30 years of cooperation with CDPC and the Province of East Flanders: from solidarity to change in the Cordillera
Apr 7, 2025
Happy anniversary to us! In 2025, we will celebrate 30 years of collaboration with the Philippine CDPC (Centre for Development Programs in the Cordillera) and the Province of East Flanders. During several candid conversations, we discussed evolutions and challenges over the years. It was a journey of sustainable change, solidarity and the fight for the rights of indigenous communities in the Cordillera region. This is the first of two articles in which we look back at what has been achieved and look ahead to the future of this special partnership. Discover how we have made an impact together!
CDPC is a network of 16 organisations that work on the rights of indigenous communities in the Cordillera, a mountainous region in the north of the country. Rhoda Dalang was there as director of CDPC from 2018. She is now on the board of the network and has passed the torch to Julie Mero.
The work of Solidagro and the Province of East Flanders in the Cordillera started in 1994 with three projects: one on agriculture with CDPC, basic health with Chestcore and mining communities with MCDC. Later, CDPC became the sole direct partner by taking on the coordination of the other organisations.
Rhoda: ‘The link with the right to health, workers’ rights and the urban poor, and general indigenous rights is important for working on sustainable system change in the region. Centralisation provided more flexibility and involvement of the sectors - not only mining communities, but also workers, the urban poor and human rights groups. It created unity among the sectors.’
Julie: ‘Over the years, the partnership has strengthened CDPC. We have now been able to reach some 250 communities with over 400 projects. For example, we install solar panels for lighting and water pumps for irrigation in the communities. Irrigation is often necessary for agriculture, but the communities do not have sufficient resources for this.’
Rhoda: ‘Reaching 250 communities means supporting more than a fifth of the communities in the Cordillera, more than 65,000 people. We are proud of that impact.’
Pillars for sustainable cooperation
Eddy Couckuyt, who was the global cooperation representative for the Province of East Flanders for 12 years, and Po De Wael also join the interview. Po is a global cooperation policy officer for the Province and has been following the cooperation with the Cordillera since 2015. Both have visited the partners several times.
‘Sustainable improvement of global biodiversity is not possible without respect for and cooperation with indigenous peoples.’ - Po De Wael (Province of East Flanders)
Po: ‘Sustainable development is impossible without respect for and cooperation with indigenous peoples. Their land covers less than a quarter of the earth's surface, but they account for 80% of the world's biodiversity. Indigenous peoples are therefore very important for the protection of that biodiversity.’ During a working visit, Po was introduced to the reality of indigenous groups in the Cordillera. ‘Only then did the significance of their struggle really sink in. It confirmed the importance of real introductions, of direct testimonies, but also of our role in making their pursuit of justice and sustainable management of their ancestral land visible.’
Our cooperation is sustainable due to our shared vision, as Julie confirms: ‘Instead of top-down assistance, we work from a basis of solidarity, mutual respect and transparency. Communities determine for themselves what is needed and take on the work themselves. It helps that Solidagro and the Province have proven their long-term commitment. That is how trust has grown.’
‘After 30 years, there is a lot of trust. Solidagro and the Province have proven their long-term commitment.’ - Julie Mero (CDPC)
Eddy Couckuyt put his weight behind the regional policy. ‘When I took up the position, I noticed how refreshing our work with CDPC was. They had a lot of say from the start and the Province was not only a financier, but also set the political tone. As a government agency, we could open doors where it is more difficult for NGOs, such as the Belgian embassy. This offered local partners extra protection against repression. As a government agency, we also spoke out against the repression of indigenous communities on several occasions. We still do so every year during Cordillera Day.’
“We've got your back”
When asked what stands out after all these years of working together, it is noticeable that the memories are bittersweet. Julie, Eddy and Po talk about a politically charged event in which a difficult context led to solidarity and shared resistance.
Julie: ‘I remember the fight against large-scale mining when I was young. Our community protested against a mining company and they eventually left the area. About 500 community members were arrested during the protests. It was a defining moment that turned many of us into activists. It also showed the solidarity between different indigenous communities, all of whom were affected by the plans to build a large mine."[1]
Eddy tells how the oppression became tangible during a visit to CDPC in 2023. Soldiers surrounded the village during a meeting with an indigenous community, supposedly to protect the Belgian guests. Eddy: ‘It was an excuse for them to intimidate the community leaders. To say: we are keeping a close eye on you. We then explicitly expressed our support for the community and said that we felt perfectly safe and did not need their protection.
‘The subtle repression has evolved into open intimidation with checks, photographing those present and systematic monitoring of contacts. The situation has deteriorated greatly over the years.’ Eddy Couckuyt (Province of East Flanders)
The fact that the province is a government commands respect from the military police and the Philippine government that sends them. They are less distrusted than if the CDPC were to work solely with NGOs. This is another added value of the collaboration with the province. The province also involves the Belgian embassy in the Philippines in the regional policy, which affords the CDPC more protection and makes them less of a target.
Po: ‘A special experience was our lobbying work in 2021 in defence of Windel Bolinget, the then chairman of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance[2], a member of the CDPC network. He and other activists were falsely accused of murder, an accusation that was condemned both in the Philippines and internationally.
Together with Solidagro and with the support of the former governor of our province, we then prepared a parliamentary question to urge our minister to take action. Thanks to the broad support of various actors, the charges against the activists were dismissed due to lack of evidence.’
Thirty years of cooperation shows how international solidarity, mutual trust and shared values can bring about lasting change. What began as an agricultural project grew into a partnership that touched thousands of lives and repeatedly proved its resilience in the struggle for justice. As we look back on three decades of commitment, we also look ahead to a future in which indigenous voices will be heard even louder, in which biodiversity and human rights go hand in hand, and in which cross-border cooperation continues to inspire.
In the second part of our story, we look at today's challenges. CDPC shares their experiences in the hostile climate in which they operate, under a government that is making the work of NGOs increasingly difficult. From the culture of fear surrounding ‘red tagging’ to the consequences of the political context for human rights, we show why support for indigenous communities is now more important than ever. Don't miss it!
[1] Solidagro was not yet a partner of CDPC during the campaign Julie mentions here. However, Solidagro has supported this struggle, which continues to this day, from the start of the collaboration.
[2] The Cordillera People's Alliance (CPA) is an independent federation of grassroots organisations that support indigenous communities in the Cordillera. They take action against projects that are harmful to their ancestral domains and promote self-determination and human rights. They are one of the 16 member organisations of CDPC.
Photo above: Solidagro & Province of East Flanders working visit to CDPC in 2016, Kalinga. Po De Wael seated at the bottom, Eddy Couckuyt 7th person from the left.
