The House of Representatives passed on third and final reading a measure extending for another 20 years the period during which cultural communities and indigenous peoples could claim ownership over their ancestral domain despite the death of the principal author of the measure.
House Bill No. 5350 aims to give the indigenous cultural communities and peoples more time to secure a land title.
Under Republic Act 8371 or The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997, cultural communities and indigenous peoples only have until October 2017 to avail themselves of their right to own their ancestral lands.
The late Mountain Province Rep. Maximo Dalog said the provisions in RA 8371 were never operationalized, citing the failure of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to come up with rules and regulations to implement the law.
As such, indigenous peoples never benefited from the law.
“It is imperative that the efficacy and efficiency of Section 12 of RA 8371 be extended for another 20 years upon the expiration of the first period if we are to give meaning to the intents and purposes of the said law,” read a narrative of Dalog, who passed away on June 3 due to sepsis secondary to pneumonia.
Apart from Dalog, the other authors of the bill were Representatives Maximo Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City, Ronald Cosalan of Benguet, John Marvin Nieto and Edward Maceda of Manila, Nancy Catamco of North Cotabato, Jose Panganiban of ANAC-IP, Emmi de Jesus of Gabriela, Wilter Palma of Zamboanga Sibugay, Fredenil Castro of Capiz, Arlene Arcillas of Laguna, Gabriel Bordado of Camarines Sur, Sitti DjaliaTurabin-Hataman of AMIN, Teddy Baguilat of Ifugao, Arnolfo Teves Jr. of Negros Oriental, Marlyn Agabas of Pangasinan and Eleanor Bulut Begtang of Apayao.