Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. SEE

Introduced by Rep. Luisa Lloren Cuaresma
Lone District of Nueva Vizcaya

AN ACT MANDATING ALL STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE
PROVINCE OF NUEVA VIZCAYA TO ESTABLISH AN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
RESOURCE AND TRAINING CENTER FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE
CULTURAL IDENTITIES, LANGUAGES OF THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
AND FOR PROVIDING THEM LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH
EDUCATION, SEMINARS AND LITERACY PROGRAMS AND APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

No less than our 1987 Philippine Constitution guarantees the protection of the Indigenous
Peoples (IPs). As stated in section 22, Article II of the fundamental law of the land, it is a declared
policy that, “The State recognizes and promotes the rights of Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs)
within the framework of national unity and development.”

As a concrete step towards realizing this mandate, R.A. No. 8371, otherwise known as the
Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 (IPRA) was enacted. It is a landmark legislation intended to
address the concerns of the cultural communities and indigenous people throughout the country.
However, despite the passage of this law, the IPs are still related to the sidelines. Their rich culture is
continually pushed to the brink of survival.

‘The IPs represent nearly 14% of the Philippine population. Over thousand of years, they have
developed rich sets of knowledge about rites, rituals, health, survival techniques and access to land
and territories, their indigenous cultures, including the customary laws and folklore, have been
undermined ad are now threatened with extinction.


This bill seeks to require all state colleges and universities in the province of Nueva Vizcaya
to establish an IP resource and training center for the preservation of the cultural identities, languages
of the indigenous communities and for providing them livelihood opportunities through education,
seminars and literacy programs. Is hoped that through this bill, Nueva Vizcaya will have an awareness
and informed public education, The creation of these IP resource and training centers will be a
significant breakthrough to guarantee the realization of the State policy aforementioned.

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

tte men cones


Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. di)

Introduced by Rep. Luisa Lloren Cuaresma
Lone District of Nueva Vizcaya

AN ACT MANDATING ALL STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE
PROVINCE OF NUEVA VIZCAYA TO ESTABLISH AN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
RESOURCE AND TRAINING CENTER FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE
CULTURAL IDENTITIES, LANGUAGES OF THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
AND FOR PROVIDING THEM LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH
EDUCATION, SEMINARS AND LITERACY PROGRAMS AND APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR.

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

SECTION 1. Short Title — This Act shall be known as the “Nueva Vizcaya IP Resource and Training
Center Act”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy — Pursuant to the 1987 Constitution and Republic Act No. 8371
otherwise known as “The Indigenous Peoples; Rights Act of 1997”, the State shall recognize and

promote all the rights of Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) particularly
the following:

a) The State shall recognize, respect and protect the rights of ICCs/IPs to preserve and develop
their cultures, traditions and institutions. It shall consider these rights in the formulation of
national laws and policies;

b) The State shall take measures, with the participation of the ICCs/IPs concerned, to protect their
rights and guarantee respect for their cultural integrity, and to ensure that members of the
ICCs/IPs benefit on an equal footing from the rights and opportunities which national laws and
regulations grant to other members of the population; and

c) The State recognizes its obligations to respond to the strong expression of the ICCs/IPs for
cultural integrity by assuring maximum ICC/IP participation in the direction of education,
health, as well as other services of ICCs/IPs, in order to render such services more responsive
to the needs and desires of these communities. Towards these ends, the State shall institute and
establish the necessary mechanisms to enforcer and guarantee the realization of these rights,
taking into consideration their customs, traditions, values, beliefs, interests and institutions,
and to adopt and implement measures to protect their rights.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms — For the purpose of this Act, the following terms are defined as
follows:


a) Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCS/IPs) — refer to a group of
people or homogenous societies identified by self-ascription by others, who have continuously
lived as organized community on communally bounded and defined territory, and who have,
under claims of ownership since time immemorial, occupied, possessed and utilized such
territories, sharing common bonds of language, customs, tradition and other distinctive cultural
traits, or who have, through resistance to political, social and cultural inroads of colonization,
non-indigenous religions and culture, became historically differentiated from the majority of
Filipinos. ICCs/IPs shall likewise include peoples who are regarded as indigenous on account
of their descent from the populations which inhabited the county, at the time of conquest or
colonization, or at the time of inroads on non-indigenous religions and cultures, or the
establishment of present boundaries, who retain some or all of their own social, economic,
cultural and political institutions, but who may have been displaced from their traditional
domains or who may have resettled outside their ancestral domains;

b) National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) — refers to the office attached under the
Office of the President and created under Republic Act No. 8371. It is currently the primary
government agency responsible formulation and implementation of policies, plans, and
programs to recognize, protect and promote the rights of the ICCs/IPs.

SECTION 4. Institution/Creation of Indigenous Peoples Resource and Training Center ~ The
NICO in cooperation with the Provincial Government of Nueva Vizcaya, the Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Education DepEd) and Commission on
Higher Education (CHED), shall establish an Indigenous Peoples (IP) Resource and Training Center
in all State Colleges and Universities in its Province.

SECTION 5. Functions of the Indigenous Peoples Resource and Training Center — For the
purpose of this Act, the following are the functions of the IP resource and Training Center:

a) The IP Resource and Training Center shall be a place where the NCIP can ensure the
preservation and promotion of the unique identities of each tribe in the Province of Nueva
Vizcaya by displaying and showcasing their skills, artistry, crafts and archeological objects
through exhibition at the IP Resource and Training Center;

b) The IP Resource and training Center shall be a place where skills trainings and learning
sessions shall be conducted;

©) The IP Resource and Training Center shall be a place where learning programs and livelihood
seminars relevant to the needs of the concerned ICCs/IPs formulated by NCIP in coordination
with TESDA shall be conducted.

4) The concerned agencies shall hire instructors or teachers within the tribe to teach the native
language to the young generations.

¢) The concemed agencies shall also hire scholars, educators, experts or representatives from each
‘tribe to document the language and cultural identities of each tribe in the Province.

SECTION 6. Creation of a Board of Trustees — There shall be a Board of Trustees which will a
collegial body composed of the following:

a) Regional Director of the NCIP;

b) Regional head of the TESDA;

c) Regional head of the DepEd;

d) Regional head of the CHED;

¢) Representatives from each recognized tribes of the Province;
f) Head of the State College or University; and

2) Representative from the Local Government Unit


SECTION 7. Duties and Buactions of the Board of Trustees — The Board of Trustees shall have the
following duties and responsibiliti

1) To enforce the provisions of this Act;

2) Recommend agenda for the conduct and support of research and development initiatives on
different ICCs/IPs to identify relevant research opportunities;

3) Promote coordination and cooperation among institutions involved in researches on ICCs/IPs;

4) Enter into agreements with and award research grants for centers for researches doing studies
on ICCs/IPs;

5) Prepare annual reports describing the research and development activities supported by the
Office, and identifying projects that should be conducted in the future on ICCs/IPs;

6) Evaluate activities of the NCIP in the management of information system and ensure that IP
registry is current and useful;

7) Establish a referral system to facilitate employment of IPs;

8) Liaise with national and international organizations working in ICCs/IPs;

9) Adopt measures as may be deemed necessary to ensure inclusion ICCs/IPs in the society;

10) To hire educators or experts for the education and livelihood seminars of the IPs;

11) To gather training and resource materials for education and livelihood seminars;

12)To advocate respect and awareness and the efforts made to improve the quality of life of
persons with Down syndrome and their families;

13) To research on viable occupations well suited to ICCs/IPs;

14) To preserve the cultural and traditional identities of each ICCs/IPs in the Province;

15) To provide methods and enter into partnership with different institutions and organizations in
preserving cultural identities of each ICCs/IPs

16) To transcribe native language of each ICCs/IPs;

17) To have a record of all chants and songs of each ICCs/IPs;

18) To promote awareness of the different culture and traditions of each ICCs/IPs in the Province;
and

19) Other methods or means to preserve and promote the cultural identity of each ICCs/IPs in the
Province.

SECTION 8. Implementation — Within sixty (60) days after the implementation of this Act, the NCIP
in coordination with TESDA, DepEd and CHED, shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulation
to govern the effective implementations of this Act.

SECTION 9. Appropriations — The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be
included in the budget of concerned government agencies in the General Appropriations Act of the
year following its enactment into law and thereafter.

SECTION 10. Repealing Clause — All laws, decrees, executive orders, administrative orders or parts
thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly.

SECTION 11. Separability Clause ~ If any provision of this Act is held invalid or unconstitutional,
other provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

SECTION 12. Effectivity Clause ~ This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its complete
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,