MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the transfer of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) from the Department of Social Welfare and Development to the Office of the President.
It was announced through Executive Order No. 71 dated October 22, and signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.
The order shall take effect immediately, as stated in the document.
The NCIP was created under Republic Act 8371, or the Indigenous People’s Rights Act of 1997.
It is the primary government agency responsible for the welfare of the creation and implementation of policies, plans, programs, and other initiatives that promote the welfare of Indigenous Cultural Communities and/or Indigenous Peoples, which includes the recognition of their ancestral domains.