Land Dispute Resolution Practices: A Qualitative Case Study of Indigenous and Barangay Collaborative Governance in Barangay Bontoc Ili, Mountain Province

Abstract

This qualitative case study focused on investigating how collaborative governance is being implemented in Barangay Bontoc Ili, Bontoc, Mountain Province as well as its ability to capture its best practice in land-demarcation conflict resolution. The investigation was focused on understanding the relationship between indigenous elders and barangay officials, describing socio-cultural and institutional factors that contribute to mediation, addressing the obstacles experienced during cooperative governance of the barangay, and developing practical executive recommendations. The data was received from documents, discussions, and interviews with the participants as barangay officials, indigenous elders, community members, and people engaged in the previous land disputes. The thematic analysis allowed for detecting that Barangay Bontoc Ili’s land dispute resolution is organized through hybrid governance system, where traditional governance institutions are intertwined with formal institutions. The study revealed the emergence of Iyafong collective practice, which conceptually encapsulates the notion of incorporation of dispute into the house. Despite this, the study finds obstacles such as procedural vagueness, inequality in institutional authority, and the unavailability of uniform mechanisms for merging indigenous mediation with the official barangay system. Thus, the research introduces the Iyafong Model of Early Community-Based Mediation for improving collaborative governance in indigenous societies. Additionally, the authors recommend that culturally sensitive mediation techniques should become part of the governmental mechanisms through their introduction in the policy-making sphere and in capacity-building activities.