Eighteenth Congress
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No, 7806

Introduced by
REPRESENTATIVE LOREN B. LEGARDA

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING RESOURCE CENTERS FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES TO
ENHANCE AND ENSURE DELIVERY OF ESSENTIAL SERVICES,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Explanatory Note

RA. 8371, otherwise known as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), was
enacted into law in 1997 to give effect to the constitutional recognition and
cognizance to the indigenous peoples in our country.

Despite concerted efforts, our indigenous peoples still remain marginalized. Further,
the reported serious human rights violations, displacement from ancestral domain
and destruction of their natural environment and values, calls for an immediate
measure to address the same.

In this regard, this bill seeks to establish resource centers, which are
ethnographically located, as may be determined by the NCIP. The centers shall serve
as access centers to enhance delivery of basic, social, technical and cultural services.

In view of the foregoing consideration, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

LOREN LEGARDA


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Eighteenth Congress
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No, 7866

Introduced by
REPRESENTATIVE LOREN B. LEGARDA

ESTABLISHING RESOURCE CENTERS FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES TO
ENHANCE AND ENSURE DELIVERY OF ESSENTIAL SERVICES,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted in the Senate rind House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Resource Centers for
Indigenous Peoples Act.”
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby the policy of the State to provide
Indigenous Peoples (IPs) equal access to basic services and ensure protection of their
rights, taking into consideration their customs, traditions, values and beliefs.
Towards this end, there is a need to set up Resource Centers in all ethnographic
regions to enhance the delivery of government's basic services and enable them to be
recognized, to freely engage in participatory development programs, projects and
activities.

SEC. 3. Establishment of Resource Centers for IPs. - There shall be
established IPsResource Centers, hereinafter referred to as the “Center”, in state
universities and colleges, in strategic locations, as determined by the National

Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), hereinafter referred to as the


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“Commission”, taking into consideration their ethnological locations and in
coordination with the Commission on Higher Education. The concerned state
universities and colleges shall each designate in their center a coordinating officer.
SEC. 4. Composition and Functions of the Center. The Center shall be composed of
the following three (3) major service areas and their respective functions, namely:

A) Statistical Service Area - documents and recognizes the IPs; and their
indigenous knowledge, systems and practices, political structures and customary
laws through census, appraisal and baseline reports, and libraries;

B) Human Development Index Service Area - addresses problems of
ICCs/IPs and provides basic and necessary services through link-ups with
concerned government agencies such as training programs, grant of scholarships,
employment, livelihood, and health services; and

C) Domains Management Service Area - promotes participatory programs,
Projects and activities for IPs to effectively deliver their responsibility to maintain
ecological balance, restore denuded areas, and ensure the implementation of the
Ancestral Domains Sustainable Development and Protections Plans and other
similar programs.

SEC. 5. Monitoring Progress and Implementation and Impact of this Act. - The
State Universities and Colleges where a Center is established shall submit to
Congress every three (3) years or as determined in the implementing rules and
regulations, an annual report of its accomplishments.

SEC. 6. Funding. - The initial funding requirements for the implementation of this
Act shall be charged against the current appropriations of the concerned state

universities and colleges. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for its


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continued implementation, shall be included in the annual budget of the concerned
state universities and colleges, under the General Appropriations Act.

Sec. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days after the
approval of this act, the Commission, together with the Commission on Higher
Education, shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for the effective
implementation of this Act.

SEC. 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, rules and regulations or parts thereof
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

SEC. 9. Separability Clause. - If any part, section or provision of this Act shall be
held invalid or unconstitutional, no other part, section or provisions thereof shall be
affected thereby.

SEC. 10. _ Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its
complete publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,