Cordillera Volunteer Missioners, Inc. (CVM) consists of faith-motivated professionals and community leaders.
CVM mobilizes individuals in communities to take part in securing their right to their ancestral domains and ancestral lands and protecting their right to governance and right to culture.
Established in 1987, its mission is to better recognize and institutionalize indigenous socio-political systems, structures, processes and values of self-governance.
Toward this goal, CVM devotes its efforts to developing the capacities of local leaders and individuals toward good governance.
It developed the Indigenous Worldview of the Binodngan Framework as a unique paradigm of IP developmental work and created training modules on local cultures and traditions.
CVM’s social accountability initiatives include the following:
– Providing technical assistance to barangays, municipal, and provincial leaders in crafting ordinances on environmental-related concerns, including one that requires mining companies to consult with local communities prior to starting operations in the area;
– Monitoring compliance to participatory processes and mandated consultations under the Indigenous People’s Rights Act (IPRA), Local Government Code (LGC), Mining Act and Environmental Assessment (EIA) in selected areas in the Cordillera region;
– Advocating for peoples’ participation and strengthening inter-village relationships, especially in promoting ancestral rights. As part of this, it collaborated with the Upland Development Institute for the Bantay Mina Campaign.CVM pursued community-based campaigns in the Northern Luzon from 2006-2007 through linkages with social action centers, NGOs and IP communities threatened by mining.
– Serving as the primary support organization of the Upland Development Institute (UDI), which is now a separate institution focusing on socio-economic-health work and alternative livelihood programs.For its part, CVM attends to membership and volunteer education and focuses on advocacy, research and solidarity work. In the campaign for environmental protection and against large-scale mining, CVM worked with social action centers and with members of NLCGG. It works with NLCGG on good governance, and OPAPP and the Mindanao Peace Institute (MPI) on peace-building.
CVM programs are currently aided by the ENDEFENSE Program of the Alternative Law Group (ALG), Foundation for Philippine Environment (FPE) and Women Empowerment – 21 Japan (WE-21Japan), Office of the Presidential Assistant on Peace Process (OPAPP), Upland Development Institute (UDI) and through self-generation initiatives ad in the recent past, by the Peace & Equity Foundation (PEF).
Contact Person: Ma. Tita Butz, President
Office Address: Room 207, Pine Valley Plaza, 93 KM 4, La Trinidad Benguet
Telephone Number: +63 74 422-2756
Email: cvm_1987@yahoo.com