SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES 
SIXTEENTH (~ONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 
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1426 
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Introduced by SENATOR JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution mandates the State to recognize, respect, and 
protect the rights of Ingenious People to preserve and develop their 
cultures, traditions, and institutions. Republic Act 8371 or the 
Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (AFRA) of 1997, guarantees the rights 
of IPs to ancestral domain, self-governance and empowerment, social 
justice and human rights, education and cultural integrity. Under The 
Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997, ancestral domains refer 
to "all areas generally belonging to IPs composed of lands, inland 
waters, coastal areas, and natural resources held under a claim of 
collective or individual ownership, continuously occupied or possessed 
by IPs by themselves or their ancestors since time immemorial. 
As of 2000 a total of 234,188 hectares of ancestral lands 
certificates and/or agreements have been issued to indigenous 
communities and a total of 3.64 million hectares are covered by 
existing corpmrate agreements for mining explorations. The mining 
applications alone cover some 10.6 million hectares which reportedly 
include ancestral lands, compared to only 2.7 million hectares covered 
by claims to ancestral domain. There are pending applications for 
ancestral domain certificates but the same has not been resolved to 
this date. From 2002 to 2010, a total of 20 certificates of ancestral 
domain title (CADT) for indigenous peoples (IPs) were awarded to 
indigenous peoples by the National Commission on Indigenous 
Peoples (NCIP) covering a cumulative area of 336,660.06 hectares. As 
of October 2010, Benguet has the largest CADT area at 257,550.50 
hectares or 76.5 percent of all ancestral domains in the region. Ifugao 
is second at 47,187.53 hectares or 14.0 percent while Apayao is third 
at 11,268.03 hectares or 3.3 percent. No CADTs were awarded in CAR 
for the years 2003 and 2007. 
This bill intends to reinforce the rights of IP over their ancestral 
lands and to have an 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 and a 


grant of a new five (5)-year period to the National Commission on 
Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) within which to take appropriate legal 
action for the cancellation of officially documented titles which were 
acquired illegally. 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
CS~-:. " 
JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO 
Senator 


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SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS 
) 
) 
) 
(Ilth" ,,( iii' ,:t>m,tar, 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 1426 
'13 
AUG 29 P 4 :40 
Introduced by SENATOR JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO 
AN ACT EXTENDING THE PERIOD FOR INDIGENOUS CULTURAL 
COMMUNITIES/INDIGENOUS PEOPLES TO EXERCISE THE 
OPTION TO SECURE TITLE TO THEIR ANCESTRAL LANDS UNDER 
LAND REGIS'tRATION ACT 496 AND GRANTING A NEW FIVE (5)-
YEAR PERIOI) TO THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON INDIGENOUS 
PEOPLES (HCIP) TO TAKE APPROPRIATE LEGAL ACTION FOR 
THE CANCELLATION OF OFFICIALLY DOCUMENTED TITLES 
WHICH WERE ILLEGALLY ACQUIRED, AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE StcTIONS 12 AND 64 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8371, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS "THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES 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. 
SECTION 2. The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples 
(NCIP) is hereby granted a new five (5)-year period within which to 
take appropriate legal action for the cancellation of officially 
documented titles which were acquired illegally, as provided for under 
Section 64 of Republic Act No. 8371. 
SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in any newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,