AN ACT PROVIDING FOR AN ORGANIC ACT FOR THE CORDILLERA AUTONOMOUS REGION

Case Overview and Summary

Summary of Republic Act No. 6766 (Organic Act for the Cordillera Autonomous Region)

Preamble
- Declares the creation of the Cordillera Autonomous Region to secure the rights, development, and participation of the Filipino people of the Cordilleras.

Article I: The Autonomous Region Name and Area
- Creates the Cordillera Autonomous Region (Section 1).
- The area shall consist of provinces and cities that vote favorably in the plebiscite for ratification (Section 2A).
- The plebiscite area includes Benguet, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Abra, Kalinga-Apayao, and Baguio City (Section 2B).

Article II: Guiding Principles and Policies
- The Autonomous Region is an integral part of the Philippines (Section 1).
- Autonomy ensures the rights of the Cordillera people to their ancestral domain, economic development, cultural heritage, and self-governance (Section 2).
- Outlines principles like democratic participation, individual and collective rights, peace, common good, participation in decision-making, basic human needs, education, youth development, civilian authority, financial assistance, consultation, devolution, monitoring, poverty alleviation, environmental protection, and demilitarization (Sections 3-28).

Article III: Powers of Government
- The Autonomous Region is a territorial and political subdivision with corporate powers (Section 1).
- The Regional Government exercises powers and functions for governance and development (Section 2).
- Enumerates the shared and exclusive powers of the Regional Government (Section 3).
- The Regional Government may exercise eminent domain (Section 4).

Article IV: Inter-Governmental Relations
- The President exercises general supervision over the Regional Government (Section 1).
- Judicial and quasi-judicial bodies continue their powers (Section 2).
- The Regional Government works with NGOs and implements programs (Section 3).
- Each province and city continues to be represented in Congress (Section 4).

Article V: The Legislative Department
- Legislative power vested in the Cordillera Assembly (Section 1).
- The Assembly may alter boundaries of local government units with plebiscite approval (Section 2).
- The Assembly approves the regional budget (Section 3).
- Composition and apportionment of the Assembly (Section 4).
- Term of office and election of Assembly members (Sections 5-6).
- Qualifications for Assembly membership (Section 7).
- Election of Speaker and other officers (Section 8).
- Regular and special sessions of the Assembly (Section 9).
- Quorum, rules, discipline, and journal requirements (Section 10).
- Salaries and financial accountability of Assembly members (Section 11).
- Parliamentary immunity for speeches and debates (Section 12).
- Restrictions on holding other offices and financial interests (Sections 13-15).
- Composition and functions of the Regional Commission on Appointments (Section 16).
- People's hour and inquiries in aid of legislation (Section 17).
- Budget submission, approval, and related provisions (Section 18).
- Taxation principles and exemptions (Sections 19-20).
- Bill requirements and procedures (Sections 21-22).
- Submission of laws and resolutions to the President and Congress (Section 23).

Article VI: The Executive Department
- Executive power vested in the Cordillera Governor (Section 1).
- Qualifications for the Cordillera Governor (Section 2).
- The Cordillera Governor assisted by a Cabinet (Section 3).
- Qualifications and term of the Cordillera Deputy Governor (Sections 4-5).
- Oath of office for the Governor and Deputy Governor (Section 6).
- Compensation of the Governor and Deputy Governor (Section 7).
- Housing allowance for the Governor (Section 8).
- Assumption of office and succession procedures (Sections 9-13).
- Restrictions on holding other offices and financial interests (Section 14).
- Control of executive departments by the Governor (Section 15).
- Appointment of department heads and subordinate officers (Section 16).
- Removal and compensation of Cabinet members (Section 17).
- The Governor's address to the Assembly (Section 18).

Article VII: Indigenous and Special Courts
- Creation of a system of tribal courts for indigenous communities (Section 1).
- Decisions of special courts are final and executory (Section 2).

Article VIII: Local Government
- Territorial and political subdivisions of the Autonomous Region (Section 1).
- Local autonomy of subdivisions (Section 2).
- Supervision of local governments by the Governor and mayors (Section 3).
- Equitable share in natural resource utilization (Section 4).
- Term of office for local officials (Section 5).
- Governance of cities within the Autonomous Region (Section 6).

Article IX: Accountability of Public Officers
- Public office as a public trust and accountability (Section 1).
- Removal of the Governor and Deputy Governor (Section 2).
- Limitation on removal proceedings (Section 3).
- Recall system for regional and local officials (Section 4).
- Disclosure of assets, liabilities, and net worth (Section 5).

Article X: Personal, Family, Tribal and Property Relations
- Recognition of customary laws on personal, family, tribal, and property relations (Section 1).
- Validity of marriages and dissolutions under customary laws (Section 2).
- Promotion of responsible parenthood program (Section 3).
- Recognition of peaceful settlement of family disputes (Section 4).
- Recognition and protection of property acquisition and disposition under customary laws (Section 5).
- Peaceful settlement of property disputes under customary laws (Section 6).
- Registration system for births, marital status, and deaths (Section 7).

Article XI: Ancestral Domain and Ancestral Lands
- Protection of ancestral domain and lands of indigenous communities (Section 1).
- Definition of ancestral lands and communal ownership (Section 2).
- Recognition of constructive possession and confirmation of titles (Section 3).
- Issuance of titles over ancestral lands to communities or tribes (Section 4).
- Enactment of laws on customary tenure and communal property (Section 5).
- Requiring corporations to take preventive measures in ancestral domains (Section 6).
- Restriction on disposal of ancestral domain lands to non-members (Section 7).
- Prohibition of resettlement of non-members in ancestral domains (Section 8).
- Prohibition of unlawful occupation of ancestral domains (Section 9).
- Declaration of ancient rice terraces as national treasures (Section 10).

Article XII: Patrimony, Economy and Development
- The Regional Government initiates and stimulates development (Section 1).
- People-oriented development and empowerment (Section 2).
- Concerns in development program formulation and implementation (Section 3).
- Control and supervision over natural resource exploration, utilization, and development (Section 4).
- Legislative authority over natural resource management (Section 5).
- Regulation of mineral and non-mineral resource extraction and processing (Section 6).
- Allowing exploration, development, and utilization of natural resources (Section 7).
- Support and regulation of small-scale mining (Section 8).
- Reforestation measures and upland community development (Section 9).
- Creation of the Regional Planning and Development Board (Section 10).
- Establishment and capitalization of a Regional Development Bank (Section 11).
- Construction and maintenance of a regional road and telecommunications system (Section 12).
- Implementation of an urban land reform and land use program (Section 13).

Article XIII: Fiscal Autonomy
- Power to create sources of revenues and levy taxes, fees, and charges (Section 1).
- Principles of uniformity, equity, and non-confiscatory taxation (Section 2).
- Payment of income taxes by businesses operating in the Autonomous Region (Section 3).
- Sources of revenues for the Autonomous Region (Section 4).
- Distribution of national internal revenue tax collections (Section 5).
- Authority to enter into economic agreements and trade compacts (Section 6).
- Tax deductibility of donations and grants for regional projects (Section 7).
- Power to grant tax incentives or exemptions (Section 8).
- Contracting of foreign and domestic loans (Section 9).

Article XIV: Agriculture, Trade and Industry, Tourism, and Cooperatives
- Promotion of agricultural production (Section 1).
- Priority on conservation and utilization of water resources for agriculture (Section 2).
- Promotion and development of inland fishery production (Section 3).
- Enforcement of floor and ceiling prices, and provision of extension services (Section 4).
- Encouragement of small and medium-scale cottage industries (Section 5).
- Regulation of industrial waste utilization and disposal (Section 6).
- Measures against capital flight (Section 7).
- Measures against monopolies and operation of pioneering public utilities (Section 8).
- Prevention of harmful agricultural and industrial inputs (Section 9).
- Measures to initiate and develop industrialization (Section 10).
- Promotion of tourism and establishment of tourism offices and facilities (Section 11).
- Encouragement and regulation of economic zones, industrial centers, and development ports (Section 12).
- Encouragement and regulation of foreign investments and exports (Section 13).
- Recognition and support for cooperatives, with tax exemption and community development allocation (Section 14).
- Establishment of a Cooperative Development Commission (Section 15).

Article XV: Education, Science and Technology, Language, Arts and Culture, and Sports
- Legislative powers over regional educational policies and cultural matters (Section 1).
- Protection and support for private educational institutions (Section 2).
- Establishment of a scholarship program for gifted or deserving youths (Section 3).
- Guarantee of the right to organize and participate in school policy-making (Section 4).
- Compensation and benefits for educational personnel at least equal to national standards (Section 5).
- Priority in funding for scientific research and appropriate technology (Section 6).
- Incentives and safeguards for Cordillera scientists and inventors (Section 7).
- Development of ethnic identity and cultural heritage consciousness in the educational system (Section 8).
- Development of a common regional language based on local languages and dialects (Section 9).
- Design and implementation of sports and physical education development programs (Section 10).
- Autonomy of state colleges and universities, with regional official representation on governing boards (Section 11).
- Continued affiliation of the University of the Philippines-Baguio with the UP System (Section 12).

Article XVI: Social Justice and Welfare
- Commitment to social justice and measures for economic opportunities, equal access to public service, uplifting marginalized communities, and democratizing ownership (Section 1).
- Promotion of shared responsibilities between workers and employers (Section 2).
- Full protection of labor and promotion of equal employment opportunities (Section 3).
- Responsibility for health as a basic human right and an effective health care delivery system (Section 4).
- Promotion of well-being for persons with disabilities, elderly, homeless, widows, orphans, retirees, veterans, and calamity victims (Section 5).
- Enactment of reintegration programs for rebel returnees and rejoinees (Section 6).
- Adoption of insurance and social security measures (Section 7).
- Promotion of housing programs and housing cooperatives (Section 8).
- Promotion of a harmonious balance between women's obligations and public participation (Section 9).
- Establishment and strengthening of support systems and services for working women (Section 10).
- Education and information programs to increase women's awareness and correct stereotypes (Section 11).
- Creation of a Youth Commission and definition of its powers and functions (Section 12).
- Definition of youths as those under 21 years old (Section 13).
- Promotion and support for people's organizations, especially the underprivileged (Section 14).

Article XVII: Human Rights
- Creation of a Cordillera Commission on Human Rights (Section 1).

Article XVIII: Peace and Order
- Priority on maintenance of peace and order, and protection of life, liberty, and property (Section 1).
- Creation of a Regional Police Force as part of the Philippine National Police (Section 2).
- Supervision of the regional police by the Governor and operational control by mayors (Section 3).
- Responsibility of the National Government for defense and security, with a regional command of the Armed Forces (Section 4).
- The Governor may request the President to call upon the Armed Forces in certain situations (Section 5).
- Recognition of indigenous structures or systems for peace and order promotion (Section 6).

Article XIX: General Provisions
- Official promulgation in Filipino, English, and local languages (Section 1).
- Residency requirement for public office in the Autonomous Region (Section 2).
- Adoption of a new name for the Autonomous Region (Section 3).
- Provision for compensation of barangay or ili officials (Section 4).
- Salary rates not lower than the poverty line (Section 5).
- Regional emblem and hymn (Section 6).
- Establishment of a Veterans, Retirees and Senior Citizens Affairs Office (Section 7).

Article XX: Amendments or Revisions
- Procedures for amending or revising the Organic Act (Sections 1-4).

Article XXI: Transitory Provisions
- Schedule for the first election of the Governor, Deputy Governor, and Assembly members (Section 1).
- Division of provinces and cities into regional assembly districts for the first election (Section 2A).
- Cessation of the Cordillera Executive Board, Regional Assembly, and related offices (Section 3).
- Provisional seat of the Autonomous Government in Baguio City (Section 4).
- Protection of civil service employees from layoffs or dismissals (Section 5).
- Creation of an Oversight Committee to supervise the transfer of powers and functions (Section 6).
- Transfer of line agencies and offices to the Regional Government (Section 7).
- Exemption of certain trust or fiduciary funds (Section 8).
- Annual financial assistance from the National Government for infrastructure projects (Section 9).
- Suspension of commercial logging operations for 25 years (Section 10).
- Possible suspension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law implementation on ancestral lands (Section 11).
- Creation of a Cordillera Commission on Customary Laws and codification of customary laws (Section 12).
- Plebiscite for ratification of the Organic Act and appropriation for expenses (Section 13).
- Separability clause (Section 14).
- Repealing clause (Section 15).

Article XXII: Effectivity
- The Act takes effect 15 days after publication in national and local newspapers (Section 1).