October is Indigenous Peoples Month, and the Cordillera Region, the only IP-dominated region in the country, has a series of activities lined up for this year’s celebration with the theme “IPs’ Empowerment towards Peace, Unity and Development”.
NCIP-CAR Director Roland Calde, during the Kapihan on the State of Regional Development held on Sept. 27, 2016, invited everyone to be part of this very important celebration coordinated by the Cordillera Office of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP-CAR).
According to Dir. Calde who is also the Chairman of the RDC Committee on IP Concerns (CIPC), one of the major highlights of the celebration is the Gong Festival which will be held on October 30 at the Baguio Convention Center. The activity will highlight the various cultural practices in CAR’s six provinces and the proper indigenous attires across the region.
The other activities planned are as follows:
| ACTIVITY | DATE | VENUE |
| Kapihan | Oct. 4 | PIA Regional Office, Baguio City |
| Pamana Art Exhibit | Oct. 2-31 | La Azotea, Session Road, Baguio City |
| Regional IP Youth Assembly | Oct. 14-15 | Supreme Hotel, Baguio City |
| Film Showing of six indie films on IPs | Oct. 20-25 | Cinematheque, Casa Vallejo, Baguio City |
| Forum on IPRA, Regional Autonomy and Federalism (for Elders and IPMRs) | Oct. 29 | TBA |
| Forum on IPRA, Regional Autonomy and Federalism (for EAP and other IP students) | October | UB, UC, SLU |
| Launching of “Documentation of Indigenous Forest Resource Management Systems and Practices” | Oct. 29 | c/o DA-CHARMP |
| A Cordillera Perspective on CEDAW | Oct. 28-29 | To be arranged |
| Tree-Planting (by province) | October | Planting sites to be identified |
Activities have also been planned in the region’s provinces and cities. These include:
| PROVINCE/ACTIVITY | DATE | VENUE |
| ABRA | ||
| Tingguian Youth Cultural Festival | Oct. 1-2 | Bangued |
| Training for Teachers on Cultural Sensitivity | Oct. 21-23 | Mayabo, Tubo |
| APAYAO | ||
| IPRA for Teachers at the Tertiary Level | Oct. 5 | Luna |
| IPRA for Teachers at the Elementary Level | Oct. 11 | Pudtol |
| Capability-Building for IPMRs and Elders/Leaders | October | Tuguegarao |
| BENGUET | ||
| Benguet Provincial Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) Stakeholders’ Conference | Oct. 26 | Baguio City |
| IFUGAO | ||
| Education and Advocacy of Elders in Kiangan, Banaue and Mayoyao-Aguinaldo | October (1st week) | Banaue |
| Campus-Based Leadership Training of EAP Org’n. | October | Lamut |
| KALINGA | ||
| Kalinga Outdoor Leadership Academy for EAP Grantees | October | Bulanao, Tabuk City |
| Kalinga Tribal Elders Forum | October | Bulanao, Tabuk City |
| Capability-Building Activity for IPMRs | October | Kalinga |
| MOUNTAIN PROVINCE | ||
| Mountain Province IPMR’s General Assembly Phase 1 | Oct. 17 | SABATA CSC, Tadian |
| Mountain Province IPMR’s General Assembly Phase 2 | Oct. 18 | SABEBOSA CSC, Sagada |
| Mountain Province IPMRs’ General Assembly Phase 3 | Oct. 20 | PANABA CSC, Paracelis |
Aside from participating in the above activities, government and private organizations are also urged to hang the IP Month banner (please download here) in conspicuous areas in their offices, wear Cordillera-accented attires and sing the Cordillera Hymn during office meetings and events.
Signed in 2009, Proclamation No. 1906 declares every October National Indigenous Peoples Month based on the constitutional mandate of recognizing and protecting the rights of indigenous cultural communities. xxx
(28 Sept 2016)
