No Question Answer

1 What are the Existing The Republic Act No 8371 otherwise known as the
initiatives and government Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997 gave birth
programs to develop the to the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, an
Indigenous communities in agency of government mandated to protect and promote
Camarines Sur the interest and well-being of the ICCs/IPs with due regard
to their beliefs, customs, traditions and institutions.

The law recognizes the four (4) bundles of rights of

Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples
(ICCs/IPs) and these rights are:

1. Rights to Ancestral Domain

2. Self-governance and Empowerment
3. Social Justice and Human Rights
4. Cultural Integrity

There are thirty-six (36) specific rights of ICCs/IPs which

the state recognizes as explicitly express in IPRA.

Our PAPs or initiatives to develop the community of IPs in

the case of Camarines Sur, Agta/Agta-Tabangnon
communities are anchored on the four bundles of rights.
The IPs in the province dwell in their communal private
property which is called Ancestral Domain. The AD as
provided in IPRA is defined as The Ancestral Domain
Office shall be responsible for the identification,
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, certification 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
likewise perform such other functions as the Commission
may deem appropriate and necessary.

As owner of the Ancestral Domain, the Agta/Agta

Tabangnon determines their own priority of development
with AD as development unit. The IP community through
the assistance of NCIP personnel, help in the formulation
of Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and
Protection Plans (ADSDPP). The ADSDPP is the five (5)
year masterplan which the community themselves
formulated through its designated Community Working
Group. As defined in IPRA, ADSDPP refers to refers to
the consolidation of the plans of ICCs/IPs within an
ancestral domain for the sustainable management and
development of their land and natural resources as well as
the development of human and cultural resources based on
their indigenous knowledge, systems and practices. Such
plan shall be the basis of the Five-Year Master Plan for
ICCs/IPs.

Key stages in the formulation of ADSDPP include activity

which is called “Stakeholders Forum”. It is essentially
doing the presentation of the Investment Plan or the
priority listed projects made by ICCs/IPs by year in order
that those projects which were enumerated will be included
by line government agencies, local government units for
possible inclusion of these in the projects which it has
pursue to get funded under the General Appropriations Act
(GAA).

Further, a separate presentation of the Investment Plan part

of ADSDPP will be undertaken by NCIP to local
government unit through the Sanggunian Bayan headed by
incumbent Vice Mayor acting as presiding officer. The
purpose of this presentation is again, for those PAPs
enumerated by IPs in the investment plan find its way to
the Annual Investment Plan of the local government unit
and subsequently in its annual budget as the IPs are
common constituents of NCIP and of the local government
unit where the community is part of.

Every year the NCIP implements socio economic projects

to uplift the life of the Indigenous Peoples, and current the
projects of the agency is categorized into 3 main programs,
viz:

A. Ancestral Domain Security and Development Program

B. Human, Socio-economic, Ecology Development and
Protection Program
C. Indigenous Peoples Rights Protection Program

The kind of specific projects which NCIP implements in

general by program are presented below:

A. Ancestral Domain Security and Development Program

Sub Program 1: Ancestral Domain/Land Recognition
 1. Ancestral Domain Delineation and Titling
2. Assistance to ADSDPP Formulation

B. Human, Socio-economic, Ecology Development and

Protection Program
Sub Program 1: Culturally Appropriate/Responsive and
Gender Sensitive Socio-Economic and Ecology
Development Protection Services

1. Livelihood and Entrepreneurship

2. Support to Small Infra Project
3. Disaster Preparedness and Management Program

Sub Program 2: IP Education and Advocacy Services

1. Educational Assistance Program

2. Merit Based Scholarship

Sub Program 3: IP Culture Services

1. Support to IP Month Celebration

Sub Program 4: IP Health Services

1. Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

C. Indigenous Peoples Rights Protection Program

Sub Program 1: Gender and Rights Based Services

1. Documentation and Confirmation of Indigenous

Political Structure (IPS)

Sub Program 2: IP Rights Advocacy and Monitoring

Treaty Obligation

1. Regional/Provincial/CSC Inter-Agency Visitations

to Ancestral Domains to document burning issues,
identify ways forward/action plans and conduct
activities to serve as immediate but long-term
solutions

Sub Program 3: Legal Services

1. IP Legal Assistance Fund

2. Adjudication Services
 Moreover, NCIP implements the provision of IPRA
specifically Section 16 which tackles the 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.

Currently, there are 2 Indigenous Peoples Mandatory

Representatives (IPMR) in the municipal level in
Camarines Sur which assumed office as part of the
Sangguniang Bayan specifically in Goa, and Buhi. Further,
there are over 40 IPMRs in barangay level.

These IPMRs receive salary and other emoluments as

member of legislative body in barangay and municipal
levels.

Since Indigenous Peoples have become an easy prey of

communist group for recruitment through deception being
one of the hardly educated sectors, and which may also be
attributed being known as high lander people, and whose
dwelling area in ancestral domain is naturally sits on vast
track of lands, Executive Order No 70 signed by then
President Duterte, has mandated all concerns to work
within the framework of whole of government approach
and whole of nation approach. This policy of the state in its
fight to finally put an end communist armed conflict, draws
together government by converging its resources, human
resources, funds and programs all toward making the IP
communities not only in Camarines Sur but also around the
country as peace zone.

2 Rate as enumerated below: Good

 Very good 
 Good 
 Satisfactory 
 Poor 
 Very Poor 
the existing
programs, plans,
and initiatives of the
 government for the
Indigenous People.
What are the factors that
serve as your bases in
answering the number 2
questions (for example
3 Financial Constraints and
lack of support, political
differences, poor public
management, etc.)?
Do you think the existing
programs and initiatives of
the government are enough
4 and effective for the
development of the
Indigenous People?
The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)
is one of the agencies of government which receive minute
agency budget as reflected in the GAA compared to its
mandates. Further, the NCIP would need to have additional
personnel as a measure to strengthen the institution to be
funded by DBM to perform its daunting tasks towards the
promotion, protection and recognition of the rights of
ICCs/IPs. The lack of fund and wanting of the agency on
technical personnel is a pair major factors that collective
aspirations of IP communities are far from sight to this
day.
The NCIP needs to work more and strike deals to establish
meaningful engagement, partnership and cooperation with
major stakeholders which would ensure better access to
social services which the ICCs/IPs rightfully deserve to get
from government agencies and development partner
organizations.
The program of government specifically of NCIP is
tailored fit on the provisions of IPRA, Agta communities’
ancestral domains have already been delineated, titled.
Although the rights of ICCs/IPs over these domains/lands
is by virtue of 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), IP dwellers are
at peace that no one would be able to take away portions
of the AD from them, as titling the AD afford them sense of
security. Further, a number of Agta youth are now literate
even considerable number are already employed as
professionals. They moved away from being an easy prey
before, to an empowered sector who now have the
courage to speak their mind, stand their ground and
pursue their aspirations by not solely relying on their own
strength, as discerning community, leaders possess the
skills to act in bringing in the valuable services of
government agency into the communities as duty bearers.
through coordination.
The initiatives may not be enough due to budget constraint,
but in general those initiatives are effective.
 The proponent like PESI and DESCO, provide social
What are the common services to Agta communities. Further, Assisi
contributions of NGOs in Development Foundation through its Zero Extreme
5 supporting the development Poverty (ZEP) program extend an array of projects to Agta
of the Indigenous People  communities to lift the community from impoverishment
through provision of projects design to render sustainable
development to community beneficiaries.
The partners of NCIP which are considered non-
What/who is your partner government include PESI, DESCO, and Assisi
government and non- Development Foundation. The NCIP has a long list of
Government agency for the
6 partner government agencies in promoting the general
development of the IPs in
Camarines Sur  welfare of the Indigenous Peoples like TESDA, DA, DAR,
DENR, DTI, DOST, BFAR, LGU, PNP, and 9 th Infantry
Division etc.
For me. the Assisi Development Foundation is a type of NGO based
determine by its Philosophy which in details presented hereunder:

Assisi’s existence springs from the Foundation’s desire to

affirm in the spirit of peace and Christian love expressed in
the life of St. Francis of Assisi the Lordship of the
Almighty Father over Life and their resources of this
world, and hence, the dignity, solidarity of all men and
women as children and co-creators of God.
Assisi’s role in society is that of a forerunner, announcing
God’s kingdom on Earth, where human beings are made
the greatest of God’s creatures, endowed with the genius
What kind of NGOs that are creativity and also with the responsibility to transform our
actively promoting and world into God’s Kingdom coming to His people.
helping the development of Assisi’s goal is to return to society its lost ideal which is
IPs in Camarines Sur God’s imperative to “love your neighbor as yourself”, to be
7
Examples: Riders Club, so possessed by the love of God that every person and all
Civic Society, Fraternity of creation is loved as brother and sister.
Assisi’s responsibility is to espoused and practice a
common philosophy of a society of men, women and
children responsible to God, to each other, and also the
responsibility of a society toward its people especially the
poor and the disadvantaged.
Assisi primarily seeks solidarity with the poor, the
dispossessed, and the outcast, recognizing in them God’s
presence in the world, building with, and among them,
human communities of hope, creativity and joy that
become, for all their smallness, the cornerstones of a
society aspiring for peace, justice and love.
Assisi believes that the fullness of life due every man,
womam and child, particularly among the poor and the
disadvantaged, must address the human concern for basic
economic security, opportunity for work, health of mind
and body, spiritual and moral growth, education and
cultural development, community solidarity, and care of
the environment. Human development, expressed in these
concerns, underlies Assisi’s own philosophy of work.
Assisi’s development initiatives start with the realization
that God’ preferential option is for the poor, becoming one
with them. God’s poor, being dispossessed, are capable of
fully receiving His peace, love and joy.
We, who are endowed with human resources, if we are to
achieve thru human development, must put on the mind of
Christ and Francis, approaching the poor with esteem,
recognizing and valuing their human dignity, and returning
to them their inherent right, as children of God and co-
heirs of His bounty, to the material resources of the Earth.
Our starting point is the realization that the poor and the
disadvantaged possess the creative energy to improve the
quality of their lives and of society. However, all too often,
their energy is immobilized by the absence, the dearth of
opportunities and their ignorance of alternatives and
options that will enable them to re-create their personal and
social worlds. Mindful of the complexity of the problem,
Assisi nevertheless seeks to respond by initiating and
supporting the creation of opportunities and alternatives
that enhance the self-help capacities for the poor and foster
a sense of moral and social conscience among all sectors of
society.
Assisi hopes to reach the poorest of the poor. In responding
to their concerns and needs, Assisi recognizes the urgency
of providing short-term assistance. At the same time,
Assisi acknowledges that such needs as health and
livelihood can only be significantly addressed by a
complementary effort to help evolve meaningful
alternatives with long-range solutions to the problems
besetting the poor. As a development agency, Assisi finds
that assistance to the poor must necessarily move within
this continuum from short-term to long-term perspectives.
Short-term assistance can be an initial, often critical
impetus, for survival and hope.
Assisi’s approach toward short-term assistance thus favors
programs designed with a change of social structures for a
lasting solution to basic problems of the poor. Oftentimes,
these problems arise from inequitable sturctures of society.
This is a product of unequal opportunities and inequitable
distribution of resources in an overly materialistic secular
world. Cognizant of its own limitations, Assisi
 nevertheless assumes its task perceiving its work as an
imperative of Social Justice.
Assisi believes that it is but a steward of God’s resources
and a channel of His love for the poor and that service to
the poor is a duty and a privilege that calls for a continuous
sensitivity to their concerns and aspirations.
Assisi is confident that in solidarity with the poor and the
dispossessed, in partnership with individuals and
institutions of goodwill, in seeking to “make all things
new”, through the Spirit that is in all human hearts, all
things are possible.
Assisi sees this challenge of a common cause and a
common ideal as transcending self-interests and selfish
confines to pave the road to the building of a responsible
Christian society oriented toward authentic social
development marked by the common good, the
brotherhood and solidarity of our people.

Interviewee:
Mr. Christopher I. Barcia
Community Development Officer III