Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ________ 
__________________________  
__ 
Introduced by the Honorable ANIELA BIANCA D. TOLENTINO 
_____ 
________ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
It is the declared policy of the State to duly recognize the rights of indigenous 
cultural communities/indigenous peoples (ICCs/IPs) in the formulation of policies for 
the development of the country. The 1987 Constitution in Article 2, Section provides 
that: “The State recognizes and promotes the rights of indigenous cultural 
communities within the framework of national unity and development.”   
However, there are traits which are inherent in the culture and lifestyle of the 
ICCs/IPs, that hinder their participation in nation-building activities, one of which is 
the recruitment and acceptance into the Philippine Military Academy and Philippine 
National Police Academy. There are reports that ICCs/IPs are overlooked, and 
sometimes even discriminated, in national defense and national law enforcement 
programs.  
This representation seeks to accommodate ICCs/IPs into the academic program 
of the Philippine Military Academy and the Philippine National Police Academy by 
providing them a proportional recruitment share. In this manner, the declared policy 
of the State relating to the promotion of the rights of ICCs/IPs can be put into fruition. 
This representation also believes in the capability and nationalism of ICCs/Ips in the 
Philippines. 
In light of the foregoing, immediate enactment on this bill is respectfully 
requested.  
January 24, 2023
1:00 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ________ 
__________________________  
__ 
Introduced by the Honorable ANIELA BIANCA D. TOLENTINO 
_____ 
________ 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A PROPORTIONATE SCHOOL ADMISSION  
AND ACCEPTANCE SHARE IN THE PHILIPPINE MILITARY ACADEMY  
AND THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE ACADEMY FOR MEMBERS  
OF THE INDIGENOUS CULTURAL COMMUNITIES/ INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, 
AND FOR SUCH OTHER PURPOSES 
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 “Katutubong 
Tagapagtanggol Act of 2019.” 
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the State: 
a) to recognize and promote the civil, political, economic, social and cultural
rights of indigenous cultural communities or indigenous peoples in 
accordance with the Constitution and applicable norms and principles; 
b) to recognize the distinct characteristics and identity of the indigenous
cultural communities or indigenous peoples which the State must take 
special measures to ensure that they are afforded rights, protections and 
privileges with regard to recruitment and employment; and 
c) to involve the indigenous cultural communities or indigenous peoples in
the national defense and national law enforcement as part of national unity 
amidst diversity. 
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Section 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms 
shall mean: 
a) Indigenous Cultural Communities/ Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) - shall 
refer to a group of people or homogenous societies identified by self-
ascription and ascription by others, who have continuously lived 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, 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/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 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. 
 
 
Section 4. Recruitment of ICCs/IPs in Law Enforcement and National Defense. 
- The Philippine National Police Academy and the Philippine Military Academy are 
hereby mandated to admit and enlist members of ICCs/IPs into their academic 
program. At least ten percent (10%) of the new cadets shall belong to ICCs/IPs. 
 
 
Section 5. Rights of Enlisted Members of ICCs/IPs. - Members of ICCs/IPs 
admitted in the academic program shall not be discriminated by reason of their 
physical, social, cultural backgrounds and religious beliefs. 
 
 
Section 6. Penalties. - Any person, public official or employee who discriminates 
in any manner members of the ICCs/IPs, by reason of their membership in the 


ICCs/IPs, shall immediately be subjected to the proper disciplinary action or 
proceedings of the service. 
 
Willful failure, refusal or negligence by the disciplining authority in the initiation, 
investigation and disposal of disciplinary proceedings due to violations of this Act shall 
be a cause for dismissal from the service of the disciplining authority. 
 
Any sanctions for violations provided under this Act shall be without prejudice 
to the criminal penalties and sanctions provided under the Republic Act No. 8371 or 
otherwise known as The Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997. 
 
 
Section 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Department of National 
Defense and the Department of Interior and Local Government shall collaborate and 
issue within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this Act the Implementing Rules 
and Regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. 
 
The implementing rules and regulations shall provide accommodations for 
members of the ICCs/IPs regarding their admission and shall avoid qualifications and 
disqualifications that discriminates them due to their diverse qualities. 
 
 
Section 8. Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act shall be held 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in 
full force and effect. 
 
 
Section 9. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, 
proclamations and other executive issuances which are inconsistent with or contrary 
to the provisions of this Act are hereby amended or repealed accordingly. 
 
Section 10. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
following its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) national 
newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,