Partylist seeks accurate data on ethnic origins

Due to the lack of accurate data on indigenous peoples in the country, party-list representatives filed a bill seeking the inclusion of ethnic origin indicators in the national census records. In filing House Bill 1460, Bayan Muna Reps. Teddy Casiño and Neri Javier Colmenares said the the national statistics office fails to give an accurate description of the indigenous peoples situation because its data about them are hidden in national averages. "Even to date, an accurate count of the indigenous peoples’ population in the country is not available," Casiño said. Also, he noted that the law governing indigenous peoples’ rights is not fully implemented because data on the indigenous population is lacking. Section 21 of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) accords members of the indigenous cultural communities the rights, protections and privileges enjoyed by the rest of the citizenry. Section 25 of the law, on the other hand, speaks of the indigenous peoples’ right to special measures for the immediate, effective and continuing improvement of their economic and social conditions. The lawmakers said the inclusion of the ethnicity indicator in national census will generate disaggregated demographic data on the indigenous peoples, while the language indicator will produce data relevant to the ethno-linguistic groups in the country. Previous estimates show that indigenous peoples comprise about 10 to 15 percent of the country's population, which is now pegged at 91 million. Indigenous people from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao include the tribes of Tingguian, Isneg, Ibaloi, Kankanaey, Itawes, Malaweg, Yagad, Bugkalot, Gadding, Agta, Ati Dumagat, Mangyan, Bangon, Tadyawan, Alangan, Iraya, Buhid, Taobuhid, Hanunuo, Ratagnon, Tagbanwa, Malbog, Batak, Taut bato, Manobo, Bagobo, Bilaan, Tiruray, Mandaya-Mansaka, Subanen and Mamanwa, the lawmakers said. Colmenares said deficient disaggregated data on indigenous peoples in the country could hamper government planning and decision-making. "I believe it is deemed for government's policies, programs and projects to become sensitive and responsive to the needs of the country's indigenous people and there should be timely, accurate and useful statistics on the indigenous peoples population," he said. Under HB 1460, otherwise known as "Ethnic Origin Act of 2010," the National Statistics Office (NSO) is directed to ensure the inclusion of ethnic origin in its national survey in coordination with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). The measure defines IPs as a group of people who are regarded as indigenous on account of their descent from the population, which inhabited the country at the time of conquest or colonization, or at the time of inroads of non-indigenous religions and cultures, or the establishment of present state boundaries. The term includes those who retain some or all of their own social, economic, cultural and political institutions but who may have been displaced from their traditional domains or who may have resettled outside their ancestral domains. — LBG, GMANews.TV