l) Native Title - refers to pre-conquest rights to lands and domains which, as far back as
memory reaches, have been held under a claim of private ownership by ICCs/IPs, have never
been public lands and are thus indisputably presumed to have been held that way since before
the Spanish Conquest;
m)Nongovernment Organization - refers to a private, nonprofit voluntary organization that
has been organized primarily for the delivery of various services to the ICCs/IPs and has an
established track record for effectiveness and acceptability in the community where it serves;
n) People's Organization - refers to a private, nonprofit voluntary organization of members of
an ICC/IP which is accepted as representative of such ICCs/IPs;
o) Sustainable Traditional Resource Rights - refer to the rights of ICCs/IPs to sustainably use,
manage, protect and conserve a) land, air, water, and minerals; b) plants, animals and other
organisms; c) collecting, fishing and hunting grounds; d) sacred sites; and e) other areas of
economic, ceremonial and aesthetic value in accordance with their indigenous knowledge,
beliefs, systems and practices; and
p) Time Immemorial - refers to a period of time when as far back as memory can go, certain
ICCs/IPs are known to have occupied, possessed in the concept of owner, and utilized a
defined territory devolved to them, by operation of customary law or inherited from their
ancestors, in accordance with their customs and traditions.
CHAPTER III
RIGHTS TO ANCESTRAL DOMAINS
SEC. 4. Concept of Ancestral Lands/Domains. - Ancestral lands/ domains shall include such
concepts of territories which cover not only the physical environment but the total
environment including the spiritual and cultural bonds to the areas which the ICCs/IPs
possess, occupy and use and to which they have claims of ownership.
SEC. 5. Indigenous Concept of Ownership. - Indigenous concept of ownership sustains the
view that ancestral domains and all resources found therein shall serve as the material bases
of their cultural integrity. The indigenous concept of ownership generally holds that ancestral
domains are the ICC's/IP's private but community property which belongs to all generations
and therefore cannot be sold, disposed or destroyed. It likewise covers sustainable traditional
resource rights.
SEC. 6. Composition of Ancestral Lands/Domains. - Ancestral lands and domains shall
consist of all areas generally belonging to ICCs/ IPs as referred under Sec. 3, items (a) and
(b) of this Act.
SEC. 7. Rights to Ancestral Domains. - The rights of ownership and possession of ICCs/IPs
to their ancestral domains shall be recognized and protected. Such rights shall include:
a) Right of Ownership - The right to claim ownership over lands, bodies of water
traditionally and actually occupied by ICCs/IPs, sacred places, traditional hunting and fishing
grounds, and all improvements made by them at any time within the domains;
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