• Baguio City, Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines

"Awan Ti Solid North!" - CPA stands against Marcos-Duterte tandem in the 38th Peoples Cordillera Day Regional Culmination

May 4, 2022

A strong delegation of 500 participants representing the 6 provinces of the Cordillera attended the centralized culmination of the 38th Peoples Cordillera Day on May 2, 2022 at the University of the Cordilleras, Baguio City. With the theme “Advance New Politics, Unite for Land and Life,” the activity served as a regional rally against the Marcos-Duterte tandem in 2022.

“This Cordillera Day, let us celebrate our victories in our struggle for our rights. Let us know more about the situation of our region and people. Let us remember the lives of Cordillera heroes. And since it is time for the elections again, a time for the people to decide who will be our next leaders, we oppose the attempt of the Marcoses to restore their power and the desperation of the Duterte administration to stay.” Bestang Dekdeken, CPA Secretary-General, stated in the activity’s opening remarks.

The Peoples Cordillera Day, originally called the Macli-ing Memorials from 1981 to 1983, is an annual celebration every 24th of April to commemorate the death of Macli-ing Dulag under the Marcos dictatorship. Through the years, it has become a day of highlighting the local and present struggles of the Cordillera peoples for self-determination and national democracy.

“We called on each province and asked them to chant their calls for land and life… Let us challenge ourselves to fight more for those calls. Let us not be afraid amid all the attacks against us! We will only be more afraid if we choose to be afraid,” said Kalinga elder Banag Sinumlag in his challenge to the delegates.

Also present in the activity are advocates and solidarity groups from the National Capital Region, along with progressive senatoriables Neri Colmenares and Elmer “Ka Bong” Labog and Bayan Muna reps Carlos Zarate and Eufemia Cullamat. Labog delivered a keynote address while Colmenares expressed his solidarity to the Cordillera peoples in their fight for land and life. Cullamat similarly expressed her solidarity as a member of the Lumad community, the indigenous peoples of Mindanao.

After the main program at the UC theater, the delegates marched down Session Road to attend the Takder, Kordi Grand Rally in the Melvin Jones Football Field. Joanna Cariño, CPA pioneer and Martial Law survivor, delivered a speech in the grand rally, while the elders from the provinces also delivered their supporting messages through traditional singing and chants for the candidacy of Leni-Kiko and in opposition of the Marcos-Duterte tandem.

“Marcos is a coward! He does not attend debates; he fears forwarding his platforms because of its emptiness. He does not deserve to be a president of the Philippines,” Cariño said to an estimated crowd of 30,000 in Melvin Jones.

Prior to this, decentralized celebrations had been conducted in Baguio City and the provinces of Benguet, Abra, Kalinga, Apayao, Ifugao, Mountain Province from April 23-27, 2022. The activities ranged from organizational assemblies, fora, educational discussions, public exhibits, and cultural workshops all in line with this year’s Cordillera Day theme. ###

For reference:
Ned Tuguinay