SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC
of THE PHILIPPINES
Second Regular Session
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'15 JUN -8 P4 :19
SENATE
S.No.
2811
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago
AN ACT
PROVIDING ACCESS TO INDIGENOUS CULTURAL
COMMUNITIES/INDIGENOUS PEOPLES TO VARIOUS INFORMATION AND
COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
EXPLANATORY NOTE
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) cites the importance of linking the
indigenous sector with the information highway. Further, UNDP Deputy Resident
Representative Ms. Ricarda Rieger states that "providing the indigenous sector with
access to information and communication technology will give them more chances to
empower themselves and will eventually strengthen indigenous people's governance
initiatives. "
A report of the G-8's Digital Opportunity Task Force concludes that information
and communication technology or ICT, when wisely applied, offers enormous
opportunities to narrow social and economic inequalities and support sustainable local
wealth creation. The inequality in the access to ICT is referred to as the "digital divide"
defined by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development as the gap that
exists in the opportunities to access advanced information and communication
technologies between geographic areas or by individuals at different socio-economic
levels.
The bill seeks to provide Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples
(lCC/IP) access to ICT. It also seeks to direct the National Commission on Indigenous