“We are facing the deaths of so many indigenous languages so we hope that this event would be able to help save our languages.”

Francisco ‘Kiko’ A. Datar of 170+ Talaytayan MLE Incorporated expounded on the need to save the different languages in the Philippines in his opening address during the 2022 Philippine Conference on International Decade on Indigenous Languages (IDIL) at the University Hotel at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines on 25 to 27 October 2022 where around 106 participants composed of indigenous peoples’ leaders and representatives from the different civil society organizations, educational institutions, and government line agencies shared their researches, publications, and lived realities on the ground in relation to promoting and promoting Philippine indigenous languages.

The said conference included a session where participants filled out the Global Plan of Action matrix, enlisting possible activities and corresponding outputs to promote, document, preserve, and revitalize indigenous languages, specifically in the Philippines and possibly around the world.

“This event is the first attempt on our side to really look into the Global Plan of Action and to see what are our responsibilities as indigenous peoples, as academia, as non-government organizations are to promote and to achieve the outcomes, the outputs and the activities that are spelled out very clearly in the Global Plan of Action of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022-2023,” shared Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Tebtebba executive director, who was the keynote speaker during the said conference. 

With support from the Pawanka Fund and the Wellspring Philantropic Fund, the event was co-facilitated by 170+ Talaytayan MLE Incorporated, Ugnayang Pambansa para sa Katutubong Kaalaman at Talino (UPAKAT), and Tebtebba. “Mas marami pa sanang venues para sa ganitong pag-uusap (May there be more venues for this kind of discussion on indigenous languages),” said Jerry Datuwata of the Lambangian Peoples Organization as he emphasized the need to revitalize the mindset of community elders who are also considered to be the key keepers and teachers of these indigenous languages.

Participants from all over the Philippines joyfully pose for a photo as part of the culminating activities of the national conference.

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“We use several methodologies for education, acting as facilitators, to identify solutions with the use of various training activities – sessions are generally in the form of lectures. We insert different activities to make the experiences exciting, including photos and videos. The problem at the community level is the instability of electricity, hence we use various tools and devices to continue with the discussions. We must know the context because each community has a different situation including cultural norms.”

Ansilla Twisa Mecer, Chairperson of the Yayasan Karya Sosial Pancur Kasih, emphasized the need for cultural sensitivity and resourcefulness as she presented their experiences as community organizers in indigenous communities in West Kalimantan, Indonesia during the Global Training for Trainers on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and the International Human Rights Law in Bangkok, Thailand on 10 to 14 October 2022. Participants in the events came from various communities in Asia including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, Nepal, and the Philippines. 

The training for trainers focused on understanding several vital human rights laws, mechanisms, policies, and guidelines in including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), among others. Participants were given the opportunity to simulate develop and facilitate training activities for each of these topics, aimed to further strengthen their capacity to present the same topics in their focal indigenous communities back home as well as do effective advocacy work.

“Our ultimate goal is to help our communities. More learning and more re-echoing of this learnings would allow strengthening advocacy towards the promotion, protection, and implementation of indigenous peoples’ rights,” emphasized Attorney Jennifer Tauli Corpuz, Global Policy and Advocacy Lead for Nia Tero, who was one of the trainers during the event. 

Facilitated by Tebtebba, the said training was made possible with support from Brot fur die Welt. 

[Banner photo caption: 

Participants doing an ice breaker after a review of the ICCPR, Human Rights Committee (HRC), ICESCR, Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), and CEDAW including CEDAW General Recommendation Number 39 (2022) on the rights of Indigenous women and girls.]

“Daytoy Community-Based Monitoring and Information System (CBMIS), first time daytoy nga mapasamak ditoy Paracelis. Adu iti napasamak [nga surveys panggep community tayo] ngem gobyerno iti nagaramid. First time nga specific nga grupo iti focus (This is the first time that a Community-Based Monitoring and Information System (CBMIS) initiative will happen here in Paracelis. The government conducted many similar surveys here in the past but it is the first time that a specific indigenous group shall be the focus).” 

Rogelio Banggot, a Ganak da i-Licoy leader and representative-coordinator of the Licoy indigenous people in the Paracelis Municipal Council, said that the CBMIS initiative would help consolidate and document the traditional knowledge and collective history of the Licoy community during his speech at the CBMIS Orientation of Enumerators for the Ganak da i-Licoy in Paracelis, Mountain Province, Philippines on 20 to 21 October 2022. 

Descendants of the i-Licoy indigenous people by blood or affinity, the Ganak da i-Licoy enumerators were oriented on the CBMIS, its different survey tools, and how to properly conduct the said surveys in the community, keeping in mind the necessity of being courteous, respectful, and culturally sensitive when visiting the different households. 

Florence Daguitan, coordinator of Tebtebba’s Philippine Program, stressed that the results of the CBMIS were vital as consolidated information would reflect the actual lived realities in the grounds, thereby allowing the conceptualization of initiatives that aim to properly address the needs of the specific communities and promote indigenous peoples’ sustainable self-determined development. The orientation-workshop was conducted with support from SwedBio. 

[Banner photo caption:

Roger Lambino of Tebtebba leading the participants as they do an ice breaker during the training.]

College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) - Cordillera holds its Baguio-Benguet Congress 2022 after 5 years. CEGP is conducting a two-day activity on campus press and media as bearers of truth and genuine democracy on October 8 to 9, 2022 at the Albert Hall, Teachers Camp, Baguio City, Philippines.

Guest Speaker Hon. Arthur Allad-iw, Councilor of Baguio City, expressed his hopes for the young campus journalists of Baguio-Benguet to continue using journalism as a way to fight disinformation especially now that fake news is rampant on social media. He also raised the issue of red-tagging of various sectors including journalist, human rights and environmental defenders, and Indigenous peoples, among others.

The two-day activity's objectives include journalism skills training and providing a venue for young journalists to socialize and network with other publication groups to unite for a single call, to defend press freedom.

Tebtebba joins the call to defend press freedom; stop harassment and killings of journalists and human rights and environmental defenders; stop red-tagging; and implement enacted laws to protect said individuals.