Section 1, Part I, Rule IV (Right to Self-Governance and Empowerment) of the Rules and Regulations Implementing the IPRA of 1997 (IRR) provides that the ICCs/IPs, in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government, shall formulate measures to ensure the following: (a) the socio-political structures, systems and institutions of ICCs/IPs are strengthened; (b) the indigenous structures, systems, and institutions are not supplanted by other forms of non-indigenous governance; and/or (c) mechanisms that allow the interfacing of indigenous systems of governance with the national systems are established. Section 3. Operating Principles. The following fundamental principles in the implementation of this Guidelines shall be recognized: a) Self-governance and Self-determination. The inherent right of ICCs/IPs to selfgovernance and self-determination includes the right to pursue their economic, social, and cultural development; promote and protect the integrity of their values, practices and institutions; determine, use and control their own organizational and community leadership systems, institutions, relationships, patterns and processes for decisionmaking and participation; b) Secure Collective Rights to Domain/Land. The deeply rooted spiritual and cultural bonds of ICCs/IPs to the ancestral domains/lands which they possess, occupy and use as basic to their existence and to all their beliefs, customs, traditions and culture; c) Authentic Indigenous Political Leadership. The authentic indigenous political leadership emerging from the dynamics of customary laws and practices in the maintenance and development of their own indigenous governance and decision-making institutions; d) Development with Identity. The pursuit of ICCs/IPs to their collective identity in their economic, social and cultural development through their Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plans (ADSDPP). It also embraces preservation of cultural values and institutions; control over their own development; and genuine consultation on all issues, programs and projects that will affect them; e) Sustainable Development. The ICCs/IPs, through their IPS, occupying their ancestral domain shall preserve, restore, and maintain a balanced ecology in the ancestral domain by protecting the flora and fauna, watershed areas, and other reserves and to actively initiate, undertake and participate in the reforestation of denuded areas and other development programs and projects subject to just and reasonable remuneration; f) Establishment of Indigenous Peoples Organizations (IPO). The IPS shall establish IPOs which shall have legal capacity to assist the ICCs/IPs in ensuring their collective rights to their ancestral domains and to strengthen their political, economic and social systems or institutions. IPOs registered under this Guidelines and other government registering or accrediting agencies/institutions such as the Local Government Units (LGU), Cooperative Development Authority, and the Securities and Exchange Commission shall be subject to verification, validation, registration or confirmation as the case may be; g) Interfacing. The interfacing of indigenous systems of governance to the mainstream legal system to effectively carry out the ICCs/IPs’ collective right to self-governance and self determination; h) Empowerment of Women. It shall be mandatory for the IPS and the IPO to develop appropriate programs and projects to respond to gender issues and concerns as these relate to the full realization and protection of women’s rights for maximum participation in community and nation-building. The IPS shall provide appropriate and full support to women’s groups/organizations to conduct research and document IP women’s traditional roles in marriage, family, community, political and economic life to determine gender issues and concerns among ICCs/IPs. Section 4. Establishment of Indigenous Peoples Organizations. The IPS shall create and establish IPOs as defined under the IPRA, which IPO must be registered. Section 5. Coverage. This Guidelines shall cover all ICCs/IPs in ancestral domains and lands; and ICCs/IPs resettled outside their ancestral domains. Page 2 of 9 NCIP Administrative Order No. 2, Series of 2012 (Confirmation of IPS & Registration of IPOs)