INDIGENOUS PROPLE’S RIGHTS ACT OF 1997

AN ethnic tribe in San Nicolas, Pangasinan has asked the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to allocate one seat in its chamber for members of Indigenous People (IPs) or Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) as mandated by law.

The Kalanguya tribe of Barangay Malico in San Nicolas made the request when the SP led by Vice Governor and presiding officer Mark Lambino, held an out-of-town session in Malico, a barangay also being claimed by Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya to be under its territorial jurisdiction.

Danilo Bugtong, a member of the Council of Elders of the Kalanguya Tribe, presented the resolution passed by his tribal council, seeking representation of members of the ICCs in the Pangasinan SP, citing Republic Act No. 8371, known as Indigenous People Right’s Act of 1997 that mandates representatives at all levels in decision-making process.

In Pangasinan, he said, there are just two municipalities—San Nicolas and Sison—awarded with Certificates of Ancestral Domain (CAD) issued by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) covering more or less 15,000 hectares, populated by 18,364 IPs.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) mandated government  agencies to cause the implementation of RA 8371 since 2014.

However, notwithstanding the tedious process done by ICCs in selecting their representatives, the intent of RA 8371 was not implemented by most local decision-making bodies throughout the country.

The resolution of Kalanguya tribe elders was sent to Gov. Ramon Guico III, DILG and NCIP.

Vice Gov. Lambino said he referred the resolution of the Kalanguya tribe to the SP committees on local government, and people’s and non-government organizations for their study.

“We respect and recognize what is in Section 16 in RA 8371 that there should be representation by IPs in local policy-making and decision-making,” Lambino said. (Leonardo Micua)

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