PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — An ordinance declaring October 29 of every year as “Indigenous People’s Rights Act (IPRA) Day” was filed Tuesday morning at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan by ex-officio Board Member Joel Lumis.
Lumis, an indigenous people’s mandatory representative (IPMR) in Palawan, said Tuesday that his proposed ordinance is pursuant to Section 17, Article XIV of the 1987 Philippine Constitution and Republic Act 8371 or the IPRA law.
“October 29 kasi ‘yan ‘yong araw na na-enact ‘yong IPRA na matuturing namin na isang tagumpay para sa mga katutubo hindi lang sa Palawan kundi sa buong Pilipinas (October 29 because that was the day the IPRA was enacted into law, and we consider it a victory for all indigenous peoples (IPs) not only in Palawan but also in the whole country),” he said.
“We should celebrate the day as it is when a law was passed to recognize our rights as IPs. Now, we have IPMRs in councils. This does not mean it would be a non-working holiday,” he added.
The province of Palawan has several indigenous peoples like the Agutaynen, Batak, Pala’wan, Tagbanua Tandulanen, Molbog, Tagbanua-Calamianen, Cuyunon, Tau’t Batu, and Tagbanua Central.
Currently, there are 383,261 indigenous peoples (IPs) in Palawan, and they comprise 45 percent of the province’s total population. As of 2015 census, the province’s population is 849,469.
Meanwhile, Roldan Parangue, chief of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) office in the province, welcomed the proposed ordinance, although he said Bataraza in the south and Roxas in northern Palawan are already celebrating October 29 as IPRA Day.
“Sa ibang munisipyo gusto nila kasi may celebration at may iba-ibang aktibidad na magpapakita ng mga kultura at tradisyon nila (In other municipalities they want to have different activities on that day to show their culture and tradition),” Parangue said.
If the ordinance is approved in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, it will bring municipal governments to set aside funds for the celebration, he said.
The proposed measure has been forwarded on first reading to the Committee on Rules and Laws of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for further study. (PNA)
