t
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
TH E REPUBLIC O F T H E PH ILIPPINES
F irst R egular S essio n
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•16 JUL 19 AlOni
SENATE
S.B. NO.
414
KK(' FIVKl) ItY;
I n tr o d u c e d b y SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA
AN ACT ESTABLISHING RESOURCE CENTERS FO R INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
TO ENHANCE AND ENSURE DELIVERY O F ESSENTIAL SERVICES,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS TH E R EFO R AND FO R O TH ER PU RPO SES
E x p lan ato ry Note
R.A. 8371, otherw ise know n a s th e ‘In digenous Peoples R ights Act (IPRA), w as
en acted into law in 1997 to give effect to th e c o n stitu tio n a l recognition a n d
cognizance to th e e stim a te d 12 to 15 m illion Ind ig en o u s C u ltu ra l C om m unities
(IC C s)/Indigenous Peoples (IPs) p re s e n t in 65 of th e 78 provinces in the
country. Said law provides for th e creatio n of th e N ational C om m ission on
In digenous Peoples (NCIP) a s its im plem enting agency. E ventually, vario u s
n atio n al, regional, g ra ssro o ts a n d non -g o v ern m en t o rg a n iz a tio n s/n e tw o rk s
w ere e stab lish ed , all geared to w ard s th e ir recognition, prom otion a n d well
being. Likewise, n u m e ro u s in te rn a tio n a l trea tie s, co n v en tio n s a n d d eclaratio n s
w ith sim ilar objectives w ere en te red into by th e governm ent.
D espite co n certed efforts exerted by th e governm ent, in p a rtn e rsh ip w ith
v ario u s private org an izatio n s a n d a d e q u a te financial s u p p o rt from
in te rn atio n al c o m m u n ities, still th ey rem ain th e p o o rest a n d m arginalized
secto rs of o u r society. B asic services rem ain w an tin g in m o st geographically
isolated a n d d isa d v an tag e d a re a s (GIDAs). F u rth e r, th e rep o rted serio u s
h u m a n rig h ts violations, d isp lac em e n t from th e ir a n c e stra l d om ain a n d
d e stru c tio n of th e ir n a tu ra l en v iro n m en t a n d c u ltu ra l valu es, calls for a n
im m ediate a n d d ra stic m e a su re s to a d d re ss th e sam e.
T here is a n eed to e sta b lish R esource C en ters in all IC C s/IP s, w hich are
eth n o g raphically located, gen d er a n d rig h ts b ased , a s m ay be d eterm in ed by
th e NCIP. The c e n te rs sh all serve a s acc ess c e n te rs to e n h a n c e deliveiy of
basic, social, tech n ical a n d legal services.
In view of th e foregoing, early p a ssa g e of th is bill is e a rn e stly sought.
L O R E If LEGARDA
S e n a to r