FIFfEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
2795 
s. B. NO. --=:....c.--=-='----__ 
_ 
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR MANNY VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
'11 
MAY -3 P2 :44 
The more distinctions there are, the greater room for discrimination. This 
has been perhaps the generally accepted paradigm in dealing with our 
multicultural society so much so that there are no cohesive policy in terms of 
ethnic identification among individuals comprising the various cultural 
communities of our archipelagic and diverse State. In line with this ideal, culture 
and ethnicity has been accorded to as a collective identity but not as an official 
individual identity as evidenced by the lack of official recognition in the data 
gathering instruments adopted by the national government. 
Obscured in the conventional description of the Filipino nationality are the 
indigenous or tribal Filipinos'. This has resulted in the homogenous treatment of 
the identity of the Filipino which is in complete contravention of the raison d'etre 
behind the State Policies instituted under Section 2 of Republic Act 
8371 
otherwise known as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997. Sub-paragraphs 
C e) and Cf) in Section 2 of the law provides that: 
e) 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 
j) The State ,'ecognizes 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 
Ol,der to render such services more responsive to 
the needs and desires of these communities, 
In order to give life to the letter of the law we must set forth an ideal which is that 
of multiculturalism is consonance with equal opportunity, a fundamental right 
and a basic democratic principle,2 
1 E. San Juan, Jr. The PaNII(OX of Multiculturalism: Ellmicily and Identity in Ihe Philippines, 
Department of Comparative American Cultures Washington State University Pullman, WA, USA, 1995 
2 ibid 


In the past each of the indigenous cultural communities in the Philippines 
can be identified through their distinctive clothing, patterns of weaving, language 
and other forms of cultural expression. Because of the contact with the dominant 
Filipino society and the need to access government services and economic 
opportunities our indigenous peoples has been forced to lose their identity 
though acculturation and assimilation.3 It is my firm belief that that the 
collection of ethnic data will help in reversing this trend. Recognizing the 
ethnicity of our peoples will be a beneficial instrument in shaping policies against 
discrimination and promoting equal opportunities in terms of economic gain and 
access to government services.4 
This proposed law therefore is a recognition of the obligation of the 
legislature to set forth legislative measures to establish and institute the 
necessary mechanisms to enforce and guarantee the realization of the rights of 
our indigenous peoples. 
The aim of this proposed Act is to make the ethnic data collected as an 
instrument of recognizing ethnicity and as a monitoring tool to assess the 
implementation of policies that have been put in place by the government. The 
data gathered will also serve as a check as to whether these policies are sound and 
effective, so that any necessary changes and adjustments may be made. 
In view of the reasons stated, the passage of the attached bill is sought. 
LLAR 
3 Indigenolls Peol)les/ Ethnic Minorities and Poverty Reduction - Philippines, Asian Development Bank, 
http://www,adb,orgIDocumcnts/Reportsllndigcnous_Pcoplcs/PHIIchaptcr_3.pdf May 2, 2011 11 :00 AM 
4 Patrick Simon, "Ethnic" statistics and data protection in tlte Council of Europe countries, 
Institut National d'Etudcs Demographique, Strasbourg, 2007 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S.B. No. 2795 
Introduced by SENATOR MANNY VILLAR 
AN ACT 
'11 
MAY -3 P2 :44 
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h.A _ :'.,f, f': L t) t: ,\':'''::: __ _ 
~ 
TO INCLUDE ETHNIC ORIGIN IN NATIONAL SURVEYS, CENSUSES AND OTHER 
DATA-GATHERING METHODS CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICE 
(NSO) 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Ethnic Origin Act of 
2 
2011". 
3 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. -
It is the policy of the State to recognize and 
4 
promote the rights of indigenous cultural communities within the framework of national unity 
5 
and development The State shall give the highest priority to the enactment of measures 
6 
that protect and enhance the right of all the people to human dignity; reduce social, 
7 
economic and political inequalities; and remove cultural inequities. 
8 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean: 
9 
(a) "Ethnic origin" includes race, national origin and ethno-linguistic origin. 
10 
(b) "Indigenous peoples" shall, as provided under Section 3(h), Chapter II of 
11 
Republic Act No. 8371 or "The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997", refers to 
12 
a group of people who are regarded as indigenous on account of their descent 
13 
from the populations which inhabited the country, at the time of conquest or 
14 
colonization, or at the time of inroads of non-indigenous religions and cultures, 
15 
or the establishment of present state boundaries, who retain some or all of their 
16 
own social, economic, cultural and political institutions but who may have been 
17 
displaced from their traditional domains or who may have resettled outside their 
18 
ancestral domains. 
19 
(c) "Muslim Filipinos" refers to a group of peoples of the Moro ethno-linguistic groups 
20 
who largely reside in Mindanao but also have communities in parts of Visayas 
21 
and Luzon. 
22 
SEC. 4. Duty of the National Statistics Office (NSO). - It shall be the duty of the 
23 
National Statistics Office (NSO) to ensure the inclusion of ethnic origin in its national 
24 
surveys, censuses and other data-gathering methods. 
25 


• 
1 
Upon the approval of this Act, the NSO, in coordination with the National 
2 
Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos 
3 
(NCMF) and the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), shall conduct a special 
4 
survey to ascertain the actual number and other demographic data of indigenous peoples in 
5 
the Philippines. 
6 
SEC. 5. Appropriations Clause. - The amount necessary to effectively carry out 
7 
the provisions of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
8 
SEC. 6. Separability Clause. - If any portion or provision of this Act is declared void 
9 
or unconstitutional, the remaining portions or provisions hereof shall not be affected by such 
10 
declaration. 
11 
SEC. 7. Repealing Clause. -
Any provIsion of law or regulation inconsistent 
12 
herewith is hereby repealed, revoked or modified accordingly. 
13 
SEC. 8. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
14 
in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
15 
16 
Approved,