8. The state is deficient in gathering and disaggregation of data on IP women, IP youth & children, internally displaced IPs and IP elderly to render them specific targets of government assistance and expenditures. There is insufficient monitoring of IP rights to access to basic services as well as IP collective rights to ancestral domains development. IPs enjoy both individual and collective rights. Thus, monitoring should focus on both rights. Except for the DepEd, DOLE and DOH, government agencies were consistent in reporting that there are no formal monitoring mechanisms being utilized to monitor impact of their projects. The IPs have registered their vehemently opposition to the “no home birthing” policy of the Department of Health. Although it is intended to lower the rate of maternal deaths in the country, it has the effect of violating the right of IP women to traditional birthing methods. The IP women are affronted by the strangers in birthing hospitals and clinics that witness the birth. Moreover, pregnancies in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) result in mothers dying from the trip to the nearest birthing facility 34. Despite these complaints, there is no feedback mechanism built into the Health program that will allow for monitoring and evaluation. It is always good policy to have a monitoring mechanism with solid measurable indicators already in place once a program or project is implemented, otherwise there would be no basis for advancement in terms on building on gains or correcting errors. The IP Human Rights Observatory can head this monitoring function through an inter-agency body. An inter-agency body in the IP Observatory should continually develop monitoring tools to help in the assessment of government programs and projects among IP. Monitoring must have a good feedback mechanism so that programs perceived as oppressive or discriminatory such as the DOH prohibition on home-birthing among IPs, must be immediately re-formulated. Overtime, the Observatory shall have its own data-bank that is necessary for policy formulation, assessment and planning. Another value of monitoring is that it ensures that IPs have access to basic services in the areas of health, education, employment, social security, disaster mitigation and prevention, poverty alleviation from their respective LGUs. Discrimination in the delivery of basic services should also be a particular subject of monitoring. IPs have reported that they were denied equal opportunity to avail of government services such as the 4Ps program of the DSWD due to discrimination 35. 34 Report of Roldan Babelon (Erumanen ne Menuvu) and Linda Midal (Lambangian) during the Davao City public hearing. 35 Tagaytay CHR IP Inquiry Documentation. Page | 22