ISSN: 2639-2119
Authors: Guzman TG*
Even now, there are still disparities in well-being between indigenous and non-indigenous populations, according to the perspective of non-indigenous people. Despite the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA) being passed in 1997, ethnicity was not considered in the census. As a result of the Philippines’ removal of IPs from official public statistics, they are effectively unable to participate more effectively in society. In addition, it shows how persistently different IPs’ access to basic services, such as health care, is. It’s not clear how large this disparity is, because few studies have been done on ethnocultural disparities. IPs remains unacknowledged, unaccounted for, and hence untapped, making it difficult to formulate a national policy on health disparity initiatives. Because of their customs, cultural beliefs, and traditions, indigenous people are more likely to engage in health-risk behaviors than non-indigenous people. These activities have a direct effect on their health outcomes. It is because of this that many individuals have no idea about the health of the IP community. Health Anthropologists are exploring for links between disease patterns, health-related beliefs and practices, healing systems and cultural structures, social hierarchies, and biosocial linkages, amongst other things. Since both physical and socio-cultural variables affect an individual’s and a whole population’s health, health-related anthropologists tend to think of health as a “biocultural and biosocial phenomenon.” The lack of information available on Indigenous peoples is an interesting story in and of itself. This shortcoming should not be used as an excuse to further alienate these already marginalized communities. The World Development Report (WDR) Data for Better Lives, which acknowledges the need for better data, argues that it is “very difficult to cover the entire population in a dataset, and it is typically disadvantaged that are left out.” Data systems must be built to address the needs of marginalized populations.” To close the current social inclusion disparities, we must first accurately count IPs. A lack of ethnicity variables in statistical databases, tools, and reports is a serious hindrance to recognizing and servicing ethnic minorities in the country. With the help of the government and other development partners, we must work to incorporate ethnic characteristics into official surveys and information systems to obtain and communicate IP data on a systematic basis. The most crucial thing to remember is that intellectual property is an asset. Future “stories are impossible without data, and vice versa” will be true. When developing policies, we must always remember to listen to the stories of the individuals who will be affected by them, particularly those who are known as IPs. If we are serious about reducing extreme gaps and promoting shared prosperity in the Philippines and around the world, this thinking is no longer acceptable.
Keywords: Indigenous Peoples; Disparities; Health Anthropologists; Ethnicity; Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas; Ethnomedicine; Healers; Healing and Trepanation
