‘Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
‘Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNo, 1185

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippine Constitution declares as an explicit policy that the
State shall establish, maintain, and ensure adequate social services in the
fields of education, health, housing, employment, welfare, and social
security to guarantee the enjoyment by the people of a decent standard
of living.

It is indeed a sad, but nevertheless, true commentary made by
many of our countrymen that, notwithstanding the constitutional mandate
above-cited, which is intended for the benefit of all citizens of the State,
many of our tribal communities continue to live in squalor or in less than
satisfactory habitat. In their present state, we can find them in various
regions of our country, without any appreciably substantial changes in
their style or standards of living. The benefits of improved health care,
education, housing and recreation seem to have escaped them and are
enjoyed only by the major ethnic groups. This oversight on the part of the
government may best be illustrated by the fact that our tribal
communities are still considered oddities in our social structure, rarely
attaining higher education, without safe and secure homes and
sometimes even nomadic; in short, left at the mercy of nature rather than
consciously and substantially aided by the State. This should not be the
case, for they too have a right to be entitled to the mantle of protection of
the Constitution in the same manner accorded to members of the major
ethnic groups.

Our ethnic minorities deserve the same degree of encouragement
and help from the State to enable them to develop and reap the benefits
of progress without, however, destroying their distinctive cultures and
cherished traditions in the process.

This bill therefore, seeks to remedy this gap by prescribing the
establishment of pilot tribal communities in each and every region in the
Philippines which shall serve as model human settlements that will
adhere, to the extent practicable, to their cultures and traditions while
Providing at the same time, the basic conveniences of modern living such


as health, education, livelihood and recreation facilities, but structured
such that they adhere to architectural and engineering designs that, to
the extent practicable, maintain the integrity of their customs and
practices.

Under this bill, it is envisioned that with the government's
encouragement and support, these pilot tribal communities to be
established shall introduce the basic amenities necessary for decent living
and simultaneously preserve and enhance their culture and tradition. It is
believed that with the introduction of these model human settlements, the
beneficent experiences to be gained by tribal residents therein, shall be
an incentive and serve as an inspiration for other members of our society
to replicate these Pilot Tribal Communities.

In view of the merits of this proposed bill, its early approyal is
earnestly requested.

Ma
LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1185

AN ACT TO PRESCRIBE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT TRIBAL
COMMUNITIES IN EACH AND EVERY REGION IN THE
PHILIPPINES WHICH SHALL SERVE AS MODEL HUMAN
SETTLEMENTS THAT WILL ADHERE, TO THE EXTENT
PRACTICABLE, TO THE CULTURE, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
OF SUCH TRIBAL COMMUNITIES, WHILE PROVIDING THE
BASIC CONVENIENCES OF CONTEMPORARY LIVING
STANDARDS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. It is the policy of the State to
establish, maintain and ensure adequate shelter, education, health,
employment, welfare and other social services to national tribal
communities and towards this end, the State shall establish pilot tribal
communities in order to extend to such tribal communities the benefits
now being enjoyed by the other cultural sectors of the Philippines, while
endeavoring to preserve and enhance the distinctive culture, customs and
traditions of such tribal communities located in the various regions of the
country.

Sec. 2. Implementation of Policy. In order to preserve and

enhance the culture, customs and traditions of specific tribal communities


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in the Philippines, the Department of Land Reform, directly and/or
through any of its attached agencies, in coordinating with the Presidential
Commission on Indigenous Peoples, shall establish a pilot tribal
community in each and every region of the country that shall be selected
for the purpose, which shall serve as model projects for replication after
their socio-economic viability, appropriateness and practicability have
been demonstrated; provided, however, that the Department of Land
Reform shall endeavor to establish at least one pilot tribal community for
each distinct tribal community.

Sec. 3. The Department of Land Reform, directly and/or through
any of its attached agencies is hereby authorized to acquire by purchase,
grant, donation or any other mode of acquisition, such adequate and
appropriate sites as may be necessary to implement this Act and shall
cause to be prepared such suitable and distinctive plans, architectural and
engineering designs for the pilot tribal communities which shall be
reflective of the culture, customs and traditions of the tribal community in
whose behalf the pilot tribal community shall be established.

Sec. 4. In every pilot tribal community to be established, there shall
be integrated facilities for health, education, and the recreation, the
design, function and services of which shall, to the extent practicable,
blend and harmonize with the environmental setting adopted for the
project.

Sec. 5. The Department of Land Reform, in coordination with the

Presidential Commission on Indigenous Peoples, shall issue the necessary


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rules and regulations with respect to the conditions regarding the
occupancy of these pilot tribal communities by the members of the tribes
concerned.

Sec. 6. The amount necessary for the establishment and
construction of such pilot tribal communities as herein authorized shall be
funded out of the appropriations authorized for the Department of Land
Reform, or any supplemental or special budgets chargeable from lump
sum appropriations contained in the General Appropriations Act or from
grants that may be obtained from local or foreign institutions, or from
philanthropic persons or entities.

Sec. 7. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved,