This study was conducted to investigate the Bagobo Tagabawa Tribes access to government projects in Davao del Sur under the 1997 Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA).   Despite the legislations objective to safeguard the rights, autonomy, and cultural integrity of Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs), local execution encounters challenges.   Through content analysis and literature review, this paper identified constraints such as inadequate funding, limited technical expertise, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and ineffective implementation of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC).   Geographic isolation, military conflict, and cultural marginalization intensify these issues.   This paper highlighted the tension between development and indigenous self-determination, demonstrating that significant disparities persist between policy and reality, despite the intentions of the IPRA.   It promotes enhanced institutional frameworks, more political commitment, and greater cultural awareness in program implementation.   The findings aim to inform stakeholders and lawmakers on how an inclusive, rights-based government may bolster indigenous empowerment.