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In an effort to make the Philippine educational system truly inclusive and respectful of the diversity of learners especially those belonging to the minority groups, the Department of Education (DepEd) continues to strengthen its support to Indigenous Peoples (IPs).
Recently, Education Secretary Armin Luistro ordered the creation of the Indigenous Peoples Education Office (IPsEO) that will mainly act as the focal point for the DepEd in planning, implementing, coordinating, and monitoring of activities related to IP education.
Through DepEd Order No. 103, Series of 2011, released to all undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, bureau directors, directors of services, centers, and heads of units, regional directors, and schools division and city superintendents, Luistro ordered the IPsEO to be “responsible for the development and recommendation of policy standards and actions to DepEd management to enhance DepEd’s implementation of education initiatives for the IP learners.“
Luistro said that the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997, also known as Republic Act (RA) No. 8371, mandates all government agencies to recognize and promote the rights of Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) within the framework of national unity and development.
Empowering indigenous peoples through education
The right of indigenous peoples (IPs) to education is provided in the Philippine Constitution, in Republic Act 8371, the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), of 1997, and the 2007 United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Article XIV of the Constitution mandates the State to recognize, respect, and protect the rights of IPs to preserve and develop their cultures, traditions, and institutions. The IPRA guarantees the rights of IPs to ancestral domain, self-governance and empowerment, social justice and human rights, education and cultural integrity. The UN Declaration on the Rights of