MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo has temporarily transferred the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) under her supervision to allow her to directly address the pressing concerns of indigenous peoples (IP).
In Executive Order 746 issued last Aug. 1, Mrs. Arroyo had the NCIP transferred from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to the Office of the President (OP) for at least six months.
“There is a continuing need to remain vigilant in protecting the rights and guaranteeing the respect for the cultural integrity of indigenous cultural communities and indigenous peoples, and ensuring that all members of the indigenous cultural communities and indigenous peoples benefit on an equal footing from the rights and opportunities which national laws and regulations grant to other members of the population,” the EO said.
The order said recent developments, both in the local and international sociopolitical landscape, require the priority attention of the highest government authorities in making sure that the needs and aspirations of indigenous cultural communities and indigenous peoples are met.
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol said it was the NCIP and IP groups that requested that the agency be placed under the OP since they felt that the DENR was slow in addressing their concerns.
“They (NCIP and IP) felt that they could have issues on their welfare immediately addressed if the President directly handles them,” Apostol said in a telephone interview. He said most of the concerns of the IPs are basic services, such as education and housing.
He said the transfer was made temporary to see if the new setup would be effective. – Paolo Romero