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Country: Philippines
City / Location: Talaingod, Davao del Norte, Mindanao
Period / Date: Since June 2018
Subject: Information received concerning the conviction of nine teachers and defenders of the rights of Lumad indigenous communities in Mindanao, including Ms. Ma. Eugenia Victoria M. Nolasco, Ms. Nerhaya Flores Talledo, Ms. Ma. Concepcion B. Ibarra, Ms. Maricel Oribawan Andagkit, Mr. Wingwing Mandacawan Dausay, Ms. Nerfa P. Awing, Ms. Marianie Aga, Mr. Marcial D. Rendon, and Ms. Jenevive Sedigo Paraba, as well as four other advocates of the right to education. Ms. Ma. Eugenia Victoria M. Nolasco is an educator, an environmental defender and an advocate of the rights of indigenous communities in Mindanao. Since May 2018, she is the Executive Director of the Salugpongan Ta’Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center (Salugpongan Schools), an educational institution established in 2007 by the indigenous peoples’ group Salugpongan Ta'Tanu Igkanogon (Unity in Defense of our Ancestral Lands), with the support of a religious organization. Ms. Nolasco is also a convener of Save Our Schools, a network of children’s rights organizations, which has been campaigning for the defense of Salugpongan Schools. Ms. Nerhaya Flores Talledo, Ms. Ma. Concepcion B. Ibarra, Ms. Maricel O. Andagkit, Mr. Wingwing Mandacawan Dausay, Ms. Nerfa P. Awing, Ms. Marianie Aga, Mr. Marcial D. Rendon, and Ms. Jenevive Sedigo Paraba are volunteer teachers working in Salugpongan Schools. They have been engaged in the preservation of the cultural identity of Lumad communities and in the protection of children’s right to education. The establishment of schools within the Lumad community in Mindanao, including the Salugpongan Schools, has been part of the efforts of Lumad indigenous groups, NGOs and church-based organizations to enable access of Lumad children to their right to education. Lumad schools intend to provide an education that reflects the needs and socio-cultural background of Lumad indigenous communities. The Department of Education of the Government of the Philippines accredited Salugpongan Schools after they were set up, authorizing the educational institution to run 54 community schools in the Davao region of Mindanao. Salugpongan Schools and other Lumad schools have been facing several challenges throughout the years. These reportedly included delays in releasing permits to operate, attacks on and forcible closure of schools, harassment and intimidation of teachers, students and defenders of indigenous peoples’ rights. Concerns regarding the reported closure of indigenous community schools in Mindanao, the alleged systematic attacks on these schools, as well as the threats and harassment of teachers, parents and students were raised with your Excellency’s Government by Special Procedures’ mandate holders, including through communication PHL 4/2015. We thank your Excellency’s Government for its response dated 7 January 2016. Allegations concerning the human rights situation of Lumad indigenous peoples in Mindanao and the reported harassment, intimidation and acts of violence, including killings, targeting Lumad indigenous communities and defenders of their rights were also addressed in communications PHL 5/2015, PHL 6/2015, PHL 8/2017 and 16/2017. We are thankful for your Excellency’s Government’s responses to communications PHL 8/2017 (dated 2 August 2017 and 18 August 2017) and 16/2017 (dated 6 April 2018 and 25 November 2020). However, we regret that to date no response has been received to communications PHL 5/2015 and PHL 6/2015.
Number of identified alleged victims: 9

First name last name	age	sex	affiliation
Jenevive Sedigo Paraba	adult	female	No affiliation
Ma. Concepcion B. Ibarra	adult	female	No affiliation
Marcial D. Rendon	adult	male	No affiliation
Maria Eugenia (Meggie) Nolasco	adult	female	Humanitarian, solidarity, human rights-related activity
Marianie Aga	adult	female	No affiliation
Maricel Oribawan Andagkit	adult	female	No affiliation
Nerfa P. Awing	adult	female	No affiliation
Nerhaya Flores Talledo	adult	female	No affiliation
Wingwing Mandacawan Dausay	adult	male	No affiliation

Total number of unidentified alleged victims: -

Status or occupation	Number and gender

General concerns:

Total number of alleged victims: 9
Related communications:
Previous communications: PHL 5/2015; PHL 4/2015; PHL 6/2015; PHL 8/2017; PHL 16/2017; PHL 1/2021; PHL 1/2023; PHL 2/2023; PHL 4/2023
Follow up communications: