Australian Government Supports Filipino Indigenous Leaders on a Cross-Cultural Fellowship

Nine Filipino Indigenous leaders received a prestigious fellowship from the Australian Government. The leaders from the tribes of Bagobo Tagabawa, Bagobo Klata, Obu Manuvu, Manobo Tinonanon, Manobo Tigwahanon, Higaonon-Bukidnon, and Isnag completed a four-week Australia Awards Fellowship at Charles Darwin University (CDU) in the Northern Territories.

The Filipino IP leaders exchange d traditional knowledge and modern practices on biodiversity conservation with Australian First Nations leaders and experts. The Fellowship is a collaboration between CDU and the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), led by Australia Awards alumnus Dr Jayson Ibanez, PEF Director for Operations.

The nine fellows are traditional leaders of communities in Luzon and Mindanao that host ancient nesting sites of the critically endangered Philippine eagle, covering over 150,000 hectares of forests and home to 100,000 Indigenous residents.

The Fellowship aims to build competencies in gender equality, disability and social inclusion, sensitive natural resource management, as well as climate resilience and disaster risk reduction. Upon their return, the Indigenous fellows will implement a re-entry action plan (REAP) to use what they have learned in Australia to initiate genuine positive change in their ancestral domain.

“This Fellowship complements what I have worked hard on for the past decade since I completed my PhD in Australia in 2014. I am very grateful that even beyond my scholarship, the Australian Government continues to support my advocacy for the natural environment and Indigenous development. Now, I am paying it forward by bridging opportunities for my Filipino Indigenous colleagues to experience the same high-quality cross-cultural training and learning that I gained in Australia,” said Dr Ibanez.

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Conservation for community strengthening

Dr Ibanez completed his PhD at CDU where he developed a culture-based conservation framework that integrates Indigenous knowledge and scientific techniques in natural resources conservation. He collaborates with various Indigenous communities across the Philippines in his conservation work at PEF.

In May 2025, experts from CDU and First Nations leaders from Australia will travel to the Philippines for a reciprocal learning exchange.