Yakans Celebrate Pakaradjaan 2014 Festival With the theme of “Convergence: Path to Peaceful Development”, Basilan Province celebrated its fourth Pakaradjaan, a festival of the Yakan culture in Isabela City, last March 6 to 7. One of the highlights of the event was the presence of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Chairperson Atty. Leonor O. Quintayo. Quintayo is the eighth chairperson in the Sixth Commision of the Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines. She was the first chairperson to visit Basilan Province together with two other commissioners, namely Commissioners Cosme Lambayon and Bayani Sumaoang. With her also was Dir. Fatima Kanakan, Executive Director of the Office of Southern Cultural Communities. “Ininspire n’yo po ako”, said Quintayo at the IP gathering when asked to give an inspirational talk to the community leaders and youth. She said she was grateful to be able to see such united IP community. She was glad that the province has included the youth to participate in the event. She was amazed to see some woman as leaders in the community. According to her, she can remember her grandmother who used to relate a story of woman power. She related that if man cannot fight anymore, the woman can do the fighting. In her speech, she congratulated the IPs in Basilan for a job well done on setting the very first indigenous peoples political structure in the Philippines. She was thankful to Datu Masid Yacob, Mandatory Representative of the IPs in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, and other Basilan IP leaders who have helped the province to move forward towards its goal to establish their indigenous peoples political structure. The goal we need to maintain is the protection, right and respect for the IPs all over the country, said Yacob. This statement referred to the proposed Bangsamoro framework structure that opted to include the roles of the IPs in the community. According to him, “We will not allow anybody to take away even just a single right that an IP is supposed to have”. Basilan is rich with white gold, he said, and people here are very proud of its natural resources. Yacob explained what potential richness Basilan can offer. Compared to other parts of Mindanao, Basilan sustains its advocacy to conserve its environment. The white gold that he adverted pertains to rubber production, and compared it to oil as black gold found in other parts of the world. (Raisa Dapilin/ADZU Masscom)
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 05:17:58 +0000
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