CITY COUNCIL PUSHES FOR IP REPS ON JHMC, BCDA BOARDS

May 3, 2025 Headlines

BAGUIO CITY

The Baguio City Council has approved a resolution appealing to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to immediately appoint Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representatives (IPMRs) to the Board of Directors of both the John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC) and the
Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA). Authored by Councilor Jose Molintas, Resolution 283- 2025 calls for a transparent and inclusive selection process. It asserts that IPMRs should be granted full voting rights on the Board and should be given access to all necessary information and decision-making processes to ensure that their participation is effective and not merely symbolic.

The resolution underscores that IPs in the country, particularly those living in or around Baguio City, have historically suffered from
“dispossession of their ancestral domains” and repeated “violations of their rights.” Furthermore, the resolution cites the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997 which mandate the
participation of IPs in decision-making bodies. These frameworks affirm that IPs must have mandatory representatives in all policy-making bodies to remedy past injustices, prevent further marginalization, and ensure that their voices are heard in development planning and governance.

Large portions managed by the JHMC and BCDA are ancestrally claimed by IPs. However, according to Molintas, development in these
areas has often proceeded without Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), violating both domestic and international laws protecting IP
rights. Molintas stressed that the continued absence of IPMRs on the boards of JHMC and BCDA perpetuates systematic exclusion of IPs, inability of IPs to influence or halt projects that impact their territories, and denial of their right to self-determination. In the resolution, Molintas emphasized the importance of fully including IPs in decision-making processes, saying it is a crucial step toward addressing long-standing injustices and healing historical wounds.

Jordan G. Habbiling/S