October 29, 1997

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8371

AN ACT TO RECOGNIZE, PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS

CULTURAL COMMUNITIES/INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, CREATING A NATIONAL
COMMISSION ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, ESTABLISHING IMPLEMENTING
MECHANISMS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

CHAPTER I
General Provisions
SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as "The Indigenous Peoples' Rights
Act of 1997". cdrep

SECTION 2. Declaration of State Policies. — The State shall recognize and promote all
the rights of Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) hereunder
enumerated within the framework of the Constitution:
a) The State shall recognize and promote the rights of ICCs/IPs within
the framework of national unity and development;
b) The State shall protect the rights of ICCs/IPs to their ancestral
domains to ensure their economic, social and cultural well being and
shall recognize the applicability of customary laws governing property
rights or relations in determining the ownership and extent of
ancestral domain;
c) The State shall recognize, respect and protect the rights of ICCs/IPs
to preserve and develop their cultures, traditions and institutions. It
shall consider these rights in the formulation of national laws and
policies;
d) The State shall guarantee that members of the ICCs/IPs regardless
of sex, shall equally enjoy the full measure of human rights and
freedoms without distinction or discrimination;
e) The State shall take measures, with the participation of the ICCs/IPs
concerned, to protect their rights and guarantee respect for their
cultural integrity, and to ensure that members of the ICCs/IPs bene t
on an equal footing from the rights and opportunities which national
laws and regulations grant to other members of the population; and
f) The State recognizes its obligations to respond to the strong
expression of the ICCs/IPs for cultural integrity by assuring maximum
ICC/IP participation in the direction of education, health, as well as
other services of ICCs/IPs, in order to render such services more
responsive to the needs and desires of these communities.
Towards these ends, the State shall institute and establish the necessary mechanisms to
enforce and guarantee the realization of these rights, taking into consideration their
customs, traditions, values, beliefs, interests and institutions, and to adopt and implement
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 measures to protect their rights to their ancestral domains.
CHAPTER II
Definition of Terms
SECTION 3. De nition of Terms . — For purposes of this Act, the following terms shall
mean:
a) Ancestral Domains — Subject to Section 56 hereof, refer to all areas
generally belonging to ICCs/IPs comprising lands, inland waters,
coastal areas, and natural resources therein, held under a claim of
ownership, occupied or possessed by ICCs/IPs, by themselves or
through their ancestors, communally or individually since time
immemorial, continuously to the present except when interrupted by
war, force majeure or displacement by force, deceit, stealth or as a
consequence of government projects or any other voluntary dealings
entered into by government and private individuals/corporations, and
which are necessary to ensure their economic, social and cultural
welfare. It shall include ancestral lands, forests, pasture, residential,
agricultural, and other lands individually owned whether alienable and
disposable or otherwise, hunting grounds, burial grounds, worship
areas, bodies of water, mineral and other natural resources, and lands
which may no longer be exclusively occupied by ICCs/IPs but from
which they traditionally had access to for their subsistence and
traditional activities, particularly the home ranges of ICCs/IPs who are
still nomadic and/or shifting cultivators;
b) Ancestral Lands — Subject to Section 56 hereof, refers to land
occupied, possessed and utilized by individuals, families and clans
who are members of the ICCs/IPs since time immemorial, by
themselves or through their predecessors-in-interest, under claims of
individual or traditional group ownership, continuously, to the present
except when interrupted by war, force majeure or displacement by
force, deceit, stealth, or as a consequence of government projects
and other voluntary dealings entered into by government and private
individuals/corporations, including, but not limited to, residential lots,
rice terraces or paddies, private forests, swidden farms and tree lots;
c) Certi cate of Ancestral Domain Title — refers to a title formally
recognizing the rights of possession and ownership of ICCs/IPs over
their ancestral domains identi ed and delineated in accordance with
this law;
d) Certi cate of Ancestral Lands Title — refers to a title formally
recognizing the rights of ICCs/IPs over their ancestral lands;
e) Communal Claims — refer to claims on land, resources and rights
thereon, belonging to the whole community within a defined territory;
f) Customary Laws — refer to a body of written and/or unwritten rules,
usages, customs and practices traditionally and continually
recognized, accepted and observed by respective ICCs/IPs;

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 g) Free and Prior Informed Consent — as used in this Act shall mean the
consensus of all members of the ICCs/IPs to be determined in
accordance with their respective customary laws and practices, free
from any external manipulation, interference and coercion, and
obtained after fully disclosing the intent and scope of the activity, in a
language and process understandable to the community; cdrep

h) Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples — refer to a

group of people or homogenous societies identified by self-ascription
and ascription by others, who have continuously lived as organized
community on communally bounded and de ned territory, and who
have, under claims of ownership since time immemorial, occupied,
possessed and utilized such territories, sharing common bonds of
language, customs, traditions and other distinctive cultural traits, or
who have, through resistance to political, social and cultural inroads
of colonization, non-indigenous religions and cultures, became
historically differentiated from the majority of Filipinos. ICCs/IPs shall
likewise include peoples who are regarded as indigenous on account
of their descent from the populations which inhabited the country, at
the time of conquest or colonization, or at the time of inroads of non-
indigenous religions and cultures, or the establishment of present
state boundaries, who retain some or all of their own social,
economic, cultural and political institutions, but who may have been
displaced from their traditional domains or who may have resettled
outside their ancestral domains;
i) Indigenous Political Structures — refer to organizational and cultural
leadership systems, institutions, relationships, patterns and
processes for decision-making and participation, identi ed by
ICCs/IPs such as, but not limited to, Council of Elders, Council of
Timuays, Bodong Holders, or any other tribunal or body of similar
nature;
j) Individual Claims — refer to claims on land and rights thereon which
have been devolved to individuals, families and clans including, but not
limited to, residential lots, rice terraces or paddies and tree lots;
k) National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) — refers to the
of ce created under this Act, which shall be under the Of ce of the
President, and which shall be the primary government agency
responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies, plans
and programs to recognize, protect and promote the rights of
ICCs/IPs;
l) Native Title — refers to pre-conquest rights to lands and domains
which, as far back as memory reaches, have been held under a claim
of private ownership by ICCs/IPs, have never been public lands and
are thus indisputably presumed to have been held that way since
before the Spanish Conquest;
m) Nongovernment Organization — refers to a private, nonpro t
voluntary organization that has been organized primarily for the
delivery of various services to the ICCs/IPs and has an established
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 track record for effectiveness and acceptability in the community
where it serves;aisadc

n) People's Organization — refers to a private, nonpro t voluntary

organization of members of an ICC/IP which is accepted as
representative of such ICCs/IPs;
o) Sustainable Traditional Resource Rights — refer to the rights of
ICCs/IPs to sustainably use, manage, protect and conserve a) land,
air, water, and minerals; b) plants, animals and other organisms; c)
collecting, shing and hunting grounds; d) sacred sites; and e) other
areas of economic, ceremonial and aesthetic value in accordance with
their indigenous knowledge, beliefs, systems and practices; and
p) Time Immemorial — refers to a period of time when as far back as
memory can go, certain ICCs/IPs are known to have occupied,
possessed in the concept of owner, and utilized a de ned territory
devolved to them, by operation of customary law or inherited from
their ancestors, in accordance with their customs and traditions.
CHAPTER III
Rights to Ancestral Domains
SECTION 4. Concept of Ancestral Lands/Domains. — Ancestral lands/domains shall
include such concepts of territories which cover not only the physical environment but the
total environment including the spiritual and cultural bonds to the areas which the ICCs/IPs
possess, occupy and use and to which they have claims of ownership.
SECTION 5. Indigenous Concept of Ownership. — Indigenous concept of ownership
sustains the view that ancestral and all resources found therein shall serve as the material
bases of their cultural integrity. The indigenous concept of ownership generally holds that
ancestral domains are the ICC's/IP's private but community property which belongs to all
generations and therefore cannot be sold, disposed or destroyed. It likewise covers
sustainable traditional resource rights.
SECTION 6. Composition of Ancestral Lands/Domains. — Ancestral lands and domains
shall consist of all areas generally belonging to ICCs/IPs as referred under Sec. 3, items (a)
and (b) of this Act.
SECTION 7. Rights to Ancestral Domains. — The rights of ownership and possession
of ICCs/IPs to their ancestral domains shall be recognized and protected. Such rights shall
include: cdrep

a) Right of Ownership. — The right to claim ownership over lands, bodies

of water traditionally and actually occupied by ICCs/IPs, sacred
places, traditional hunting and shing grounds, and all improvements
made by them at any time within the domains;
b) Right to Develop Lands and Natural Resources. — Subject to Section
56 hereof, right to develop, control and use lands and territories
traditionally occupied, owned, or used; to manage and conserve
natural resources within the territories and uphold the responsibilities
for future generations; to bene t and share the pro ts from allocation
and utilization of the natural resources found therein; the right to
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 negotiate the terms and conditions for the exploration of natural
resources in the areas for the purpose of ensuring ecological,
environmental protection and the conservation measures, pursuant to
national and customary laws; the right to an informed and intelligent
participation in the formulation and implementation of any project,
government or private, that will affect or impact upon the ancestral
domains and to receive just and fair compensation for any damages
which they may sustain as a result of the project; and the right to
effective measures by the government to prevent any interference
with, alienation and encroachment upon these rights;
c) Right to Stay in the Territories . — The right to stay in the territory and
not to be removed therefrom. No ICCs/IPs will be relocated without
their free and prior informed consent, nor through any means other
than eminent domain. Where relocation is considered necessary as an
exceptional measure, such relocation shall take place only with the
free and prior informed consent of the ICCs/IPs concerned and
whenever possible, they shall be guaranteed the right to return to their
ancestral domains, as soon as the grounds for relocation cease to
exist. When such return is not possible, as determined by agreement
or through appropriate procedures, ICCs/IPs shall be provided in all
possible cases with lands of quality and legal status at least equal to
that of the land previously occupied by them, suitable to provide for
their present needs and future development. Persons thus relocated
shall likewise be fully compensated for any resulting loss or injury;
d) Right in Case of Displacement. — In case displacement occurs as a
result of natural catastrophes, the State shall endeavor to resettle the
displaced ICCs/IPs in suitable areas where they can have temporary
life support systems: Provided, That the displaced ICCs/IPs shall
have the right to return to their abandoned lands until such time that
the normalcy and safety of such lands shall be determined: Provided,
further, That should their ancestral domain cease to exist and
normalcy and safety of the previous settlements are not possible,
displaced ICCs/IPs shall enjoy security of tenure over lands to which
they have been resettled: Provided, furthermore, That basic services
and livelihood shall be provided to them to ensure that their needs are
adequately addressed;
e) Right to Regulate Entry of Migrants. — Right to regulate the entry of
migrant settlers and organizations into the domains;
f) Right to Safe and Clean Air and Water. — For this purpose, the
ICCs/IPs shall have access to integrated systems for the
management of their inland waters and air space;
g) Right to Claim Parts of Reservations. — The right to claim parts of the
ancestral domains which have been reserved for various purposes,
except those reserved and intended for common public welfare and
service; and
h) Right to Resolve Con ict. — Right to resolve land con icts in
accordance with customary laws of the area where the land is
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 located, and only in default thereof shall the complaints be submitted
to amicable settlement and to the Courts of Justice whenever
necessary.
SECTION 8. Rights to Ancestral Lands. — The right of ownership and possession of the
ICCs/IPs to their ancestral lands shall be recognized and protected.
a) Right to transfer land/property. — Such right shall include the right to
transfer land or property rights to/among members of the same
ICCs/IPs, subject to customary laws and traditions of the community
concerned. cd

b) Right to Redemption. — In cases where it is shown that the transfer of

land/property rights by virtue of any agreement or devise, to a non-
member of the concerned ICCs/IPs is tainted by the vitiated consent
of the ICCs/IPs, or is transferred for an unconscionable consideration
or price, the transferor ICC/IP shall have the right to redeem the same
within a period not exceeding fteen (15) years from the date of
transfer.
SECTION 9. Responsibilities of ICCs/IPs to their Ancestral Domains. — ICCs/IPs
occupying a duly certified ancestral domain shall have the following responsibilities:
a) Maintain Ecological Balance. — To preserve, restore, and maintain a
balanced ecology in the ancestral domain by protecting the ora and
fauna, watershed areas, and other reserves;
b) Restore Denuded Areas. — To actively initiate, undertake and
participate in the reforestation of denuded areas and other
development programs and projects subject to just and reasonable
remuneration; and
c) Observe Laws. — To observe and comply with the provisions of this
Act and the rules and regulations for its effective implementation.
SECTION 10. Unauthorized and Unlawful Intrusion. — Unauthorized and unlawful
intrusion upon, or use of any portion of the ancestral domain, or any violation of the rights
hereinbefore enumerated, shall be punishable under this law. Furthermore, the Government
shall take measures to prevent non-ICCs/IPs from taking advantage of the ICCs/IPs
customs or lack of understanding of laws to secure ownership, possession of land
belonging to said ICCs/IPs.
SECTION 11. Recognition of Ancestral Domain Rights. — The rights of ICCs/IPs to their
ancestral domains by virtue of Native Title shall be recognized and respected. Formal
recognition, when solicited by ICCs/IPs concerned, shall be embodied in a Certi cate of
Ancestral Domain Title (CADT), which shall recognize the title of the concerned ICCs/IPs
over the territories identified and delineated.
SECTION 12. Option to Secure Certi cate of Title Under Commonwealth Act 141 , as
amended, or the Land Registration Act 496. — Individual members of cultural communities,
with respect to their individually-owned ancestral lands who, by themselves or through
their predecessors-in-interest, have been in continuous possession and occupation of the
same in the concept of owner since time immemorial or for a period of not less than thirty
(30) years immediately preceding the approval of this Act and uncontested by the
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 members of the same ICCs/IPs shall have the option to secure title to their ancestral lands
under the provisions of Commonwealth Act 141, as amended, or the Land Registration Act
496.
For this purpose, said individually-owned ancestral lands, which are agricultural in
character and actually used for agricultural, residential, pasture, and tree farming purposes,
including those with a slope of eighteen percent (18%) or more, are hereby classi ed as
alienable and disposable agricultural lands.
The option granted under this section shall be exercised within twenty (20) years from the
approval of this Act.
CHAPTER IV
Right to Self-Governance and Empowerment
SECTION 13. Self-Governance. — The State recognizes the inherent right of ICCs/IPs to
self-governance and self-determination and respects the integrity of their values, practices
and institutions. Consequently, the State shall guarantee the right of ICCs/IPs to freely
pursue their economic, social and cultural development. cdrep

SECTION 14. Support for Autonomous Regions. — The State shall continue to
strengthen and support the autonomous regions created under the Constitution as they
may require or need. The State shall likewise encourage other ICCs/IPs not included or
outside Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras to use the form and content of their ways of
life as may be compatible with the fundamental rights de ned in the Constitution of the
Republic of the Philippines and other internationally recognized human rights.
SECTION 15. Justice System, Con ict Resolution Institutions, and Peace Building
Processes. — The ICCs/IPs shall have the right to use their own commonly accepted
justice systems, con ict resolution institutions, peace building processes or mechanisms
and other customary laws and practices within their respective communities and as may
be compatible with the national legal system and with internationally recognized human
rights.
SECTION 16. Right to Participate in Decision-Making. — ICCs/IPs have the right to
participate fully, if they so choose, at all levels of decision-making in matters which may
affect their rights, lives and destinies through procedures determined by them as well as
to maintain and develop their own indigenous political structures. Consequently, the State
shall ensure that the ICCs/IPs shall be given mandatory representation in policy-making
bodies and other local legislative councils.
SECTION 17. Right to Determine and Decide Priorities for Development. — The
ICCs/IPs shall have the right to determine and decide their own priorities for development
affecting their lives, beliefs, institutions, spiritual well-being, and the lands they own,
occupy or use. They shall participate in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of
policies, plans and programs for national, regional and local development which may
directly affect them.
SECTION 18. Tribal Barangays . — The ICCs/IPs living in contiguous areas or
communities where they form the predominant population but which are located in
municipalities, provinces or cities where they do not constitute the majority of the
population, may form or constitute a separate barangay in accordance with the Local
Government Code on the creation of tribal barangays.
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 SECTION 19. Role of Peoples Organizations. — The State shall recognize and respect
the role of independent ICCs/IPs organizations to enable the ICCs/IPs to pursue and
protect their legitimate and collective interests and aspirations through peaceful and
lawful means.
SECTION 20. Means for Development/Empowerment of ICCs/IPs. — The Government
shall establish the means for the full development/empowerment of the ICCs/IPs own
institutions and initiatives and, where necessary, provide the resources needed therefor.
CHAPTER V
Social Justice and Human Rights
SECTION 21. Equal Protection and Non-discrimination of ICCs/IPs. — Consistent with
the equal protection clause of the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, the
Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights including the
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and International Human
Rights Law, the State shall, with due recognition of their distinct characteristics and
identity, accord to the members of the ICCs/IPs the rights, protections and privileges
enjoyed by the rest of the citizenry. It shall extend to them the same employment rights,
opportunities, basic services, educational and other rights and privileges available to every
member of the society. Accordingly, the State shall likewise ensure that the employment of
any form of force or coercion against ICCs/IPs shall be dealt with by law.
The State shall ensure that the fundamental human rights and freedoms as enshrined in
the Constitution and relevant international instruments are guaranteed also to indigenous
women. Towards this end, no provision in this Act shall be interpreted so as to result in the
diminution of rights and privileges already recognized and accorded to women under
existing laws of general application.
SECTION 22. Rights During Armed Con ict. — ICCs/IPs have the right to special
protection and security in periods of armed con ict. The State shall observe international
standards, in particular, the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, for the protection of
civilian populations in circumstances of emergency and armed con ict, and shall not
recruit members of the ICCs/IPs against their will into the armed forces, and in particular,
for use against other ICCs/IPs; nor recruit children of ICCs/IPs into the armed forces
under any circumstance; nor force indigenous individuals to abandon their lands, territories
and means of subsistence, or relocate them in special centers for military purposes under
any discriminatory condition.
SECTION 23. Freedom from Discrimination and Right to Equal Opportunity and
Treatment. — It shall be the right of the ICCs/IPs to be free from any form of
discrimination, with respect to recruitment and conditions of employment, such that they
may enjoy equal opportunities for admission to employment, medical and social
assistance, safety as well as other occupationally-related bene ts, informed of their rights
under existing labor legislation and of means available to them for redress, not subject to
any coercive recruitment systems, including bonded labor and other forms of debt
servitude; and equal treatment in employment for men and women, including the
protection from sexual harassment.
Towards this end, the State shall, within the framework of national laws and regulations,
and in cooperation with the ICCs/IPs concerned, adopt special measures to ensure the
effective protection with regard to the recruitment and conditions of employment of
persons belonging to these communities, to the extent that they are not effectively
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 protected by laws applicable to workers in general.
ICCs/IPs shall have the right to association and freedom for all trade union activities and
the right to conclude collective bargaining agreements with employers' organizations.
They shall likewise have the right not to be subject to working conditions hazardous to
their health, particularly through exposure to pesticides and other toxic substances.
SECTION 24. Unlawful Acts Pertaining to Employment. — It shall be unlawful for any
person:
a) To discriminate against any ICC/IP with respect to the terms and
conditions of employment on account of their descent. Equal
remuneration shall be paid to ICC/IP and non-ICC/IP for work of equal
value; and
b) To deny any ICC/IP employee any right or bene t herein provided for
or to discharge them for the purpose of preventing them from
enjoying any of the rights or benefits provided under this Act.
SECTION 25. Basic Services. — The ICCs/IPs have the right to special measures for the
immediate, effective and continuing improvement of their economic and social conditions,
including in the areas of employment, vocational training and retraining, housing, sanitation,
health and social security. Particular attention shall be paid to the rights and special needs
of indigenous women, elderly, youth, children and differently-abled persons. Accordingly,
the State shall guarantee the right of ICCs/IPs to government's basic services which shall
include, but not limited to, water and electrical facilities, education, health, and
infrastructure.
SECTION 26. Women. — ICC/IP women shall enjoy equal rights and opportunities with
men, as regards the social, economic, political and cultural spheres of life. The
participation of indigenous women in the decision-making process in all levels, as well as
in the development of society, shall be given due respect and recognition.
The State shall provide full access to education, maternal and child care, health and
nutrition, and housing services to indigenous women. Vocational, technical, professional
and other forms of training shall be provided to enable these women to fully participate in
all aspects of social life. As far as possible, the State shall ensure that indigenous women
have access to all services in their own languages.
SECTION 27. Children and Youth . — The State shall recognize the vital role of the
children and youth of ICCs/IPs in nation-building and shall promote and protect their
physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being. Towards this end, the State
shall support all government programs intended for the development and rearing of the
children and youth of ICCs/IPs for civic ef ciency and establish such mechanisms as may
be necessary for the protection of the rights of the indigenous children and youth.
SECTION 28. Integrated System of Education. — The State shall, through the NCIP,
provide a complete, adequate and integrated system of education, relevant to the needs of
the children and young people of ICCs/IPs.
CHAPTER VI
Cultural Integrity
SECTION 29. Protection of Indigenous Culture, Traditions and Institutions . — The State
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 shall respect, recognize and protect the right of ICCs/IPs to preserve and protect their
culture, traditions and institutions. It shall consider these rights in the formulation and
application of national plans and policies.
SECTION 30. Educational Systems. — The State shall provide equal access to various
cultural opportunities to the ICCs/IPs through the educational system, public or private
cultural entities, scholarships, grants and other incentives without prejudice to their right to
establish and control their educational systems and institutions by providing education in
their own language, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and
learning. Indigenous children/youth shall have the right to all levels and forms of education
of the State.
SECTION 31. Recognition of Cultural Diversity. — The State shall endeavor to have the
dignity and diversity of the cultures, traditions, histories and aspirations of the ICCs/IPs
appropriately re ected in all forms of education, public information and cultural-
educational exchange. Consequently, the State shall take effective measures, in
consultation with ICCs/IPs concerned, to eliminate prejudice and discrimination and to
promote tolerance, understanding and good relations among ICCs/IPs and all segments
of society. Furthermore, the Government shall take effective measures to ensure that the
State-owned media duly re ect indigenous cultural diversity. The State shall likewise
ensure the participation of appropriate indigenous leaders in schools, communities and
international cooperative undertakings like festivals, conferences, seminars and
workshops to promote and enhance their distinctive heritage and values.
SECTION 32. Community Intellectual Rights. — ICCs/IPs have the right to practice and
revitalize their own cultural traditions and customs. The State shall preserve, protect and
develop the past, present and future manifestations of their cultures as well as the right to
the restitution of cultural, intellectual, religious, and spiritual property taken without their
free and prior informed consent or in violation of their laws, traditions and customs.
SECTION 33. Rights to Religious, Cultural Sites and Ceremonies. — ICCs/IPs shall have
the right to manifest, practice, develop, and teach their spiritual and religious traditions,
customs and ceremonies; the right to maintain, protect and have access to their religious
and cultural sites; the right to use and control of ceremonial objects; and, the right to the
repatriation of human remains. Accordingly, the State shall take effective measures, in
cooperation with the ICCs/IPs concerned, to ensure that indigenous sacred places,
including burial sites, be preserved, respected and protected. To achieve this purpose, it
shall be unlawful to: cdrep

a) Explore, excavate or make diggings on archeological sites of the

ICCs/IPs for the purpose of obtaining materials of cultural values
without the free and prior informed consent of the community
concerned; and
b) Deface, remove or otherwise destroy artifacts which are of great
importance to the ICCs/IPs for the preservation of their cultural
heritage.
SECTION 34. Right to Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices and to Develop
own Sciences and Technologies . — ICCs/IPs are entitled to the recognition of the full
ownership and control and protection of their cultural and intellectual rights. They shall
have the right to special measures to control, develop and protect their sciences,
technologies and cultural manifestations, including human and other genetic resources,
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 seeds, including derivatives of these resources, traditional medicines and health practices,
vital medicinal plants, animals and minerals, indigenous knowledge systems and practices,
knowledge of the properties of fauna and ora, oral traditions, literature, designs, and
visual and performing arts.
SECTION 35. Access to Biological and Genetic Resources. — Access to biological and
genetic resources and to indigenous knowledge related to the conservation, utilization and
enhancement of these resources, shall be allowed within ancestral lands and domains of
the ICCs/IPs only with a free and prior informed consent of such communities, obtained in
accordance with customary laws of the concerned community.
SECTION 36. Sustainable Agro-Technical Development. — The State shall recognize the
right of ICCs/IPs to a sustainable agro-technological development and shall formulate and
implement programs of action for its effective implementation. The State shall likewise
promote the bio-genetic and resource management systems among the ICCs/IPs and
shall encourage cooperation among government agencies to ensure the successful
sustainable development of ICCs/IPs.
SECTION 37. Funds for Archeological and Historical Sites. — The ICCs/IPs shall have
the right to receive from the national government all funds especially earmarked or
allocated for the management and preservation of their archeological and historical sites
and artifacts with the financial and technical support of the national government agencies.
CHAPTER VII
National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)
SECTION 38. National Commission on Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous
Peoples (NCIP). — To carry out the policies herein set forth, there shall be created the
National Commission on ICCs/IPs (NCIP), which shall be the primary government agency
responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies, plans and programs to
promote and protect the rights and well-being of the ICCs/IPs and the recognition of their
ancestral domains as well as the rights thereto.
SECTION 39. Mandate. — The NCIP shall protect and promote the interest and well-
being of the ICCs/IPs with due regard to their beliefs, customs, traditions and institutions.
SECTION 40. Composition. — The NCIP shall be an independent agency under the
Of ce of the President and shall be composed of seven (7) Commissioners belonging to
ICCs/IPs, one (1) of whom shall be the Chairperson. The Commissioners shall be
appointed by the President of the Philippines from a list of recommendees submitted by
authentic ICCs/IPs: Provided, That the seven (7) Commissioners shall be appointed
speci cally from each of the following ethnographic areas: Region I and the Cordilleras;
Region II; the rest of Luzon; Island Groups including Mindoro, Palawan, Romblon, Panay
and the rest of the Visayas; Northern and Western Mindanao; Southern and Eastern
Mindanao; and Central Mindanao: Provided, That at least two (2) of the seven (7)
Commissioners shall be women.
SECTION 41. Qualifications, Tenure , Compensation. — The Chairperson and the six (6)
Commissioners must be natural born Filipino citizens, bona fide members of the ICCs/IPs
as certi ed by his/her tribe, experienced in ethnic affairs and who have worked for at least
ten (10) years with an ICC/IP community and/or any government agency involved in ICC/IP,
at least 35 years of age at the time of appointment, and must be of proven honesty and
integrity: Provided, That at least two (2) of the seven (7) Commissioners shall be members
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 of the Philippine Bar: Provided,further, That the members of the NCIP shall hold of ce for a
period of three (3) years, and may be subject to re-appointment for another term:
Provided, furthermore, That no person shall serve for more than two (2) terms.
Appointment to any vacancy shall only be for the unexpired term of the predecessor and in
no case shall a member be appointed or designated in a temporary or acting capacity:
Provided, nally , That the Chairperson and the Commissioners shall be entitled to
compensation in accordance with the Salary Standardization Law.
SECTION 42. Removal from Of ce . — Any member of the NCIP may be removed from
of ce by the President, on his own initiative or upon recommendation by any indigenous
community, before the expiration of his term for cause and after complying with due
process requirement of law.
SECTION 43. Appointment of Commissioners. — The President shall appoint the seven
(7) Commissioners of the NCIP within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act.
SECTION 44. Powers and Functions. — To accomplish its mandate, the NCIP shall have
the following powers, jurisdiction and function:
a) To serve as the primary government agency through which ICCs/IPs
can seek government assistance and as the medium, through which
such assistance may be extended;
b) To review and assess the conditions of ICCs/IPs including existing
laws and policies pertinent thereto and to propose relevant laws and
policies to address their role in national development;
c) To formulate and implement policies, plans, programs and projects
for the economic, social and cultural development of the ICCs/IPs and
to monitor the implementation thereof;
d) To request and engage the services and support of experts from
other agencies of government or employ private experts and
consultants as may be required in the pursuit of its objectives;
e) To issue certificate of ancestral land/domain title;
f) Subject to existing laws, to enter into contracts, agreements, or
arrangement, with government or private agencies or entities as may
be necessary to attain the objectives of this Act, and subject to the
approval of the President, to obtain loans from government lending
institutions and other lending institutions to finance its programs;
g) To negotiate for funds and to accept grants, donations, gifts and/or
properties in whatever form and from whatever source, local and
international, subject to the approval of the President of the
Philippines, for the bene t of ICCs/IPs and administer the same in
accordance with the terms thereof; or in the absence of any condition,
in such manner consistent with the interest of ICCs/IPs as well as
existing laws;
h) To coordinate development programs and projects for the
advancement of the ICCs/IPs and to oversee the proper
implementation thereof;
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 i) To convene periodic conventions or assemblies of IPs to review,
assess as well as propose policies or plans;
j) To advise the President of the Philippines on all matters relating to the
ICCs/IPs and to submit within sixty (60) days after the close of each
calendar year, a report of its operations and achievements;
k) To submit to Congress appropriate legislative proposals intended to
carry out the policies under this Act;
l) To prepare and submit the appropriate budget to the Of ce of the
President;
m) To issue appropriate certi cation as a pre-condition to the grant of
permit, lease, grant, or any other similar authority for the disposition,
utilization, management and appropriation by any private individual,
corporate entity or any government agency, corporation or
subdivision thereof on any part or portion of the ancestral domain
taking into consideration the consensus approval of the ICCs/IPs
concerned;
n) To decide all appeals from the decisions and acts of all the various
offices within the Commission;
o) To promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the
implementation of this Act;
p) To exercise such other powers and functions as may be directed by
the President of the Republic of the Philippines; and cdasia

q) To represent the Philippine ICCs/IPs in all international conferences

and conventions dealing with indigenous peoples and other related
concerns.
SECTION 45. Accessibility and Transparency . — Subject to such limitations as may be
provided by law or by rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto, all of cial
records, documents and papers pertaining to of cial acts, transactions or decisions, as
well as research data used as basis for policy development of the Commission shall be
made accessible to the public.
SECTION 46. Of ces within the NCIP . — The NCIP shall have the following of ces
which shall be responsible for the implementation of the policies hereinafter provided:
a) Ancestral Domains Of ce — The Ancestral Domain Of ce shall be
responsible for the identi cation, delineation and recognition of
ancestral lands/domains. It shall also be responsible for the
management of ancestral lands/domains in accordance with a
master plan as well as the implementation of the ancestral domain
rights of the ICCs/IPs as provided in Chapter III of this Act. It shall
also issue, upon the free and prior informed consent of the ICCs/IPs
concerned, certi cation prior to the grant of any license, lease or
permit for the exploitation of natural resources affecting the interests
of ICCs/IPs or their ancestral domains and to assist the ICCs/IPs in
protecting the territorial integrity of all ancestral domains. It shall
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 likewise perform such other functions as the Commission may deem
appropriate and necessary;
b) Of ce on Policy , Planning and Research — The Of ce on Policy,
Planning and Research shall be responsible for the formulation of
appropriate policies and programs for ICCs/IPs such as, but not
limited to, the development of a Five-Year Master Plan for the
ICCs/IPs. Such plan shall undergo a process such that every ve
years, the Commission shall endeavor to assess the plan and make
rami cations in accordance with the changing situations. The Of ce
shall also undertake the documentation of customary law and shall
establish and maintain a Research Center that would serve as a
depository of ethnographic information for monitoring, evaluation and
policy formulation. It shall assist the legislative branch of the national
government in the formulation of appropriate legislation bene ting
ICCs/IPs;
c) Of ce of Education , Culture and Health — The Of ce on Culture,
Education and Health shall be responsible for the effective
implementation of the education, cultural and related rights as
provided in this Act. It shall assist, promote and support community
schools, both formal and non-formal, for the bene t of the local
indigenous community, especially in areas where existing educational
facilities are not accessible to members of the indigenous group. It
shall administer all scholarship programs and other educational rights
intended for ICC/IP bene ciaries in coordination with the Department
of Education, Culture and Sports and the Commission on Higher
Education. It shall undertake, within the limits of available
appropriation, a special program which includes language and
vocational training, public health and family assistance program and
related subjects.
It shall also identify ICCs/IPs with potential training in the health
profession and encourage and assist them to enroll in schools of
medicine, nursing, physical therapy and other allied courses pertaining
to the health profession.
Towards this end, the NCIP shall deploy a representative in each
of the said of ces who shall personally perform the foregoing task
and who shall receive complaints from the ICCs/IPs and compel
action from appropriate agency. It shall also monitor the activities of
the National Museum and other similar government agencies generally
intended to manage and preserve historical and archeological
artifacts of the ICCs/IPs and shall be responsible for the
implementation of such other functions as the NCIP may deem
appropriate and necessary; cdrep

d) Of ce on Socio-Economic Services and Special Concerns — The

Of ce on Socio-Economic Services and Special Concerns shall serve
as the Of ce through which the NCIP shall coordinate with pertinent
government agencies specially charged with the implementation of
various basic socio-economic services, policies, plans and programs
affecting the ICCs/IPs to ensure that the same are properly and
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 directly enjoyed by them. It shall also be responsible for such other
functions as the NCIP may deem appropriate and necessary;
e) Of ce of Empowerment and Human Rights — The Of ce of
Empowerment and Human Rights shall ensure that indigenous socio-
political, cultural and economic rights are respected and recognized.
It shall ensure that capacity building mechanisms are instituted and
ICCs/IPs are afforded every opportunity, if they so choose, to
participate in all levels of decision-making. It shall likewise ensure that
the basic human rights, and such other rights as the NCIP may
determine, subject to existing laws, rules and regulations, are
protected and promoted;
f) Administrative Of ce — The Administrative Of ce shall provide the
NCIP with economical, ef cient and effective services pertaining to
personnel, nance, records, equipment, security, supplies and related
services. It shall also administer the Ancestral Domains Fund; and
g) Legal Affairs Office — There shall be a Legal Affairs Of ce which shall
advice the NCIP on all legal matters concerning ICCs/IPs and which
shall be responsible for providing ICCs/IPs with legal assistance in
litigation involving community interest. It shall conduct preliminary
investigation on the basis of complaints led by the ICCs/IPs against
a natural or juridical person believed to have violated ICCs/IPs rights.
On the basis of its ndings, it shall initiate the ling of appropriate
legal or administrative action to the NCIP.
SECTION 47. Other Of ces . — The NCIP shall have the power to create additional
offices as it may deem necessary subject to existing rules and regulations.
SECTION 48. Regional and Field Of ces . — Existing regional and eld of ces shall
remain to function under the strengthened organizational structure of the NCIP. Other eld
of ces shall be created wherever appropriate and the staf ng pattern thereof shall be
determined by the NCIP: Provided, That in provinces where there are ICCs/IPs but without
field offices, the NCIP shall establish field offices in said provinces.
SECTION 49. Of ce of the Executive Director .— The NCIP shall create the Of ce of the
Executive Director which shall serve as its secretariat. The Of ce shall be headed by an
Executive Director who shall be appointed by the President of the Republic of the
Philippines upon recommendation of the NCIP on a permanent basis. The staf ng pattern
of the office shall be determined by the NCIP subject to the existing rules and regulations.
SECTION 50. Consultative Body. — A body consisting of the traditional leaders, elders
and representatives from the women and youth sectors of the different ICCs/IPs shall be
constituted by the NCIP from time to time to advise it on matters relating to the problems,
aspirations and interests of the ICCs/IPs.
CHAPTER VIII
Delineation and Recognition of Ancestral Domains
SECTION 51. Delineation and Recognition of Ancestral Domains. — Self-delineation
shall be the guiding principle in the identi cation and delineation of ancestral domains. As
such, the ICCs/IPs concerned shall have a decisive role in all the activities pertinent
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 thereto. The Sworn Statement of the Elders as to the scope of the territories and
agreements/pacts made with neighboring ICCs/IPs, if any, will be essential to the
determination of these traditional territories. The Government shall take the necessary
steps to identify lands which the ICCs/IPs concerned traditionally occupy and guarantee
effective protection of their rights of ownership and possession thereto. Measures shall
be taken in appropriate cases to safeguard the right of the ICCs/IPs concerned to land
which may no longer be exclusively occupied by them, but to which they have traditionally
had access for their subsistence and traditional activities, particularly of ICCs/IPs who are
still nomadic and/or shifting cultivators.
SECTION 52. Delineation Process. — The identi cation and delineation of ancestral
domains shall be done in accordance with the following procedures:
a) Ancestral Domains Delineated Prior to this Act. — The provisions
hereunder shall not apply to ancestral domains/lands already
delineated according to DENR Administrative Order No. 2, series of
1993, nor to ancestral lands and domains delineated under any other
community/ancestral domain program prior to the enactment of this
law. ICCs/IPs whose ancestral lands/domains were of cially
delineated prior to the enactment of this law shall have the right to
apply for the issuance of a Certi cate of Ancestral Domain Title
(CADT) over the area without going through the process outlined
hereunder; cd

b) Petition for Delineation. — The process of delineating a speci c

perimeter may be initiated by the NCIP with the consent of the ICC/IP
concerned, or through a Petition for Delineation led with the NCIP, by
a majority of the members of the ICCs/IPs;
c) Delineation Proper. — The of cial delineation of ancestral domain
boundaries including census of all community members therein, shall
be immediately undertaken by the Ancestral Domains Of ce upon
ling of the application by the ICCs/IPs concerned. Delineation will be
done in coordination with the community concerned and shall at all
times include genuine involvement and participation by the members
of the communities concerned;
d) Proof Required. — Proof of Ancestral Domain Claims shall include the
testimony of elders or community under oath, and other documents
directly or indirectly attesting to the possession or occupation of the
area since time immemorial by such ICCs/IPs in the concept of
owners which shall be any one (1) of the following authentic
documents:
1) Written accounts of the ICCs/IPs customs and traditions;
2) Written accounts of the ICCs/IPs political structure and
institution;
3) Pictures showing long term occupation such as those of old
improvements, burial grounds, sacred places and old villages;
4) Historical accounts, including pacts and agreements
concerning boundaries entered into by the ICCs/IPs concerned
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 with other ICCs/IPs;
5) Survey plans and sketch maps;
6) Anthropological data;
7) Genealogical surveys;
8) Pictures and descriptive histories of traditional communal
forests and hunting grounds;
9) Pictures and descriptive histories of traditional landmarks such
as mountains, rivers, creeks, ridges, hills, terraces and the like;
and
10) Write-ups of names and places derived from the native dialect
of the community.
e) Preparation of Maps. — On the basis of such investigation and the
ndings of fact based thereon, the Ancestral Domains Of ce of the
NCIP shall prepare a perimeter map, complete with technical
descriptions, and a description of the natural features and landmarks
embraced therein;
f) Report of Investigation and Other Documents. — A complete copy of
the preliminary census and a report of investigation, shall be prepared
by the Ancestral Domains Office of the NCIP;
g) Notice and Publication. — A copy of each document, including a
translation in the native language of the ICCs/IPs concerned shall be
posted in a prominent place therein for at least fteen (15) days. A
copy of the document shall also be posted at the local, provincial and
regional of ces of the NCIP, and shall be published in a newspaper of
general circulation once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks to
allow other claimants to le opposition thereto within fteen (15)
days from date of such publication: Provided, That in areas where no
such newspaper exists, broadcasting in a radio station will be a valid
substitute: Provided, further, That mere posting shall be deemed
sufficient if both newspaper and radio station are not available;
h) Endorsement to NCIP. — Within fteen (15) days from publication,
and of the inspection process, the Ancestral Domains Of ce shall
prepare a report to the NCIP endorsing a favorable action upon a
claim that is deemed to have suf cient proof. However, if the proof is
deemed insuf cient, the Ancestral Domains Of ce shall require the
submission of additional evidence: Provided, That the Ancestral
Domains Of ce shall reject any claim that is deemed patently false or
fraudulent after inspection and veri cation: Provided, further, That in
case of rejection, the Ancestral Domains Of ce shall give the
applicant due notice, copy furnished all concerned, containing the
grounds for denial. The denial shall be appealable to the NCIP:
Provided, furthermore, That in cases where there are con icting
claims among ICCs/IPs on the boundaries of ancestral domain
claims, the Ancestral Domains Of ce shall cause the contending
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 parties to meet and assist them in coming up with a preliminary
resolution of the con ict, without prejudice to its full adjudication
according to the section below.
i) Turnover of Areas Within Ancestral Domains Managed by Other
Government Agencies. — The Chairperson of the NCIP shall certify
that the area covered is an ancestral domain. The secretaries of the
Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Environment and
Natural Resources, Department of the Interior and Local Government,
and Department of Justice, the Commissioner of the National
Development Corporation, and any other government agency claiming
jurisdiction over the area shall be noti ed thereof. Such noti cation
shall terminate any legal basis for the jurisdiction previously claimed;
j) Issuance of CADT . — ICCs/IPs whose ancestral domains have been
of cially delineated and determined by the NCIP shall be issued a
CADT in the name of the community concerned, containing a list of all
those identified in the census; and
k) Registration of CADTs . — The NCIP shall register issued certi cates
of ancestral domain titles and certi cates of ancestral lands titles
before the Register of Deeds in the place where the property is
situated. cdrep

SECTION 53. Identification, Delineation and Certification of Ancestral Lands. —

a) The allocation of lands within any ancestral domain to individual or
indigenous corporate (family or clan) claimants shall be left to the
ICCs/IPs concerned to decide in accordance with customs and
traditions;
b) Individual and indigenous corporate claimants of ancestral lands
which are not within ancestral domains, may have their claims
of cially established by ling applications for the identi cation and
delineation of their claims with the Ancestral Domains Of ce. An
individual or recognized head of a family or clan may le such
application in his behalf or in behalf of his family or clan, respectively;
c) Proofs of such claims shall accompany the application form which
shall include the testimony under oath of elders of the community and
other documents directly or indirectly attesting to the possession or
occupation of the areas since time immemorial by the individual or
corporate claimants in the concept of owners which shall be any of
the authentic documents enumerated under Sec. 52 (d) of this Act,
including tax declarations and proofs of payment of taxes;
d) The Ancestral Domains Of ce may require from each ancestral
claimant the submission of such other documents, Sworn Statements
and the like, which in its opinion, may shed light on the veracity of the
contents of the application/claim;
e) Upon receipt of the applications for delineation and recognition of
ancestral land claims, the Ancestral Domains Of ce shall cause the
publication of the application and a copy of each document
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 submitted including a translation in the native language of the
ICCs/IPs concerned in a prominent place therein for at least fteen
(15) days. A copy of the document shall also be posted at the local,
provincial, and regional of ces of the NCIP and shall be published in a
newspaper of general circulation once a week for two (2) consecutive
weeks to allow other claimants to le opposition thereto within
fteen (15) days from the date of such publication: Provided, That in
areas where no such newspaper exists, broadcasting in a radio
station will be a valid substitute: Provided, further, That mere posting
shall be deemed suf cient if both newspapers and radio station are
not available;
f) Fifteen (15) days after such publication, the Ancestral Domains Of ce
shall investigate and inspect each application, and if found to be
meritorious, shall cause a parcellary survey of the area being claimed.
The Ancestral Domains Of ce shall reject any claim that is deemed
patently false or fraudulent after inspection and verification. In case of
rejection, the Ancestral Domains Of ce shall give the applicant due
notice, copy furnished all concerned, containing the grounds for
denial. The denial shall be appealable to the NCIP. In case of
con icting claims among individuals or indigenous corporate
claimants, the Ancestral Domains Of ce shall cause the contending
parties to meet and assist them in coming up with a preliminary
resolution of the con ict, without prejudice to its full adjudication
according to Sec. 62 of this Act. In all proceedings for the
identi cation or delineation of the ancestral domains as herein
provided, the Director of Lands shall represent the interest of the
Republic of the Philippines; and
g) The Ancestral Domains Of ce shall prepare and submit a report on
each and every application surveyed and delineated to the NCIP,
which shall, in turn, evaluate the report submitted. If the NCIP nds
such claim meritorious, it shall issue a certi cate of ancestral land,
declaring and certifying the claim of each individual or corporate
(family or clan) claimant over ancestral lands.
SECTION 54. Fraudulent Claims. — The Ancestral Domains Of ce may, upon written
request from the ICCs/IPs, review existing claims which have been fraudulently acquired
by any person or community. Any claim found to be fraudulently acquired by, and issued to,
any person or community may be cancelled by the NCIP after due notice and hearing of all
parties concerned.
SECTION 55. Communal Rights. — Subject to Section 56 hereof, areas within the
ancestral domains, whether delineated or not, shall be presumed to be communally held:
Provided, That communal rights under this Act shall not be construed as co-ownership as
provided in Republic Act No. 386, otherwise known as the New Civil Code.
SECTION 56. Existing Property Rights Regimes. — Property rights within the ancestral
domains already existing and/or vested upon effectivity of this Act, shall be recognized
and respected.
SECTION 57. Natural Resources within Ancestral Domains. — The ICCs/IPs shall have
priority rights in the harvesting, extraction, development or exploitation of any natural
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 resources within the ancestral domains. A non-member of the ICCs/IPs concerned may be
allowed to take part in the development and utilization of the natural resources for a period
of not exceeding twenty-five (25) years renewable for not more than twenty-five (25) years:
Provided, That a formal and written agreement is entered into with the ICCs/IPs concerned
or that the community, pursuant to its own decision making process, has agreed to allow
such operation: Provided, nally , That the NCIP may exercise visitorial powers and take
appropriate action to safeguard the rights of the ICCs/IPs under the same contract.
SECTION 58. Environmental Considerations. — Ancestral domains or portions thereof,
which are found to be necessary for critical watersheds, mangroves, wildlife sanctuaries,
wilderness, protected areas, forest cover, or reforestation as determined by appropriate
agencies with the full participation of the ICCs/IPs concerned shall be maintained,
managed and developed for such purposes. The ICCs/IPs concerned shall be given the
responsibility to maintain, develop, protect and conserve such areas with the full and
effective assistance of government agencies. Should the ICCs/IPs decide to transfer the
responsibility over the areas, said decision must be made in writing. The consent of the
ICCs/IPs should be arrived at in accordance with its customary laws without prejudice to
the basic requirements of existing laws on free and prior informed consent: Provided, That
the transfer shall be temporary and will ultimately revert to the ICCs/IPs in accordance
with a program for technology transfer: Provided, further, That no ICCs/IPs shall be
displaced or relocated for the purpose enumerated under this section without the written
consent of the specific persons authorized to give consent.
SECTION 59. Certi cation Precondition . — All departments and other governmental
agencies shall henceforth be strictly enjoined from issuing, renewing, or granting any
concession, license or lease, or entering into any production-sharing agreement, without
prior certi cation from the NCIP that the area affected does not overlap with any ancestral
domain. Such certi cation shall only be issued after a eld-based investigation is
conducted by the Ancestral Domains Of ce of the area concerned: Provided, That no
certi cation shall be issued by the NCIP without the free and prior informed and written
consent of ICCs/IPs concerned: Provided, further, That no department, government agency
or government-owned or -controlled corporation may issue new concession, license, lease,
or production sharing agreement while there is a pending application for a CADT: Provided,
finally, That the ICCs/IPs shall have the right to stop or suspend, in accordance with this
Act, any project that has not satisfied the requirement of this consultation process.
SECTION 60. Exemption from Taxes . — All lands certi ed to be ancestral domains
shall be exempt from real property taxes, special levies, and other forms of exaction
except such portion of the ancestral domains as are actually used for large-scale
agriculture, commercial forest plantation and residential purposes or upon titling by
private persons: Provided, That all exactions shall be used to facilitate the development
and improvement of the ancestral domains.
SECTION 61. Temporary Requisition Powers . — Prior to the establishment of an
institutional surveying capacity whereby it can effectively ful ll its mandate, but in no case
beyond three (3) years after its creation, the NCIP is hereby authorized to request the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) survey teams as well as other
equally capable private survey teams, through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), to
delineate ancestral domain perimeters. The DENR Secretary shall accommodate any such
request within one (1) month of its issuance: Provided, That the Memorandum of
Agreement shall stipulate, among others, a provision for technology transfer to the NCIP.

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 SECTION 62. Resolution of Conflicts. — In cases of con icting interest, where there are
adverse claims within the ancestral domains as delineated in the survey plan, and which
can not be resolved, the NCIP shall hear and decide, after notice to the proper parties, the
disputes arising from the delineation of such ancestral domains: Provided, That if the
dispute is between and/or among ICCs/IPs regarding the traditional boundaries of their
respective ancestral domains, customary process shall be followed. The NCIP shall
promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to carry out its adjudicatory functions:
Provided, further, That any decision, order, award or ruling of the NCIP on any ancestral
domain dispute or on any matter pertaining to the application, implementation,
enforcement and interpretation of this Act may be brought for Petition for Review to the
Court of Appeals within fifteen (15) days from receipt of a copy thereof.
SECTION 63. Applicable Laws. — Customary laws, traditions and practices of the
ICCs/IPs of the land where the con ict arises shall be applied rst with respect to
property rights, claims and ownerships, hereditary succession and settlement of land
disputes. Any doubt or ambiguity in the application and interpretation of laws shall be
resolved in favor of the ICCs/IPs.
SECTION 64. Remedial Measures. — Expropriation may be resorted to in the resolution
of con icts of interest following the principle of the "common good". The NCIP shall take
appropriate legal action for the cancellation of of cially documented titles which were
acquired illegally: Provided, That such procedure shall ensure that the rights of possessors
in good faith shall be respected: Provided, further, That the action for cancellation shall be
initiated within two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act: Provided, nally , That the
action for reconveyance shall be within a period of ten (10) years in accordance with
existing laws.
CHAPTER IX
Jurisdiction and Procedures for Enforcement of Rights
SECTION 65. Primacy of Customary Laws and Practices. — When disputes involve
ICCs/IPs, customary laws and practices shall be used to resolve the dispute.
SECTION 66. Jurisdiction of the NCIP. — The NCIP, through its regional of ces, shall
have jurisdiction over all claims and disputes involving rights of ICCs/IPs: Provided,
however, That no such dispute shall be brought to the NCIP unless the parties have
exhausted all remedies provided under their customary laws. For this purpose, a
certi cation shall be issued by the Council of Elders/Leaders who participated in the
attempt to settle the dispute that the same has not been resolved, which certi cation shall
be a condition precedent to the filing of a petition with the NCIP.
SECTION 67. Appeals to the Court of Appeals. — Decisions of the NCIP shall be
appealable to the Court of Appeals by way of a petition for review.
SECTION 68. Execution of Decisions, Awards, Orders. — Upon expiration of the period
herein provided and no appeal is perfected by any of the contending parties, the Hearing
Officer of the NCIP, on its own initiative or upon motion by the prevailing party, shall issue a
writ of execution requiring the sheriff or the proper of cer to execute nal decisions,
orders or awards of the Regional Hearing Officer of the NCIP.
SECTION 69. Quasi-Judicial Powers of the NCIP. — The NCIP shall have the power and
authority:

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 a) To promulgate rules and regulations governing the hearing and
disposition of cases led before it as well as those pertaining to its
internal functions and such rules and regulations as may be necessary
to carry out the purposes of this Act;
b) To administer oaths, summon the parties to a controversy, issue
subpoenas requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses or
the production of such books, papers, contracts, records, agreements
and other document of similar nature as may be material to a just
determination of the matter under investigation or hearing conducted
in pursuance of this Act;
c) To hold any person in contempt, directly or indirectly, and impose
appropriate penalties therefor; and
d) To enjoin any or all acts involving or arising from any case pending
before it which, if not restrained forthwith, may cause grave or
irreparable damage to any of the parties to the case or seriously
affect social or economic activity.
SECTION 70. No Restraining Order or Preliminary Injunction. — No inferior court of the
Philippines shall have jurisdiction to issue any restraining order or writ of preliminary
injunction against the NCIP or any of its duly authorized or designated of ces in any case,
dispute or controversy arising from, necessary to, or interpretation of this Act and other
pertinent laws relating to ICCs/IPs and ancestral domains.
CHAPTER X
Ancestral Domains Fund
SECTION 71. Ancestral Domains Fund. — There is hereby created a special fund, to be
known as the Ancestral Domains Fund, an initial amount of One hundred thirty million
pesos (P130,000,000) to cover compensation for expropriated lands, delineation and
development of ancestral domains. An amount of Fifty million pesos (P50,000,000) shall
be sourced from the gross income of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Of ce (PCSO)
from its lotto operation, Ten million pesos (P10,000,000) from the gross receipts of the
travel tax of the preceding year, the fund of the Social Reform Council intended for survey
and delineation of ancestral lands/domains, and such other source as the government may
deem appropriate. Thereafter, such amount shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act. Foreign as well as local funds which are made available for the
ICCs/IPs through the government of the Philippines shall be coursed through the NCIP.
The NCIP may also solicit and receive donations, endowments and grants in the form of
contributions, and such endowments shall be exempted from income or gift taxes and all
other taxes, charges or fees imposed by the government or any political subdivision or
instrumentality thereof.
CHAPTER XI
Penalties
SECTION 72. Punishable Acts and Applicable Penalties. — Any person who commits
violation of any of the provisions of this Act, such as, but not limited to, unauthorized
and/or unlawful intrusion upon any ancestral lands or domains as stated in Sec. 10,
Chapter III, or shall commit any of the prohibited acts mentioned in Sections 21 and 24,
Chapter V, Section 33, Chapter VI hereof, shall be punished in accordance with the
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 customary laws of the ICCs/IPs concerned: Provided, That no such penalty shall be cruel,
degrading or inhuman punishment: Provided, further, That neither shall the death penalty or
excessive nes be imposed. This provision shall be without prejudice to the right of any
ICCs/IPs to avail of the protection of existing laws. In which case, any person who violates
any provision of this Act shall, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment of not less
than nine (9) months but not more than twelve (12) years or a ne of not less than One
hundred thousand pesos (P100,000) nor more than Five hundred thousand pesos
(P500,000) or both such ne and imprisonment upon the discretion of the court. In
addition, he shall be obliged to pay to the ICCs/IPs concerned whatever damage may have
been suffered by the latter as a consequence of the unlawful act.
SECTION 73. Persons Subject to Punishment. — If the offender is a juridical person, all
of cers such as, but not limited to, its president, manager, or head of of ce responsible
for their unlawful act shall be criminally liable therefor, in addition to the cancellation of
certi cates of their registration and/or license: Provided, That if the offender is a public
official, the penalty shall include perpetual disqualification to hold public office.
CHAPTER XII
Merger of the Office for Northern Cultural Communities (ONCC) and the
Office for Southern Cultural Communities (OSCC)
SECTION 74. Merger of ONCC/OSCC . — The Of ce for Northern Cultural Communities
(ONCC) and the Of ce of Southern Cultural Communities (OSCC), created under Executive
Order Nos. 122-B and 122-C respectively, are hereby merged as organic of ces of the
NCIP and shall continue to function under a revitalized and strengthened structures to
achieve the objectives of the NCIP: Provided, That the positions of Staff Directors, Bureau
Directors, Deputy Executive Directors and Executive Directors, except positions of Regional
Directors and below, are hereby phased-out upon the effectivity of this Act: Provided,
further, That of cials and employees of the phased-out of ces who may be quali ed may
apply for reappointment with the NCIP and may be given prior rights in the lling up of the
newly created positions of NCIP, subject to the quali cations set by the Placement
Committee: Provided, furthermore, That in the case where an indigenous person and a non-
indigenous person with similar quali cations apply for the same position, priority shall be
given to the former. Of cers and employees who are to be phased-out as a result of the
merger of their of ces shall be entitled to gratuity a rate equivalent to one and a half (1 ½)
months salary for every year of continuous and satisfactory service rendered or the
equivalent nearest fraction thereof favorable to them on the basis of the highest salary
received. If they are already entitled to retirement or gratuity, they shall have the option to
select either such retirement bene ts or the gratuity herein provided. Of cers and
employees who may be reinstated shall refund such retirement bene ts or gratuity
received: Provided, nally , That absorbed personnel must still meet the quali cations and
standards set by the Civil Service and the Placement Committee herein created.
SECTION 75. Transition Period . — The ONCC/OSCC shall have a period of six (6)
months from the effectivity of this Act within which to wind up its affairs and to conduct
audit of its finances.
SECTION 76. Transfer of Assets/Properties . — All real and personal properties which
are vested in, or belonging to, the merged of ces as aforestated shall be transferred to the
NCIP without further need of conveyance, transfer or assignment and shall be held for the
same purpose as they were held by the former of ces: Provided, That all contracts,
records and documents relating to the operations of the merged of ces shall be
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 transferred to the NCIP. All agreements and contracts entered into by the merged of ces
shall remain in full force and effect unless otherwise terminated, modi ed or amended by
the NCIP.
SECTION 77. Placement Committee. — Subject to rules on government reorganization,
a Placement Committee shall be created by the NCIP, in coordination with the Civil Service
Commission, which shall assist in the judicious selection and placement of personnel in
order that the best quali ed and most deserving persons shall be appointed in the
reorganized agency. The Placement Committee shall be composed of seven (7)
commissioners and an ICCs'/IPs' representative from each of the rst and second level
employees association in the Of ces for Northern and Southern Cultural Communities
(ONCC/OSCC), nongovernment organizations (NGOs) who have served the community for
at least ve (5) years and peoples organizations (POs) with at least ve (5) years of
existence. They shall be guided by the criteria of retention and appointment to be prepared
by the consultative body and by the pertinent provisions of the civil service law.
CHAPTER XIII
Final Provisions
SECTION 78. Special Provision. — The City of Baguio shall remain to be governed by its
Charter and all lands proclaimed as part of its townsite reservation shall remain as such
until otherwise reclassi ed by appropriate legislation: Provided, That prior land rights and
titles recognized and/or acquired through any judicial, administrative or other processes
before the effectivity of this Act shall remain valid: Provided, further, That this provision
shall not apply to any territory which becomes part of the City of Baguio after the
effectivity of this Act.
SECTION 79. Appropriations. — The amount necessary to nance the initial
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriation of the
ONCC and the OSCC. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for its continued
implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
SECTION 80. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within sixty (60) days
immediately after appointment, the NCIP shall issue the necessary rules and regulations, in
consultation with the Committees on National Cultural Communities of the House of
Representatives and the Senate, for the effective implementation of this Act.
SECTION 81. Saving Clause. — This Act will not in any manner adversely affect the
rights and bene ts of the ICCs/IPs under other conventions, recommendations,
international treaties, national laws, awards, customs and agreements.
SECTION 82. Separability Clause. — In case any provision of this Act or any portion
thereof is declared unconstitutional by a competent court, other provisions shall not be
affected thereby.
SECTION 83. Repealing Clause. — Presidential Decree No. 410, Executive Order Nos.
122-B and 122-C, and all other laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SECTION 84. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fteen (15) days upon its
publication in the Official Gazette or in any two (2) newspapers of general circulation. cdrep

Approved: October 29, 1997

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 Published in Malaya and Manila Chronicle on November 7, 1997. Published in the Of cial
Gazette, Vol. 94 No. 13 page 2276 on March 30, 1998.

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