As the Philippines moves to make a long overdue update on its climate commitments, Indigenous people – whose territories are crucial to climate efforts – must be central to the conversation. Yet a lack of representation in climate conversations and policy frameworks suggest that they remain on the margins.
In a letter to Dialogue Earth, the Philippines Climate Change Commission, the country’s lead policymaking body on the subject, said its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) is in the final stages of review before formal submission.
NDCs are climate action plans submitted by countries every five years, outlining how they will contribute to lower emissions and meeting the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Updated plans were supposed to be submitted before September 2025, though several countries, including the Philippines, are behind schedule.
The absence of an updated NDC and a clear net-zero pathway has affected the Philippines’ overall score in the Climate Change Performance Index, which compares 63 countries and the European Union.
This year it ranked 19th, down from 7th last year, making it a medium rather than high performer. Notably, the index highlighted human rights violations linked to the country’s expansion of renewable energy, and the threat posed by some hydropower projects to Indigenous communities’ water supply.
Shortly after last year’s UN climate negotiations (COP30) concluded in Belém last December, the Climate Change Commission held a consultation in Manila with civil society, government, development partners and academic stakeholders. This was to present an indicative NDC, including proposed sectoral commitments and national targets, and feed insights from the event towards the final updated NDC, aiming to affirm a whole-of-society ownership of the plan.
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I am happy that Indigenous Peoples’ participation is increasing. Of course, resources are always a question, which is why not everyone can be included, but I hope there will be efforts to bring in more Indigenous peoples.
Minnie Degawan, Indigenous leader, Kankanaey-Igorot
Some climate action groups have claimed that, prior to COP30, the Philippines delegation had failed to consult non-state actors and that draft NDCs were not shared. In response, the commission told Dialogue Earth that it is committed to “inclusive and meaningful participation consistent with national laws and international obligations”.
It highlighted that the NDC drafting process “has involved inter-agency coordination mechanisms, targeted sectoral consultations, and engagement platforms with non-state actors, particularly those working on or for Indigenous peoples and climate-vulnerable communities”.
The commission also underscored its recognition of Indigenous peoples’ right to participation and self-determination consistent with the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act and related policy frameworks.
But despite these affirmations of inclusion, Indigenous people have been absent from important climate conversations at the official level.
Missing representation at COP30
COP30 was framed by the Brazilian presidency as having a focus on Indigenous issues and representation, including more representatives from Indigenous communities than ever before. But the Philippines’ official delegation list, seen by Dialogue Earth, did not include any representatives from the government agency responsible for protecting Indigenous rights, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
The Climate Change Commission clarified months after the conference, in the letter to Dialogue Earth, that the NCIP had expressed welcome interest in nominating representatives to COP30, but later informally communicated that it “would no longer proceed with the nominations due to logistical challenges in Belém”. The NCIP confirmed this in an email to Dialogue Earth, citing accommodation shortages and participation capacity constraints owing to the large number of attendees expected.
Indigenous territories cover 13-14 million of the country’s roughly 30 million hectares of land, and more than half of the Philippines’ remaining intact forestlands are within ancestral domains. These lands have been protected by the stewardship of Indigenous peoples, as rooted in their cultures and beliefs. Yet such lands, which are central to conservation and mitigation efforts, are under increasing pressure from mining, renewable energy and infrastructure projects.
Under the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr, mining reforms have accelerated, and the government has pushed to expand critical mineral extraction, according to a 2024 report from Global Witness and Philippine environmental campaign network Kalikasan. This is despite a significant share of the country’s mineral resources overlapping with Indigenous peoples’ territories, as recognised under the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act, the report notes.
The Philippine Mining Act states that all mineral resources in public and private lands are owned by the state, which contradicts Indigenous territorial sovereignty. Indigenous communities have voiced concerns to the media of facing mining impacts such as landslides and contamination of fishing waters and farmland.
While formal government representation was limited at COP30, Indigenous leaders from the Philippines still participated through civil society organisations and as observers. Among them was Minnie Degawan, a Kankanaey-Igorot Indigenous leader from the Cordillera region in northern Philippines who is managing director of the Forest Stewardship Council’s Indigenous Foundation.
“I am happy that Indigenous Peoples’ participation is increasing,” she told Dialogue Earth. “Of course, resources are always a question, which is why not everyone can be included, but I hope there will be efforts to bring in more Indigenous peoples,” she added.
Between principle and practice
The limited official representation of Filipino Indigenous peoples at the climate negotiations stands in contrast to the country’s own climate policy frameworks, where they have featured prominently.
The Philippines’ last Nationally Determined Contribution, submitted in 2021, recognises the role of traditional knowledge in strengthening climate action and affirms obligations related to human rights and Indigenous rights.
Similarly, in 2025, the government stated that the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights will place strong emphasis on protecting Indigenous peoples and their ancestral domains. The National Adaptation Plan 2023-2050, meanwhile, acknowledges the unique circumstances of Indigenous peoples and their deep ties to ancestral lands.
Taken together, these frameworks recognise Indigenous peoples’ participation and knowledge as essential to climate resilience and ecosystem integrity. Yet their limited representation in international negotiations reveals a widening gap between principle and practice.
This tension is not unique to the Philippines. An analysis of 195 parties’ NDCs, conducted by the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, found that 90 countries recognise Indigenous peoples in their climate pledges. However, only five refer to their right to be consulted on measures that affect them, and only six mention free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). According to the analysis, recognition of Indigenous peoples’ rights still lacks concrete enforcement.
The path forward
Near the end of COP30, Aksyon Klima Pilipinas, the Philippines’ leading civil society network for climate action, urged the government to provide direct and accessible climate financing to Indigenous peoples and local communities, with simplified procedures, strong safeguards and FPIC at every stage.
The Climate Change Commission, in response to queries about how it will ensure the NDC reflects the lived realities of Filipinos, especially Indigenous people and other climate-vulnerable communities, told Dialogue Earth it is working with relevant agencies and stakeholders “to ensure that the NDC reflects Philippine priorities and capacities, and supports a just, culturally sensitive, and context-responsive transition in line with existing policies and frameworks”.
It added: “Climate action, to be effective, should reflect the country’s development context, differentiated vulnerabilities, and the social and economic conditions that shape how risks are experienced across regions.”
The commission explained that the NDC is informed by sectoral analyses, risk assessments, and local planning processes that “also acknowledge the value of Indigenous knowledge systems and practices, which have long guided communities in stewarding ecosystems and navigating environmental change”.
Looking toward COP31
As preparations begin for this year’s COP31 in November, the incoming leadership has emphasised inclusion. Türkiye’s COP31 president-designate, Murat Kurum, has outlined guiding principles for the process: “Dialogue, not a single voice; Consensus, not division; Action, not stagnation.”
He stressed that Türkiye and Australia, which is leading the negotiations, aim to work together to ensure all voices are heard and no participants are left behind, highlighting the importance of consultation and cooperation for a successful conference.
For the Philippines, aligning its local actions with global commitments is key to inclusion. The updated NDC needs to acknowledge the role of Indigenous communities, and the country’s delegation at COP31 must do more to include Indigenous peoples.
This article was originally published on Dialogue Earth under a Creative Commons licence.
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