The Department of Education is extending the call to all DepEd officials, administrators, teachers and stakeholders to act on Department Order No. 62, s. 2011 entitled Adopting the National Indigenous Peoples Education Policy Framework.

“This DepEd Order recognizes the faults of the past. It is an invitation for us to change our perspective – the glasses that we normally use to see reality – and exchange that with a perspective that allows us to really be inclusive. Furthermore, it is an invitation to learn with, not just to teach in, indigenous communities that have always been on the sidelines”, DepEd Secretary Armin A. Luistro remarked during the signing of DepEd Order No. 62, s. 2011 on August 8, 2011.

DepEd is adopting D.O. 62 in line with the country’s commitment to achieve its targets of Education for All (EFA) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to pursue the Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda (BESRA).

It intends to promote shared accountability, continuous dialog, engagement, and partnership among IP communities, civil society, and other education stakeholders.

D.O. 62 is the result of a consultation conducted among the representatives from Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities, civil society, and other government agencies.

The Philippine Constitution (1987) stipulates that the state shall “protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels, and all shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all” (Art. XIV, Sec. 1). It further mandates the state to “recognize, respect, and protect the rights of indigenous cultural communities to preserve and develop their cultures, traditions, and institutions” (Art. XIV, Sec. 17)

The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act *(IPRA) of 1997 (RA No. 8371) mandates the state to “provide equal access to various cultural opportunities to the ICCs/IPs through the educational system, public and cultural entities, scholarships, grants and other incentives without prejudice to their rights… in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning”.

The UN Declaration on the rights of IPs (2007) also contains similar provisions on IPs right to education.