DAVAO CITY — Educating the new generation of indigenous people about the culture and traditions of their tribe while growing up was among the reasons why the Bangsamoro Government constructed a P1.5 million Indigenous People’s building at Barangay Kitulaan in Carmen town in Cotabato province, an area considered as Special Geographic Area (SGA) of the autonomous region.
Barangay Kitulaan is a hilly hand away from the center of Carmen, the paradise of Aromanen Manuvu tribe in Carmen town. One can see a vast land with houses built along the hilly lands but a community center was established for the residents to converge.
In Carmen, seven barangays mostly inhabited by Maguindanaon tribe joined the new territory but Kitulaan stands out as the only barangay with IP community, primarily Aromanen Manuvu living harmoniously with the dominant tribe.
People in the area practice different rituals for different occasions, garbed in white with hand-women designs and prepare using egg, betel nuts, a pinch of rice and a candle in the houses of those who need.
For decades, they did not have a common place to meet until January this year, the Bangsamoro Government inaugurated the building which is intended as a learning center for the IPs. It was funded through the Transitional Development Impact Fund (TDIF), by a former Member of the Parliament and current minister of the Ministry of IP Affairs, Melanio Ulama. The building was implemented by the Ministry of Public Works.
The building has a floor area of around 76.5 square meters, can accommodate small gatherings and other IP activities such as meetings, teaching of customary laws to the younger generations, and dispute resolution, among others.
Director General Judith Tinio of MIPA said important discussions among community members will be heard by the Bangsamoro government.
“This is not just a building but a symbolic edifice that our (IP) voice are heard by the government,” Tinio said. The building also symbolizes the commitment of the government to serve the communities.
The Bangsamoro government has identified 63 former barangays carved out of Cotabato Province and officially became the territory of the BARMM after a successful plebiscite on February 6, 2019.
Couple Juvy and Rodolfo Palawan, the latter being the Thimuay or tribal leader, were both thankful for the BARMM, saying
“We don’t have to hold our meetings and other activities under a mango tree.”
In retrospect, Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, during the IP month celebration in October last year, vowed to advance IP rights in the BARMM.
“In the Bangsamoro, we are committed to advancing the rights of indigenous peoples and their participation in governance and community planning,” CM Ebrahim on his message during the occasion. -With a report from Abdullah Matucan/BIO
