Political Participation 1

IP Evolve: A Qualitative Research on the Political Participation of

Magurang Indigenous People

A Senior High School Paper Presented to Mrs. Carmela Geromo Practical

Research 1 Teacher of
Polangui General Comprehensive High School
Senior High School Department

In Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements in Practical Research 1
An Applied Track Subject of Senior High School Curriculum in Humanities and Social Sciences

SUBMITTED BY:
B3 Enmanuel P. Bodoy
B12 Aeron Dale Mora
B15 Cleo C. Regalario
G9 Lyka Mae R. Caube
11 HUMSS-3
Group 11
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CHAPTER I
I. INTRODUCTION
Many people are wondering about the Indigenous People in the Philippines. Do they vote

to an election? Do they run to a position in our government? Or do they even participate in the

political activities in our country? These are just some of many question playing in their minds.

And there are also people saying IP community is inactive, they don’t really exist, they don’t

deserve to be named as Filipinos

Magurang is one of the barangay in Polangui, Albay that said still have a small group of

Indigenous People-the Agta Tabangnon. The members of this groups don’t live in a single

colony like what other group does. They lived in a quite better life. They live in lowland area

mixed with other Filipinos.

Voting is fundamental right of any citizen that enables them to choose the leaders of

tomorrow. In many countries, the minimum age for voting is 18 years. Voting not only enables

the citizens to vote for political parties, but it also helps them to realize the importance of

citizenship. Many people do not vote thinking one vote will not make a change, but as a matter

of fact, it does. A nation’s political foundations are built using elections (Vasquez,2017).

With the above – mentioned scenario, it is the objective of the researcher to determine and

evaluate how they respond or participate in the political activities in our country This is mainly

for the purpose of letting the Filipinos and other people acquire knowledge and information

about Indigenous people of Magurang Polangui, Albay. And also, to remove their doubts for this

IP as a good citizen of this country the Philippines.

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Statement of the Problem

The overall objectives of this case study are to know the extent of the political

participation of Indigenous People of Magurang Polangui, Albay. The result of this study will

give people deeper knowledge about the Indigenous People, that they are taking their part in the

political activities in our country and they are a good citizen.

GENERAL QUESTION:

What is the extent of the political participation of Magurang Agta Tabangnon?

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS:

a.) Do they run to a position in the government?

b.) What is the level of their activeness in the political activities in the country?

The purpose of this qualitative research is described how Indigenous People of Magurang

Polangui, Albay live in their daily lives and how they participate in the political activities in our

country the Philippines.

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Scope and Delimitation

This paper focusses on the political participation of the Indigenous People specifically

the Agta Tabangnon of Magurang, Polangui, Albay. This study limits its coverage in the political

participation of the Indigenous People. Its main purpose is to knowledge each and every Filipino

about how this IP people participate on the political activities in our country.

Magurang, Polangui, Albay is the considered as the area of investigations with the total

of 50 respondents with the age of 18 and above. This study involves the survey (questioners) and

interview question (voice recorder) which will help the researcher in gathering information.

Assumption of the Study

It is being said that rating or doing any action to participate in the political activities in

our country is one of the characteristics or responsibility of a good citizen.

The researcher aims to survey Agta Tabangnon in Magurang Polangui, Albay. This

study therefore assumes that Agta Tabangnon in the said area is very active and/or quite active in

participating in the political activities. This research further infers Filipino and other people

acquire lot and accurate information and knowledge about political participation of the Agta

Tabangnon. The researcher assumes the respondents in this study will answers the survey and the

interview questions honestly and objectively since it would reflect their practices in the political

activities in our country.

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Significance of the Study

The findings of the study may provide deeper knowledge and information about the

political participation of Agta Tabangnon. The study will determine how active they are in

participating in political activities in the country.

To the Agta Tabangnon, the result may help them tell people that they are taking their

part in the political activities in the country.

To all Filipinos, the result may serve an eye opener for those who doesn’t believe in the

capability of these Agta Tabangnon and other ethnic group being an active citizen of these

country in terms of political participation.

Definition of Terms

Agta Tabangnon- a particular group of indigenous people in the selected barangay of

Polangui, Albay.

Indigenous People- an ethnic group who are the original settlers of a given region and

also known as ancient people.

Political Participation- the activity that shapes, affects or involves the political sphere.
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CHAPTER II

Major Variable -political participation

Sub-Variable -extent of the political participation

-methods for political participation

-wisdom for political participation

Indicators-informing them about the importance of political participation, giving them

knowledge on what are the methods on how to participate in the political activities.

Relevant Theories

Participatory governance theory assumes that deliberation is to key to effective decision-making

(Sen, 1999).

Citizen Participation Theory. Citizen participation is a process which provides private

individuals an opportunity to influence public decisions and has long been a component of the

democratic decision-making process.

Review of Related Studies

Indigenous people (IP) in the Philippines were subjected to high levels of inequality

marginalization and exploitation up until the latter part of 1996. This paved way to the enactment

of the Republic Act 8371, known as the Indigenous People Rights Act (IPRA) that was

promulgated by the government in 1997. The law has been lauded for its support for respect to
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indigenous peoples’ cultural integrity, equality and right to self- directed cultural development.

However, majority of the indigenous community specifically IP in the north of the country were

still subjected to issues such as discrimination and limited access to formal education that was

rampant even before the enactment of the act. These then lead to the withdrawal of most IP in

participating to both societal and political activities. Thus, this diminishes their right to political

participation and equal representation in the society. This research study then inquires: is there a

direct relationship between the perceived level of Indigenous peoples’ access to formal education

and their perceived level of political participation in mainstream politics? The researcher

presupposes that the access of IP to formal education increases their favorability to participate in

mainstream Philippines politics. Thus, this implies a positive relationship between the variables

under study. The research project will be guided by three theoretical frameworks: sociological

institutionalism for the first variable. IP access to educational behaviorism for the second

variable. IP political participation and new institutionalism as its overarching theoretical

framework. The general research method will combine quantitative and qualitative method to

facilitate a triangulated analysis regarding the relationship. The expected methods of data

collection include triangulated methodology through national survey focus group discussion

(FGD). In-depth interviews and documents reviews regarding the relationship of the variables

under study. Through this propose project, the researcher intends to meet three potential

contributions. First, this research will recognize key issues hindering the access to education and

political participation of the Philippine indigenous community essential for their cultural and

communal development. Second, this research aims to elicit essential data and findings that will

act as an eye-opener for key regarding the development of the Philippine indigenous community

(Laforteza, 2012).
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Review of Related Literature

Indigenous people in barangay Magurang find themselves part of political systems that

are not their own but created and defined by governments with alien rules and led by politicians.

Over the last centuries, indigenous peoples have gained experience dealing with these imposed

systems of politics and with hitherto unknown social structures. The experiences are very diverse

and the reactions to political systems and strategies vary. Whilst some indigenous peoples have

been able to influence the political context of their respective barangays. This context is still, in

most cases, largely dependent upon the will of, and negotiations with, the people in barangay,

nevertheless, forms of oppression, marginalization and exclusion are faced by indigenous people

in all possible contexts and political settings and can therefore be taken as a common experience

(Carling,2011).

Paradigm of the Study

Independent Variable Dependent

DependentVariable
Variable Expected Outcome
Expected Outcome
Independent Variable

*number of participants -the results of the extent of -Agta tabangnon are

*number of participants The results of the extent Agta tabangnon are actively

*survey questioner political participation

of political of
participation actively participating
participating in the political
*survey questioner

*number of question of Agta

Agta Tabangnon
Tabangnon in activities in our country
the political
*number of question
Activities in the

Country
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CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

We, the researchers want to know the extent of the political participation of Agta

Tabangnon in Magurang, Polangui, Albay.

Due to the nature of the study, the researcher used ethnographic research design because

it is a qualitative method where we have done a survey about a certain activity of a [articular

group of people, the Agta Tabangnon of Magurang, Polangui, Albay.

Respondents of the Study

According to Office of Indigenous People of Magurang there are approximately 1,054

Agta Tabangnon Tribe members in Magurang but since we are talking about political

participation, we first devide the population according to their age (15 years old and above).

After we decided the population, we now have 463 subjects. But still it is a very large quantity,

so we randomly selected 50 respondents to have accurate data.

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Instrument of the Study

The researcher used survey questionnaires as the main tool to accumulate information

from the respondents. They also used voice recorder in individual interview to have more

accurate data. The respondents were given and asked exactly the same questions, towards their

participation in the political activities in the Philippines.

Validity and Reliability

One of the duties of the citizen of every nation is to participate in the political activities in

their homeland. The researcher wants to know if Agta Tabangnon do their duties too. Because

we all know that Indigenous People have their own government and doesn’t obligated to

participate in these activities.