Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) A Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) is part of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997. In general, the IPRA seeks to recognise, promote and protect the rights of the indigenous peoples of the Philippines. These include the right to ancestral domain and lands; right to self-governance and empowerment; social justice and human rights; and the right to cultural integrity. This legislation allows the well-established land-law system of indigenous peoples to gain recognition under Philippine law. The legislation also inaugurates the process of stabilising indigenous peoples’ land rights in other parts of the country where settlers, business operations and government actions continue to usurp aboriginal ancestral lands. A CADT is way of recognising and affirming indigenous peoples’ traditional systems of land tenure as creating rights entitled to legal protections.