Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales led the 28th anniversary of the Office of the Ombudsman starting with the launch last May 10 of the corruption prevention program for indigenous peoples (IPs) and indigenous cultural communities (ICCs).
The program aims to provide an independent oversight and corruption prevention mechanism for IPs and ICCs as they encounter problems with the illegal exploitation of tribal land and natural resources. The Ombudsman acknowledges the need to develop programs to improve its interaction with government agencies especially for projects which impact on their cultural practices, traditions and beliefs.
The Ombudsman invited Senator Loren Legarda, an environmentalist and IP advocate as special guest. In her message, Senator Legarda said that she was “glad that the Ombudsman is reaching out to our IPs to know more about the impact of government programs in their communities.” She continued on to say that “the Senate, will also continue to work on legislation for the benefit of our IPs—to preserve their traditions; to safeguard their cultural property rights; to guarantee equal employment opportunities; and to prohibit discrimination based on ethnicity, race, religion or belief.”
Ombudsman Morales also joined the coastal clean-up project in the Las Pinas-Muntinlupa Critical Habitat along Manila Bay on May 11. The clean-up drive spearheaded by the Environmental Ombudsman team was made in partnership with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
As part of its Gender and Development program, the office also launched its Child Development Center (CDC) on May 12. Considered as the flagship GAD program, the CDC is designed to provide quality care services to pre-school children of employees.
The Office of the Ombudsman celebrates its charter day every May 12. In her anniversary speech, Ombudsman Morales thanked the officials and employees for their unwavering support and cooperation. “We receive a lot of criticism in doing our job but I am never deterred by this. The support of the netizens in our fight against graft and corruption is overwhelming, and this is already a milestone for us,” she added. ###