Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

7505

HOUSE BILL NO.

INTRODUCED BY REP. LUISA LLOREN CUARESMA
Lone District of Nueva Vizeaya

EXPLANATORY NOTE

No less than our 1987 Philippine Constitution guarantccs 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 (ICs) 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 relegated to the sidelines.
‘Their rich culture is continually pushed to the brink of survival.

The IPs represent nearly 14% of the Philippine population, Over thousands of years,
they have developed rich sets of knowledge about rites, rituals, health, survival techniques and
other distinct cultural expressions. However, due to the influx of foreign culture and loss of
access to land and territories, their indigenous cultures, including the customary laws and
folklore, have been undermined and 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. It is hoped that through this
bill, Nueva Vizcaya will have an aware 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.

4 ISA LL 'N CUARESMA



Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 7505

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;

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

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.

b)

°)


Towards these ends, the State shall institute and establish the necessary mechanisms to enforce
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. Defini
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 lives 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 country, at the time of conquest or colonization, or at
‘the time of inroads of 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;

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 NICP 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,

‘The IP Resource and Training Center shall be a place where skills trainings and learning
sessions shall be conducted;

c) 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.

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

The concerned 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.

n of Terms — For the purpose of this Act, the following terms are

b)

b)

d

°)


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

a) Regional Director of the NCIP;

b) Regional head of the TESDA;

©) Regional head of the DepEd;

4) Regional head of the CHED;

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

g) Representative from the Local Government Unit

SECTION 7. Duties and Functions of the Board of Trustees — The Board of Trustees
shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

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;

Enter into agreements with and award research grants for centers for researches doing

studies on ICCs/IPs;

5) Prepare annual reports describing the research & 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 on 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 about 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.

4


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 implementation 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. Separabi 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,