Ateneo Human Rights Center facilitates Indigenous Peoples Rights and Community Organizing courses for students of St Anthony’s College in Sta Ana, Cagayan

Nearly a hundred college students of St. Anthony’s College of Sta Ana, Inc. in Sta Ana, Cagayan Province underwent a two (2)-day seminar-workshop on Indigenous Peoples Rights and Community Organizing facilitated by the Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) on 25-26 June 2024 at the college’s multipurpose gymnasium. 

The training, which was titled “Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and Youth Empowerment,” aimed at expanding students’ understanding of justice, peace, and human rights with a focus on indigenous peoples’ rights and challenges. The Municipality of Sta. Ana is known as home to the indigenous peoples group, the Agtas. A number of young Agtas are also enrolled in the said learning institution. 

The first day of the workshop focused on exploring the historical and contemporary injustices faced by indigenous communities including their struggle for rights and recognition. Atty. Katrina Isabela Blanco, supervising lawyer from the Ateneo Human Rights Center facilitated a session on the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) that laid out legal protections and frameworks for the indigenous peoples in the Philippines. 

AHRC interns, Dianne Erika Mortrera and Andre Lloyd Arellano facilitated the sessions Justice, Peace, and Human Rights and Promoting Indigenous Peoples’ Rights, respectively. Mortrera started the activity by allowing participants to visualize their personal concepts of peace and justice. Arellano, on the other hand, challenged participants to promote the concepts of indigenous peoples' rights through non-conventional means and modes such as but not limited to writing open letters to authorities, crafting accessories made of indigenous materials, and sharing cultural experiences through culinary and gastronomic experiences. 

A session on Gender, Environment, and Social Justice attempted to explain that environmental challenges have graver and more direct effects on women and children. This was followed by a discussion on equality, equity, and social justice and their intersectionalities vis-a-vis the Indigenous Peoples’ realities and lived experiences. The session was facilitated by AHRC Program Officer, Timothy Orogo and AHRC intern, Marice Sta. Maria 

The second and last day of the workshop centered on the concepts of engaged citizenship and community organizing for advocacies. Jerica Gia Estonanto, resident intern of AHRC, started the day by establishing the basics of engaged citizenship and youth empowerment. It was shortly followed by a workshop on Strategic Planning and Goal Setting conducted by Atty Nicolene Arcaina, Officer-in-Charge of AHRC. In her session, Atty. Arcaina encouraged student participants to envision the future and to make action points in turning their visions into reality.

Finally, the workshop concluded with a session on the Principles of Community Organizing and Civic Engagement facilitated by RJ Sangcap, Communications Officer of AHRC. The session actively engaged participants through a problem tree activity where they were asked to identify the most pressing societal issues in their respective communities.

To encourage the participants to act more proactively beyond the two- (2)-day event, they were invited to write their pledge of commitment heeding the call to be responsible and engaged citizens by upholding and protecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights.

Through such engagements and benchmarking opportunities with the academe, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders, AHRC vows to promote and popularize human rights concepts while creating more opportunities for participation that champions social justice. 

AHRC was tapped by St Anthony’s College administration through Ugnay Buhay Pastoral Center in Sta Ana, Cagayan, official partner AHRC for this year’s summer internship program (SIP) immersion