Chapter III of this Act. It shall also issue, upon the free and prior informed consent of the
ICCs/IPs concerned, certification prior to the grant of any license, lease or permit for the
exploitation of natural resources affecting the interests of ICCs/IPs or their ancestral domains
and to assist the ICCs/IPs in protecting the territorial integrity of all ancestral domains. It
shall likewise perform such other functions as the Commission may deem appropriate and
necessary;
b) Office on Policy, Planning and Research - The Of lice on Policy, Planning and Research
shall be responsible for the formulation of appropriate policies and programs for ICCs/IPs
such as, but not limited to, the development of a Five-Year Master Plan for the lCCs/IPs.
Such plan shall undergo a process such that every five years, the Commission shall endeavor
to assess the plan and make ramifications in accordance with the changing situations. The
Office shall also undertake the documentation of customary law and shall establish and
maintain a Research Center that would serve as a depository of ethnographic information for
monitoring, evaluation and policy formulation. It shall assist the legislative branch of the
national government in the formulation of appropriate legislation benefiting ICCs/IPs;
c) Office of Education, Culture and Health - The Office on Culture, Education and Health
shall be responsible for the effective implementation of the education, cultural and rented
rights as provided in this Act. It shall assist, promote and support community schools, both
formal and non-formal, for the benefit of the local indigenous community, especially in areas
where existing educational facilities are not accessible to members of the indigenous group. It
shall administer all scholarship programs and other educational rights intended for ICC/IP
beneficiaries in coordination with the Department of Education, Culture and Sports and the
Commission on Higher Education. It shall undertake, within the limits of available
appropriation, a special program which includes language and vocational training, public
health and family assistance program and rented subjects.
It shall also identify ICCs/IPs with potential training in the health profession and encourage
and assist them to enroll in schools of medicine, nursing, physical therapy and other allied
courses pertaining to the health profession.
Towards this end, the NCIP shall deploy a representative in each of the said of offices
personally perform the foregoing task and who shall receive complaints from the ICCs/IPs
and compel action from appropriate agency. It shall also monitor the activities of the National
Museum and other similar government agencies generally intended to manage and presence
historical and archeological artifacts of the ICCs/IPs and shall be responsible for the
implementation of such other functions as the NCIP may deem appropriate and necessary;
d) Office on Socio-Economic Services and Special Concerns. - The Office on
Socio-Economic Services and Special Concerns shall serve as the Office through which the
NCIP shall coordinate with pertinent government agencies specially charged with the
implementation of various basic socio-economic services, policies, plans and programs
affecting the ICCs/IPs to ensure that the same are properly and directly enjoyed by them. It
shall also be responsible for such other functions as the NCIP may deem appropriate and
necessary;
e) Office of Empowerment and Human Rights - The Office of Empowerment and Human
Rights shall ensure that indigenous sociopolitical, cultural and economic rights are respected
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