Injustice against the Lumads of Mindanao

Displaced Lumads of Mindanao

Mindanao, Philippines – Lumad is what the indigenous peoples from the southern Philippines call themselves. They are considered to be the original inhabitants of the island of Mindanao.

On the early dawn of September 1, the Manobo Lumad tribe, in one village in northern Mindanao, were rounded up by the paramilitary group Magahat-Bagani.

Dionel Campos and Jovillo Sinzo, leaders of the community, were beaten, then shot at close range by the armed group in front of the hundreds of residents. Read more

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Dwindling numbers: Lumad schools continue to suffer closures, attacks during pandemic

Diño, Sta Cruz (Rappler) | September 18, 2020

The pandemic has not stopped the harassment of the Lumad, and the hardest hit are their schools – 178 of which have been shut down since 2016, according to the Save Our Schools (SOS) Network.

From March to May this year, SOS Network has documented 32 attacks on Lumad schools. These attacks include forced closures, illegal arrests of students, and aerial bombings, according to Chad Booc, a volunteer teacher at ALCADEV Lumad School.

Although martial law in Mindanao ended in 2019, Booc said that the recent passing of the anti-terror law has emboldened military forces to camp in Lumad communities. Read more

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In defense of the Lumad schools