Write a letter for the Batak

1. Write your letter, then 2. Complete it and 3. Send

The Batak are ‘negrito’ peoples who live on Palawan island in the Philippines. They are shifting cultivators who also hunt, gather and fish.

Their way of life has also been threatened by conservation schemes which seek to ban shifting cultivation and other subsistence practices.

How you can help

Please write a brief, polite letter to the President of the Philippines expressing your concern about the threats facing the Batak.

Hon. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Malacanang Palace
JP Laurel Street
San Miguel, Manila
NCR 1005 Philippines

7 January 2009

Your Excellency,

I wish to express my concern at the grave situation facing the Batak tribe of Palawan Island. Loss of land and restrictions on the way they grow food have made the Batak vulnerable to hunger and disease – their very survival is in danger.

Despite the Philippines’ ‘Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act’ (IPRA), the Batak’s rights over their land and resources have not been recognised. The government’s anti-shifting cultivation measures have dramatically reduced the Batak’s ability to grow food.  Swidden cultivation (uma) is also a fundamental part of the Batak’s ritual practices and religious beliefs. Restrictions on these practices violate the IPRA law, which recognises the right of tribal people to their religious ceremonies and practices.

I am also concerned about the encroachment of illegal rattan and almaciga (resin) collectors who are invading the Batak’s land. They are destroying their ability to harvest these essential items themselves. Illegal miners are also polluting their drinking water.

Lastly, I urge your government to consult the Batak, and the neighbouring indigenous communities, on all decisions that may affect their land rights, such as the expansion of the San Paul Subterranean River National Park. Please ensure that no conservation and development schemes are implemented on the Batak’s land without their free, prior and informed consent, as enshrined in both Philippine and international law.

Yours sincerely,

(your full name)

Will my letter make a difference?
Yes. Time and again, letters from Survival supporters have called governments and organisations to account. Policies have changed and lives have been saved.

Should I post, fax or e-mail?
The most powerful way is to print and post your letter. We will e-mail you a ready-to-print PDF of your letter, together with postage information.

We sometimes also publish e-mail addresses or fax numbers where there is a realistic chance of these being read. However, e-mail addresses change and fax machines get unplugged. If you can, please post your letter.

or Cancel