LILAK Statement on the 5th SONA of the Marcos-Duterte Administration on the State of Indigenous Women

LILAK Statement on the Fifth SONA of the Marcos-Duterte Administration on the State of Indigenous Women

Five years under the Marcos-Duterte administration, the situation of indigenous women across the Philippines continues to worsen.

The Marcos-Duterte administration has pushed for policies and programs that favor foreign interests and corporations, paving the way for destructive projects such as large-scale mining operations, plantations, mega-dams, and energy projects that destroy the environment and encroach on ancestral lands.

The Marcos-Duterte administration is the primary plunderer of the lands and natural resources of the Filipino people. indigenous peoples are always among the first and most directly affected, while indigenous women remain the most vulnerable to the various forms of violence brought about by these projects.

As the primary caregivers of their families, they are the first to bear the brunt of food and water insecurity, loss of livelihoods, and worsening poverty. They also lead efforts to preserve their culture and keep their communities resilient amid forced displacement and environmental destruction.

Yet the administration continues to position the Philippines as a “responsible hub” for “eco-friendly” mining of critical minerals. The government is also pushing for the establishment of Pax Silica, an AI-focused industrial hub to be led by the United States.

Alongside these projects, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) is rushing to implement the 2026 Revised Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) Guidelines, which seek to speed up and facilitate the easier entry of large-scale and destructive projects primarily benefiting big businesses and foreign interests.

With these projects and policies being pushed forward, more of these are bound to enter ancestral lands without undergoing genuine, meaningful, and proper consultation.

These projects cannot be called “responsible” because based on the experiences of many indigenous communities these lead to the dispossession of ancestral lands, destruction of the environment, disregard for indigenous governance, and violations of their rights.

Until now, those responsible for widespread corruption have yet to be held accountable. Every centavo stolen by corrupt government officials represents public services and governance denied to the people. Every public service lost to corruption means rights denied and lives put at risk.

Hold accountable and make those who plunder the people’s funds and resources pay! Corruption is one of the reasons why the country continues to suffer, and why indigenous women and their communities remain trapped in poverty.

True development cannot be measured by the number or scale of infrastructure projects. True development is seen in the state’s ability to respect the rights of indigenous peoples, protect their ancestral lands and natural resources, safeguard their lives and cultures, and ensure that the country’s resources serve the Filipino people.

As long as the rights of indigenous peoples and indigenous women are pushed aside, and as long as the welfare of the Filipino people is sacrificed for the interests of a few, the “development” promised by the “Bagong Pilipinas” will remain nothing more than a false promise and an illusion.

Hold Marcos-Duterte Accountable!

Unite and Stand Against Corruption!

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