Mindoro State University (MinSU) formally turned over a groundbreaking research study on the socioeconomic landscape of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) to the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) MIMAROPA on February 3, 2026. The initiative aims to bridge long-standing data gaps that have historically marginalized Mindoro’s indigenous communities from mainstream regional development.
The study, titled "Bridging the Data Gaps and Socioeconomic Challenges for Inclusive and Sustainable Development of Indigenous Peoples of the Mindoro Provinces," was handed over by lead researcher Dr. April M. Bagon-Faeldan, MinSU Associate Professor III, to CPD MIMAROPA Acting Regional Director Gloren R. Hinlo. The research serves as a critical baseline for evidence-based planning, ensuring that future government interventions are anchored in the actual lived realities of IP communities.
The comprehensive study identified several systemic barriers that continue to hinder the progress of Mindoro’s Indigenous communities. These include limited access to education and healthcare, high school dropout rates, reliance on traditional medicine due to the lack of health facilities, high unemployment, and persistent underrepresentation in governance and decision-making bodies. Researchers emphasized that these challenges limit IP participation in development and underscore the need for targeted, culturally responsive policies.
To address these findings, the study outlines a strategic framework to strengthen inclusivity and improve service delivery. Recommendations include enhancing data collection to ensure all IP members are accounted for, validating findings with relevant government agencies, and establishing stronger monitoring of health and education programs.
The framework also calls for inter-agency coordination through the creation of a Special Coordinating Body to unify scattered IP-related initiatives. Other measures include community-led data verification, spatial mapping of ancestral domains, and the institutionalization of IP-sensitive monitoring for social programs. Ultimately, the study further advocates for strategic budgeting, aligning regional and local development plans with the research findings to ensure that funding priorities match the identified and actual needs of Indigenous communities.
“Through our research and partnership with CPD, we hope to translate our research findings into actionable policies that directly address the needs of Indigenous communities and promote development that leaves no community behind,” said Dr. Bagon-Faeldan.
CPD representatives noted that the research will be pivotal in advancing MIMAROPA’s goal of becoming a premier Indigenous Peoples Hub, where credible data informs every program to ensure an inclusive and sustainable regional development.
The research was led by Dr. Bagon-Faeldan, with Dr. Jessie Ray B. Mangundayao, Associate Professor II, and Ms. Anna Liza A. Vitto, Assistant Professor I, as co-researchers. It was implemented under the leadership of MinSU President Dr. Enya Marie D. Apostol and during the term of Dr. Christian Anthony C. Agutaya, then Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the President and Vice President for Research, Development, and Extension. The study also built upon partnerships established with former CPD Regional Director Reynaldo O. Wong.
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