Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of 1997

SECTION 12.         Option to Secure Certi¦cate of Title Under Commonwealth Act 141, as amended, or the Land Registration Act 496. — Individual members of cultural communities, with respect to their individually-owned ancestral lands who, by themselves or through their predecessors-in-interest, have been in continuous possession and occupation of the same in the concept of owner since time immemorial or for a period of not less than thirty (30) years immediately preceding the approval of this Act and uncontested by the members of the same ICCs/IPs shall have the option to secure title to their ancestral lands under the provisions of Commonwealth Act 141, as amended, or the Land Registration Act 496. For this purpose, said individually-owned ancestral lands, which are agricultural in character and actually used for agricultural, residential, pasture, and tree farming purposes, including those with a slope of eighteen percent (18%) or more, are hereby classi¦ed as alienable and disposable agricultural lands. The option granted under this section shall be exercised within twenty (20) years from the approval of this Act.  CHAPTER IV Right to Self-Governance and Empowerment SECTION 13.                Self-Governance. — The State recognizes the inherent right of ICCs/IPs to self- governance and self-determination and respects the integrity of their values, practices and institutions. Consequently, the State shall guarantee the right of ICCs/IPs to freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. SECTION 14.         Support for Autonomous Regions. — The State shall continue to strengthen and support the autonomous regions created under the Constitution as they may require or need. The State shall likewise encourage other ICCs/IPs not included or outside Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras to use the form and content of their ways of life as may be compatible with the fundamental rights de¦ned in the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines and other internationally recognized human rights. SECTION 15.         Justice System, Con§ict Resolution Institutions, and Peace Building Processes. — The ICCs/IPs shall have the right to use their own commonly accepted justice systems, con§ict resolution institutions, peace building processes or mechanisms and other customary laws and practices within their respective communities and as may be compatible with the national legal system and with internationally recognized human rights.