BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Indigenous Peoples are inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to
people and the environment. They have retained social, cultural, economic, and political
characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. Despite
their cultural differences, Indigenous Peoples from around the world share common problems
related to the protection of their rights as distinct peoples. Indigenous Peoples have sought
recognition of their identities, way of life, and their right to traditional lands, territories, and
natural resources for years, yet throughout history, their rights have always been violated.
Indigenous Peoples today, are arguably among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of
people in the world. The international community now recognizes that special measures are
required to protect their rights and maintain their distinct cultures and way of life.

The rights of Indigenous peoples are outlined in national legislation, treaties, and international
law. The 1989 International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on Indigenous and Tribal
Peoples protects Indigenous peoples from discrimination and specifies their rights to
development, customary laws, lands, territories and resources, employment, education and
health. In 2007, the United Nations (UN) adopted a Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples including their rights to self-determination and to protect their cultures, identities,
languages, ceremonies, and access to employment, health, education and natural resources.
Additionally, Section 10, Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that the State
shall promote social justice in all phases of national development. Section 17, Article XIV of the
1987 Philippine Constitution also provides that the State shall recognize, respect, and protect the
rights of indigenous cultural communities to preserve and develop their cultures, traditions, and
institutions. It shall consider these rights in the formulation of national plans and policies [4] . To
carry out this policy of the State, Sec. 16 of RA 8371 specifically provides that, IPs shall have
the right to participate fully, if they so choose, at all levels of decision-making in matters which
may affect their rights, lives and destinies through procedures determined by them as well as to
maintain and develop their own indigenous political structures [5] . Consequently, the State shall
ensure that the ICCs/IPs shall be given mandatory representation in policy-making bodies and
other local legislative councils. These inherent rights of ICCs/IPs shall be provided mandatory
representation in all policymaking bodies and in local legislative councils. ICCs/IPs
representation shall be proportionate to their population, and shall have the same privileges as
the regular members of the legislative bodies and/or policy making bodies.

In La Union, particularly the Municipality of San Gabriel as the focus of this study had already
practicing the Mandatory representation of the IP's in the local legislation and they had already
filled up their respective IPMR's. The researches wants to evaluate their roles and
responsibilities, how representatives being selected and the challenges they face in fulfilling their
duties. This is very important since IPMR's are already part of the local legislation, they must be
recognize by others not only by the Indigenous communities.
BOOKS
•Maranga, K.( 2013).Indigenous People and the Roles of Culture, Law and Globalization:
Comparing the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. Universal Publishers.
•Lennox, C., Short, D. (2016). Handbook of Indigenous Peoples' Rights. Taylor & Francis
•Mcrae et al.(2004). In the Way of Development Indigenous Peoples, Life Projects, and
Globalization. Zed Books
•United Nation. (2009). State of the World's Indigenous Peoples. UN
•Broderstad et al.(2021). Indigenous Peoples, Natural Resources and Governance. Taylor &
Francis
•Wessendorf (ed).(2001). Challenging Politics:Indigenous Peoples' Experiences with Political
Parties and Elections. International Work Groups for Indigenous Affairs
• NCIP. (2007).The Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines' 2007 Ed. Rex Book Store
•Mc Gregor et al. (2011)Indigenous Peoples and Autonomy: Insights for a Global Age. UBC
Press
•Sullivan et al.(2015). Indigenous Politics: Institutions, Representation, Mobilisation. ECPR
Press
•Asian Development Bank.(2009). Land and Cultural Survival: The Communal Rights of
Indigenous Peoples in Asia. Asian Development Bank.
RESEARCHES:
•Boquire et al.(2004). Indigenous Peoples and the Local Government: Building Good
Governance in the Philippines
•Villanueva et al. (2017). Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representation in the Local Legislative
Councils: Status, Challenges and Trajectories.
•Laforteza, H. J. (2012). The Indigenous Vote: Access to education and Political Participation of
the Philippine Indigenous community.

•Laforteza, H., Parañaque, E. (2012). Political Apartheid: Marginalization and Political

participation of the Philippine Indigenous Community in mainstream Philippine Politics.

• Bamba et al. (2021). Community Organizing for Indigenous People in the Philippines: A Proposed
Approach.

JOURNALS
• Villanueva et al. (2017). Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representation in the Local Legislative
Councils: Status, Challenges and Trajectories.
•Allard, C. (2018). The Rationale for the Duty to Consult Indigenous Peoples: Comparating
Reflections from Nordic and Canadian Legal Contexts

6. What will your study contribute to the recent pool of knowledge?

Your study on "Empowering Indigenous Communities: Evaluating the Role and Efficacy of the
Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) in La Union, Philippines" holds
significant potential to enrich the recent pool of knowledge in multiple ways. Through an
examination of the IPMR system, it can provide valuable insights into indigenous governance
structures, offer policy recommendations to enhance indigenous representation in local
governance, inform empowerment strategies for indigenous communities, contribute to
community development initiatives, and further academic scholarship on indigenous rights and
representation. By addressing these aspects, your research can advance both theoretical
understanding and practical efforts aimed at empowering indigenous communities not only in the
Philippines but also globally.