As the month of October comes to a close, so too is the Indigenous Peoples Month. And so the Diocese of Pagadian celebrated IP month at Zone 4, Brgy. Lourdes today with the Sto Niño Cathedral spearheading this activity in coordination with the different Subanen Communities particularly coming from Lourdes, La Suerte, Lison Valley and Dumalian. The presence of the Timuays, Fr. Allan Onden (Cathedral Administrator), members of the Interfaith Forum for Solidarity and Peace (IFSP) as well as the local barangay officers and students from the Lourdes National High School made the event a memorable one.
The celebration showcased the rich culture of the Subanens with sacred symbols and rituals. The Timuays and women were garbed in their colorful Subanen attire. The upbeat music of the agong made their indigenous dance come alive with festive joy. And the celebration would not be complete without the ritual of Pangasi wine drinking. There were also beautiful handcrafted products for sale and a delicious lunch served in banana trunk plates for everyone present while dancing continued for all.
Participating in this event is a way of showing our support and appreciation for our indigenous brothers and sisters because they matter especially since they account for 15% of the world’s extremely poor despite constituting only 5% of the global population. They not only contribute to the cultural diversity of our country but more importantly, they are our earth keepers for they occupy a significant portion of the world’s land surface, and live in harmony with 80% of Earth’s plant and animal species.
Our solidarity with them is vital in our common quest to care for creation and to protect it from illegal logging and mining activities that destroy the environment. Their theme “Unity and Collaboration towards Development” aptly describes the values we need for us to attain development that is integral and takes into account the poorest of the poor like the majority of the Subanens who are farmers and fisher folks living in Zamboanga del Sur.
See: https://nationaltoday.com/national-indigenous-peoples-month/
