Baguio City – Baguio Councilor Jose Molintas reiterated there was no adoption conferred to Benguet representative Eric Go Yap during the celebration of Indigenous Peoples (IP) Day, August 9, 2024 at the Onjon Ni Ivadoy.
Dispelling whispers of an unpublicized adoption by the group, Molintas said the celebration at the Onjon at Burnham Park, did not have an adoption ceremony but accommodated Yap, as a guest.
“There was no adoption, walang adoption, kaya nung narinig ko that he (Yap) made a major contribution sa nakatay na baboy, sabi ko let us perform it like a canao, so the next day there has to be one more activity to quiet the people who are noisy.”
The Baguio legislator likewise said Yap did not ask to be adopted nor did he insist on the rites be conferred as he clarified the activity facilitated the following day was a cleansing ritual administered by the group due to too much talk about the issues, which put the Ibaloy organization on a bad light.
“In the Ibaloy culture meron kami tinatawag na Subusab, yung karne nillalagyan ng tapuey at saka ginger so that is according to the Iblaoy tradition, kung mariami nairinig na na masama yun ang ginagamit to cleanse, that is all that happened.”
Baguio City IP Mandatory Representative (IPMR) and immediate past president of the Onjon, Councilor Maximo Edwin Jr. concurred no adoption rites which were conferred on August 9 but offered to reveal that the adoption has already been done long before the IP day.
“Tapos na ang adoption, ang nangyari na lang ay ang pag bigay ng pangalan at tokens na matagal na dapat ibigay,” Edwin said.
The IPMR said the province of Benguet already conferred the adoption in 2020 with a Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Resolution No. 2020-499 in recognition and appreciation of his sincere concern for the province.
Edwin added after the Benguet province adoption, the adoption from the Kankanaey and Kalanguya groups followed.
On 2022, the municipality of Tuba, representing the Ibaloy’s in a resolution, adopted Yap while on 2023 he was adopted as son of the Kankana-ey in Kibungan and named ‘Sakduan,’ and likewise formally wrote the Onjon for the use of the grounds for the adoption program, according to Edwin.
Onjon Ni Ivadoy, president Demosthenes Paus in a statement issued Aug 2, said “The IP day on August 9, 2024 will proceed as scheduled, however the Onjon has decided that the formal adoption of Congressman Eric Go Yap will not push through to avoid any political issues.”
The Onjon added “Congressman Eric Yap expressed his gratefulness and is humbled to be considered for adoption, but also wished to prevent any conflict happening within the Onjon and other stakeholders during this period. He, however plans to welcome the formal adoption in the future, if the Onjon wishes to, but not anytime soon, as he considers this a huge honor, so as to remove any notion, so as to remove any notion that this gesture of Onjon is political.”
Molintas added, according to his niece, Charmaine Molintas Likingan, who now works under the office of Yap, “’When he started getting negative comments, he said in the first place I was not the one who asked for it, so if that is the case, I might as well not accept it. Very cultural lang ginawa namin nung August 9.” Maria Elena Catajan
