Close to thousand participants joined the opening cultural program of this year’s Peoples’ Cordillera Day. Peoples’ Cordillera Day, once called Macli-ing Memorial Day, was first held in 1985 to commemorate the valor of the Cordillera martyrs and the continuing Cordillera mass movement for self-determination and national democracy.
Delegates from all provinces in the Cordillera region, National Capital Region, Central Luzon, Mindanao, and even outside the country, gathered in MOFAMCO Multipurpose Hall this year. A portion of the cultural program also commemorated the 2nd year anniversary of the disappearance of Dexter Capuyan and Bazoo de Jesus.
Earlier in the morning, over 100 Kalinga delegation trooped the regional offices of Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples. While the dialogue with MGB yield no results, NCIP committed to file a Commission en Banc to investigate the application of the Maharlika Mining Company, Inc. The delegates vowed to stay vigilant against this Australian-backed large-scale mining company until they go out of their communities.
This year’s Peoples’ Cordillera Day is still not free to red-tagging and disinformation. Yesterday, a group identifying themselves as “former NPA rebels” posted posters against Kalinga’s local celebration.
Amid threats, harassment, trumped-up charges and other human rights violations, CPA rand the people’s struggle remains. As Windel Bolinget, Chairperson of CPA said in his keynote speech, “Saan tayo a naparmek wenno nagibusan gaputa agtaltalinaed tayo kas CPA ken umili a lumablaban. Dayti ti usto a pakabuyaan ti panangipinget iti karbengan: ti karbengan a lumaban, ti mangikeddeng iti usto a pakasaritaan, ti mangikeddeng a lumaban gapu ti bulok a sistema nga isu koma ti rumbeng a magibusan.”
We did not falter nor stopped. We remained as CPA and as people who continue to fight. This truly shows an assertion of our rights: the right to fight, the assertion of a correct history, the determination to fight the rotten system that should be put to an end.
