A new book on the Cordillera land question is just off the press.
BY PIO VERZOLA JR.
Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat
BAGUIO CITY (246 kms. North of Manila)—A new book on the Cordillera land question is just off the press.
The Cordillera Peoples Alliance announced on Dec. 20 the publication of Ti Daga Ket Biag (Land is Life), a 232-page compilation of selected papers from three Cordillera multi-sectoral land congresses in 1983, 1994 and 2001.
According to Joanna K. Cariño, CPA Advisory Council member, Ti Daga Ket Biag represents the long-standing “effort being put in by the people’s movement in the Cordillera in trying to clarify and to help in the eventual resolution of various land issues in the region.”
“While the data in many of the early papers may already be outdated, and there has been new research conducted since, we decided to publish them in order to put on record and make available to the wider public the CPA’s efforts through the years to study and clarify some of the complicated land issues in the Cordillera,” Cariño said.
The book contains five papers from the First Cordillera Multi-Sectoral Land Congress held in March 1983. The congress’ papers and proceedings were earlier published in 1984, in the collection Dakami ya Nan Dagami, now out of print.
Ti Daga Ket Biag also includes four papers from the Second Land Congress held in July 1994, and four from the Third Land Congress held in December 2001—for a total of 13 papers from all three land congresses spanning 18 years.
The book also features twelve full-color 8.5×11” thematic maps of the Cordillera region, which summarizes an immense volume of data such as topography, population density, ethnolinguistic distribution, land classification and natural resources, among others.
Cariño said that the book is being dedicated to all the ‘martyrs of the Cordillera peoples’ struggle in the defense of land. She also said that missing CPA leader James Balao had been deeply involved in the past land congresses and that his spirit “pervades this publication.”
A CPA regional officer said Ti Daga Ket Biag is now being distributed to non-governmental organizations and offices, schools, libraries, bookstores and other commercial and non-commercial outlets. Two formal launch dates for the book are being scheduled this January, one in Baguio City and another in Manila. Northern Dispatch/Posted by Bulatlat.com
