attempt to promote foreign investment and speed industrialization.
Because of differences in education, language, cultural perceptions of property, as well as a lack of legal protection and enforcement of existing laws, the Philippine government can easily assist investors in taking advantage of indigenous lands, or turn a blind eye when such exploitation takes place. The most common types of projects proposed and executed on indigenous lands include tourism,8 logging,9 mining,lo harnessing...