Indigenous Land Rights and Colonial History in the Philippines

Front

What are some key aspects of Indigenous beliefs regarding land?

Back

⚬ a spiritual bond with ancestral lands seen as sacred and granted for shared use

⚬ valuing community responsibility

⚬ harmony with the land, rejecting private ownership.

Front

What was the Regalian Doctrine?

Back

⚬ All lands discovered by the Spaniards are property of the Spanish crown (Government)

⚬ taking control of the land, and resources, treating ancestral domains as public domain

Front

What impact did the Regalian Doctrine have on Indigenous land rights?

Back

It undermined Indigenous land use concepts, though some tribes managed to retain their sovereignty and customary laws.

Front

What was the Maura Law of 1894?

Back

⚬ The final Spanish land law that invalidated customary land ownership, requiring landowners to secure titles by 1880,

⚬ or lands would revert to the state; reinforced that pueblo lands belonged to the King and could not be alienated.

Front

How did colonial land laws affect Indigenous land rights in the Philippines?

Back

The legacy of colonial land laws persisted, continuing to marginalize Indigenous land rights and contributing to the gradual loss of ancestral lands.

Front

Why is understanding the history of land ownership and use among Indigenous peoples important?

Back

It acknowledges the ongoing struggles of Indigenous communities for their land rights and supports their efforts for self-determination in the Philippines today.

Front

What are the characteristics of Indigenous People

Back

Preserving languages, cultural practices, and social systems; identifying as a distinct society; subsistence-based economies;

Front

Pre-colonial period

Back

Before the Spanish colonization, different tribes and ethnic groups in the Philippines managed resources and settled disputes using their systems

Front

Spanish colonization (March 26, 1521)

Back

: The Spaniards conquered the Philippines, marking the start of the Spanish Empire's rule.

Front

What events marked the end of Spanish rule in the Philippines?

Back

⚬ The Spanish-American War began on April 25, 1898.

⚬ The Philippines declared independence on June 12, 1898.

⚬ The Treaty of Paris (December 10, 1898) ended Spanish rule and ceded the Philippines to the United States for $20 million.

⚬ Although Spanish colonial rule ended, the legacy of colonial land laws persisted, continuing to marginalize Indigenous land rights