Cordillera Peoples Alliance

The Cordillera Peoples Alliance for the Defense of the Ancestral Domain and for Self-Determination is an independent federation of progressive grassroots peoples’ organizations in the Cordillera Region, Philippines. It is committed to pursuing and promoting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples and of all democratic sectors in the Cordillera region. It is especially committed to defending the ancestral domains of the Cordillera indigenous peoples from usurpation, plunder and destruction. CPA’s commitment is striving for people’s equitable access to resources and the benefits derived from their utilization through Cordillera peoples’ self-determination. CPA was founded in June 1984 in Bontoc by 150 delegates from 27 organizations attending the Cordillera People’s Congress. The founders are mainly indigenous leaders and activists who spearheaded the widespread and successful opposition to the World Bank-funded Chico dams project and the commercial logging operations of the Cellophil Resources Corporation during the period of the Marcos dictatorship, when the government and its corporate partners pursued destructive projects in the Cordillera, coupled with worsening militarization and political repression. There was then a need to strengthen the mass movement of indigenous peoples in the Cordillera to work for the promotion, recognition and defense of indigenous peoples (IP) rights and human rights. The newly-formed CPA answered this need. Through the years, CPA has launched sustained information drives, advocacy, direct actions and local struggles on indigenous peoples’ rights and related issues. These activities were implemented alongside organizing work of various indigenous communities in the region and building their capacity through trainings and various types of assistance.