THE House of Representatives is poised to pass the Indigenous Peoples Education Act or the IPED Act.
Ifugao Representative Teddy Baguilat, himself an indigenous person, has re-filed House Bill (HB) 4415, which is an offshoot of HB 4220 filed during the 16th congress which was favorably endorsed by the House Committee on Indigenous Peoples (IPs) but deliberations was unfinished.
Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples comprise at least a third of the country’s population.
The bill seeks to realize the mandates of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Philippine Education Act of 1982, Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1987 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples which provide that the state shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts, culture and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress and promote total human liberation and development.
Giving life to the State policies, the bill aims to establish IP-Centric Education Systems and institutions by providing education in the IP’s own language and in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning and by taking into account regional and sectoral needs and conditions.
This will enable the creation of programs in the context of IP cultures, customs, traditions, interests and beliefs that will help the IPs to not only participate in national development but also to strengthen national unity, which is the key to the eventual attainment by the country the Social Development Goals by 2030.
The Roman Catholic Church through the Episcopal Commission on Indigenous Peoples of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and an NGO-PANLIPI-TanggapangPanligal ng Katutubong Pilipino have spearheaded the network of indigenous peoples and civil society groups in pushing for the enactment of law to promote equality, sustainable and inclusive development. (Office of Cong. Baguilat PR)