t
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
REPUBLIC O F T H E PH ILIPPINES
F irst R egular S ession
'16
SENATE
S.B. No.
rrK 'l r
nf !l)p ^ r r r r t . T r y
Jill. 18
P5 -57
;) ! i • Mi :
379
I n tr o d u c e d b y SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA
AN ACT SAFEGUARDING TH E TRADITIONAL PROPERTY RIGH TS O F
INDIGENOUS PEO PLES
E x p lan ato ry Note
O u r in d ig en o u s peoples have suffered h isto rical in ju stic e s in th e form of
d iscrim in atio n , d eprivation of th e ir a n c e stra l d o m ain s a n d lan d s, am ong m an y
o th e r h u m a n rig h ts violations. To a d d sa lt to th e ir w o u n d s, th ere have been
m an y rep o rted in cid en ces w h erein th e ir in d ig en o u s know ledge, d a n c e s, desig n s
^ e being stolen by local a n d foreign e n tities, fu rth e r m arginalizing o u r
in d ig en o u s c o m m u n ities a n d depriving th em of th e ir c u ltu ra l property, th e ir
id en tity w hich h a s b een p a sse d on from th e ir a n c e sto rs.
The law p ro tectin g in d ig en o u s p e o p le s’ rig h ts, nam ely th e In digenous Peoples
R ig h ts’ Act (RA 9371) does n o t provide for specific provisions for th e p rotectio n
of th e ir c u ltu ra l p ro p erties, b o th intan g ib le a n d tangible. It is w ith th e p a ssa g e
of th is bill th a t th is void is so u g h t to be filled.
W ith th e help of th e N ational C om m ission for C u ltu re a n d th e A rts, N ational
M useum , N ational C om m ission on Ind ig en o u s Peoples a n d local governm ent
u n its , th is bill sh all cre ate a com prehensive c u ltu ra l archive w hich sh all
organize a n d m ak e a n inventory of all c u ltu ra l p ro p erties of th e different eth n o lin g u istic g ro u p s of th e P hilippines. T his inventory of c u ltu ra l p ro p erties sh all
th e n be su b m itte d to th e C om m ission th ru th e N ational M useum who sh all
e n su re th e reg istra tio n of th e ow n ersh ip to th e p ro p er e th n o -lin g u istic group
for p ro tectio n of th e ir in te lle ctu al property. T his bill also m a n d a te s th e
p a y m e n t of royalties for th e u s e of th e c u ltu ra l p ro p erty of in d ig en o u s group s.
In view of th e foregoing c o n sid era tio n s, approval of th is bill is e arn estly so u g h t.
LOREN LEGARDA
S en ato r