To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors
Directors of Services, Centers and Heads of Units
Regional Directors
Schools Division / City Superintendents
All Others Concerned

1. The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 also known as the Republic Act (RA) No. 8371 mandates all government agencies to recognize and promote the rights of Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) within the framework of national unity and development.
2. Using this RA as the legal basis, the Department of Education (DepEd) issued the DepEd Order No. 62, s. 2011 entitled National Indigenous Peoples Education Policy Framework, to serve as an instrument for promoting shared accountability, continuous dialogue, engagement and partnership among government, IPs communities, civil society and other education stakeholders in upholding the IPs Learners’ education rights.
3. To operationalize the said Indigenous Peoples framework, the DepEd felt the need to establish a mechanism for the mobilization, implementation and coordination of all programs and projects of this Department pertaining to IPs Education. Accordingly, the Creation of the IPs Education Office (IPsEO) is important to ensure continued delivery of quality education to the IPs Learners.
4. The IPsEO shall perform the following specific functions:
   1. Act as the focal point for DepEd in planning, implementing, coordinating and monitoring of activities related to IPs Education;
   2. Develop and recommend policy standards and actions to DepEd management to enhance DepEd’s implementation of education initiatives for the IPs Learners;
   3. Initiate and coordinate cooperation and collaborative activities with the national government agencies (NGAs), non-government organizations (NGOs) and civil society groups (CSGs), Indigenous People’s Organizations, Private Business Organizations (PBOs)/Corporate Foundations, Academic Institutions and other inter-agency and cluster groupings concerned with IPs Education; and
   4. Serve as clearinghouse for all IPs Education related transactions including production and issuance of modules, indigenized curriculum, and other related materials.
5. The IPsEO shall be under the functional direction of the Undersecretary for Programs and Projects. The DepEd shall engage the services of the Project Development Officers (PDOs) on a contractual basis to serve as technical personnel/assistants in the IPsEO.
6. This DepEd Order shall take effect immediately.
7. Immediate dissemination of and compliance with this Order is directed.

Reference:
DepEd Order: (No. 62, s. 2011)

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
BUREAUS & OFFICES
HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION
POLICY
PROGRAMS
PROJECTS