Panay Indigenous Culture Advocacy Group (PICAG), nag-apelar sang kalinungan para sa mga Indigenous Peoples sa Central Panay
PANAY — Naga-apela sang kalinungan para sa mga Indigenous Peoples sa Central Panay ang grupo sang mga IP professionals, academic scholars, researchers, kag cultural workers nga nagabug-os sa Panay Indigenous Culture Advocacy Group (PICAG).
Kasunod ini sang simultaneous police operations sa mga miembro sang Tumanduk sa Tapaz, Capiz kag Calinog, Iloilo sang Disyembre 30 nga nagresulta sa kamatayon sang 9 ka mga indibidwal.
Sa statement sang PICAG, ang mga residente sang mga komunidad, nga ila nangin research sites kag kun sa diin ginahimo ang knowledge-building, ang nagakabalaka sa ila nga seguridad.
Nangin concern man ang trauma nga ma-eksperiyensyahan sang mga kabataan, kababainhan, kag mga ginarespeto nga “magurang” ukon mga elder members sang komunidad nga ginakonsiderar cultural bearers kag keepers sang indigenous traditions.
Ang PICAG ang nagahingyo nga hatagan sang importansya ang kabuhi, kalinungan kag pagsalig sang mga indigenous peoples agud mapadayon ang kultura kag tradisyon.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT SANG PICAG:
Call for Peace in Central PanayWe IP professionals, academic scholars, researchers, and cultural workers that compose the Panay Indigenous Culture Advocacy Group (PICAG) appeal for peace among the indigenous peoples in Central Panay.
The residents of our research sites and the communities where we have conducted knowledge-building since the late 1980s have become concerned with their safety and well-being.
The loss of a maaram (learned) culture bearer is irreplaceable. Amidst being scared for the loss of more lives, the undersigned scholars are disturbed by the trauma that the recent events have brought to the children, women, and respected magurang – the elder members of the community who are the cultural bearers and keepers of indigenous traditions.
Their communities have made Panay a repository of rich traditional culture which is unequalled in other parts of the world e.g. sugidanon or epics of Panay, binanog dancing, and panubok or Indigenous Embroidery, among many others.
The efforts of the undersigned scholars in lifting the Panay Bukidnon culture with the IP professionals, who are now proud to forward the above-stated traditions, have taken almost a lifetime to accomplish for several of us.
The dignity generated from their unique culture was fostered because of the initiatives in the publication of the sugidanon of Panay as well as the revival of other significant traditions that were lost because of past issues and unprecedented events that dominated the areas during the ’80s until the ’90s.
We do not want another setback to this advancement and have these important cultures and practices be buried again repeating the dark era for Panay culture in the ‘80s.
We are making an urgent and serious request now to value life, peace, and trust for the indigenous peoples to cultivate and safeguard the cultures and traditions which we have labored so hard to uplift as culturally-concerned and peace-loving individuals.
We hope for a New Year free of fear and with a strong desire for a peaceful and better life for our indigenous peoples in Central Panay.
