He serves as liaison and resource person between his ministry and the tribal groups which comprise a minority estimated at 6 million people. He has helped implement community and livelihood development projects for tribal communities, and he also oversees the PANAMIN museum system complex in the Philippines.

Mr. Cervantes holds a B.S. in Commerce degree from De La Salle College (1963) and completed graduate course work in Business Management at the Asian Institute of Management, both in the Philippines.