ENIPAS or what we call Republic Act 11038

On 22 June 2018, the Enhanced National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS) Act was enacted and declared in policy that the traditional governance of Indigenous cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) shall be recognized within protected areas (PAs).

The ENIPAS is a ground-breaking legislation, first of its kind that clearly states the recognition of  contribution to conservation and their traditional governance over Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs). It is imperative, therefore, that the voice of ICCs/IPs be heard in the implementation of such law – especially through effective representations of their ICCs in their respective Protected Area Management Board (PAMBs).

These learning materials on “Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS) or Republic Act 11038: An Overview,” “Ang Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS) o Batas Republika 11038” [Tagalog version], and “Balaod sa Republika 11038 o ang Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS): Usa ka Kinatibuk-ang Pagtan-aw” [Cebuano version]  are three of the 54 handouts (covering 18 topics prepared in English, Tagalog, and Cebuano) produced to provide ICCs/IPs with the relevant knowledge and toolkits to engage with their respective PAMBs.

In particular, these materials discuss the salient provisions of the ENIPAS that help and support the rights of IPs stated in the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA). These materials also highlight the provisions of the implementing rules and regulation (IRR) of the ENIPAS that run contrary to the IPRA.

This learning material was prepared by Dave de Vera for the project “Recognizing the Indigenous Communities behind the Conservation of Nature: A Project Pursuing the Full and Effective Participation of Indigenous Communities in the Implementation of the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System” Jointly implemented by ANGOC, Bukluran, and PAFID, this initiative is supported through the Sudden Opportunity Grant Facility of VOICE, an initiative by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs executed in a consortium between OXFAM Novib, and Hivos.

The views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect those of VOICE, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, OXFAM Novib and Hivos.