MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 15 April) – Holy Week doesn’t only remind Christians, Roman Catholics in particular, to reflect on the meaning of the crucifixion, it also brings to the fore some elements of local culture that add color to the celebration. Vestiges of indigenous beliefs, rituals that look bizarre, and renewal of kinship and community bonds manifest alongside the faithful’s observance of piety and abstinence.
Neighbors in the provinces would cook and share among themselves native delicacies like tabirak, binignit, suman and biko. On Good Friday, households would light candles as the procession carrying the image of the crucified Christ and His grieving mother passes by, a gesture of oneness in faith.
It is during the Holy Week that churches and pilgrimage sites swell with worshipers, although that may no longer be the case with COVID-19 still around. More candles are lit, more flowers are offered before images of the crucified Messiah, and more prayers try to find their way to the doors of Heaven. Solemnity reigns in everyone’s heart.
Indeed, for many Filipinos, Christendom’s most important event brings solace from the promise of redemption, and revives practices that define our own conception of spirituality and human solidarity.
There is, however, the phenomenon of folk Catholicism that has found its way into the heart of the celebration. This is shown in the practice of penitensiya (penitence) where people, mostly menfolk, engage in apparent acts of masochism like self-flagellation and literally mimicking the crucifixion as their extreme way of atoning for sins.
Yet, who should say what practices are more spiritual than the rest? There’s no way to settle the issue; beliefs are shaped by the experiences of each individual, each group, each community.
Even among some Lumads the Holy Week serves as a venue to deepen their own sense of spirituality. For instance, every Good Friday members of the Bukidnon-Daraghuyan tribe of Malaybalay City would gather at the peak of Mt. Kitanglad for a ritual. Interestingly, in one such ritual that I joined a few years ago, their shaman, Bae Inatlawan, invoked not just their deities but also The Christ to ask for blessings. Wow, I told myself, a marriage of indigenous beliefs and Christianity.
As a Catholic (albeit just a nominal one), I felt shame. Here are Lumads who find no problem believing in Nature’s spirits and the Son of Man at the same time. In contrast, I often heard Church people declaring the total incompatibility between animist and Christian practices.
I’m still wondering why those Lumads seem to have discovered that Magbabaya and Yaweh are just two different names of one Supreme Creator – the entity called the Great Spirit by America’s First Nations and Allah by Muslims – while [most] Christians haven’t.
Yet, while Christians tend to look down on animism they don’t notice that they too are still practicing it like when they observe “palihi” (a form of ritual) before harvesting crops, building a structure, or opening a business. Many still observe making the sign of the cross on a birthday celebrant’s forehead using blood from a slaughtered chicken.
So, there, the Lumads embracing elements of Christianity in their rituals, and Christians injecting animist practices into their faith. Who can explain in full this marriage of “contradictions”?
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. H. Marcos C. Mordeno can be reached at hmcmordeno@gmail.com)
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Ka Leody de Guzman and colleagues after two of the wounded were treated at a hospital in Bukidnon. Photo courtesy of PLM-Mindanao
CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews / 21 April) – Police on Wednesday seized eight firearms from the security guards of an agricultural firm who were allegedly involved in the shooting Tuesday of presidential aspirant Leody de Guzman and Lumad farmers in Quezon town, Bukidnon.
Philippine National Police (PNP) 10 regional spokesperson Lt. Col. Michelle Olaivar said a team from their Regional Civil Security Unit which inspected the Kiantig Development Corporation found out that five of its security guards were not licensed and not wearing proper uniforms.
Olaivar said the guards also failed to show any certificate of authority from the Commission on Elections exempting them from the gun ban for the 2022 election period, which began on January 9.
She said the police team confiscated two pistols, one revolver and five shotguns from Addis Security and Control Risks Inc. whose main office is located in Lauan Street, Nova Tiera Village, Lanang, Davao City.
“The inspection was administrative in nature. The five guards were not arrested because the firearms were not confiscated outside their post, which could violate the Comelec gun ban. We confiscated the firearms because they did not bear any documents,” she said.
The firearms were sent to the PNP Crime Laboratory in Camp Alagar in Cagayan de Oro to check if these were recently fired.
Olaivar said they are looking for more firearms since a team from the PNP 10 Scene of the Crime Operatives found empty 5.56 caliber shells (presumably from an M16 rifle) at the crime scene in Sitio Kiantig, Barangay San Jose in Quezon town.
De Guzman said a group of 50 armed men believed to be security guards fired volley shots at his party and 500 Manobo-Pulangiyon farmers who attempted to take over 900 hectares of land of Kiantig Development Corporation in Sitio Kiantig.
Five people including two of De Guzman’s aides were hurt in the shooting. De Guzman and two senatorial hopefuls, Roy Cabonegro and David D’Angelo, survived unscathed.
De Guzman’s companion Nanie Abela, one of those injured, said the guards did not fire warning shots.
“They aimed their shots at us,” Abela said.
De Guzman said the shooting happened while Army soldiers and policemen were standing 100 meters away but did not respond.
Olaivar said the police cannot file a criminal case against the suspects because no one from De Guzman’s party and the Lumad farmers have come forward to file complaints.
In an interview on OnePH on April 20, Brigadier General Benjamin Acorda, PNP 10 regional director urged the victims and witnesses to cooperate in the investigation and trust the police.
“I want the investigation of this case to be solid so that it won’t just be dismissed. We assure the witnesses and victims that the police would remain neutral,” Acorda said.
The police official said Kiantig Development Corporation is managed by a certain Marco Lorenzo not Quezon town Mayor Pablo Lorenzo III as earlier reported.
Pablo Lorenzo III in his interview with Brigada News FM admitted he used to work with the company but was relieved because of his work as the chief executive of Quezon town.
The mayor said he met with the Commission on Indigenous Peoples, the Lumad farmers and the police on April 18, the day before the incident.
Bishop Noel Pedregosa of the Malaybalay Diocese condemned the incident and urges all stakeholders to engage in dialogue “for the sake of peace and of the integral and sustainable development of the Lumad”.
“The Lumad have the rights to their ancestral domains which for many years have been deprived from them,” Pedregosa said. (Froilan Gallardo/MindaNews)
(Speech delivered for Rudy Rodil by his wife Bebot, during the launch of the book, Transfiguring Mindanao: A Mindanao Reader, at the Ateneo de Davao University on 22 June 2022. Rudy Rodil is one of 44 authors of the book)
This Mindanao Reader is, to me, a historic testimonial of mutual acceptance among the peoples of Mindanaw-Sulu.
Let me share the wisdom of Timuay Ramos, an Erumanen (Manobo) in Pikit, Cotabato. I heard him speak of this in a community meeting, said in Bisaya in 2003, and here I will express in my mixed English-Tagalog-Bisaya: view Mindanaw-Sulu as a kolon or palayok (clay pot in English) standing on three posts, represented by the Lumad, the Bangsamoro and the Settlers.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.At the launching of the book, “Transfiguring Mindanao: A Mindanao Reader” at the Ateneo de Davao University on 22 June 2022. Photo courtesy of IGY CASTRILLO
Balancing depends on mutual acceptance among the three peoples of Mindanao-Sulu. Tilting the kolon will break the region.
But how? The Lumad is approximately 10 percent of the region’s population, the Bangsamoro is 20 percent and the Settlers is the dominant 70 percent.
Balancing the kolon cannot be based on population. Please feel the heart, it is here where we are kapwa tao, this is here where we are equal. The key is mutual acceptance. We are panagsuon or kapatiran among the people of Mindanaw and Sulu, emerging from the Austronesian-Malayo-Polynesian roots, now creating a new history.
My Peace Credo: Kalinaw Mindanaw! Lumad, Muslim, Kristiyano. Magkaiba, magkaisa. Isang Diyos, isang lupain, isang adhikain.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.A painting contest is one of the activities during the Aldaw ta Kitanglad celebration in Brgy. Dahilayan, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon on Tuesday (8 November 2022). The event serves to highlight the importance of Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park to conservation. MindaNews photo by H. MARCOS C. MORDENOImage may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Lumad musicians perform using ethnic and modern instruments during the Aldaw ta Kitanglad celebration in Brgy. Dahilayan, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon on Tuesday (8 November 2022). The event serves to highlight the importance of Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park to conservation. MindaNews photo by H. MARCOS C. MORDENO
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Except for the rattan ball, this was how the game invented by Canadian James Naismith was played during its infancy, although the Lumads in this photo may not know it. That’s why it’s called basketball. Taken in Dahilayan, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon during the Aldaw ta Kitanglad celebration on Nov. 9, 2022. MindaNews photo by H. MARCOS C. MORDENO
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Lawyer Arbie Llesis (2nd from right) joins other tribal leaders of Bukidnon at the headwaters of Tagoloan River in Brgy. Can-ayan, Malaybalay City for the annual panalawahig or ritual for the water deity on May 1, 2021. MindaNews file photo by H. MARCOS C. MORDENO
MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 27 January) – The new Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Bukidnon urged his colleagues to give “special care and special attention to our indigenous peoples” to help protect and uplift their lives.
In a privilege speech right after taking his oath of office last week, lawyer Arbie S. Llesis, a Talaandig from Lantapan town, said IPs in Bukidnon comprise 60 percent of the province’s population and occupy 60 percent of its land area.
In previous statements, Llesis said there is an imbalance because the IPs remain among the poorest of the poor.
Llesis, who was elected by fellow IP leaders as IPMR on Nov. 25 last year, assumed the post more than a year after the resignation in October 2021 of Datu Laglagengan Richard Macas, who ran as 2nd District representative but lost to reelectionist John Flores.
He is the province’s third IP mandatory representative to the SP. The first, Datu Magdaleno Maida Pandian, served from March 2012 until his death in 2015. Datu Laglagengan Richard Macas, succeeded him and served from 2016 to 2022. The latter resigned in October 2021 when he filed for his candidacy for a congressional post.
In an interview with Kaglambaga Radio Program of Bukidnon State University’s DXBU on Dec. 9 last year, Llesis presented a platform of “emancipation from injustices against the IPs.”.
He expounded about his “father” and “mother” plans to ensure self-governance among the IPs, save “them from oppression, neglect and injustice,” and for equality and peace.
The 34-year old IP leader said during the interview that they intend to set up a Bangsa Lumad Legal Center and a Bangsa Lumad political party by 2025 to ensure these aspirations by the end of his term.
He also vowed to file ordinances and resolutions for the local government units to allot a bigger percentage of their budget to the IPs.
”If the Lumads claim to own the lands in Bukidnon, they should have a (fair) share of the bounty,” he said.
His plans to assert the rights of the IPs, Llesis said, do not intend to displace others. He said this is just to appeal for their just share and not to render others bankrupt, adding “We are only after the commensurate share of our resources.”
”Let’s pray it will be realized, justice and equality equals peace,” he said.
Llesis emphasized that he is an advocate of consultative and participatory governance, consensus and unity among the tribes. He noted in the interview the two types of Bukidnon natives, those born with Bukidnon blood and those who were born in Bukidnon.
He clarified that he only intends to claim what the law affords the IPs and is keen on the proper implementation of Republic Act 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997.
Royalty
RA 8371, Llesis said, provides that all development projects inside ancestral domains must obtain consent from the IPs. He said part of the consent-seeking process is an assessment of impact on the environment and culture. He added that from there, negotiation can be done to determine the sharing scheme.
He said that in all economic projects, the community is entitled to 1-percent share of the gross income as royalty or share.
He said the Lumads should have a good share of the bounty from the start of projects and not just be left to gather the leftovers.
He cited that hundreds of development projects have been introduced in the ancestral domains of the IPs but they have not enjoyed the economic benefits.
”The IPs are invited only to the opening to do the ritual and given only tokens like chickens,” he said.
Llesis is pushing for an inventory of all existing corporations operating in the province.
”Are they complying with these provisions of the law? If not, we can open negotiations,” he asked.
He cited that IPs used to own the whole of Bukidnon, and when the settlers first came to the province the Lumad accommodated them in their lands.
”It’s time to return the favor. Now that the Lumads are at a state of disadvantage, it is your time to help uplift the IPs from their situation,” he added.
He cited the alleged disconnect between the disadvantaged situation of the IPs and the fact that they comprise 60 percent of the population and own 60 percent of the land (through ancestral domains).
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.A Lumad woman prepares coffee for her guests at the tulugan of the Higaonon tribe in Sitio Mintapod, Barangay Hagpa in Impasugong, Bukidnon on Wednesday (5 May 2021). MindaNews photo by H. MARCOS C. MORDENO
Issue of space
”The issue here is space. If indeed Bukidnon is our home, then it is just right for us to use a good room inside the house, not just in the back near the pig pen or chicken coop,” he said.
He cited that when the IPs hold rituals, they allot offerings even to elements they could not see.
He acknowledged that realizing the vision will not be easy.
He said there must be a system or mechanism that can address issues like land-grabbing affecting the IPs.
He said that sometimes they would approach the Integrated Bar of the Philippines only to be sent back to the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.
”IPRA has been implemented for 25 years but the impact is not felt on the ground,” he said.
He cited that several applications for a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title have not been processed or granted.
‘Father’ and ‘mother’ plans
Llesis said the legal center, considered as the “father” plan, will help address legal issues and give justice to the IPs who are the owners of the resources.
He described the “mother” plan as the intent to set up a political party for the tribes for their self and participatory governance. He said they intend to organize the party in the 20 towns and two cities and register the party before the Commission on Elections. He cited that organizing can be done in the first six to eight months, documentation in the ninth to tenth months and submission of application to Comelec by November to December 2023.
But he noted that he is only a representative of the IPs and the vision should be shared by the different councils of elders and other stakeholders.
If realized, he said, it will be the first time in the province that a political party has been set up by the IPs.
He cited that the “father” and “mother” plans are expected to bear more plans like the organization of the IP professionals, youth, senior citizens, business, farmers, among others to energize and synergize the (IP) population.
”There will be no successful IP struggle without the participation (of the different sectors),” he said, adding they will identify towns and barangays with sizable IP populations.
More IP share in LGU budget
Another specific plan, which he outlined during his radio interview, was the intent to create a general plan at the provincial level, which could be customized and adopted at the town and city levels.
He, however, admitted that since the budget for the local government units (LGUs) has been passed for 2023, they will just pursue “hangyo-hangyo” (appeal for negotiation). He said he intends to negotiate for a share of the IPs in the budget for the youth, gender and development, senior citizens, among others.
He noted that some LGUs have bigger budgets for ballpens and office supplies than for the IPs.
”We pray that our political leaders will help us in this. We ask the governor, the vice governor, board members, down to the mayors to help the Lumad,” he added.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Talaandig children in Songco, Lantapan, Bukidnon. MindaNews file photo by H. MARCOS C. MORDENO
Powers, duties of IPMR
The authority of the IPMR emanates from the community through the indigenous political structure, according to NCIP Administrative Order No. 03, S. 2018 or the Revised National Guidelines for the Mandatory Representation of Indigenous Peoples in Local Legislative Councils and Policy Making Bodies.
As a regular member of the local legislative councils and policy-making bodies, it is the primary duty of the IPMR to carry out at all times the collective interests and aspirations of the community.
Aside from sponsoring ordinances and resolutions and conduct committee hearings that will promote and protect the well-being and interests of his or her community and inclusion to the LGU annual budget the implementation of programs and projects relevant to the community, the IPMR should formulate the IP agenda with the community and conduct regular meetings with IP elders/leaders or the entire community.
The IPMR should also facilitate provisions for financial support for the implementation of the IP agenda, to include delineation and titling of ancestral domains, indigenous political structure documentation, formulation and implementation of Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan, selection of IPMR, community-based information and education campaign on IPRA, convening of the community for agenda formulation, and periodic reporting and assessment on the IPMR’s performance.
The IPMR should closely coordinate and collaborate with the NCIP on implementation of projects and programs, support the conduct of IP census within his or her area of responsibility during the first year of his or her term, and to perform such other powers and functions as the community may deem appropriate. (MindaNews)
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Lumad residents from the hinterland village of Paquibato district of Davao City avail of a free lunch after registering at the Commission on Elections satellite booth in SM Lanang Premier, Davao City on Friday, January 27, 2023. Comelec has put up satellite registration booths for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataang elections this year. Mindanews Photo
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.A “No Trespassing” sign at an oil palm plantation in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur covered by the CADT application. Photo taken January 27, 2023 by CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN/MindaNews
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 27 January) – Agrarian reform beneficiaries and officials at the local water utility have protested the move by members of a Manobo clan to occupy an area in San Francisco and Rosario towns in Agusan del Sur planted to oil palm that they are claiming as their ancestral domain.
The claimants, who call themselves the Oyay Mansaloay Antod Ogow Bando Ugong (OMAUBAO) Tribal Clan Organization, started moving into the contested area in the last week of December last year. But it was only on January 24 that San Francisco Mayor Grace Carmel Paredes-Bravo received a letter dated January 23 from Bardo Bando, the municipal tribal chieftain, informing her of the claimants’ decision.
Bando cited the certificate of recognition of their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) application issued by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples on Dec. 14, 2022 as the basis of their move.
Citing a portion of the NCIP certification, Bando said that based on Section 52 of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) the recognition “effectively terminates any legal basis for the jurisdiction that may be previously claimed over the ancestral domain” on the part of the Department of Agrarian Reform and other government agencies claiming jurisdiction over the said ancestral domain.
In their general assembly on January 22, the Lapinigan, Ormaca, Maligaya, Mate, Cabantao Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (LAOMMACA) decided to terminate their compromise agreement with OMAUBAO after they found out that even non-members of the Lumad group were harvesting palm oil.
LAOMMCA chair Menio Orcullo said that after they decided to invalidate the agreement they filed a complaint of qualified theft before the barangay council of Mate.
He said he initially agreed to allow some OMAUBAO members to harvest the oil palm fruits but that the latter violated the agreement by bringing in unauthorized harvesters.
At least 250 LAOMMCA members who were awarded by DAR with individual land titles covering 600 hectares some of which were planted to oil palm are in danger of losing their lands to the CADT application.
Apprehensive over the CADT application, the San Francisco Water District (SFWD) board passed a resolution reiterating their previous stand to exclude the 1,658 hectares of Mt. Magdiwata Watershed Forest Reserve Area from the claim.
Elmer Luzon, SFWD general manager, said the board would file an administrative complaint against the NCIP commissioners for using the words “terminate all previous jurisdictions,” which he said is an abuse of discretion.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Mt. Magdiwata, the only source of potable water in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur. MindaNews photo by CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN
The SFWD resolution cited section 56 of IPRA, which recognizes property rights within ancestral domains that are already existing before the passage of the law.
The watershed, which is the only source of potable water for the 20 villages of this town, was declared as forest reserve by President Fidel Ramos through Presidential Proclamation 282 dated October 25, 1993.
SFWD has been in the forefront of protecting and rehabilitating the watershed over the last three decades. Its forest cover has since increased from 41 percent to 95 percent.
The forest used to be denuded, with about 900 hectares denuded by large-scale logging in the 1960s up to 1970s and the unabated tree-cutting activities in the 1980s to supply sawmills that proliferated in the town.
According to SFWD studies, only 695 ha of natural forest (41 percent) was left in the Mt. Magdiwata watershed in December 1997. Around 1,200 ha had been considered inadequate forest, open area grasslands, and small portions of man-made forest, oil palm and abaca farms.
In 2019, Bando a.k.a. “Datu Hag-um,” who is also Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative in the town council here, assured they will not damage Mt. Magdiwata.
The conflict over the 7,680-hectare land has prompted Bravo to mediate in a series of meetings since last month, but no resolution has been reached.
Bravo, a lawyer, said overlapping claims on lands being claimed as ancestral domains and covered with titles as agrarian reform areas at the same time should be resolved by following the process set by the joint administrative committee composed of different government line agencies tasked to resolve the conflict.
She said in an interview that there is an urgent need to exclude titled properties and forest reserve areas from CADTs since IPRA itself recognizes property rights.
She explained that based on the law, legitimate titles to privately owned lands issued before IPRA was enacted in 1997 and bought by another owner afterwards are still “tucked in” in legal parlance.
“We can’t say automatic takeover due to the NCIP certification. We should follow the proper process that should be obeyed by conflicting claims,” she said.
She said that even NCIP Caraga Regional Director Ordonio Rocero Jr. and his legal counsel acknowledged during their meeting in Butuan City on January 17 that IPRA recognizes existing property rights within ancestral domains.
Lawyer Marceliano Monato, NCIP provincial legal officer, stood pat that they should not be stopped from processing the CADT application unless ordered by a court.
Monato said that once the CADT is registered with the Land Registration Authority, there is a one-year grace period for those who will contest and want to cancel portions of the CADT area.
For his part, Ferdausi Cerna, former NCIP Caraga regional director, said a CADT will always prevail over any presidential proclamation since this claim of ownership is deemed to have existed “since time immemorial.”
But he added that along with the rights as CADT holders is the obligation to protect the environment.
Already, OMAUBAO had established boom gates and put up tarpaulins warning against “trespassing” in many oil palm areas.
Bravo said she has received reports that alleged armed men were roaming the area.
The mayor said the joint administrative committee should come up with a solution to prevent armed violence. (Chris V. Panganiban/MindaNews)
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.MP Froilyn Mendoza speaks during the Women, Peace and Security and Policy Dialogue on the draft IP Code of the BARMM held in Davao City on October 4 to 6, 2022. Photo courtesy of MP Mendoza’s office
COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 30 January) – During her younger days, Member of Parliament (MP) Froilyn Tenorio Mendoza would tag along with her mother in visiting far-flung indigenous peoples (IP) communities in the mountains of South Upi, a fourth class town in the province of Maguindanao del Sur.
Her mother, a teacher, had served as a volunteer to protect the rights and welfare of their fellow Tedurays, and it was those immersions that molded Mendoza to put the interest of her people paramount before anything else.
“I was exposed at an early age by my mother to see the plight of our fellow indigenous peoples. She told me – if we will not help them, who will? If they get help, it might just be temporary,” Mendoza recalled.
“Nakatulong yung pagsama ko sa aking nanay dahil na-witness ko talaga yung mga nangyayari. Sabi ko, mayroong hindi tama doon sa amin – lalo na yung sa aming tribu, doon nag-umpisa yung aking awareness (The early immersions with my mother helped a lot – I witnessed what’s happening. Something was wrong for our tribe. That’s when my awareness was awakened),” she added, referring, among others, to the human rights violations and encroachment on indigenous people’s lands by lowlanders.
She finished elementary and high school in her hometown South Upi, a landlocked municipality where farming is the major source of livelihood for its dominant lumad (indigenous peoples) population. Her parents encouraged her to study, which is an exception as many Teduray parents traditionally do not give priority to the education of their daughters, as they usually dropped out of school early to help their families or to get married.
Mendoza eventually graduated with a degree on Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Southern Mindanao in Kabacan, North Cotabato. She is also a licensed midwife.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.MP Froilyn Mendoza raises a point during the approval of the 2023 BARMM General Appropriations Act and the Special Development Fund on December 22, 2022 at the Bangsamoro Government Center in Cotabato City. Photo courtesy of MP Mendoza’s office
After graduating from college, Mendoza volunteered at the Teduray Women’s Organization (TWO), where her mother was also a volunteer. The daughter conceptualized flyers about IP issues and cooked, washed dishes and served coffee, among other menial jobs, during meetings or community visits.
“Since I had no work after graduating from college, I volunteered with their group. I went with them in the communities to spread awareness on IP women’s issues,” she said.
From being a volunteer, Mendoza, a mother of two children, rose from the ranks to become the third chairperson of the Teduray-Lambangian Women’s Organization, Inc. (TLWOI), a grassroots-based federation of 35 women associations in the hinterlands of the then undivided Maguindanao province.
She cited dedication, hard work and the thrust of her fellow members in rising to lead TLWOI, an organization duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It was previously known as the TWO. The group had its first assembly on September 24, 1994.
“Matagal-tagal na rin yung aking karanasan lalo na doon sa pagsusulong ng karapatan ng mga katutubong kababaihan lalo na dito sa Maguindanao (I have been involved for relatively a long time in pushing for the rights of IP women in Maguindanao),” Mendoza said.
With her long and active work among civil society organizations in Mindanao, particularly advocating the rights of indigenous peoples, she was appointed to the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) by the late President Benigno Aquino III.
Mendoza was nominated to represent the IP community in the BTC, a body that was tasked to draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in accordance with the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed in 2014 after 17 years of negotiations.
The key component of the CAB was the creation of a Bangsamoro autonomous region.
For inclusivity, the non-Moro indigenous peoples have been represented during the Bangsamoro peace process between the government and the MILF and in the BTC.
The BTC was dissolved after the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) was constituted following the ratification of Republic Act 11054 or Organic Law for the BARMM, popularly known as the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), in January 2019.
Mendoza, however, was not a member of the first BTA, the interim body tasked to govern the Bangsamoro region.
The BTA’s mandate was extended after then President Rodrigo Duterte approved the cancellation of the first parliamentary election in the BARMM in 2022. It was moved to 2025.
The 50-year-old Mendoza was appointed in the second BTA by incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. as a nominee of the government. The 80-member BTA is led by the MILF with 41 nominees and 39 from the government.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.MP Froilyn Mendoza (L) appears on “TALAKAYANG PARLYAMENTO,” a radio program of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority where members discuss and promote their programs and advocacies. Photo courtesy of MP Mendoza’s office
As a Member of Parliament, Mendoza continued to show her concern and advocacies for the indigenous peoples in the Bangsamoro region, guided strongly by Article IV, Section 9 of the BOL, which recognizes the rights of non-Moro indigenous peoples.
The Bangsamoro Government must recognize and promote the rights of non-Moro indigenous peoples within the framework of the Constitution and national laws, she noted.
Mendoza’s priorities include curbing domestic violence, which could benefit both Moro and non-Moro indigenous peoples in the BARMM.
The BARMM is composed of the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Marawi, Lamitan and Cotabato and 63 villages in North Cotabato known as the Special Geographic Area.
As part of addressing domestic violence that often victimize women and children, she pushed for the organization of women arbiters across the region, which can be utilized to settle domestic or community disputes before they can reach the trial courts.
Her office has also been providing various trainings to IP women to capacitate them to empower themselves and their communities.
As a Member of Parliament representing the IP communities, especially women, Mendoza is pushing for the passage of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act in the BARMM or the IP Code, a measure that seeks to protect and promote the rights and welfare of IPs in the region.
The measure was filed in the first BTA but has yet to be re-filed in the current parliament.
In a speech last November during a campaign on Violence Against Women, Mendoza stressed that the IP code must reflect the Bangsamoro Government’s commitment to achieving a “moral governance that is inclusive and where no one is left behind.”
“The non-Moro IP women believe that a rights-based, gender-sensitive and grounded IP code has the power to transform the lives of indigenous peoples – men and women alike,” Mendoza said.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.MP Froilyn Mendoza extends humanitarian assistance to the victims of Typhoon Paeng in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte on November 11, 2022. Photo courtesy of MP Mendoza’s office
The Tedurays make up majority of the population of the IPs in mainland Bangsamoro region. The others are the Lambangian Baleg, Dulangan Manobo, Higaonon and Arumanen Ne Menuvu. She estimated the lumad population at 123,000 individuals.
Mendoza noted that her heart bleeds not only for the lumads in the mainland but also in the island-provinces of the BARMM.
As a BTA member, she has provided livelihood assistance to 14 women cooperatives, helped put up a water system, established a women’s handicraft center, and built a “School of Living tradition” for poor IP toddlers.
“These children can learn more of their own culture and tradition through the School of Living Tradition. We responded to their needs because they are very far from the town center,” she said.
Mendoza encouraged IP women to participate in the development, governance and policy-making processes for the benefit of all Bangsamoro women in the future. (Myrna Tepadan via MindaNews)
(Myrna Tepadan is one of the staff writers of the Bangsamoro Information Office (BIO). This article was produced under a mentoring project initiated by the Mindanao Institute of Journalism with support from The Asia Foundation.)
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Lumad leaders comprising the Council of Elders of Mt. Kitanglad Range hold a ritual before the start of their annual planning conference on Monday, 30 January 2023, in Barangay Dalwangan, Malaybalay City. MindaNews photo by H. MARCOS C. MORDENO
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Street dancing during the 2018 Kaamulan. MindaNews file photo by H. MARCOS C. MORDENO
MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 27 March) — Top officials of Bukidnon urged for unity towards progress as the Kaamulan, a festival that aims to showcase the province’s indigenous cultures, formally opened on Saturday with a ritual and other colorful activities.
Gov. Rogelio Neil P. Roque, overseeing his first Kaamulan as governor after winning the post in the May 2022 elections, called for a focus on positive similarities for the entire province.
He said lessons on unity could be learned from the indigenous peoples of Bukidnon, whose different traits have not stopped them from coming together [for the festival].
Kaamulan traces its etymology to “amul-amul,” which means to gather or come together in Binukid, the province’s indigenous language.
For this year the festival carries the theme ““One Bukidnon: A celebration of unity in cultural diversity.”
”Let us gather together in a peaceful brotherhood for a peaceful and prosperous Bukidnon,” Roque said, adding the focus should not be on individual music but on harmony, the music sum, which he said “is greater than the music played by individual parts.”
He urged Bukidnon’s 1.5 million residents in 464 barangays, 20 towns and two cities, and seven tribes to “bond” as “one Bukidnon.”
In the run-up to the May 2022 elections, then 4th District Rep. Roque ran with the slogan “Bagong Bukidnon” (New Bukidnon).
The governor also expressed hope for a better economy for the province after the pandemic, which stalled the staging of the Kaamulan in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
”Finally we can celebrate the Kaamulan… I can see our patronage of food and goods. I hope that our merriment may result in the rise of our economy, in business, tourism, and others,” he said in his remarks, made after the presentation of the contingents in the elementary category of the drum and lyre competitions.
Vice Gov. Clive D. Quiño thanked other officials and organizers for the staging of Kaamulan 2023 and offered thanks to God for stopping the pandemic and allowing the celebration.
He said the people of Bukidnon, like the seven tribes, are strongly united, understanding, and loving, which to him is the “spirit of Kaamulan.”
Earlier, Roque and Quiño led local and regional officials in the ribbon-cutting, which was done after the pamukalag, a traditional ritual led by baylans (shamans) and elders of the province’s seven tribes.
According to a briefing kit provided to the media, the pamukalag is a pangabli, or an opening ritual, which is traditionally done before any tribal activity is started. The ritual is done as a pangampo or an offering of aspirations and prayers to keep the Kaamulan activities away from accidents and other untoward incidents and for peace and order to prevail instead.
The shamans offered a pig and seven chickens of different colors in the ritual, the chickens symbolizing the seven tribes.
Datu Bagani Arbie S. Llesis, the indigenous peoples mandatory representative to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, said he is hoping for the passage of the IP Code in the province to ensure a budget for the IPs.
He said that since Bukidnon is now a “shared territory” of Lumad and non-Lumad, the IPs should be included in the province’s development.
He recounted the time when it was the Lumad who accommodated and helped the settlers when they arrived in Bukidnon.
He said it may be high time for the settlers to “return the love back to the IPs.”
”Gagaw (love in Binukid) is the spirit of Kaamulan,” he added. (MindaNews)
MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 12 May) — Pablo Torre, a Filipino-American sportswriter, drew criticisms for wearing a Sablay from the University of the Philippines even if he himself isn’t a graduate of the country’s premier academic institution.
Graduates of UP in particular must have felt offended that somebody who doesn’t “belong” had the temerity to do such a sacrilegious act. “You’ve got no right, Bro, only us who were welcomed by the Oblation may wear it. Know your place.”
True, the Sablay symbolizes something both abstract and concrete that should be treated as a totem, like a religious relic that deserves the utmost respect.
I have read Mr. Torre’s response to the adverse reactions to what was deemed as an improper use of the Sablay. The guy sounded contrite and apologetic, explaining that he did it simply to honor his father and other family elders who graduated from UP. In other words, he meant no malice and intent to usurp such symbol. That, I think, should put the whole issue to rest.
No, I didn’t write this piece in defense of Mr. Torre; he’s capable of doing that for himself. Rather, I’m both amused and dismayed that many people get easily offended at the slightest hint of “outsiders” encroaching into [their] inviolable spaces, yet appear to be silent when the same offense is done unto others.
In other words, there seems to be a double standard, hypocrisy even, in this regard.
Let me cite as an example the practice of appropriating cultural symbols belonging to the Lumad or indigenous peoples of Mindanao. This is prevalent during festivals and other public functions where government officials and dignitaries wear ethnic attire either on their own desire to do so or at the egging of event managers. For the men, it would include headdresses for tribal chieftains or datu.
Having worked and interacted with Lumad communities for over 30 years now, I know that becoming a datu requires tutelage in the ways of the tribe since youth, community acceptance, leadership qualities, and a series of rituals to ask for blessings and wisdom from spirits they believe influence the course of human affairs. The headdress (tangkulo) is a symbol of sacred authority, not just a piece of aesthetic item, and it can only be worn by those who have fulfilled these requirements.
Members of the UP community maintain, and rightly so, that the Sablay should only be worn during academic events, and only by them.
Now, who will speak in behalf of the Lumad whose sacred cultural symbols are often bastardized and commercialized, all in the name of — of all things — culture? They may be largely silent about it, but it doesn’t mean no offense was committed.
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. H. Marcos C. Mordeno can be reached at hmcmordeno@gmail.com.)
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Datu Bulubagyo Carlos Otacan, Municipal Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative to the town council of Esperanza, Agusan del Sur (speaking) says the tribal councils of Higanonon, Banwaon, and Manobo communities will pass a resolution declaring vlogger Ike Rubio Gavileno as persona non grata in their town. Photo courtesy of Municipal Information Office of Esperanza
ESPERANZA, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 25 May) – Lumad leaders and local officials of this town are planning to lodge a cyber libel complaint against a vlogger for accusing them of being involved in illegal drugs, among other allegations.
The vlogger aired his live commentaries against Mayor Deo Manpatilan Jr, tribal leaders, and officials of two villages on his Facebook accounts using the names “Ike Gavelino” and “Gavelino E. Rubio.”
Gavileno, who claimed to be a resident of Quezon City and the leader of a group he called United Indigenous Peoples of LuzViMinda (short for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao), accused Manpatilan of not helping the poor Lumad in his town, maintaining a private army, involvement in illegal drugs, and of supporting the communist-led New People’s Army (NPA).
He also accused Piglawigan village chieftain Nilo Guillarte of selling lands he (Gavileno) claimed belong to the Wayoy Clan as ancestral lands, bringing along heavily-armed bodyguards to harass clan members living in their community, and as an NPA supporter.
He added that leaders in neighboring Lumad communities were in cahoots with Manpatilan and Guillarte.
Responding to a direct message from MindaNews on Facebook, the vlogger said his real name is
Ike Rubio Gavileno and claimed he belongs to the Sugbuwanon Hiligaynon tribe.
Sugbuwanon refers to a resident of Cebu (old name Sugbu) while Hiligaynon is a variant of the language spoken by Ilongos.
Gavileno did not answer when asked if he could substantiate his allegations, and has deleted his Ike Gavileno account.
The officials have downloaded the videos containing Gavileno’s accusations and showed them during the press conference.
Teddy Manpatilan, head of the tribal affairs unit at the mayor’s office, said in a press conference Wednesday that they are contemplating filing a cyber libel complaint against the vlogger after finding out his real identity.
Teddy refuted the vlogger’s claims that the local government and indigenous people’s councils do not have an Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development Protection Plan (ADSDPP) saying the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title No. 255 covering 20 villages in Esperanza had already formulated it.
For his part, Guillarte denied harassing Wayoy clan members to grab their lands. He said their village already had residents who owned farmlands with legal titles before the passage of Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997.
Datu Kampilan Floro Engag, a Higaonon tribal chieftain of Langag village has clarified there were already 55 land titles issued by the government in 1955, long before the Wayoy Clan started to claim their ancestral lands.
Datu Kahusay Milbert Agosto, a leader of the Wayoy Clan, said “Mr. Ike” came in 2020 urging them to claim their ancestral lands but later learned he was driven by personal interest.
“I am disgusted to watch him doing all the false tirades against the mayor and many other leaders,” Agosto said.
Erwin Dumaguing, a former Army soldier said the mayor’s father, former mayor Datu Mankombate Deo Manpatilan Sr, worked out the enlistment of at least 44 Higaonon warriors into the Army to fight the communist rebels.
From 2004 to 2010, Dumauing was a team leader of the military’s Task Force Salakawan tasked to neutralize NPA rebels in all Higaonon villages of Esperanza.
Randy Manpatilan, another staffer at the tribal affairs unit, said the Manpatilan clan has been staunch anti-communist advocates that mayor Datu Mansaulog Lavi Manpatilan was gunned down by NPA hitmen while attending a wedding at a Catholic chapel in Butuan City in the 1980s. (Chris V. Panganiban/MindaNews)
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Screenshot of Ako Agusanon FB page taken on Friday (June 16, 2023).
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 16 June) — A mining company said it is closely monitoring a social media account said to be spreading “fake news” to besmirch the reputation of its top executive.
In a statement, the Philsaga Mining Corp. Public Information Office said it already reported to the Philippine National Police Cybercrime Division and the National Bureau of Investigation the names involved in the Facebook account that was spreading false information against PMC president lawyer Raul C. Villanueva.
“They are all reported and we will file charges against them. This will qualify as a cyberlibel violation. Not only those who posted it but those who joined the fray,” the statement said.
It said it has traced the names of owner of the Facebook page “Ako Agusanon” but added they are withholding them pending an investigation by intelligence operatives.
“We are considering to file copyright complaint against them for using video footage during the solidarity movement without permission. However, we are not worried about the comments on their posts since it appears that these were dummy accounts or trolls just to boost their engagements,” the statement said.
It said the solidarity movement refers to the expression of support on April 3 this year staged by the different Manobo Lumad communities holding Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title No. 136 to the Philsaga Employees Labor Union, which is supporting Villanueva.
PMC has been rocked by a controversy owing to claims by one Joseph Mahusay that he has replaced Villanueva as company president as the latter has sold his 125,000 shares of stock.
Mahusay is the barangay chairman of Pansol in Quezon City and the security escort of Jeff McGlinn, managing director of X64, the Australian partner of PMC, whenever the latter would visit the country
But Villanueva said he never sold his stocks and that these are still in his name.
Early this year, PMC severed ties with X64 after McGlinn and its Hong Kong trading partner Komo Diti failed to remit some USD 4.8 million for the PMC share, depriving CADT 136 of royalties as the site of the firm’s mining operations.
McGlinn set up his own set of board of directors still using PMC’s corporate name with Mahusay as the new president.
The PMC statement asked the public not to believe reports published in national broadsheets over the past few weeks referring to Mahusay as the new president.
In a related development, Rep. Adolph Edward Plaza of Agusan del Sur 2nd District has categorically denied he has recognized Mahusay as the new PMC president.
The lawmaker’s denial came in the wake of a report published in a newspaper based in Cagayan de Oro City that Mahusay visited Plaza in his congressional office in Quezon City to inform him that he is the new PMC president and that the latter supported him.
Part of the report said: “Mahusay’s designation as the newest president of PMC was affirmed by Congressman Plaza, Representative of District II in the Province of Agusan del Sur, ensuring that all government offices are made aware of the management change.
In the same news report, Mahusay quoted Plaza as saying, “As legitimate president of PMC, I want to emphasize unequivocally that I wholeheartedly support the current board and their efforts to date. They have demonstrated unwavering dedication and have proven themselves to be competent and trustworthy custodians of our company’s interests.
The online news report was no longer accessible as of Wednesday morning.
Plaza, whose district covers PMC’s mining site, denied Mahusay’s claim and told Villanueva through a Viber message that he instead told Mahusay that he would not interfere in what has now become a legal issue.
“He just laughed off that his name was dragged in Mahusay’s claims,” Villanueva told reporters in a live Zoom interview on Tuesday.
Villanueva showed the screenshot of their conversation through a Facebook Messenger group chat.
He said Plaza would not mind if the Viber chat would be used as proof of the conversation because he wanted to detach himself from the impending legal battle. (Chris V. Panganiban/MindaNews)
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Maranao men pull on the rope during the “Usuroy” (tug-of-war) contest of the Dula Kadayawan at the People’s Park in Davao City on Thursday, 17 August 2023. MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 18 August) — The eyes of Ata couple Josephine and Dodong Macla light up every time they catch a glimpse of their tribemates on one of the giant screens at Davao City’s People’s Park. It is approaching the weekend of the annual Kadayawan Festival in this city.
“It’s like the Olympics,” Josephine says, holding her Android phone in one hand and her other hand cupping her elbow. Indeed, it is, as they are watching 11 tribes play friendly tribal games at the annual Dula Kadayawan on Thursday. The couple is seated at another part of the park and have a front row view of the games being livestreamed by city government employees.
The Dula Kadayawan gathers representatives from the city’s 11 tribes, playing games from both Lumad and Moro inclinations.
Josephine explains her favorite dula, the sisibow, a game reminiscent of lowlander siatong. In this game, a pair of players, usually a boy and a girl, take turns throwing bamboo sticks at another pile of bamboo. The pile comprises sticks leaning on one another, and whoever topples the pile “wins” the game.
“We won second place,” Josephine says, half-distracted by all the festivities around the already busy park that once served thousands of vaccinees during the pandemic.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.A Matigsalug prepares to shoot an arrow during the Dula Kadayawan at the People’s Park in Davao City on Thursday, 17 August 2023. MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO
The other games are as fascinating as sisibow. These include bibinayo (a team rice pounding competition) bubuntug (spear-throwing), kakasing (a home-made spinning top competition, kanggarotaya (a Moro version of tug of war), karang (stilt race), pana (bow and arrow competition), siklot (a cassava stalk balancing competition), sipa sa lama (a graceful and ceremonial version of ‘takyan’), sipa sa mangis (where players kick a ball towards a suspended basket that drops points when hit), solopot (a blowgun competition), sosakaro (water fetching), totaringki (fire-making), sasalisid, and usuroy.
In pana, boys test their prowess in using bow and arrow, while in sasalilid they must spear a wooden target rolled downrange.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Lumads perform traditional dance before the start of the Dula Kadayawan at the People’s Park in Davao City on Thursday, 17 August 2023. MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO
Easier travel
Josephine is 27, and Dodong is 43. They have been living together for six years, and in recent years the travel downtown has been easier compared to when they weren’t married yet.
There used to be a time when people from Paquibato had to travel as long as 10 hours total to get to places like Davao City.
According to Ata Tribe Coordinator Roel Arthur Ali, travel is much easier now, with roads leading to and from a far-flung area once known to be teeming with insurgency only taking around three to four hours.
“Before the roads, we used to travel at least three hours on vehicles,” Ali says. The rest of the way, he says, consisted of four-hour walks, with some of the places like Macla’s Barangay Pañalum once inaccessible by basic government services.
Before the roads, if someone from the tribes happened to be in a medical emergency, Ali said that that would be it for that patient, as transport would take too long.
Paquibato is now a three- to four-hour road trip, which is relatively short, according to Dodong. To get to their portion of Paquibato, visitors have to pass through Panabo, hire an ‘Ongbak,’ tricycle at 100 pesos per head or 500 pesos if you want the trip to yourself. “If you’re a reckless driver, you can now make Paquibato in two hours!” he jokes.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.A lumad throws a spear during the “Bubuntug” contest (spear throwing) of the Dula Kadayawan at the People’s Park in Davao City on Thursday, 17 August 2023. MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO
Preserving cultural heritage
Back home, their communities in the upland struggle not only with basic social services but also with the preservation of cultural practices.
Volunteers help in the preservation of their customs among younger members of the community, in community level learning institutions called the Panoloan, locally translated as “learning spaces.” It is here that younger Ata keep the knowledge of their heritage alive, through lessons and sharings by volunteers and elders.
According to Roel, it is important to preserve what he calls, in English, their “legacy of culture.” And the way Roel sees it, the games are part of this.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Lumads pound rice during the “Bibinayo” contest of the Dula Kadayawan at the People’s Park in Davao City on Thursday, 17 August 2023. MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO
Dodong says that each tribe has a version of the games being played during the annual sportsfest. In their communities, the different indigenous groups engage in friendly sport once in a while, even in this age where children are spending more time online.
For their part, the couple isn’t a stranger to digital connectivity, however limited. They say that their area has internet access, but it’s limited only to one of the networks, while the others are still trying to come in.
In terms of cultural heritage, the burden is shared among a group of leaders called the Lolopongan Topogoyan to Ingon, whose council provides counsel in terms of settling disputes, traditions, and other cultural topics.
The council of leaders provides each community with the guidance it needs to approach development, while also preserving their own heritage.
Roel says he is seeing the direct effects of the development in their area. He cites the impact of road networks and nearer facilities such as the Paquibato District Hospital. At some point, the teachers who were assigned to Paquibato would have to travel from Davao City by Monday dawn to get to their communities for a day or two of teaching, before they would come back downtown.
Because of the relative improvements, the teachers could now make their way back and forth, from two days a week to five now.
“These are small things but we appreciate the effects on our community,” Roel says.
Bagobo Klata tribe rules the games
According to the City Information Office, the Bagobo-Klata won seven of the 11 games, namely sisibow, kakasing, sosaroko, bibinayo, totaringki, solopot, and siklot. The tribe dominated the games for the sixth year.
The Matigsalug tribe came in second place after winning the pana contest (arrow shooting), bubuntug or bamboo spear throwing, and usuroy or tug-of-war.
The Bagobo-Tagabawa won the sisibow (boys), Obu-Manuvu clinched the major prize for the karang, and the Ata emerged as runner-up. Meanwhile, the Kagan tribe became the overall winner in the Moro games after winning three events – kagkingking (one-legged race) which is a newly introduced game, kanggarotaya, and sipa sa manggis (ball kicking game with the aim to hit suspended boxes).
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.A young lumad races on wooden stilts during the “Karang” contest of the Dula Kadayawan at the People’s Park in Davao City on Thursday, 17 August 2023. MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO
The Iranun tribe won second place after winning the also newly introduced Moro game, the kakokor or coconut wringing and milking contest and sipa sa lama- a game similar to takyan but with more grace and ceremony. The Maranao tribe clinched the third spot after they won the kambaebae- the Moro version of Maria went to town.The winners received medals and cash prizes.
For Josephine, Dodong, and Roel, even if their tribe did not clinch the overall title, they see the games as a way for them to show others in the city their culture. Places like Pañalum and Tapak were so isolated in the past four years that the pace of the pandemic did not bother these areas. Panalum is closer to Panabo, while Tapak is nearer to the borders of Bukidnon.
And for the couple, it is the first of a few times they feel being seen by their downtown counterparts. After all, they are Dabawenyos, too. (Yas D. Ocampo/MindaNews)
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Lumads aim at their targets during the “Sisibow” contest (similar to the Filipino “siatong”) of the Dula Kadayawan at the People’s Park in Davao City on Thursday, 17 August 2023. MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Vice President Sara Z. Duterte shares with the audience of the Peace Village Exhibit on Monday her encounters with rebel leader Leoncio “Kumander Parago” Pitao, and how the casualties of rebellion in Davao City have cemented her hatred for the New People’s Army. MindaNews photo by YAS D. OCAMPO
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 12 September) – Vice President Sara Duterte turned the Peace Village Exhibit held Monday in Davao City into an occasion to hit back at a legislator and other unnamed critics who questioned the inclusion of confidential funds in the 2024 budget for the Office of the Vice President as well as for the Department of Education where she serves as Secretary.
The exhibit, timed for the National Peace Consciousness Month, aims to showcase the gains of Peace 911, the city government’s peacebuilding program.
In her keynote speech, Duterte acknowledged the exhibit as the culmination of the decades-long fight against communist insurgency in Davao City, particularly in Paquibato, Calinan, and Marilog Districts.
She said the event marked the end of the local government’s campaign against the New People’s Army.
In the same speech, however, she called ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro as one of the few “terrorists” allegedly peddling lies against her office.
Castro and other leaders of the minority from both chambers of Congress had challenged the necessity of the confidential funds for the OVP and DepEd.
Castro also said the 2022 OVP budget had no confidential funds among its line items, but that Duterte, after assuming the office in June 2022, obtained P125 million confidential funds.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, shown in tech monitor, calls critics of her confidential funds terrorists during a Peace Village Exhibit held at the ground floor of the SM City Davao Annex in Davao City on Monday, 11 Sept. MindaNews photo by YAS D. OCAMPO
Duterte dismissed Castro’s attacks as unsubstantiated and a futile defense against the OVP’s efforts to link Castro’s group with the NPA.
The vice president said that between them Castro is more dangerous, citing that the latter was charged with kidnapping and human trafficking.
Duterte was alluding to the cases filed against Castro, former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, and 16 other individuals who, during a National Solidarity Mission, transported 14 minors on 28 November 2018 from Talaingod, Davao del Norte to “rescue” them from harassment by the paramilitary group Alamara and the military.
The minors were students of the Salugpongan Community Learning Center, a school for Lumads that the military accused as a communist front.
The parents of the minors denied their children were kidnapped by the National Solidarity Mission. They said they had to leave Talaingod because the threats were “no longer bearable and became relentless. They have to leave for their safety.” (Miah Christine Bontilao/MindaNews)
Film Review: Killers of the Flower Moon Directed by: Martin Scorsese Written by: Martin Scorsese and Eric Roth based on a book by David Grann Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert de Niro and many others Currently showing nationwide in cinemas.
I rarely review Hollywood films as I would rather champion our own Pinoy movies, especially those of Mindanawon filmmakers. However, the plot of this remarkable film—that combines elements of the Western, crime and drama film genres as to constitute an epic of a film—echoes very similar narratives to what have happened to the Lumad or our indigenous peoples that it is worth helping to popularize it, so there can be more viewers of this film.
While the events narrated in this riveting film took place in the 1920s impacting on the life of the Osage Native Americans living in the Osage County in Oklahoma, USA, parallel events are taking place in parts of Mindanao today. The only difference are the mineral resources found in the indigenous territories, the characters who constitute the villains of the story, the manner of the killings and the role of the law enforcers.
By the end of this film, justice was finally served as the culprits all ended up in jail and the killings temporarily ended. However, in the case of the injustices committed against our own Lumad communities, the eventuality that justice can be served is as impossible to attain as the ability of our State apparatus to end corruption and the reign of impunity. The other reality is that the agency tasked to protect the interests of our Lumad communities—the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP)—has been inutile in fulfilling its mandate.
To watch Killers, one has be patient to sit through more than three hours. Scorsese had no choice for there are many angles of the narrative that need to be seen on screen. There is the historical backdrop of how the white European-descended Americans occupied Native American territories, the discovery of oil (Oklahoma’s black gold), the change in the people’s lifestyle as they accumulated wealth, the tragic murders committed against the Osage nation, how the local powers-that-be were in collusion to stop any investigation of the murders and lastly—the driving force of the film—the marriage between a white American veteran and the Osage heiress of oil fortune. All of these were based on true events historically documented which David Grann incorporated into his novel.
Perhaps the producers should have considered doing a teleserye with at least a dozen episodes! However, this is a kind of film that should be seen on the wide screen inside a cinema. If viewed only with the computer or TV screen, it loses a lot of the power of the story-telling. Scorsese moves from presenting a wide screen view of the beauty of the landscape to intimate bedroom scenes. The film is book-ended with the meaningful rituals of the Osage nation, presented with deep respect and made possible by the filmmakers entering into a collaboration with the Osage elders.
The first one is a somber scene where the elders bury a ceremonial pipe, manifesting how they mourned the assimilation of their descendants into white American society. In a number of scenes, the elders lamented how they had earlier moved from another location and relocated to Oklahoma only to be pushed out again from their ancestral land. And that in the process they lost their warrior tradition and felt helpless to resist those who oppressed them. At the end of the film, there is a community ritual where through chanting and dancing, the Osage people celebrated the end of the killings. This is of course just a temporary respite, because we know that until today, the native Americans in the US continue to face discrimination from the white majority.
This film, produced at a whopping budget of USD 200 million, can only be described as having a series of sumptuous scenes. A whole town was built as a set for the film production right in a location in Oklahoma where a train would bring new migrants seeking jobs. A scene showing the arrival of all these migrants gave the film its majestic swept further heightened by the scene of the hundreds of oil towers arising out of the landscape. There are scenes of parades, a car chase, street dancing and so many other eye-popping scenes but which stay on the screen only a matter of minutes. Special attention given by the cinematographer is the burning of the ranch of Kale showing metaphorically the burning of the entire Osage nation.
A focus of the film is the mistreatment of the aboriginal people in what became the U.S.A. as viewed from the lens of one family among the Osage nation. This was the family of Mollie Kyle (played by Lily Gladstone) who owned the richest plot where oil was found. A wealthy rancher, William K. Hale (played by the outstanding actor Robert de Niro playing a villainous role), schemed to cash in on the Kyle’s oil headrights and life insurance policies.
Thus, he planned to find a way to eliminate all the members of Mollie’s family through various ways from poisoning to shooting them dead to dynamiting their homes. His plan to take over the Kyle family’s wealth was to have his nephew, Ernest Burkhart (a role that could bring another Oscar to Leonardo diCaprio), get married to Mollie. Eventually Hale and Ernest also schemed to kill Mollie by poisoning her, so that all the money then goes to Ernest and eventually to Hale. Suspecting foul play, Mollie found her way to Washington, D.C. to seek help to investigate the murders and eventually a group of FBI agents arrived in the scene to look into the crimes.
There are various scenes that help the viewer understand the repercussions of the white people’s colonization of the native Americans’ lands. Alienated from their land and culture, many of them were drawn to drinking and with the availability of moonshine, they began to be labelled by the whites as drunkards, a label that has persisted until today. There are repercussions in the intermarriages between white males and Osage women, including husbands killing their wives to secure their wealth. The gun culture of the Americans—typical of a Western film—is clearly profiled which has persisted until today resulting in the shooting of pupils in schools.
This film has been positively reviewed as a masterpiece by some film critics. A profile of Scorsese recently appeared in Time magazine, to pay homage to this great filmmaker as his recent film was released. Indeed, there has been no dearth in the favorable reviews that have appeared in media since the film was first shown in the Cannes festival and especially after its release. All aspects of the film—from the acting to the cinematography to the music—shows Scorsese at his best (not surprising for a director with a string of Oscar-nominated films, including Raging Bull, Mean Streets, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas).
But more than the pleasure of watching a truly excellent, engaging film—which serves as an antidote to all the Marvel films which unfortunately are the current blockbusters—watch Killers to understand the historical connection between how the white Americans treated indigenous peoples like the Osage nation and how the American colonizers in the country dealt with our own katutubo/Lumad.
When the Americans illegally took over the control of the archipelago (its only basis of occupation was the 1896 Treaty of Paris), continuing the Spanish colonial agenda, they did not recognize the rights of the Moro and the Lumad to their ancestral domain. The 1935 Constitution passed during the American regime recognized only private (with land titles) and public lands which belonged to the State. Henceforth the IP peoples remained powerless in securing titles of their ancestral land. This was supposed to change in 1997 with the passage of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act. However, this law has not led to the emancipation of the IPs because of the loopholes in the law and the incapacity of the NCIP to fully live up to its mandate.
Meanwhile, the Americans allowed the entry of American corporations to take over vast tracts of land (at least 1,024 hectares) to set up plantations in many areas in Mindanao leading to the presence of plantations engaged in agri-business. And until today these plantations continue to expand further pushing Lumad communities out of their ancestral land. And they also encouraged mining companies to begin explorations leading to the setting up of the mining industry in this country. With the passage of the 1995 Mining Law, there has been no end to the aggressive drive of mining firms to take over vast tracts of land from Zamboanga to Cotabato to Surigao.
Where greedy corporate firms decide to take over vast of lands—by hook or by crook and unfortunately there are many crooks in government just willing to assist them—the eruption of violence follows. First there are harassments to push the IPs out of their lands. As they resist to protect their land rights, reports after reports indicate many of their leaders arrested, shackled in prisons and eventually summarily killed. Until today, the killings have persisted.
And we all know who are the actual killers, namely, the corporate firms’ armed guards, the abusive military and their para-military troops (including some IP leaders who have been won over through various means to support the military’s anti-insurgency campaigns in Lumad territories). But we also know who are ultimately the ones who order these killings, namely, those corporate honchos in Makati and their foreign counterparts! As shown in Killers, greed can be such an all-consuming drive for the rich that they have no qualms murdering those who stand in their way!
Who among our filmmakers—attention Joel Lamangan, Brillante Mendoza, Lav Diaz, Sheron Dayoc, Arnel Mardoquio, et al. —might make a film parallel to what Scorsese did with Killers? Who among our producers are willing to bankroll such a film with the possibility that everyone involved in the film could be red-tagged? And is there an audience for such a film when our movie audience prefer the slapstick films of Vice Ganda, the action films of Coco Martin and the teen-age flicks of our rising stars?
At least for now, we can be thankful that there is a Hollywood film that can mirror our own tragic history of how the Lumads have been treated for centuries already. One can only hope more Filipinos can watch this film and make a direct connection to the reality faced by our own indigenous people today. The month of October is supposed to be the month when we pay close attention to the situation of the IPs and find ways how we can be in solidarity with them to fight for their human and land rights!
In a statement released by the Episcopal Commission for Indigenous Peoples (ECIP) in observance of the 46th Indigenous People’s Sunday on October 8, the commission emphasized several critical issues and concerns related to IPs in the Philippines, and advocates for the recognition of indigenous communities’ rights to their ancestral lands and domains, considering it an essential aspect of their self-determination and cultural preservation.
In 1992, when Rigoberta Menchu Tum—a member of the K’iche’ tribe of Guatemala—received the Nobel Peace Prize, she spoke these words as part of her acceptance speech: “Our history is a living history, that has throbbed, withstood and survived many centuries of sacrifice. Now it comes forward again with strength. The seeds, dormant for such a long time, break out today with some uncertainty, although they germinate in a world that is at present characterized by confusion and uncertainty.”
Let us all take part in living out this history!
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Redemptorist Brother Karl Gaspar is Mindanao’s most prolific book author. Gaspar is also a Datu Bago 2018 awardee, the highest honor the Davao City government bestows on its constituents. He is presently based in Cebu City).
