Baguio Cordi Day focuses on politics of change
3 MIN READ
The celebration of the 29th Cordillera Day (CD) held at the People’s Park attracted people from the different parts of the city and Benguet provinces, National Capital Region, Palawan and Mindanao and even from different countries. With the theme “Assert Our Right to Self Determination and the Politics of Change”, the delegation vowed to participate in all what they can in the people’s movement of the Cordillera in achieving genuine and lasting change for the people and the future generations.
By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net
BAGUIO CITY — Militant peoples organizations and individuals under the banner of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) lead thousands of delegates in resounding the Cordillera people’s resolve to continue the struggle that was started by their ancestors in the defense of the ancestral lands and the right to self-determination.
THE FIGHT CONTINUES. The struggle to defend their land, life and resources from development aggression with the youth taking on the challenge to pick up where their martyrs have fallen. Photo by Noel Godinez
CPA Secretary-General Abigail Anongos in her opening remarks shared to the delegates and visitors during the program the history of the annual commemoration of CD. She narrated how Cordillera pangats (elders) led their respective tribes in protecting their ancestral lands against the development aggressions being committed against them by the collaboration of the big businesses and the government.
She said that 32 years ago, Kalinga elder Dulag Macliing of Butbut Tribe was killed by troopers of the Philippine Army’s 4th division led by Lt. Leotgardo Adalem in front of his house in Bugnay, Tinglayan in Kalinga province. Macliing she said is one in the forefront of the struggle of the Kalinga people and Bontoc of Mountain Province against the Chico River Basin Hydroelectric Dam Project during the time of President Ferdinand Marcos in the 70’s and early 80’s until his death. The project was supposed to be funded by the World Bank and was to be implemented by the National Power Corporation (NPC). The construction of the dam will cause the displacement of around 100,00 of Kalingas and Bontocs living along both sides of the Chico River.
“The death of Macliing did not soften the opposition of the people to the project rather it intensified the struggle of the Cordillera people in the protection of their lands,” Anongos added.
Anongos said that a year after the death of the Kalinga leader, Kalinga-Bontoc Peace Pact Holders held the first Macliing memorial. Since then she said, the death of Macli-ing was commemorated annually. She added that in the year 1985, it was resolved that April 24 of every year will be celebrated as Cordillera Day in honor of all martyrs who fought for the indigenous peoples of the Cordillera region.
According to Anongos, the people of the region like in other parts of the country is suffering from worsening economic crisis. She hit the 4Ps through Conditional Cash Transfer Program (CCT) solution of the administration of President Benigno Aquino III to the poverty as teaching the Filipino poor to be dependent on dole-outs and not really helping to dig deeper into the cause of hunger.
She also mentioned the continuing heavy militarization of Cordillera villages where human rights abuses by the soldiers sprout. She said that in the guise of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) anti-insurgency campaign dubbed as Oplan Bayanihan, Cordillera communities especially those lying within the areas being eyed for mining operations and expansions and other projects and concessions are dotted with military detachments. She cited the extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances that victimized leaders and members of peoples organization advocating for the respect of ancestral land rights and other human rights.
Anongos said that the Cordillera people suffers from government neglect. She blasted the irresponsibility of government officials in the region playing deaf ears to the needs of their constituents.
She said that the Cordillera people can do big things about their plight. According to her, the people should make their vote count this May 2013 elections. She said that the old should be out and the new politics of change should be uphold.
She stressed that leaders who are responsible, honest and responsive leaders should be placed together with party lists genuinely representing the people in the government. She added that the people deserved true leaders who will serve them in accordance to their mandate.
CPA which is the widest alliance of Cordillera peoples organizations endorses the Katribu Indigenous People Party list together with candidates advocating peoples rights and welfare during the celebration. In the latter part of the program, different groups, organizations with the foreign delegation and individuals expressed their solidarity through presentations and reading of statements.
The holding of CD 2013 in Baguio is one of the decentralized celebrations in the six provinces of the Cordillera Region. The CD commemoration is also held in Hongkong and other countries where IPs tracing their roots from the Cordillera together with fellow Filipinos host. # nordis.net
