Victoria

Philippines, CAHR, October 2022 to March 2023

Victoria is a leader and teacher advocating the right to education of indigenous children in Mindanao, the second biggest island of the Philippines. After being involved with the environmental justice movement in the country for about a decade, she acted as an administrator of more than 50 community schools in 2018. These schools were established by parents, volunteer teachers and people’s organizations that served hundreds of indigenous children deprived of formal education because of government neglect. The schools are an exemplification of the values of the indigenous communities where the children are able to defend and manage their ancestral domains and to meet new challenges like climate change while upholding the indigenous people’s right to self determination.

Unfortunately, the network of schools she worked with were unjustly, and illegally, closed by the Philippine government. More than 200 Lumad schools were forcibly closed as the authorities continue to demolish school structures, to spread black propaganda in mainstream and social media, to militarize communities and to relentlessly commit human rights violations against students, parents, teachers, advocates and places of sanctuary. The threats to her person are happening in the bigger context of harassment, intimidation and attacks against human rights defenders in the country.

As she persists in rebuilding the schools, Victoria continues her advocacy through a resource facility she is starting with other advocates. Together they are all fully committed to the rights of indigenous peoples,the right to education, environmental justice and human rights in the Philippines, especially in Mindanao.