SAN FABIAN, Pangasinan – Christmas came early for an employee of the Cordillera office of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP-CAR), Miss Lilibeth Chapap of Mountain Province who won first place on the NCIP Hymn writing contest in celebration of the IP month last October 2017.
Ms. Chapap’s colleagues broke the news to her during the NCIP-CAR year-end assessment in San Fabian, Pangasinan after NCIP Commission en banc evaluated 8 entries from the different NCIP offices nationwide.
Surprised by the results, Chapap serenaded her fellow employees as the latter cheered her on. “I was not really expecting to win. I was not expecting anything. I was merely motivated during that time to compose something that reflects the mandate of the NCIP and mirroring the hardships of the employees yet forging advocacy for the Indigenous Peoples,” said Chapap before her fellow NCIP CAR Employees.
NCIP Regional Director Atty. Roland Calde lauded Chapap at the same time challenged his fellow NCIP-CAR employees to also draw motivation from community from which they are servicing and to further immerse themselves among the indigenous peoples. “We hope to see fellow IPs singing and dancing the hymn that was composed by Chapap, especially the people who Chapap extracted her inspiration from – the IP community of Bauko Mt, Province,” said Calde.
Chapap is known in the community of Bauko as a song composer where she writes songs in the local IP dialect depicting their daily lives, from love, daily chores, work to their plights as IPs. She have managed to record and compile her songs into an album. “This was my first time writing an English song because I am fond of writing songs in the local language.”
Chapap is now considering writing more songs in English for a wider audience, but more importantly according to her, “to raise the awareness on the stories of the IPs in the community with the rest of the people.”
“This is indeed an early Christmas gift not only for me but for the entire indigenous peoples, particularly for those in Cordillera,” Chapap added.
It will be recalled that the NCIP hymn contest was part of the Multilevel Arts Competition conducted by the NCIP Central Office in celebration of the annually-celebrated IP month open to all who willing to join. However, the entry of Chapap reached the NCIP Regional Office representing the CAR in the national competition.
Among the winners at the national level who happen to be Cordillerans also were, Christina Lida of Baguio City National High School and Kristian Ivan Pacursa of Abra. They place 2nd and 3rd respectively on the poster and photography contests. The results of the painting and photography contest came in the early weeks of December.
By Rocky Ngalob
