PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE. Lawyer Gerri Ann Villaruel (2nd from left), vice head of the Committee on Central Cultural Communities, talks about the 'Dayaw', the flagship program of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts Sub-Commission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts in celebrating the Indigenous Peoples’ Month, in a press conference held in Bacolod City on Thursday (Oct. 10, 2019). 'Dayaw' is the flagship program of the SCCTA in celebrating the IPs Month. (PNA photo by Nanette L. Guadalquiver)
BACOLOD CITY -- Indigenous Peoples (IP) in Western Visayas are working with the government to preserve their cultural heritage as part of their contribution to nation-building.
To mark the IPs Month, led by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Sub-Commission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts (SCCTA), members of the Committee on Central Cultural Communities (CCCC) from the region’s various clusters visited this city on Thursday for another leg of the "Dayaw Suroy" Media Caravan 2019.
Lawyer Gerri Ann Villaruel, vice head of the CCCC, said “Dayaw” is the flagship program of the SCCTA in celebrating the IPs Month to highlight the uniqueness of indigenous cultural communities across the country.
“We hope that we can work together for the preservation of the indigenous cultural heritage,” said Villaruel, who hails from the Sulod/Bukidnon Cluster.
During the press conference held at the Northwest Inn, she was joined by Felicitas Catedrilla, who represented the Ati of Capiz/Iloilo/Guimaras; Jacquilyn Flores, Ati of Negros Occidental Cluster; and Delia Pauden of Ati of Antique/Aklan Cluster.
The SCCTA, headed by Commissioner Alphonsus Tesoro, spearheads the observance of the National IPs Month in October every year, as provided in Presidential Proclamation 1906 signed in 2009.
The 2019 theme, “Vital Wisdoms: Learning with the IPs” (Buhay na Dunong: Pagkatuto Kasama ang mga Katutubo), highlights the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) grouped into five domains by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
These include oral traditions and expressions; performing arts; social practices, rituals, and festive events; knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; and traditional craftsmanship.
During the press conference, Teresita Sinceda of the Ati based in Sitio Marikudo in Isabela, Negros Occidental, said she is grateful for the opportunity to work with the NCCA, which established the School of Living Tradition (SLT) learning center in their community, that led to the revival of the Ati cultural heritage.
“I’m so thankful the program of the NCCA has reached us. The lost culture of our forefathers has been revived. Now our children know how to dance the ‘Kupoy’ and understand its meaning. They now play the traditional games,” Sinceda said in Hiligaynon.
The “Kupoy”, a chicken courtship dance ritual, was performed by two members of the Ati Marikudo tribe during the press conference.
Catedrilla said through the assistance of the NCCA, together with the National Commission on IPs and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, they have availed of the various government programs that have made their lives better.
“Through the NCCA’s Dayaw, we have the opportunity to show our culture and meet fellow IPs in the country,” she said.
In a statement, Tesoro enjoined all sectors to be part of the observance of the IPs Month.
“Through the IPs Month celebration, the government is recognizing the significant role, the participation, and the contribution of the indigenous peoples’ communities in nation-building,” he added. (PNA)
