IP rights lawyer Ice Baguilat named among 2025 TOYM awardees

BAGUIO, Philippines – Ifugao and lawyer Raymond Marvic “Ice” C. Baguilat has built his legal career around translating the law into practical tools for communities and ensuring indigenous voices are considered in policy and governance, rather than pursuing corporate or judicial advancement.

Baguilat, a faculty member at the University of the Philippines College of Law, was named one of the 2025 Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) in the Philippines in the category of Law, Human Rights, and Indigenous Peoples, and awarded on Thursday, January 22.

He is the younger brother of politician, journalist, and activist Teddy Baguilat.

The TOYM Awards is an annual national recognition for Filipinos aged 18 to 40. It is organized by Junior Chamber International Philippines with support from the TOYM Foundation and other partners. Only four TOYM awards were given.

During the awards ceremony at the Kalayaan Hall in Malacañang, Baguilat wore a tongoh (Ifugao headdress) and Ifugao clothing.  He received the TOYM award along with Rafael Ignacio Dionisio, Dr. John Jamir Benzon Aruta, and Dr. Deo Florence Onda.

Dionisio was recognized for his initiatives that support Aeta communities in Zambales, including reforestation projects and the creation of sustainable livelihood programs that safeguard both local welfare and the environment.

Aruta received the award for his research connecting climate change to mental health and for leading an organization that examines how environmental degradation affects human well-being, particularly in the Global South.

Onda, an oceanographer, was honored as the first Filipino to reach Emden Deep. He has led scientific expeditions in the West Philippine Sea and conducted studies on marine plastic pollution and microbial ecosystems.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in a message read by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, honored the TOYM awardees, urging them to continue leading with integrity and compassion in their respective fields.

As head legal officer of the UP Institute of Human Rights and program head of the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program, he has helped integrate Indigenous Peoples’ rights into legal education as a core concern rather than a peripheral subject.

His handbooks, course guides, and training modules are used by law students, indigenous leaders, grassroots advocates, and policymakers seeking rights-based, culturally grounded frameworks.

Baguilat played a key role in the passage of the Bangsamoro Indigenous Peoples Development Act of 2024 and helped draft its implementing rules, ensuring meaningful consultation with non-Moro Indigenous Peoples in the Bangsamoro region. 

At the local level, he authored cultural protection ordinances for the municipalities of Kiangan and Hungduan in Ifugao, supporting recognition of ancestral domains, self-governance, and cultural rights for more than 160 Indigenous communities nationwide.

After completing a Master of Laws at the University of Melbourne as an Australia Awards scholar, his Re-Entry Action Plan focused on drafting a Tourism Code for Kiangan, emphasizing human rights and sustainability alongside economic development. 

He said tourism must consider its impact on the environment and local communities, not just fees or tour operations.

Internationally, Baguilat has represented Philippine indigenous peoples’ perspectives in ASEAN and United Nations forums. In the past year, he facilitated a dialogue at UP Law between IP communities and visiting UN experts, including the former UN special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples.

He also serves as a trustee of Indigenous Peoples Rights International, an nongovernmental organization administering a legal and sanctuary fund to combat the criminalization of IPs and improve access to justice. 

The TOYM Award added to his recognitions, including being a finalist for Amnesty International Philippines’ Most Distinguished Human Rights Defender Award. – Rappler.com