Act No.

2662

Law Title (R.A. No.) + Other Name + Purpose

Act No. 2662, or An Act Making Applicable to that Part of the Philippine Islands Inhabited by
Moros or Other Non-Christian People Certain Acts of the Philippine Legislature, was enacted in
1916. It enumerated several laws which were made applicable to indigenous peoples, who were
then referred to as “non-Christian people.”

Specific Provision on IPs / Relevant Provisions

Act No. 2662 made the several acts applicable to indigenous peoples, including:

● Appropriation of one million pesos for primary schools in territories inhabited by

Mohammedans or other non-Christian Filipinos
● Immunization of cattle and carabaos
● Special proceedings for the settlement and adjudication of land titles
● Creation of the Rural Agricultural Cooperative Associations
● Lease of reclaimed land for commercial purposes
● Amendments to the Forest Act
● Appropriation of of ten thousand pesos for reforestation of uncultivated public lands
● Repealing the act defining the legal rate of interest in the Moro Province, the Mountain
Province, and the Provinces of Agusan and Nueva Vizcaya
● Possible issuance of a cedula free of charge to any resident in the Mountain Province
and Nueva Vizcaya, if public interest requires

Act No. 2662 did not have any introductory sentence or whereas clause as to why these laws
excluded indigenous peoples in its coverage in the first place.

Interestingly, Section 7 of Act 2662 provided that the extensions made to the territories
inhabited by Moros or non-Christian people carrying appropriations shall not be considered as in
any way authorizing the payment of additional funds out of the Insular Treasury.

This begs the question, how then will these laws be implemented if there is no appropriation for
it? Act No. 2662 was hardly cited in cases.