REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

House Bill No, 8404

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. GARY C. ALEJANO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

In determining what reforms are necessary, massive amounts of research material and
data are vital for the successful enactment and implementation of objective, scientific, and
factually sound laws. The process of data collection requires that all relevant variables and
indicators are taken into account to accurately present the full picture of whatever point of
interest such collected data aims to depict.

In the case of the Philippine Statistics Authority, it must include ethnic origin in the
collection of its data in order to provide a more clear-cut, accessible, and definite data
collection on ethnic origin in the national survey.

The inclusion of ethnic origin in the national survey is in line with the state policy of
recognizing and promoting the rights of indigenous peoples or indigenous cultural
‘communities within the framework of national unity and development.

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

Representative
Magdalo Para sa Pilipino Party-List


REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

House Bill No. 8404

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. GARY C. ALEJANO

AN ACT
TO INCLUDE ETHNIC ORIGIN IN THE NATIONAL SURVEY CONDUCTED BY
THE PHILIPPINES STATISTIC AUTHORITY

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

SEC.1. Short Title.- This Act shall be known as the “Ethnic Origin Act of 2018.”

SEC.2. Declaration of Policy.- It is the policy of the State to recognize and promote
the rights of indigenous peoples or indigenous cultural communities within the framework of
national unity and development. The State shall give the highest priority to the enactment of
measures that protect and enhance the right of all the people to human dignity, reduce social,
‘economic and political inequalities, and remove cultural inequities.

SEC.3. Definition of Terms.- As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean the
following:

(a) “Ethnic Origin or Ethnicity” includes nationality and ethno-linguistic origin.

(b) “ Indigenous Peoples (IPs) or Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs)” shall, as
provided under Section 3 (h) of Chapter II of RA No. 8371 or the “Indigenous
People’s Rights Act (IRA) of 1997”, refer to a group of people or homogenous
societies identified by self-ascription by others, who have continuously lived as an
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, traditions,
and other distinctive cultural traits, or who have, through resistance to political,
social, and cultural inroads of colonization, non-indigenous religions and cultures,
became historically differentiated from the majority of Filipinos. ICCs and IPs
shall likewise include peoples who are regarded as indigenous on account of their
descent from the populations which inhabited the country, at the time of conquest
or colonization, or at the time of inroads of non-indigenous religions and cultures,
or establishment of present state 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.


Beovausunn

SECA. Duty of the Philippine Statistics Authority.- It shall be the duty of the
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), in coordination with the National Commission on
Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), to ensure the employment of enumerators, or the deployment of
NCIP employees, who are knowledgeable of the different IPs and ICCs of the Philippines,
and the language and appropriate manner of asking culturally-sensitive questions to IPs and
ICCs, in gathering data on Ethnic Origin during the conduct of the national survey and
national census. Furthermore, the PSA should ensure that all surveys and documents issued
by their office should be culturally sensitive.

SECS. Duty of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.- \t shall be the
duty of the NCIP to conduct the proper training of PSA enumerators, including the barangay
indigenous guides, all over the country to ensure that they have adequate knowledge of the
different IPs and ICCs in their area, their language, way of life, and culture, and the manner
of asking them culturally-sensitive questions.

As indigenous guide in each barangay, or any officer or member of the concerned
Local Culture and Arts Council or Local Tourism Council, as the case may be, shall also be
trained by the NCIP, who may assist the city or municipal government in the conduct of
cultural mapping within a local government unit.

SEC.6. Appropriatios.- The amount of one hundred million pesos (P100,000,000)
that shall be given to PSA for the training of PSA enumerators shall be charged against any
available appropriation in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of the year of its
implementation. Thereafter, such sums as be necessary shall be included in the yearly
General Appropriations Act.

SEC.7. Implementing Rules and Regulations.- The PSA, with the assistance of the
NCIP, shall promulgate the necessary implementing rules and regulations within 90 days
from the effectivity of this Act

SEC.8. Separability Clause.- If any portion or provision of this Act is declared void
or unconstitutional, the remaining portions or provisions hereof shall not be affected by such
declaration.

SEC. Repealing Clause.~ Any provision of law or regulations inconsistent herewith
is hereby repealed, revoked, or modified accordingly.

SEC.10. Effectivity.- This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following the
completion of its publication either in the Official Gazette or in newspaper of general
circulation in the Philippines.

Approved,