March 23, 2006

Cordillera youth launch CHICO-Metro Manila

Some 120 Cordillera youth from different schools and organizations in Metro Manila gathered last Saturday, March 18 at the ECP Mission Center in Quezon City for the launching of the Children of the Cordillera (CHICO)-Metro Manila and celebration of the of the Cordillera Indigenous Youth Week (CIYW) with the theme “Build a Stronger Unity of the Indigenous Youth, In the Service of the Cordillera People.”

CHICO-Metro Manila is initially composed of six different Cordillera youth and students organizations in Metro Manila such as TAKDER (Tignayan dagiti Agtutubo ti Kordilyera para iti Demokrasya ken Rang-ay), UP Anido, KABSA (Kalinga Bodong Students Association), SKEP – CSMSJ (Samahan ng mga Kabataang Episkopal sa Pilipinas-Cathedral of Saint Mary and Saint John chapter), , FERC-Youth (Fairview Episcopal Resurrection Church-Youth Organization), SATS-SBO (Saint Andrew's Theological Seminary- Student Body Organization) and the Green Mountain Circle-Cordilleran Society. (GMC-CS). Other organizations were also invited and many of those members who attended have also already signified their interest in joining the alliance. Many individuals and indigenous peoples’ rights advocates also attended the event.

A discussion on the Cordillera situation took place during the activity, including workshops on issues and policies such as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), culture, tribal war and the binodngan system.

The newly-formed alliance also came out with a unity statement with calls to repeal the Mining Act of 1995 (RA 7942), stop tribal wars, stop Lepanto expansion in Mankayan, Benguet province, stop political repression and military harassment in the Cordillera and other indigenous communities, stop the integration program of Cordillera People’s Liberation Army into the AFP and recruitment of other paramilitaries among indigenous peoples, to stop commercialization of Cordillera culture.

The unity statement likewise called for a genuine law that truly serves the interest of IPs in place of the existing IPRA; a higher budget in basic services, especially in education, health and agriculture; pullout of the Philippine government from the World Trade Organization, and the resignation of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

A cultural exchange of songs and dances capped the launching. #

Ref: Charlie dela Cruz (TAKDER)
0918-2266821