Republic of the Philippines

President Ramon Magsaysay State University

San Marcelino, Zambales
San Marcelino – Campus

Social, Economic, Political and Cultural Issues

- Philippine Agrarian Programs
- The Philippine Constitution
- Philippine Taxation
- Indigenous People Education (IPED)
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Discuss the social, economic, political, and cultural Issues in the

Philippines
KEY TERMS

• Agrarian Reform Programs – is founded on the right of farmers and

regular farmworkers, who are landless, to own directly or collectively
the lands they till, or in the case f other farm workers, to receive a
just share of the fruits thereof.
• Taxation – A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other
type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by
a governmental organization in order to fund government
spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or
national).
• Indigenous Peoples Education (IPED) – The Indigenous Peoples
Education (IPEd) Program is DepEd’s response to the right of
indigenous peoples (IP) to basic education that is responsive to their
context, respects their identities, and promotes the value of their
indigenous knowledge, skills, and other aspects of their cultural
heritage.
DISCUSSION

Philippine Agrarian Programs

❖ Pre-Spanish Period

“This land is Ours God gave this land to us”

• Before the Spaniards came to the Philippines, Filipinos lived in villages or

barangays ruled by chiefs or datus. The datus comprised the nobility. Then
came the maharlikas (freemen), followed by the aliping mamamahay (serfs)
and aliping saguiguilid (slaves).

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• However, despite the existence of different classes in the social structure,
practically everyone had access to the fruits of the soil. Money was unknown,
and rice served as the medium of exchange.

❖ Spanish Period

“United we stand, divided we fall”

• When the Spaniards came to the Philippines, the concept of encomienda

(Royal Land Grants) was introduced. This system grants that Encomienderos
must defend his encomienda from external attack, maintain peace and order
within, and support the missionaries. In turn, the encomiendero acquired the right
to collect tribute from the indios (native).
• The system, however, degenerated into abuse of power by the
encomienderos. The tribute soon became land rents to a few powerful landlords.
And the natives who once cultivated the lands in freedom were transformed into
mere share tenants.

❖ First Philippine Republic

“The yoke has finally broken”

• When the First Philippine Republic was established in 1899, Gen. Emilio
Aguinaldo declared in the Malolos Constitution his intention to confiscate large
estates, especially the so-called Friar lands. However, as the Republic was short-
lived, Aguinaldo’s plan was never implemented.

❖ American Period

“Long live America”

Significant legislation enacted during the American Period:

• Philippine Bill of 1902 – Set the ceilings on the hectarage of private individuals
and corporations may acquire: 16 has. for private individuals and 1,024 has.
for corporations.
• Land Registration Act of 1902 (Act No. 496) – Provided for a comprehensive
registration of land titles under the Torrens system.
• Public Land Act of 1903 – introduced the homestead system in the
Philippines.
• Tenancy Act of 1933 (Act No. 4054 and 4113) – regulated relationships
between landowners and tenants of rice (50-50 sharing) and sugar cane
lands.

The Torrens system, which the Americans instituted for the registration of
lands, did not solve the problem completely. Either they were not aware of the

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 law or if they did, they could not pay the survey cost and other fees required in
applying for a Torrens title.

❖ Commonwealth Period

“Government for the Filipinos”

• President Manuel L. Quezon espoused the "Social Justice" program to arrest

the increasing social unrest in Central Luzon.

Significant legislation enacted during Commonwealth Period:

• 1935 Constitution – "The promotion of social justice to ensure the well-being

and economic security of all people should be the concern of the State"
• Commonwealth Act No. 178 (An Amendment to Rice Tenancy Act No. 4045),
Nov. 13, 1936 – Provided for certain controls in the landlord-tenant
relationships
• National Rice and Corn Corporation (NARIC), 1936 – Established the price of
rice and corn thereby help the poor tenants as well as consumers.
• Commonwealth Act. No. 461, 1937 – Specified reasons for the dismissal of
tenants and only with the approval of the Tenancy Division of the Department
of Justice.
• Rural Program Administration created March 2, 1939 – Provided the purchase
and lease of haciendas and their sale and lease to the tenants.
Commonwealth Act No. 441 enacted on June 3, 1939 – Created the National
Settlement Administration with a capital stock of P20,000,000.

❖ Japanese Occupation

“The Era of Hukbalahap”

• The Second World War II started in Europe in 1939 and in the Pacific
in 1941.
• Hukbalahap controlled whole areas of Central Luzon; landlords who
supported the Japanese lost their lands to peasants while those who
supported the Huks earned fixed rentals in favor of the tenants.
• Unfortunately, the end of war also signaled the end of gains acquired
by the peasants.
• Upon the arrival of the Japanese in the Philippines in 1942, peasants
and workers organizations grew strength. Many peasants took up arms and
identified themselves with the anti-Japanese group, the HUKBALAHAP
(Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon).

❖ Philippine Republic

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 “The New Republic”

After the establishment of the Philippine Independence in 1946, the problems of land
tenure remained. These became worst in certain areas. Thus, the Congress of the
Philippines revised the tenancy law.

President Manuel A. Roxas (1946-1948) enacted the following laws:

• Republic Act No. 34 -- Established the 70-30 sharing arrangements and

regulating share-tenancy contracts.
• Republic Act No. 55 -- Provided for a more effective safeguard against
arbitrary ejectment of tenants.

Elpidio R. Quirino (1948-1953) enacted the following law:

Executive Order No. 355 issued on October 23, 1950 -- Replaced the National Land
Settlement Administration with Land Settlement Development Corporation
(LASEDECO) which takes over the responsibilities of the Agricultural Machinery
Equipment Corporation and the Rice and Corn Production Administration.

Ramon Magsaysay (1953-1957) enacted the following laws:

• Republic Act No. 1160 of 1954 -- Abolished the LASEDECO and established
the National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration (NARRA) to
resettle dissidents and landless farmers. It was particularly aimed at rebel
returnees providing home lots and farmlands in Palawan and Mindanao.
• Republic Act No. 1199 (Agricultural Tenancy Act of 1954) -- governed the
relationship between landowners and tenant farmers by organizing share-
tenancy and leasehold system. The law provided the security of tenure of
tenants. It also created the Court of Agrarian Relations.
• Republic Act No. 1400 (Land Reform Act of 1955) -- Created the Land Tenure
Administration (LTA) which was responsible for the acquisition and distribution
of large, tenanted rice and corn lands over 200 hectares for individuals and
600 hectares for corporations.
• Republic Act No. 821 (Creation of Agricultural Credit Cooperative Financing
Administration) -- Provided small farmers and share tenants loans with low
interest rates of six to eight percent.

President Carlos P. Garcia (1957-1961)

• Continued the program of President Ramon Magsaysay. No new legislation

passed.

President Diosdado P. Macapagal (1961-1965) enacted the following law:

• Republic Act No. 3844 of August 8, 1963 (Agricultural Land Reform Code) --
Abolished share tenancy, institutionalized leasehold, set retention limit at 75
hectares, invested rights of preemption and redemption for tenant farmers,
provided for an administrative machinery for implementation, institutionalized a

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 judicial system of agrarian cases, incorporated extension, marketing and
supervised credit system of services of farmer beneficiaries.
• The RA was hailed as one that would emancipate Filipino farmers from the
bondage of tenancy.

President Ferdinand E. Marcos (1965-1986)

• Proclamation No. 1081 on September 21, 1972 ushered the Period of

the New Society. Five days after the proclamation of Martial Law, the entire
country was proclaimed a land reform area and simultaneously the Agrarian
Reform Program was decreed.

President Marcos enacted the following laws:

• Republic Act No. 6389, (Code of Agrarian Reform) and RA No. 6390 of 1971 -
- Created the Department of Agrarian Reform and the Agrarian Reform
Special Account Fund. It strengthens the position of farmers and expanded
the scope of agrarian reform.
• Presidential Decree No. 2, September 26, 1972 -- Declared the country under
land reform program. It enjoined all agencies and offices of the government to
extend full cooperation and assistance to the DAR. It also activated the
Agrarian Reform Coordinating Council.
• Presidential Decree No. 27, October 21, 1972 -- Restricted land reform scope
to tenanted rice and corn lands and set the retention limit at 7 hectares.

President Corazon C. Aquino (1986-1992)

• The Constitution ratified by the Filipino people during the administration of

President Corazon C. Aquino provides under Section 21 under Article II that “The
State shall promote comprehensive rural development and agrarian reform.”
• On June 10, 1988, former President Corazon C. Aquino signed into law
Republic Act No. 6657 or otherwise known as the Comprehensive Agrarian
Reform Law (CARL). The law became effective on June 15, 1988.

Subsequently, four Presidential issuances were released in July 1987 after 48

nationwide consultations before the actual law was enacted.

President Corazon C. Aquino enacted the following laws:

• Executive Order No. 228, July 16, 1987 – Declared full ownership to qualified
farmer-beneficiaries covered by PD 27. It also determined the value remaining
unvalued rice and corn lands subject of PD 27 and provided for the manner of
payment by the FBs and mode of compensation to landowners.
• Executive Order No. 229, July 22, 1987 – Provided mechanism for the
implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
• Proclamation No. 131, July 22, 1987 – Instituted the CARP as a major
program of the government. It provided for a special fund known as the

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 Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF), with an initial amount of Php50 billion to cover
the estimated cost of the program from 1987-1992.
• Executive Order No. 129-A, July 26, 1987 – streamlined and expanded the
power and operations of the DAR.
• Republic Act No. 6657, June 10, 1988 (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law)
– An act which became effective June 15, 1988 and instituted a
comprehensive agrarian reform program to promote social justice and
industrialization providing the mechanism for its implementation and for other
purposes. This law is still the one being implemented at present.
• Executive Order No. 405, June 14, 1990 – Vested in the Land Bank of the
Philippines the responsibility to determine land valuation and compensation
for all lands covered by CARP.
• Executive Order No. 407, June 14, 1990 – Accelerated the acquisition and
distribution of agricultural lands, pasture lands, fishponds, agro-forestry lands,
and other lands of the public domain suitable for agriculture.

President Fidel V. Ramos (1992-1998)

• When President Fidel V. Ramos formally took over in 1992, his administration
came face to face with publics who have lost confidence in the agrarian reform
program. His administration committed to the vision “Fairer, faster and more
meaningful implementation of the Agrarian Reform Program.

President Fidel V. Ramos enacted the following laws:

• Republic Act No. 7881, 1995 – Amended certain provisions of RA 6657 and
exempted fishponds and prawns from the coverage of CARP.
• Republic Act No. 7905, 1995 – Strengthened the implementation of the
CARP.
• Executive Order No. 363, 1997 – Limits the type of lands that may be
converted by setting conditions under which limits the type of lands that may
be converted by setting conditions under which specific categories of
agricultural land are either absolutely non-negotiable for conversion or highly
restricted for conversion.
• Republic Act No. 8435, 1997 (Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act
AFMA) – Plugged the legal loopholes in land use conversion.
• Republic Act 8532, 1998 (Agrarian Reform Fund Bill) – Provided an additional
Php50 billion for CARP and extended its implementation for another 10 years.

President Joseph E. Estrada (1998-2000)

“ERAP PARA SA MAHIRAP’. This was the battle cry that endeared President
Joseph Estrada and made him very popular during the 1998 presidential election.

President Joseph E. Estrada initiated the enactment of the following law:

• Executive Order N0. 151, September 1999 (Farmer’s Trust Fund) – Allowed
the voluntary consolidation of small farm operation into medium and large-scale
integrated enterprise that can access long-term capital.

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 • During his administration, President Estrada launched the Magkabalikat Para
sa Kaunlarang Agraryo or MAGKASAKA. The DAR forged into joint ventures with
private investors into agrarian sector to make FBs competitive.
• However, the Estrada Administration was short lived. The masses who put
him into office demanded for his ouster.

President Gloria Macapacal-Arroyo (2000-2010)

• The agrarian reform program under the Arroyo administration is anchored on

the vision “To make the countryside economically viable for the Filipino family by
building partnership and promoting social equity and new economic opportunities
towards lasting peace and sustainable rural development.”
• Land Tenure Improvement - DAR will remain vigorous in implementing land
acquisition and distribution component of CARP. The DAR will improve land
tenure system through land distribution and leasehold.
• Provision of Support Services - CARP not only involves the distribution of
lands but also included package of support services which includes credit
assistance, extension services, irrigation facilities, roads and bridges, marketing
facilities and training and technical support programs.
• Infrastrucre Projects - DAR will transform the agrarian reform communities
(ARCs), an area focused and integrated delivery of support services, into rural
economic zones that will help in the creation of job opportunities in the
countryside.
• KALAHI ARZone - The KALAHI Agrarian Reform (KAR) Zones were also
launched. These zones consist of one or more municipalities with concentration of
ARC population to achieve greater agro-productivity.
• Agrarian Justice - To help clear the backlog of agrarian cases, DAR will hire
more paralegal officers to support undermanned adjudicatory boards and
introduce quota system to compel adjudicators to work faster on agrarian reform
cases. DAR will respect the rights of both farmers and landowners.

President Benigno Aquino III (2010-2016)

• President Benigno Aquino III vowed during his 2012 State of the Nation
Address that he would complete before the end of his term the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), the centerpiece program of the administration
of his mother, President Corazon Aquino.
• The younger Aquino distributed their family-owned Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac.
Apart from the said farm lots, he also promised to complete the distribution of
privately-owned lands of productive agricultural estates in the country that have
escaped the coverage of the program.
• Under his administration, the Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and
Economic Support Services (ARCCESS) project was created to contribute to the
overall goal of rural poverty reduction especially in agrarian reform areas.
• Agrarian Production Credit Program (APCP) provided credit support for crop
production to newly organized and existing agrarian reform beneficiaries’
organizations (ARBOs) and farmers’ organizations not qualified to avail
themselves of loans under the regular credit windows of banks.

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 • The legal case monitoring system (LCMS), a web-based legal system for
recording and monitoring various kinds of agrarian cases at the provincial,
regional, and central offices of the DAR to ensure faster resolution and close
monitoring of agrarian-related cases, was also launched.
• Aside from these initiatives, Aquino also enacted Executive Order No. 26,
Series of 2011, to mandate the Department of Agriculture-Department of
Environment and Natural Resources-Department of Agrarian Reform
Convergence Initiative to develop a National Greening Program in cooperation
with other government agencies.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (2016 – present)

• Under his leadership, the President wants to pursue an “aggressive” land

reform program that would help alleviate the life of poor Filipino farmers by
prioritizing the provision of support services alongside land distribution.
• The President directed the DAR to launch the 2nd phase of agrarian reform
where landless farmers would be awarded with undistributed lands under the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
• Duterte plans to place almost all public lands, including military reserves,
under agrarian reform.
• The President also placed 400 hectares of agricultural lands in Boracay under
CARP.
• Under his administration the DAR created an anti-corruption task force to
investigate and handle reports on alleged anomalous activities by officials and
employees of the department.
• The Department also pursues an “Oplan Zero Backlog” in the resolution of
cases in relation to agrarian justice delivery of the agrarian reform program to
fast-track the implementation of CARP.

The Philippine Constitution

The Philippines has had 6 constitutions and the 5 constitutions started with the
country’s independence in 1898:
✓ The 1899 Malolos Constitution (1899-1901)
✓ The 1935 Constitution (1935-1943, 1945-1973)
✓ The 1943 Constitution (1943-1945)
✓ The 1973 Constitution (1973-1986)
✓ The 1987 Constitution (1987-present

• The Philippines has had a total of six constitutions since the Proclamation of
Independence on June 12, 1898. In 1899, the Malolos Constitution, the first
Philippine Constitution—the first republican constitution in Asia—was drafted
and adopted by the First Philippine Republic, which lasted from 1899 to 1901.
• During the American Occupation, the Philippines was governed by the laws of
the United States of America. Organic Acts were passed by the United States
Congress for the administration of the Government of the Philippine Islands.
The first was the Philippine Organic Act of 1902, which provided for a

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 Philippine Assembly composed of Filipino citizens. The second was the
Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916, which included the first pledge of Philippine
independence. These laws served as constitutions of the Philippines from
1902 to 1935.
• In 1934, the United States Congress passed the Philippine Independence Act,
which set the parameters for the creation of a constitution for the Philippines.
The Act mandated the Philippine Legislature to call for an election of
delegates to a Constitutional Convention to draft a Constitution for the
Philippines. The 1934 Constitutional Convention finished its work on February
8, 1935. The Constitution was submitted to the President of the United States
for certification on March 25, 1935. It was in accordance with the Philippine
Independence Act of 1934. The 1935 Constitution was ratified by the Filipino
people through a national plebiscite, on May 14, 1935 and came into full force
and effect on November 15, 1935 with the inauguration of the Commonwealth
of the Philippines. Among its provisions was that it would remain the
constitution of the Republic of the Philippines once independence was
granted on July 4, 1946.
• In 1940, the 1935 Constitution was amended by the National Assembly of the
Philippines. The legislature was changed from a unicameral assembly to a
bicameral congress. The amendment also changed the term limit of the
President of the Philippines from six years with no reelection to four years with
a possibility of being reelected for a second term.
• During World War II the Japanese-sponsored government nullified the 1935
Constitution and appointed Preparatory Committee on Philippine
Independence to replace it. The 1943 Constitution was used by the Second
Republic with Jose P. Laurel as President.
• Upon the liberation of the Philippines in 1945, the 1935 Constitution came
back into effect. The Constitution remained unaltered until 1947 when the
Philippine Congress called for its amendment through Commonwealth Act No.
733. On March 11, 1947 the Parity amendment gave United States citizens
equal rights with Filipino citizens to develop natural resources in the country
and operate public utilities. The Constitution, thereafter, remained the same
until the declaration of martial law on September 23, 1972.
• Before President Marcos declared Martial Law, a Constitutional Convention
was already in the process of deliberating on amending or revising the 1935
Constitution. They finished their work and submitted it to President Marcos on
December 1, 1972. President Marcos submitted it for ratification in early
January of 1973. Foreseeing that a direct ratification of the constitution was
bound to fail, Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 86, s. 1972, creating
citizens assemblies to ratify the newly drafted constitution by means of a Viva
Voce vote in place of secret ballots. Marcos announced that it had been
ratified and in full force and effect on January 17, 1973. Although the 1973
Constitution had been “ratified” in this manner, opposition against it continued.
Chief Justice Roberto V. Concepcion in his dissenting opinion in the case
of Javellana v. Executive Secretary, exposed the fraud that happened during
the citizen’s assembly ratification of the 1973 Constitution on January, 10 –
15, 1973. However, the final decision of this case was that the ratification of
the 1973 Constitution was valid and was in force.
• When democracy was restored in 1986, President Corazon C. Aquino issued
Proclamation No. 3, suspending certain provisions of the 1973 Constitution

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 and promulgating in its stead a transitory constitution. A month later,
President Aquino issued Proclamation No. 9, s. 1986, which created a
Constitutional Commission tasked with writing a new charter to replace the
1973 Constitution. The commission finished its work at 12:28 a.m. of October
16, 1986. National Plebiscite was held on February 2, 1987, ratifying the new
constitution. On February 11, 1987, by virtue of Proclamation No. 58,
President Aquino announced the official canvassing of results and the
ratification of the draft constitution. The 1987 Constitution finally came into full
force and effect that same day with the President, other civilian officials, and
members of the Armed Forces swearing allegiance to the new charter.

The 1987 Constitution – Current Constitution

PREAMBLE

ARTICLE I National Territory

ARTICLE II Declaration of Principles and State Policies

ARTICLE III Bill of Rights

ARTICLE IV Citizenship

ARTICLE V Suffrage

ARTICLE VI Legislative Department

ARTICLE VII Executive Department

ARTICLE VIII Judicial Department

ARTICLE IX Constitutional Commissions

ARTICLE X Local Government

ARTICLE XI Accountability of Public Officers

ARTICLE XII National Economy and Patrimony

ARTICLE XIII Social Justice and Human Rights

ARTICLE XIV Education, Science and Technology, Arts, Culture and Sports

ARTICLE XV The Family

ARTICLE XVI General Provisions

ARTICLE XVII Amendments or Revisions

ARTICLE XVIII Transitory Provisions

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Philippine Taxation
• A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on
a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to
fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or
national). A failure to pay in a timely manner, along with evasion of or resistance to
taxation, is punishable by law. Taxes consist of direct or indirect taxes and may be
paid in money or as its labor equivalent. The first known taxation took place in
Ancient Egypt around 3000–2800 BC.
• Most countries have a tax system in place, in order to pay for public, common,
or agreed national needs and for the functions of government. Some levy a flat
percentage rate of taxation on personal annual income, but most scale taxes are
progressive based on brackets of annual income amounts. Most countries charge a
tax on an individual's income as well as on corporate income. Countries or subunits
often also impose wealth taxes, inheritance taxes, estate taxes, gift taxes, property
taxes, sales taxes, use taxes, payroll taxes, duties and/or tariffs.

• It all started from the Ancient Filipinos, where they pay their taxes to their
Datu or the Chiefs for the protection they gave to them, the tax was termed buwis.

• Everyone is required to pay their taxes, except for the Datu/Chieftain’s

household. Punishment for not paying taxes was also implemented on this period.

• The arrival or invasion of the Spanish People from 1521 to 1898 gave the
Filipinos modern concepts of taxation, wherein 16 years old to 60 years old where
forced to pay tributes or tributo to the King of Spain through the Colonial Government
worth 8 reales or 1 peso per year, but there are also other forms of payment like
gold, chickens, textile, rice and forced labor or Polo Y Servicio.

• In 1884, the tribute was abolished and was replaced by the cedula or sedula,
a certificate identifying the taxpayer that needs to be carried all the time. If someone
is not able to present their cedula to a guardia civil they will be imprisoned for being
“indocumentado”, which means that they lack valid document or legal personal
identification necessary to prove their identity.

• It was followed by the 1987 Philippine Constitution, stating that it “sets

limitations on the exercise of the power to tax. The rule of taxation shall be uniform
and equitable. The congress shall evolve a progressive system of taxation”, wherein
the Philippines covers both national and local. National Taxes refer to national
internal revenue taxes imposed and collected by the national government through
the BIR or Bureau of Internal Revenue, while the Local Taxes is those imposed and
collected by the local government.

• Lately the current President of the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte,

implemented the TRAIN Law or Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion which
was signed last January 01, 2018, which seeks to to correct a number of deficiencies

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in the tax system to make it simpler, fairer, and more efficient. Wherein the rich will
have a bigger contribution and the poor will benefit more from the government’s
program and services.

• Foreign enterprisers interested in starting a business in an Asian country

usually on the legislation favoring foreign investments which grants various tax
exemptions; however the regular taxation system is also important. This is also the
case of the Philippines which has an attractive taxation system doubled by the
types of companies which can be set up by overseas entrepreneurs.

Below, our company formation consultants in the Philippines will explain how
the taxation system in this country works.

Legislation related to taxation in the Philippines

The Philippines taxation system is made up of direct and indirect taxes. These
are regulated by several laws, among which:

- the National Internal Revenue Code, which was enabled in 1997 and it is the
most important law regulating taxation here;
- the Income Tax Law;
- the Value Added Tax Code;
- the Excise Taxes Code.

There are also other regulations providing for the taxation of individuals and
companies in the Philippines.

We also remind you that our Philippines company registration specialists can
help you register a company in this country.

What are the taxes to be paid in the Philippines?

As mentioned above there are two types of taxes levied in the Philippines: the
direct and indirect ones.

Direct taxes apply to the citizens and residents of the Philippines, individuals
and companies and are levied directly on the incomes generated by them. These
are the personal income and the corporate tax. With respect to indirect taxes, the
value added tax (VAT) or the goods and services tax (GST) is the most important
one.

Indigenous People Education

❖ What is indigenous peoples education (IPED)?
• The Indigenous Peoples Education (IPEd) Program is DepEd’s
response to the right of indigenous peoples (IP) to basic education that is

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responsive to their context, respects their identities, and promotes the value of
their indigenous knowledge, skills, and other aspects of their cultural heritage.
• The Philippines’ seven thousand one hundred seven islands are home to
more than five hundred Indigenous People communities. Indigenous Peoples in
the world remain one of the poorest, most excluded and disadvantaged
sectors of society. They continuously face different issues including
discrimination, poverty and human rights abuse.
• In response to these challenges, the Philippine government has passed
the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997, which
affirms Indigenous Peoples’ rights to ancestral domains, self-governance
and empowerment, social justice and human rights, and rights to
cultural identity. Ten years later, in 2007, the UN General Assembly adopted
the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
(UNDRIP), which provides a framework for the survival, dignity, well-being and
rights of the world’s Indigenous Peoples, and strengthens their rights to identity,
education, health, employment and language, amongst others. More recently, the
United Nations adopted Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development
Goals, which also include the rights and well-being of Indigenous Peoples.
• Although legislations and frameworks are in place, issues on the rights
of the Indigenous Peoples are yet to be resolved, including their right for
inclusion. To explore these issues, I contacted two members of Cartwheel
Foundation Inc. (CFI), a leading non-governmental organization working with
Indigenous Peoples communities in the Philippines. In this interview, they
share their knowledge and perceptions on the current situation of Indigenous
Peoples communities as well as their ideas and experience on inclusion in the
context of education. Rainey S. Dolatre, is a former volunteer who worked
with the indigenous Tagbanua Community of Culion, Palawan. She is now
working as the resource development officer of CFI. Bricks Sabella
Sintaon is a member of the Talaandig tribe-one of the eight tribes in
Bukidnon. He is now working as the education coordinator of CFI.
• Guided by the new UNESCO Policy on Engaging with Indigenous
Peoples, UNESCO is committed to promote lifelong learning for indigenous
peoples and ensure their full inclusion in education.
• Children and young people of indigenous families remain less likely to
be enrolled in school or in training programmes and more likely to
underperform than non-indigenous children.
• Indigenous peoples are entitled to the right to education - both
individually and collectively - as stipulated in the UN Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Peoples(link is external) (2007) and in the ILO Convention
Number 169 on the Rights of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples(link is
external) (1989).

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 • UNESCO supports its Member States and collaborates with partners to
ensure that the right to education for indigenous peoples is respected,
protected and fulfilled. This includes monitoring the right to education for all,
including indigenous peoples and ensuring equitable access to lifelong
learning and quality and relevance of teaching and learning. Through an
inclusive approach, UNESCO calls on countries to remove the barriers that
limit the presence, participation and achievement in education of indigenous
peoples.
• UNESCO advocates for the education of indigenous peoples through,
for example, the celebration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous
Peoples.
• UNESCO manages knowledge and promotes effective practices, such
as the Effective Literacy Practices for Indigenous Peoples Platform developed
by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning.

LEARNING ACTIVITY

Activity No. 4

Instruction: Do the following activity listed below:

1. Land Reform Program in the Philippines – List the different land programs in the
Philippines
2. Philippine Constitution – Using timeline give the chronological transformation of
our constitution from previews to current constitution.

REFERENCES:

Microsoft Word - 1987 Constitution (nwrb.gov.ph)

The Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines | Official Gazette of the Republic
of the Philippines
Taxation in the Philippines (companyformationphilippines.com)
History of Taxation in the Philippines – Let's Get On The TRAIN! (wordpress.com)
Tax - Wikipedia
Education for indigenous peoples (unesco.org)
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN THE PHILIPPINES: PERSPECTIVES ON INCLUSION
Global Observatory for Inclusion (globi-observatory.org)

READING IN THE PHILIPPINES HISTORY (Finals)