Daily TribuneThis year’s Dayaw: National Indigenous Peoples Festival, will be held in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, with the theme ‘Katutubong Filipino: Pagtibayin ang Tagumpay 2030.’
The NCCA celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Month will be held int he town of Lake Sebu in South Cotabato.
Bernan Joseph R. Corpuz, NCCA deputy executive director for Operations; Renee Talavera, chief of the NCCA Program Management Division; Arwin Paul Lingat, head of the NCCA National Committee on Northern Cultural Communities; Reden S. Ulo, head of the NCCA Subcommission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts; Pablito C. Gonzales, head of the NCCA National Committee on Central Cultural Communities; and NCCA chairman Victorino Mapa Manalo
The Dayaw Festival will feature a parade of different ethnic groups.
From more than 10 years now, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) spearheads the celebration of the National indigenous Peoples Month in October with Dayaw: National Indigenous Peoples Festival.
The festival is held in different parts of the country, gathering more than 200 representatives from different indigenous groups and cultural communities of the Philippines, which has more 80 ethnolinguistic groups.
This year, the national cultural agency through its Subcommission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts (SCCTA) is holding the festival in the town of Lake Sebu in South Cotabato, Mindanao, from 3 to 5 October. A large percentage of the population of Lake Sebu is the indigenous Tboli.
Dayaw 2024 is “a significant event dedicated to honoring and uplifting our indigenous communities,” said Pablito C. Gonzales, head of the NCCA National Committee on Central Cultural Communities.
Reden S. Ulo, head of SCCTA, explained, “It brings together various IP groups and communities from across the country to showcase their unique and rich traditions, languages, dances, music and arts and crafts.”
This year’s festival banners the theme “Katutubong Filipino: Pagtibayin ang Tagumpay 2030” (Indigenous Filipinos: Strengthening the Success by 2030).
Gonzales said the theme “resonates deeply with our collective vision of a prosperous and inclusive future for all indigenous peoples.”
“It reflects forward-looking communities in shaping a sustainable and inclusive future. As we approach 2030, a critical target year for global goals like the UN’s Sustainable
Development Goals or SDGs, the theme emphasizes the need to empower IP, whose traditional knowledge system and practices are crucial for addressing challenges such as cultural depreciation, climate change, biodiversity and social inequality,” explained Ulo, who himself is a Tboli from Lake Sebu.
“By embracing this theme, Dayaw highlights the importance of integrating IP perspective into national and international development strategies, ensuring that our voices are heard and their successes amplified as we work toward a more just and sustainable future for all,” he added.
“As we embark on this journey towards 2030, let us reaffirm our commitment to preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of our indigenous communities. Their traditions, knowledge and practices are invaluable treasures that contribute to the diversity and strength of our nation,” Gonzales emphasized.
He added, “We recognize the challenges that our indigenous brothers and sisters face, and we stand united in our efforts to address these issues. Through collaborative initiatives, sustainable development and inclusive policies, we aim to create an environment where indigenous peoples can thrive and achieve their full potential.”
Dayaw will start with a cultural parade participated in by delegates from different indigenous groups. The three-day program is packed with performances of traditional music, dance and oral forms; traditional games; and demonstrations of making arts and crafts, wearing of traditional attires and cooking traditional foods, which will held in different venues around Lake Sebu. There will be screenings of films including K`na the Dreamweaver by Ida del Mundo and the short film “Black Rainbow” by Zig Dulay as well as a forum to discuss issues.
The festival will be graced by local government officials, NCCA officials and several Manlilikha ng Bayan or National Living Treasures including the three recently declared Tboli practitioners and cultural masters — brass caster Bundos Fara, textile weaver Barbara Ofong and chanter Rosie Sula.
“Dayaw not only celebrates the diversity of these IP communities but also emphasizes their vital role in preserving, safeguarding and promoting the nation’s cultural identity. The event foster a sense of unity, pride, respect for the deep-rooted history and contributions of IP, promoting awareness of their rights and struggles,” Ulo said.
Gonzales enthused, “Let us celebrate the successes we have achieved so far and continue to work together towards a future where every indigenous Filipino can proudly say that their culture and identity are respected and valued. Together, we can build a nation that honors its roots and paves the way for a brighter tomorrow.”
