Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _________ 
Introduced by Rep. ALLEN JESSE C. MANGAOANG 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Art. II, Sec. 22 of the Philippine Constitution declares that the State recognizes and 
promotes the rights of indigenous cultural communities within the framework of national unity 
and development. To give effect to this Constitutional mandate, Republic Act 8371, otherwise 
known as the “Indigenous People’s Rights Act” (IPRA), was enacted. This ground breaking 
legislation, which also created the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) as the 
implementing agency, was designed to stop the prejudice against the IPs and accelerate their 
emancipation from the bondage of inequity. 
And yet, twenty five years later after the law was signed, the IPs remain as the most 
marginalized sector of our society. To date, very limited development activities in support of 
the ancestral domain management has been implemented. In addition, IPs are continuously 
facing challenging issues, such as human rights violations, discrimination, displacement from 
their ancestral domains and exploitation and destruction of their natural environment.  
       To address these issues and to hasten the improvement of the quality of life of the IPs, 
it is imperative to establish resource centers in every Indigenous Cultural Communities to serve 
as their access centers in the delivery of basic, technical and legal services. 
In view of the foregoing, passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
ALLEN JESSE C. MANGAOANG 
August 26, 2022
8:00 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
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Quezon City 
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NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
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First Regular Session 
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House Bill No. _________ 
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                            Introduced by REP. ALLEN JESSE C. MANGAOANG 
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__________________________________________________________________________  
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AN ACT  
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ESTABLISHING RESOURCE CENTERS FOR THE INDIGENOUS CULTURAL  
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COMMUNITIES AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES TO ENHANCE AND ENSURE THE  
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DELIVERY OF ESSENTIAL SERVICES, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS  
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THEREFOR  
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
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Congress assembled:   
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SECTION 1.  Short Title. – This Act shall be known as “Resource Centers for  
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Indigenous Peoples Act.”  
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SEC. 2.  Declaration of Policy. – The State recognizes and promotes the rights of 
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indigenous cultural communities (ICCs) and indigenous peoples (IPs) within the framework of 
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national unity and development. Further, the State considers the rights of the ICCs/IPs in the 
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formulation of national laws and policies to ensure the protection of their rights, preservation 
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of their cultural heritage, equal access to basic services, and equitable enjoyment of the rights 
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and opportunities granted under national laws on an equal footing with the other members of 
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the population.  Towards this end, and taking into consideration the ICCs/IPs common 
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geographical areas, distinctive historical and cultural heritage, economic and social structures 
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and other relevant and distinctive characteristics, there is a need to establish resource centers 
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in all the ethnographic locations nationwide to enhance the delivery of basic services and enable 
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the ICCs/IPs to be recognized and integrated in the government’s participatory programs, 
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projects and   activities.   
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SEC. 3.  Resource Centers for ICCs/IPs. – Resource centers for ICCs/IP shall be 
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established in strategic places as may be determined by the National Commission on 
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Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), taking into consideration the ethnological similarities of the IPs 
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and contiguous or common geographical locations of the ICCs.  The resource center shall be 
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under the jurisdiction of the NCIP.   
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SEC. 4.  Staff of the ICC/IP Resource Centers. – Plantilla positions of chief 
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coordinating officer and additional staff members, as may be determined by the NCIP, 
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necessary for the operation of the resource centers shall be created under the supervision of the 
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NCIP.   
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SEC. 5.  Service Areas of the Resource Center.  – A resource center is composed of 
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the following major service areas with their respective functions:  
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a) 
Statistical Service Area which is responsible for the documentation   and  
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recognition of ICCs/IPs, their indigenous knowledge, systems and practices (IKSPs), political 
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structures and codification of their customary laws through census, appraisal and baseline 
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reports and libraries for registration with the NCIP;   
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b) 
Human Development Index Service Area which addresses   problems of 
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ICCs/IPs and provision of basic and necessary services through  coordination with concerned 
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government agencies with regard to training   programs, scholarship grants, employment, 
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livelihood and enterprises and   health services;  
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c) 
Domains Management Service Area which is tasked with the promotion of  
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participatory programs, projects and activities for ICCs/IPs to effectively deliver their 
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responsibility of maintaining ecological balance, reforesting denuded areas, observing the laws, 
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and ensuring the implementation of the Ancestral Domains Sustainable Development and 
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Protections Plans, and such other existing and relevant programs.   
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The NCIP shall coordinate with the Department of Public Works and Highways 
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(DPWH) for the construction of the resource centers.  
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SEC. 6.  Programs and Seminars. – The NCIP shall, in coordination with the Technical 
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Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), ensure that the programs and seminars 
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formulated are suitable and relevant to the needs of the ICCs/ IPs. The ICCs/IPs shall determine 
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for themselves the types of skills training that are applicable to their circumstances. The NCIP 
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and TESDA shall set criteria in the hiring of competent instructors and teachers from within 
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the ICCs/IPs to teach and promote their language to their students, particularly the youth, in 
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order to preserve their culture. The NCIP shall ensure that the ICCs/IPs’ unique identities are 
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strengthened and preserved in the conduct of the community-driven learning programs   and 
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livelihood seminars.    
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SEC. 7.  Monitoring and Impact Assessment. – The NCIP shall conduct a review of 
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the implementation of this Act and submit to Congress a periodic report every three (3) years, 
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reckoned from the effectivity of this Act.  The review must ascertain the strengths and viability, 
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flaws or limitations, and opportunities for growth and development in the operation of the 
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resource centers.  The review shall also determine the inherent weaknesses in the law and 
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recommend the necessary remedial legislation or executive measures for the sustainability of 
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the resource centers.  
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SEC. 8.  Appropriations. – The initial funding requirements for the implementation 
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of this Act shall be charged against the current appropriations of the NCIP, TESDA, and 
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DPWH.  Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this 
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Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.  
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SEC. 9.  Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). – Within ninety (90) days after 
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the approval of this Act, the chairperson of the NCIP shall, in coordination with the Director 
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General of TESDA and the Secretary of Public Works and Highways, issue the necessary rules 
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and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.  
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SEC. 10.  Separability Clause. – If any provision or part of this Act is declared 
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unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain in full 
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force and effect.  
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SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations, 
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issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act are hereby 
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repealed, amended or modified accordingly.  
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SEC. 12. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
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in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.   
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Approved,  
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