Cordillera Day 2010

By Fr. Rex Reyes Jr.
Secretary-General
National Council of Churches in the Philippines

Cordillera Day has a face — the face of Macliing Dulag. In his time Macliing Dulag personified the resistance of the lgorots to the Philippines systematic destruction of the forests and rivers of the Cordilleras in name of profit and development and without regard to the welfare of the Igorots and the ecological consequences of such destruction.

The resistance was not for resistance's sake. It was neither a resistance against development nor progress. It was a principled stand in favor of a development process that favors the empowerment of marginalized communities in this country. It was in favor of respecting the rights of indigenous peoples enabling them to be conscious of those rights, and giving them the opportunity to responsibly exercise those rights of citizens of this republic.

Deep in the consciousness of indigenous peoples is the reverence for the land and all that is in it and upon it. "Land is life!" is not a mere slogan. It is an affirmation of the unmistakeable relationship among human beings and between human beings and the land. It also affirms that the land and its resources are to be used with a deep sense of responsibility for the welfare of future generations. Thus, land and its resources cannot be seen mainly from a commercial perspective.

Today, the political structure of our country wantonly and continuously abandons this reverence for land and resources. In insisting that globalization and foreign investments are the way to economic progress, our government has acquiesced to the impositions of foreign business thereby compromising seriously the posterity of this country. Globalization stymies local industry as local production is no match to the mass production of other countries. We need only to see what is happening to the vegetable industry in the Cordilleras. The present dispensation hos gained notoriety for foreign investments that have become avenues for corruption.

Cordillera Day is all about change for the better and that includes systematic change in government. Cordillera Day is a time to send the message to the powers-that- be that we, the indigenous people and the rest of the people of this country deserve better. For too long we have suffered deceit and marginalization. For too long, promises of politicians have remained promises. We deserve a government which does not allow its people to work abroad under harsh conditions. We deserve a government that places premium and with clear platforms on education, health, agrarian reform, housing, decent wages and the rights of indigenous peoples!

We deserve a government that does not label principled dissent as terrorism, engage in extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances! We deserve a government that goes for principled peace process to resolve the long civil strife that has claimed the lives of women, children and foot—soldiers! We deserve a governmenf that is not corrupt!

We cannot leave the future of this country to politicians alone, much less to politicians who are accountable only to themselves, their families and their friends.

Cordillera Day is all about celebration. It is a celebration of the hope that is now turning to reality. The efforts of those before us to make us proud of who we are is something to celebrate. Their untiring labor to bring about critical thinking and vigilance among us is something to celebrate. The emergence of a new breed of principled politicians and credible party list groups is something to celebrate. Principled and credible because they serve the people and have been maligned and vilified for doing so.

Cordillera Day has a face — it is the face of every Igorot who loves peace and justice, freedom and abundant life for all. It is the face of every Igorot who resists those who would trade our birthrights for a pair of shoes. It is the face of every Igorot very much concerned with the welfare of future generations and who is not afraid to declare: "WE ARE THE STEWARDS OF THE LAND!"

From the National Council of Churches in The Philippines, accept our warm greetings and solidarity!

Padi Rex RB Reyes, Jr.
Sangguniang Pambansa ng mga Simbahan sa Pilipinas/
National Council of Churches in the Philippines

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Cordillera Day gathers 5 Thousand

Cordillera Day was held April 23-25, with groups from various sectors gathering in five places of the Cordillera.

In Mountain Province, delegations from people’s organizations gathered in barangay Ankileng, Sagada, as one of five simultaneous and decentralized celebrations of the momentous event.

More of this in Northern Dispatch

Thanks to Patrick Pooten for the photos. The group photo shows some members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers and QC Public School Teachers Association who joined the event in Ankileng.

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Who informs who on regional autonomy

SAGADA, MOUNTAIN
PROVINCE- This time, with
NEDA Director and Regional Development Council (RDC) Chairman Juan Ngalob as special guest during the Cordillera Day held here at barangay Suyo, both the militant Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) and the government sing a happy tune as they join hands to celebrate the momentous event.

RDC conducted an information-education campaign on regional autonomy with the Movement for the Advancement of Inter-Tribal Unity and Democracy (MAITUD), an organizational member of CPA last April 23. MAITUD is an organization of elders in Mountain Province.

Kind of interesting. RDC informing the elders about what is regional autonomy or is it the other way around?

CPA and some MAITUD members including Fr Edwardo Solang, one of the CPA pioneers of regional autonomy in the 1980s, were in the forefront pursuing Cordillera autonomy in the halls of Malacanang. Eventually, the Cordillera social activists’ moves gave way to the inclusion of regional autonomy for Cordillera and Mindanao in the 1987 Constitution.

As it is, the Cordillera Day held here in the village of Suyo was attended by Fr Solang also a former Mountain Province board member, and MAITUD elders Peczon and Nelson Yocogan who graced the occasion during the MAITUD –RDC session on regional autonomy. MAITUD officer and Suyo barangay captain/ ABC Chair Jaime Tigan-o Dogao delivered his message commemorating the event. Other special guests also included Sagada mayor Eduardo Latawan aside from RDC Chair Juan Ngalob.
Cordillera Day now is being separately celebrated per province of the Cordillera with discussions of similar related issues on human rights violations, environment and agricultural liberalization.

Back to the question. Who will do the teaching this time? Is it RDC? Is there something new that CPA or MAITUD has to learn from RDC about regional autonomy? For the past two plebiscites on regional autonomy held in 1990 and 1998, CPA opted to stand in the sidelights and maintained a critical stand. The RDC-led campaign now implies that CPA or MAITUD has to learn something new, or wants to get in the government’s version of what it initially did not support.

Or is RDC going to be the one to be enlightened about what is regional autonomy?

We see the government through RDC and the CPA through MAITUD, forging a reconciliatory position on how to go about the government ‘s version of regional autonomy.

Whatever way, the drive for regional autonomy will be a plus factor in favor of the government with RDC being favorably welcome in the 25th celebration of the militant Cordillera Day held by the Cordillera People’s Alliance.
***

With the P15 million autonomy fund not having been approved by the Senate for the General Appropriations Act (GAA) 2009, yet earlier passed by the House of Representatives, we see the drive for autonomy in the dark. Yet, Ngalob is hopeful to wait for the finalization of the 2009 budget. If the Senate did not approve it, chances are, it will have a hard time getting some approval in the final 2009 budget.

And to wait apparently, is an endless wait which seemingly ends in a nowhere result of which might be. And so obviously, the practical way is to realign the savings in RDC’s 2008 budget, otherwise, the information campaign for regional autonomy gets stalled.

Which will however set a precedent that realignment of funds can be done again next year and budget allocation for advocacy of autonomy will not be a ready act of the Senate or the President.

And so the best way is to lobby for the funds to be specially allocated, much more so that the move for regional autonomy is constitutional anyway.

Which brings us back to the question of how the initial P15 million educational funds for autonomy were spent. It would be good if RDC Chair Ngalob come out with a statement how the initial P15 million was spent. This way, the public will be enlightened of how autonomy funds are being spent and the public may come out with better ways to advocate autonomy than how the government -led advocacy is being done.

Reprinted from Northern Philippine Times

Note: As I write this post, I am thankful to Patrick Pooten, principal of Ankileng National High School, and also a former and still a social activist for Cordillera rights and welfare, for providing the photos here which set basis for me to write the above. From right in the first above photo, is Sagada Mayor Eduardo Latawan, ABC Chair and Suyo barangay Captain Jaime Tigan-o Dogao, RDC Chair Juan Ngalob, MAITUD elders Fr Eduardo Solang, Lakay Peczon and Nelson Yocogan. The other photo shows a cultural number called Manbabanog meaning eagle dance in Bukidnon.

MORE LINKS

Advisory for Cordillera Day 2009

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