A FORMER chairperson of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples on Tuesday slammed the agency’s P400-million budget cut under the General Appropriations Act of 2025.
At the weekly Kapihan Forum at Eurotel in Quezon City organized by Dr. Danilo Mangahas, ex-NCIP chief Allen Capuyan said the agency’s budget slash would seriously affect its scholarship program and restrict its regional programs and events.
He said the agency is left with no other option but to stop accepting new scholars.
“The indigenous communities have long been considered belonging to the marginalized sector. A budget reduction could only alleviate their impoverished situation,” he said.
He said these minority groups play an important role in Philippine history, culture, and tradition, but they ranked among the poorest of the poor.
“I appeal to Congress to look into the small allocation given to the NCIP,” he said. The Philippines is home to over 17 million indigenous peoples.
