IFAD‑backed projects secure land rights and livelihoods for Indigenous peoples in the Philippines

A new UN story details how projects supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have helped Indigenous peoples in the Philippines secure land rights and build more resilient livelihoods over nearly three decades.

Indigenous peoples (or IPs) see their ancestral lands as the heart of identity and sustainability, but many have lacked formal recognition of custodianship, putting livelihoods and culture at risk. IFAD‑supported initiatives have assisted about 400,000 Indigenous people to date, with land tenure a central focus.

In the Cordillera highlands, the Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management projects (CHARM I and II) helped Indigenous communities secure legal recognition of ancestral domains across 170 barangays, 99 per cent of which were Indigenous. Communities pledged customary stewardship of critical watersheds, blending Indigenous governance with environmental protection and supporting the livelihoods of more than 220,000 people. 

In Mindanao, the Western and Northern Mindanao community initiatives projects helped turn ancestral land claims into official titles. One Higaunon leader, Datu Balitungtung, said the process finally provided clear steps for Indigenous governance that brought together Indigenous structures and institutions. 

The projects also introduced sustainable agriculture and natural resource management practices grounded in Indigenous knowledge, and set up funds targeting the poorest households, including women‑led families. In Apayao, a small CHARM loan of around US$2,000 enabled a livestock association to buy improved piglets and training, increasing incomes enough to repay the loan and improve living standards. 

Average poverty incidence in IFAD‑supported areas fell by 14.5 per cent between 2017 and 2022, the UN reports.