November 11, 2015 , 06:54pm

Abigail Anongos, Secretary General of the Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA) appeals for support for Filipino indigenous people’s struggle for land, life and respect for human rights

Cordillera leader was guest speaker at the forum “Philippine Indigenous Peoples Under Attack: A Call for Solidarity” on November 7, 2015. at the Rogers School of Management (7th floor) Ryerson University. 55 Dundas St. West, Toronto.

Abigail Anongos, Secretary General of the Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA), visited Canada from Nov. 3-11 to attend meetings with partners from the Anglican Church of Canada, go on speaking engagements giving updates on the current situation of the Cordillera and other indigenous peoples in the Philippines, and meet solidarity friends.

Abigail, who is an alumna of the University of the Philippines in Los Banos (UPLB), was awarded Outstanding Alumna for Championing Indigenous Peoples’ Rights during the 96th UPLB Loyalty Day and Alumni Homecoming October 2014 … “for her valuable contribution to the respect and recognition of indigenous peoples’ rights, national freedom and democracy through her advocacies as a journalist, and service as secretary-general of the CPA for the past five years.”

The CPA is an independent federation of progressive people’s organizations, most of them grassroots-based organizations among indigenous communities in the Cordillera Region, Philippines. CPA is committed to the promotion and defense of indigenous peoples’ rights, human rights, social justice, and national freedom and democracy.

CPA was founded in June 1984 in Bontoc, Mountain Province, by 150 delegates from 27 organizations attending the Cordillera People’s Congress. The founders of CPA were mainly indigenous leaders and activists who spearheaded the widespread and successful opposition to the World Bank-funded Chico dams project and the commercial logging operations of the Cellophil Resources Corporation.