BAGUIO CITY – National Commission on Indigenous Peoples Cordillera Administrative Region (NCIP-CAR) has lined activities to celebrate the annual observance of Indigenous Peoples’ (IP) month for the whole of October with theme, IPRA @ 20: Empowering Indigenous Peoples Thru the Years.
In this year’s celebration, NCIP looks back to the contributions of the landmark legislation Republic Act 8371 popularly known as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) to the welfare of IPs.
NCIP-Car Regional Director, Atty. Roland Calde gave emphasis in this year’s celebration, “we recall the challenges and hurdles which IPRA went through; from the struggles of our leaders and elders in pushing for IPRA’s ratification in Congress, to the victories it achieved in the Judiciary when it was challenged for its constitutionality.”
According to Calde, we consciously keep hindsight of the pass while we look forward to the future for IPRA serving its true intent and spirit to the IPs. By doing this, Calde stressed the need to empower the IP youth; for they are the ones who will carry on the torch as future administrators and defenders of our IP ancestral land and our rich IP culture.
Most of NCIP-Car’s activities for this IP Month celebration are geared towards IP youth empowerment. “On the 14th of October, NCIP-Car will be conducting an IPRA Script Writing Workshop to be graced by IP youth from all over Car at the BIBAK lot”, said Calde. He added they will be also carrying out a Regional Multi-level Arts Competition for IP students coming from the different provinces of Car in coordination with the DepEd and CHED.
“Students who will be competing in the Multi-level Arts Competition will be representing their respective provinces. And from there, we will be choosing the victors to represent our Region Car in the national level”, said Calde.
More than just a competition, the Multi-level Arts Competition, according to Calde, will mirror our IP youth’s awareness and appreciation of IPRA. “Our participants will be immortalizing IPRA through their art as to how it affected them”, said Calde.
In the Script Writing Workshop, according to Calde, participants will be producing a script that portrays IPRA. “Scripts that will be produced during the three day workshop will form part of NCIP’s Information and Education Campaign (EIC) which will be mounted into a theatre play, to be portrayed by local IP youths before their community in their respective provinces”.
Further, NCIP will also be having Regional Photography Contest. Competitors will also be coming from the different State University and Colleges (SUCs) of Car.
Calde also disclosed that for NCIP employees and non-employee art enthusiast, NCIP will be having the Philippines Indigenous Peoples Ethnography Survey (PIPES) Logo making and the NCIP hymn writing competition. Entries from the PIPES Logo Making and NCIP Hymn competition, according to Calde, will be judge by the NCIP Commission en Banc.
Entries entered in the Regional will be showcased before the public during the IP Month culminating activity on October 30, 2017 at the Baguio PFVR Sports Complex. “The regional celebration for the IP Month will be graced by the different provincial offices and community service centers of NCIP, along with other government line agencies. Our guest speaker would be coming from NCIP Central Office in the person Executive Director, Rogelio Francisco Bantayen”, disclosed by Calde.
“Early this month, provincial celebrations of the IP Month were also conducted by NCIP’s provincial offices along with Local Government Units (LGUs) within their respective area of jurisdiction”, ended Calde.
By Rocky Ngalob
