As one of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries and one of the most dangerous for environmental defenders, women environmental human rights defenders (WEHRDs) in the Philippines play a critical role in protecting communities, natural resources, and human rights. Through the Strengthening Women's Civil Society and Women Environmental Human Rights Defenders' Political Participation and Influence for a Just, Green Future Philippines Project, women defenders from across the country have participated in a series of capacity development initiatives designed to strengthen their knowledge, skills, leadership, and advocacy. The project has also provided opportunities for networking, solidarity-building, and engagement on issues affecting women and their communities. Against this backdrop, young Lumad leader Catherine "Kat" Dalon demonstrates how investing in women defenders can amplify indigenous voices and strengthen collective advocacy for land, rights, and justice.  

Her fight to land and identity 

Kat Dalon, 22, is a member of Sabokahan - Unity of Lumad Women, a community partner of the Women’s Studies and Resource Center - Southern Mindanao Region. Kat belongs to the Obo Manobo tribe from the mountains of North Cotabato in Mindanao.  

Kat comes from a family of farmers. Her parents grow corn in a small plot of land at the foot of the Pantaron mountain range. Back in the day, Kat recalls how harvest season yielded 300 sacks of corn for her family to sell. For Kat’s tribe, their land meant sustenance. Their land is their livelihood. 

Nowadays, banana and rubber plantations flank all sides of their corn fields. There is a plantation to their north and plantations to their left and right—hectares upon hectares of monoculture agricultural land. The presence of large plantations brought with it infrastructure—developed roads that ease the coming and going of people and produce. Progress that is meant to signal the development of marginalized communities. And yet, Kat cannot help but notice the negative environmental effects brought about by these projects.  

The plantations depleted the water source for their small farm. When pesticides are sprayed on the bananas in the plantation, the wind carries these chemicals to their corn—medicine not meant for their crops, killing a significant portion of their harvest for the season. Fields that once yielded 300 sacks of corn now only produce 100. Infrastructure meant to bring economic mobility and relief to Kat’s community has endangered their livelihood.  

Kat also shares that a hydropower dam along the Pulangi River, one of the longest in the Philippines, threatens the lives of indigenous communities downstream of the river due to an increased risk of flooding during heavy rains.  

At a young age, Kat experienced forced evacuation and lived away from home for years, first in Davao City and later in Metro Manila as a student at UP Diliman. She could not go home for several years. She had also gone through several losses of loved ones along the way. Her colleagues, volunteer teachers Chad Booc and Juraine Ngujo, both of whom were very close to her, were killed during fieldwork. Many of her classmates in the indigenous self-help school they have established were harassed, imprisoned, and threatened.  

Because of all these issues, Kat grew up in a politically charged environment—development aggression, environmental degradation, land grabbing, and the militarization of her communities have led her to be politically active. She joined Sabokahan - Unity of Lumad Women to help tribes in Southern Mindanao unite in a cause of protecting their land and rights. She educates fellow indigenous women on building organizations and connecting them to other communities. She is also trying to establish advocacy groups among youth and students for the rights of indigenous communities.  

Learnings with other WEHRDs 

The workshops for this project are capacity-building initiatives for women environmental defenders like Kat to help bolster their political participation and empower them with skills integral to their advocacy. Kat brought her stories, experiences, and skills as a community organizer to the workshop—learning as much from her co-participants as they learned from her. Through the workshop, she sharpened her documentation skills, learning how to better document and address human rights violations through Minimum Information Checklists and referral pathways.