our story
Why are we united?
Not so long ago, we used to roam freely on this island, undisturbed in nature’s bounty, nothing restricts us. But “progress” came and changed a lot of things around, land is no longer ours, many are scrambling for forest resources and our livelihood has become restricted and controlled by migrants. We simply realized that we are not receiving fair share in all this. Others make decision for us; we don’t make them for ourselves. Given this reality we formed this federation with the following view in mind.
- Strengthening the spirit of interdependence, brotherhood and solidarity among the indigenous people of Palawan
- Securing the freedom of indigenous people within their ancestral domains.
- Promoting the sustainable use of natural resources towards raising the quality of life of the indigenous people of Palawan.
- Formulating, implementing and cooperating with other agencies on programs/projects addressing the primary needs of the indigenous people of Palawan such as health, education, livelihood and security of tenure within the land.
- Generating awareness in the minds of Indigenous People on the real conditions of IP in Palawan, the country and the world with response to ecological balance.
- Preserving the indigenous Palawan culture, traditions and learnings from the wisdom of elders.
With this the first general assembly was convened on December 1989.
Who we are
The Nagkakaisang Tribu ng Palawan (NATRIPAL) or the United Tribes of Palawan, is an indigenous peoples organization federated by 63 local associations spread across the island of Palawan (Philippines), consisting of three indigenous groups, namely: the Tagbanua, the Pala’wan and the Batak. The federation was formed in 1989 and was formally registered with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission on February 4, 1991 as a non-stock, non-profit, non-sectarian organization.
After two and a half decades now, the gradual empowerment of the indigenous peoples is one among the modest tangible achievement of NATRIPAL. This is evident by its capability to implement satisfactory programs in the midst of tremendous political and commercial challenges that confront the organization and we are proud now to say that the organizational management of NATRIPAL taken care of by the indigenous peoples ourselves.
The chief mission of our organization is to gain recognition for the rights of the indigenous peoples over their ancestral domains and lands. This mission is seen inextricably linked to liberation from poverty and powerlessness and the denial of the rights over our territories obstructs the distinct manner of life. Contemporary mainstream society has habitually denied our legitimate ancestral land rights and, since land is analogous to our culture and existence, we had been losing on all fronts. We had been victim of social injustice for generations.