CEDAW/C/PHI/Q/6/Add.1 The House of Representatives was not able to push through with the passage of House Bill 2970 otherwise known as the Magna Carta for Rural Women during the 29th Session of the previous Congress. However, a new bill, the Magna Carta for Women Bill which incorporates concerns of rural women mentioned in the Magna Carta for Rural Women Bill, was filed in the present Congress and is now pending on Second Reading. The bill focuses on women’s economic and political empowerment by establishing occupational health and safety measures; creating livelihood resource centers; providing access to skills training and education and ensuring representation particularly in local development councils. 27. The report mentions that the implementation of the Indigenous People’s Rights Act, which provides equality between indigenous women and men in connection with rights and opportunities in various spheres of life, and participation of indigenous women in the decision-making process in all levels, has encountered serious obstacles due to disputes over ancestral lands (para. 511(c)). Kindly provide information on measures taken to remove the obstacles and the progress made with regard to their implementation. One of the obstacles identified in implementing the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) is the issue of land disputes and boundary conflicts. The IPRA recognizes the “applicability of customary laws governing property rights or relations in determining the ownership and extent of ancestral domain.” The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) serves to facilitate the resolution of such conflicts through the Ancestral Domain Boundary Conflict Resolution. Conflicting parties meet to resolve dispute and come up with a Memorandum of Agreement before the processing of papers for the Ancestral Domain/ Ancestral Land Titles. Forty two (42) cases approved for titling had so far been brought by NCIP to the Land Registration Administration for certification. Out of the 42, 13 had been registered and awarded titles. Several ancestral domain areas have undergone boundary conflict resolution, in which NCIP acted as facilitator and documentor (e.g. Sugpon, Ilocos Sur; Alilen, Ilocos Sur; Sta. Fe and Anitao, Norzagaray; and Fianza, San Nicolas.) 28. Please report on the situation of rural and indigenous women’s access to agricultural credits and loans, marketing facilities, training and education and participation at the village decisionmaking level. ! Rural and Indigenous Women’s Access to Agricultural Credit and Loan The agriculture department has provided credit and loans to women through its Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (Golden Bountiful Harvest) Countryside Assistance for Rural Employment (GMACARES) Program. In 2005, Quedan Rural Credit and Guarantee Corporation (Quedancor) released about 1.6 Billion under the said program to provide agricultural credit and loans to 45,173 women beneficiaries all-over the country. One of the financing programs under GMA –CARES is the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani Women Entrepreneurs (GMA-Women) Program that provides credit to women entrepreneurs who are engaged or would like to engage in agri-fisheries related projects. In the same year, Quedancor has also provided no less than P73 million to 971 women beneficiaries under its other agricultural credit and loan programs. The department also provided loans to 113 Rural Improvement Clubs of the Philippines (RIC) benefiting 2,691 members and to 19 groups with 174 beneficiaries under the Home Economic 26