By RONALYN V. OLEA
Three women from different tribes in Mindanao have come to Manila to share their stories with the hope that the national government will heed their calls.
Mothers of the struggle against ‘development’ aggression
Day: December 6, 2012
Bai Bigkay Biyaon, a woman tribe leader ready to die for her land
By RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com MANILA – Even without speaking, Bai Bigkay Biyaon exudes an air of authority. The 67-year-old woman is regarded as a datu (head) of the Ata Manobo tribe in Natulinan subvillage, Palm Hill village, Talaingod, Davao del Norte. She has chosen not to marry to look after the welfare of her…
Bae Bebeth Calinawan Enriquez, a refugee in her own land
By RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com MANILA – A petite young mother, Bebeth Calinawan Enriquez had been through hell. In April, Bebeth, her husband and their five children were among the 34 Mamanwa families who left their homes in Palidan, Mahaba, Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte for fear of soldiers who have encamped in their community. In…
One tragedy after another, Bae Adelfa Belayong stands up again and again
By RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com MANILA – A few minutes before she was to speak, Bae Adelfa Belayong, 47, was already wiping her tears. As she spoke, those who listened shed tears. Her story was too tragic to be true – one that could pass as a material for a telenovela only that everything was…