LOOK | The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) officially opened the 2023 IP Month Celebration and 26th Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA) Commemoration at the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Building in the City of Manila on 02 October 2023.
Among the activities during the Opening Salvo were the Pamaas, a thanksgiving ritual as sign of gratitude among Indigenous Peoples to the Heavenly Creator and the spirits of our ancestors; the Ipitik, a solemn act of offering the first drops of a newly opened indigenous wine to Kabunian, the highest-ranking deity of the Cordillera; and a community dance, with the playing of gongs, symbolizing unity among Indigenous Peoples across the country.
NCIP Chairperson Jennifer Pia Sibug-Las underscored in her message that the month-long observance is an avenue to promote reconciliation and understanding between our IP brothers and sisters and non-IPs that they may be able to overcome the barriers of discrimination and be able to actively participate in nation building with their perspectives taken into account and a way to show our appreciation for the exceptional contributions that the ICCs/IPs have made and our hope that as we enrich our cultural heritage and ancestral resources, we will have a brighter future for the new Philippines.
The celebration aligns with the administration’s brand of governance and leadership, calling for deep and fundamental transformations in all sectors of society and government, reinforced by unified institutions of society, whose common objective is to realize the goals and aspirations of every Filipino.
The event also was an opportunity to provide the PMS copies of Project Epanaw’s Three Coffee Table Books namely, “Pagkilala”, “Paggalang”, and “Pagtaguyod”.
