This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VII, No. 10, April 15-21, 2007
Cordillera Day 2007 to Uphold People’s Rights,
Politics of Change
This year’s Cordillera Day is
not only the commemoration of the death of Dulag and other martyrs. It is also a
call to strengthen the indigenous peoples’ unity against development aggression
in the Cordillera region
BY ROBERT A. PAMBID BAGUIO CITY – This year’s
Cordillera Day activities, to be hosted by the Tongtongan ti Umili (TTU,
People’s Forum) and the Organisasyon dagiti Nakurapay nga Umili ti (ORNUS,
Organization of the Poor from the Sitios of Abra)
in this city, will focus on the themes of people’s rights and the “politics of
change.” Cordillera Day started in
1984 as a commemoration of the death of Kalinga leader Macliing Dulag, who was
gunned down by Army troops led by Leodegario Adalem on April 24, 1980. Dulag's death enraged the
Kalinga and Bontok peoples and instead of frightening them, strengthened their
determination to defend their collective rights over their land and resources
against a common enemy – the Marcos dictatorship and World Bank (WB)-funded
Chico Dam project, which entailed the construction of four big dams along the
Chico River in Bontoc and Kalinga. “(With the) broadening of
the Cordillera mass movement encompassing all the provinces of the Cordillera,
the commemoration started to be called as Cordillera Day in 1985,” a Cordillera
Peoples Alliance (CPA) statement read.. CPA vice chair for internal
affairs Xavier Akien said this year’s Cordillera Day is not only the
commemoration of the death of Dulag and other martyrs; it is also a call to
strengthen the indigenous peoples’ unity against development aggression in the
Cordillera region. Akien said Cordillera Day
is celebrated yearly because of the continuous entry of many mining, logging and
dam projects in the region. He added the celebration aims to increase the
awareness of Cordillera IP’s and block the entry of destructive projects in the
region.
“Cordillera day is a venue for the Cordillera
people to get together and talk about their problems and to celebrate their
victories from the past,” Akien added. The two-day celebration
includes photo exhibits, display of indigenous products, a concert, film
showings, a March rally at the City’s main streets and cultural presentations
among others. Akien stressed that the celebration also aims to educate the
public about the Politics of Change. He said a tribute to Cordillera martyrs
would be one of the activity’s highlights. He said provincial
delegates will present through cultural forms, major regional issues confronting
the Cordillera people such as political killings (Kalinga), mining and
development aggression (Apayao), urban poor demolition, housing and basic
services (Metro Baguio) imperialism in agriculture (Benguet), warlordism and
electoral violence (Abra) and government neglect and corruption (Mountain
Province and Ifugao). Around 3,000 delegates from
indigenous communities from the Cordillera provinces and other regions are
expected to be part of this year’s Cordillera Day. Support groups, friends and
allies of the Cordillera people here and abroad are also expected to attend the
celebrations. Northern Dispatch / Posted by Bulatlat © 2007 Bulatlat
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Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat