Photo Release

Recognition of ancestral claims and rights in Baguio: Sen. Risa Hontiveros fields questions to Sen. Francis Tolentino, chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government, in relation to legal recognition of ancestral claims and rights in Baguio City during the interpellation period of House Bill No. 8882 or the proposed Revised Charter of the City of Baguio Wednesday, September 15, 2021. Hontiveros asked if there were ample protections included in the measure to recognize and protect ancestral claims and rights in Baguio City. Tolentino replied that there were provisions in the bill mandating respect for ancestral lands. “Many of the indigenous peoples living in Baguio City, by virtue of their ancestral domain, are actually the original settlers and owners of a substantial portion of the city,” Hontiveros said. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)