The Ateneo Human Rights Center, in collaboration with the Loyola College of Culion, organized a paralegal training for Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representatives (IPMRs) and community leaders last 22 January 2026 in the island of Culion, Palawan. AHRC lawyers, staff, and interns provided an overview of IPRA (Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act), legal mandates of the IPMR, and hands-on workshops on power mapping, ordinance and resolution making. 

The training aimed to emphasize the significance of their responsibilities as chosen leaders, and strengthen their ability to effectively represent the collective concerns of their community in local legislation. IP leaders of Culion are now equipped with practical knowledge to draft, propose, and advocate for policies that advance Indigenous Peoples’ rights and responsive to their communities’ lived realities and collective concerns.