HOUSE F 8 =PRESENTATIVES
RECEIVED
DATE:
ra

BY

Republic of the Philippine}
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manil

SEVENTEENTH CONGRE:
1°" Regular Session

73 ATION UNIT

269
House Bill No. NOEX SERVICE

Introduced by REP. MAXIMO B. DALOG _

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Republic Act 8371, otherwise known as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 (IPRA)
was a landmark legislation intended to address the concems of the Cultural Communities
and Indigenous Peoples throughout the country.

Section 12 of the (IPRA) law states that “individual members of cultural communities,
with respect to their individually-owned ancestral lands who by themselves or
through their predecessors-in-interest, have been in continuous possession and
occupation of the same in the concept of owner since time immemorial or for a
period of not less than 30 years immediately preceding the approval of this Act and
uncontested by the same members of the same ICC/IPs shall have the option to
secure title to their ancestral lands under the provisions of Commonwealth Act 141,
as amended, or the Land Registration Act 496. For this purpose, said individually-
owned ancestral lands, which are agricultural in character and actually used for
agricultural, residential, pasture, and tree-farming purposes, including those with a
slope.of eighteen percent (18%) or more, are hereby classified as alienable and
dispo$tl agricultural land. The option granted under this section shall be exercised
within twenty (20) years from the approval of this Act.”

Considering that the afore-cited provision of RA 8371 was never implemented because the
concemed national agencies of government, the National Commission on Indigenous
Peoples (NCIP) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) did not
seasonably come up with a specific IRR to implement the same, we the indigenous peoples
never benefited from the benevolent provisions of said section.

Considering finally, that the 20-year prescriptive period provided for will expire one (1) year,
three (3) months and twenty (20) days from this date, it is imperative that the
efficacy/effectivity of the said section 12 of RA 8371 be extended for another 20 years upon
the expiration of the first period if we are to give meaning to the intents and purposes of the
said law.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No“B9?

AN ACT EXTENDING THE PERIOD FOR INDIGENOUS CULTURAL
COMMUNITIES/INDIGENOUS PEOPLES TO EXERCISE THE OPTION TO
SECURE TITLE TO THEIR ANCESTRAL LANDS UNDER LAND
REGISTRATION ACT 496, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 12
OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8371, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “THE
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE RIGHTS ACT OF 1997”.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. The option to secure a Certificate of Title under
Commonwealth Act 141, as amended, or the Land Registration Act 496 as
provided for under Section 12 of Republic Act No. 8371 is hereby extended for
another twenty (20) years effective upon the expiration of the first period.

Sec. 2. This Act shall effect fifteen(15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in two national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,