“The Philippines holds the distinction of being the first country in Southeast Asia to enact a law recognizing the traditional rights of indigenous peoples over ancestral domains with the passage of IPRA in 1997.” to rise with the unabated migration of lowland families into the mountains. Thus, there exists a very volatile mix of stakeholders who are in strong competition for the limited resources of the uplands. Indigenous peoples are especially vulnerable as most of the remaining natural resources in the country along with the ecosystem services that are crucial in ensuring human survival, such as watersheds, are found within the traditional lands of the indigenous communities. The indigenous people represent a substantial sector of the country���s population (14%). However, in spite of their substantial numbers, they are among the poorest and the most disadvantaged social groups in the country. Illiteracy, unemployment and incidence of poverty are much higher among them than the rest of the population. Indigenous peoples’ settlements are remote, without access to basic services, and are characterized by a high incidence of morbidity, mortality and malnutrition. There are 110 major 98 indigenous groups in the Philippines. Most of the indigenous peoples depend on traditional swidden agriculture utilizing available upland areas. However, most of these traditional cultivation sites and fallow areas have now been degraded and are further threatened by the influx of migrant farmers who have introduced unsustainable lowland commercial farming practices. The IPs remain as one of the most underrepresented sectors in the governance of the Philippines. Without the necessary wherewithal, the sector has not been able to actively participate in the political exercises and as such merely settle for token representation in the legislature and other elective posts in Government. Available opportunities for participation in policy making are limited by the sector’s capacity to engage the bureaucracy and the ruling political elite. International Policies The Philippines holds the distinction of being the first country in Southeast Asia to enact a law recognizing the traditional rights of indigenous peoples over ancestral domains with the passage of IPRA in 1997. This should have established the framework for its international policy direction in dealing with issues pertaining to indigenous peoples rights. Under the stewardship of Ms. Vicky Corpus (current UN Rapporteur for IPs), the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was introduced before the historic first session of the UN Human Rights Committee in June 2006. While there was initial hesitation from the representatives of the Philippine Government in the United Nations (UN), the UNDRIP was subsequently ratified by the Philippines. Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC)