The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through its program the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program celebrates the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on August 9, 2013, Friday, at the Royal Mandaya Hotel, Davao City.

The activity aims promote and protect the rights of the world’s indigenous population, as well as, recognize the contributions of the indigenous peoples make to world issues such as environmental protection.

The one-day activity will showcase the diverse cultures in Davao Region through a cultural display of the different tribal groups where they exhibit musical instruments, products and other indigenous materials. The celebration will also highlight a symposium where resource persons from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Education (DepEd) and DSWD will respond to queries from the participants. The finale activity will be a cultural show participated by the different tribal groups.

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was first pronounced by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 23, 1994 under Resolution 49/214.

The pronouncement of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples encourages everyone to celebrate every year more so that in 2004 the General Assembly proclaimed a Second International Decade from 2005-2015, with the theme: “A decade for Action and Unity”. People from different nations are encouraged to participate in observing the day to spread the UN’s message on indigenous peoples.

In Davao Region, Pantawid Pamilya covers 72,550 IP beneficiaries in all four provinces. That is, 38.5% of the total 188,501 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries are IPs.

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a poverty-alleviation strategy of the national government which aims to reduce the incidence of poverty in the country by allowing families to send their children to school and keep them healthy. A family that will be able to comply with the said conditions on health and education will receive at most P 1,400 a month. DSWD