NCIP AND DOT PARTNERSHIP FOR KATUTUBO-KAPWA PROJECT

7 June 2023| National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) met with the Department of Tourism (DOT) at the NCIP Central Office Conference Room in Quezon City.

The purpose of the meeting was to finalize partnership between NCIP and DOT for the Katutubo-KAPWA Project, which advocates to develop marketable goods produced by Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) and develop frameworks involving IP communities to promote arts and culture of Indigenous Heritage of the Philippines.

NCIP Chairperson Capuyan headed the meeting together with Office on Socio-Economic Services and Special Concern Acting Bureau Director Glenda A. Pua, also present were other NCIP Bureau Directors; the DOT were represented by their key officials involved in the project.

The DOT proposed project’s pilot run will be in Benguet, Surigao del Sur and Batanes. It gears to see further improvements for effective implementation of the project ultimately benefiting ICCs/IPs.

The Chairperson expressed support for a partnership as a mechanism to continually uphold the rights of ICCs/IPs; to promote identities of Filipino Cultural Heritage contributing to 13 Economic Drivers of the Philippines.

As way forward, a series of meetings will be conducted to further improve and provide updates on the drafting of Memorandum of Agreement prioritizing IP Communities’ interest.