Preamble
WHEREAS, it is the policy of the government to extend to national minorities equality in status, dignity and opportunity with all other citizens; WHEREAS, it is the policy of the State to protect the cultural minorities, particularly those undiscovered groups in unexplored areas, from disturbance in order that their customs, traditions, beliefs, practices and lifeways can be recorded for posterity in an orderly and organized manner; WHEREAS, there exist certain unexplored tribal grounds and other areas which still need to be thoroughly explored and investigated by authorized government experts in the field to provide certain sociological information on the customs, traditions, beliefs, and interests as basis for national policy-making; WHEREAS, the unauthorized entry, especially by social scientists and like groups, into these unexplored tribal grounds upset cultural values, create ecological imbalance and distort the lives of these national minorities; and WHEREAS, it has become necessary to prevent these unauthorized incursions. NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order and decree: