Being one of the most culturally-diverse countries in the world, the Philippines is home to at least 17 million indigenous peoples (IPs) belonging to 110 ethnolinguistic groups (United Nations Development Programme, 2010). While they are recognised on paper through the 1987 Constitution and further protected by the Republic Act 8371, the reality is different on the ground. Now more than ever, IPs in the Philippines are facing increased securitisation from the state. It should be remembered that in July of 2017, Philippine President Duterte threatened to bomb Lumad schools for allegedly spreading subversive ideas and communism (Lingao, 2017). The government has also recently secured a $211.2 million loan from China Exim Bank to build Kaliwa Dam in northern Luzon in the face of disapproval from local IP groups in the area (CNN Philippines Staff, 2020).