Friday, November 27, 2009

Sarangani's festival for "first people"

By Beverly Paoyon

ALABEL, Sarangani (November 27, 2009) - Vice Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon formally opened Thursday (November 26) the three-day celebration for the 17th Foundation Anniversary of Sarangani and 7th MunaTo Festival in time with the provincial athletic association meet.

Solon, before a crowd of more than 5,000 spectators and athletes, said the festivity calls for two things for Sarangans to celebrate - “to remember its province’s history” and “a celebration of the diversity and the unity of its tri-people (Indigenous People, Moro and Christian.”

He said “kinahanglan dili nato kalimtan ang pagmungna sa Sarangani in 1992. Kung asa ta gikan ug asa ta karon.”

Progress is evident in Sarangani, he said.

“Such great progress for Sarangani! And it is what we are celebrating in our foundation anniversary,” the vice governor said.

In a message of Congressman Erwin Chiongbian delivered by his brother Roy, he said this year’s theme, “Pride of the Sarangani Tri-People history… culture… resources” is very appropriate because “our history in Sarangani is short as we are only 17 years old and we go a long way back. But like all teenagers, we are full of energy.”

Chiongbian said “our culture is unique as we are filled with diverse people of different cultures working together to live together in peace and harmony.”

This, Solon has credited to the leadership of Governor Migs Dominguez for his “mission of making the tri-people working together for the benefit of the province as a whole.”

MunaTo meaning “fist people” is a festivity to showcase the cultural heritage as well as the tourism potentials of Sarangani.

It has also been linked to the 2,000-year old archaeological finds (anthropomorphic jars) in Maitum, Sarangani revealing the origin of community life in Southeast Asia.

Sarangani is culturally rich. It is populated with more or less 60 percent indigenous peoples. (Beverly Paoyon/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

IP products


ALABEL, Sarangani (November 26, 2009) – Board Member Eunice Santos fits in a headdress made by indigenous people (IP) in Sarangani. It is one of the displays in the “Fabli Gu Ni” trade fair during the opening of the MunaTo Festival Thursday, November 26. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Fyu Kura


ALABEL, Sarangani (November 26, 2009) - A parade of dressed horses called “Fyu Kura” is one of the highlights during the opening of the three-day celebration of the 17th Foundation Anniversary and 7th MunaTo Festival of Sarangani. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Tubad performing arts group


ALABEL, Sarangani (November 23, 2009) – Dancers of the Tubad Performing Arts group perform a welcome dance at the opening of the Sarangani Sacred Sites exhibit at the Capitol lobby Monday, November 23, which preludes the week-long celebration of the province’s MunaTo Festival and 17th Foundation Anniversary. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Sarangani Sacred Sites Exhibit


ALABEL, Sarangani (November 23, 2009) – Michelle Solon, Sarangani Tourism and Industry Association president and chairman of the MunaTo Festival this year, beguiles herself at a sacred site during the opening of the Sarangani Sacred Sites Exhibit Monday, November 23, at the Capitol lobby. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

MunaTo Festival soft opening


ALABEL, Sarangani (November 23, 2009) – Vice Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon unveils and formally opens Monday, November 23, the Sarangani Sacred Sites Exhibit which preludes the week-long celebration of the province’s MunaTo Festival and 17th Foundation Anniversary. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

MunaTo exhibit


ALABEL, Sarangani (November 23, 2009) – Capitol employees flock to the Capitol lobby after the flag raising ceremony Monday, November 23, to witness the opening of the Sarangani Sacred Sites Exhibit which preludes the week-long celebration of the province’s MunaTo Festival and 17th Foundation Anniversary. The exhibit, a product of research by the Provincial Information Office and Indigenous People Development Program, is a tribute to the old traditions and rich cultural heritage of Sarangani tribes. MunaTo is a Blaan term for first people. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Sarangani's MunaTo Festival, a tribute to its past

By Beverly Paoyon

ALABEL, Sarangani (November 18, 2009) – Sarangani’s MunaTo Festival this year is anchored on the promotion of its cultural heritage, tourism potentials as well as the best practices, experiences and developments reaped over the 17 years since it was created in 1992.

Michelle Solon, president of Sarangani Tourism Industry Association (SARTIA), said activities lined up like the tribal mass wedding and the inter-dialogue among lumads (indigenous people), Muslims and Christians would wrap up the concept of culture and heritage which Sarangans claim the “pride of tri-people.”

MunaTo is a Blaan word that means “first people.”

Solon said this year’s celebration would “bring in and drive interest of people towards Sarangani. Ano ba ang Sarangani? Ano ba ang pagkakilala ng tao ng Sarangani? What we boast of is our culture.”

Solon estimated more or less 60 percent of the province’ population comprises the lumads and Muslims. “It’s more than our immigrants so ang pride natin is our heritage,” she said, thereby relating it to the discovery of 2000-year old anthropomorphic jars in Maitum which reveals “community life started in Sarangani.”

After the Tabon man, she said, “is the anthropomorphic jars. So we are like a link to the past and also we are looking forward to the future and this festival shows ‘yun ang kagandahan ng Sarangan, ang kagalingan ng Sarangan, ang uniqueness ng Sarangan at ito ngayon ang gusto nating ipakita sa buong mundo.”

Solon reported that tourism arrivals increase every year. On MunaTo festival monitoring alone, last year posted around 17,000, a significant increase compared to the previous year which is estimated at only 5,000.

SARTIA spearheads the MunaTo Festival this year. It is all private sector participated group which businesses are in Sarangani.

Solon, leading the group, said “talagang kitang-kita ng lahat na ang private sector is very supportive in pushing towards tourism of Sarangani. Nasa puso talaga namin kasi it affects the businesses of all and the tourism establishments.”

“This is one way of increasing tourism arrivals so talagang we are very supportive with the government’s efforts of pushing the tourism of Sarangani.”

Preparations for the festival of the different event organizers are now in place for the week-long celebration to start on November 23 and would culminate on November 28.

Other activities are cultural shows, street dancing competitions, showcase of products from each municipalities, concerts and street party and fireworks display. (Beverly Paoyon/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

MunaTo Festival 2009 press conference


ALABEL, Sarangani (November 18, 2009) – (From right) Sarangani Tourism and Industry Association President Michelle Solon, with Vice Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon, Board Member Art Lawa (Committee on Tourism and Indigenous People), and provincial administrator Vicente Camacho, answers a question from the media during the press conference Wednesday, November 18, at the Capitol conference room for the 2009 MunaTo Festival and the province’s 17th Foundation Anniversary. This year’s theme is “MunaTo Festival: Pride of Sarangani Tri-People”. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Provincial SLTs preserve IPs' cultural heritage

ALABEL, Sarangani (November 11, 2009) – Through the province’s Indigenous Peoples Development Program (IPDP) on School of Living Tradition (SLT), Sarangani indigenous peoples learn to value their tradition while gaining recognition from national and funding agencies abroad.

The SLTs provide the opportunity for the Blaan, Tagakaolo, and Tboli to preserve their cultural heritage and pass it on to the next generation.

“Among the eighty SLTs in the country, only Lamlifew was given the opportunity for a second funding,” disclosed Adelina Suemith, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Public Monitoring Evaluation Division Chief. Sarangani models the country’s SLTs according to the NCCA.

Sarangani has at least four SLTs for the Blaan in Lamlifew and the Tagakaolo in Malungon town, the Blaan mat weavers in Malapatan, and the Tboli brass casting and basketry in Kiamba.

“This (SLT) will provide livelihood for them while preserving their customs and tradition,” according to the NCCA.

In Upper Lasang, Malapatan town, “dreamweavers” there make mats for their living but more as a means to preserve their tradition. This Blaan community has a continued support on their SLT of mat weaving from the American Women’s Club of the Philippines (AWCP), IPDP, and the Sarangani Indigenous People Professional Association (SIPPA).

Sarangani tribal organizations have won in the regional art exhibit conducted by foreign-funded Kalinawa Art Foundation at the Notre Dame of Dadiangas College, General Santos City in 2007 and 2008.

In Lamlifew, its women association built a weaving house called Gumabal with the assistance from the IPDP. The Provincial Governor’s Office funded a Gu Kmaan or cafeteria near it.

In August last year, the IPDP turned over an ETV (educational TV) set donated by Bantay Bata Foundation to the village.

The provincial government’s special project in preserving the culture and tradition of indigenous people in Sarangani through the IPDP includes the planting of traditional rice varieties which not only give a high yield, but are also disease resistant, glutinous, and very tasty.

Last month, a skills transfer on silk weaving reached the women’s association from masterweavers of the Iban tribe in Malaysia.

The four-day visit was one of the projects of Mrs. Rosevida Alcantara Dominguez, mother of Sarangani Governor Migs Dominguez.

The village school in Lamlifew has produced the most number of professionals in barangay Datal Tampal. (SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Village children are genius of an old craft

By Russtum G. Pelima, MA Ed

MALUNGON, Sarangani (November 7, 2009) – “Mahirap po pero kinaya namin kaya masaya ako dahil marunong na akong gumawa ng accessories at magtahi ng sarili naming attire,” mused Christian Ditan, a Grade VI pupil of Lamlifew Elementary School.

“Ang aking karanasan sa loob ng apat na buwan ay ang beadsmaking at paggawa ng sariling damit. Masaya po ako dahil bata pa ako ay marunong na akong gumawa,” said Cristel Joy Mocam, Grade V.

Christian and Cristel are among the 37 Blaan pupils who graduated Friday (November 6) from the Blaan traditional craft of beadsmaking and traditional clothing integrated in their Home Economics and Livelihood Education classes.


“Naa diri ang mga intelligent designers (Here we find the intelligent designers),” said Beth Farnazo, program manager of the provincial Indigenous People Development Program under the Provincial Governor’s Office.

“You are considered as genius of our traditional craft. Unlike cross stitching learned by urban schoolchildren, here you do not follow any pattern yet come up with your own design. We must preserve this ability,” Farnazo told children and parents at the graduation ceremony.

The IPDP started in 2004 to look into the development programs for the lumads of Sarangani. Farnazo said in the country, the Lamlifew is the only village school which was given an Educational TV by the Bantay Bata Foundation.

“You have inspired me,” said district supervisor Nora Nerpiol. "It’s my dream to turn this school into an IP school,” she added.

Nerpiol said this because she said now she has found partners in education with the municipal and provincial government.

An IP school integrates the School of Living Tradition (SLT) such as beadsmaking and traditional clothing into the Department of Education’s regular curriculum and the translation of instructional materials into their native language.

Nerpiol also said the school will be recommended for Coca-Cola’s Little Red Schoolhouse while the provincial government will provide them additional teachers.

“In fact, new teachers from the province are now teaching here even without the new school buildings yet,” Nerpiol said.

Helen Lumbos, president of the women’s association who taught the children said Japanese national Taku Kawamuta, an anthropologist, after seeing photos of the Blaan children at the Sarangani website (www.sarangani.gov.ph), funded the textiles and threads for the children.

“Then the elders (were trained), now it’s the children,” Lombos said.

“Ang kasing-kasing ni Governor Migs Dominguez naa sa atoa. Dili ni mahitabo kung wala ang iyang suporta (The heart of Governor Migs Dominguez is with us. Without his support, this will never happen).”

“Dili sya tribu ug dili sya Blaan pero naa ang iyang suporta sa atoa (He is not a tribesman nor a Blaan, but he is always with us),” Lombos added.

Farnazo said yesterday, 30 children also graduated in Upper Lasang , Malapatan town, from SLT on mat weaving.

The Blaan dreamweavers of Upper Lasang are assisted by the American Women’s Association of the Philippines , IPDP and Sarangani Province Professional Association (SIPPA). (Russtum G. Pelima/ SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Young beadsmaker and dressmaker


MALUNGON, Sarangani (November 7, 2009) – Grade V pupil Cristel Joy Mocam thanks donors and supporters for helping them finish a four-month school-based SLT (School of Living Tradition) on Beadsmaking and Traditional Clothing at the graduation ceremony in Lamlifew Elementary School Friday, November 6. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Sarangani tribal theme


MALUNGON, Sarangani (November 7, 2009) – Graduating pupils of a four-month school-based SLT (School of Living Tradition) on Beadsmaking and Traditional Clothing at the Lamlifew Elementary School sing a tribal song “Sarangani, Land of Beauty” at their graduation rites Friday, November 6, at the Lamlifew Elementary School. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Graduating class


MALUNGON, Sarangani (November 7, 2009) – Grades V and VI pupils of the Lamlifew Elementary School pose with their teachers at the graduation rites for a four-month school-based SLT (School of Living Tradition) on Beadsmaking and Traditional Clothing at the Lamlifew Elementary School Friday, November 6. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Children musicians


MALUNGON, Sarangani (November 7, 2009) – Blaan children play Blaan traditional instruments at the graduation ceremony of a four-month school-based SLT (School of Living Tradition) on Beadsmaking and Traditional Clothing at the Lamlifew Elementary School Friday, November 6. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Blaan thanksgiving dance


MALUNGON, Sarangani (November 7, 2009) – Blaan lasses perform a thanksgiving dance during their graduation ceremony for a four-month school-based SLT (School of Living Tradition) on Beadsmaking and Traditional Clothing at the Lamlifew Elementary School Friday, November 6. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Beadsmaking class


MALUNGON, Sarangani (November 7, 2009) – Teacher Beth Ditan teaches her students the art of beadsmaking at the School of Living Tradition (SLT) in Lamlifew Elementary School. Japanese anthropologist Taku Kawamuta, after seeing photos of the Blaan children at www.sarangani.gov.ph provincial website, funded the children’s materials on beadsmaking and traditional clothing. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Friday, November 6, 2009

Sarangani implements continuous programs for IPs

ALABEL, Sarangani (November 6, 2009) – The Provincial Government of Sarangani has long recognized the importance of the Indigenous People (IPs) in the province thus, programs and initiatives were taken up in order to further boost not only their way of living, but also preserve their cultural heritage.

In his statement, Vice Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon asserted that a lot of programs have been conducted for IPs for the past years.

"Andami na naming programs sa IPs. Isa, meron na tayong university, a venture with MSU sa Malandag just for the IPs. We already have 47 scholars, nag-start na sila nung June to get their degree in education, so we created a school in Sarangani Province specifically for the IPs," Solon said.

He added that the provincial government has established the Indigenous People's Development Program (IPDP), a special unit under the Provincial Governor's Office that helps and protects the rights of the IPs in the province. It is also responsible for making programs for IPs such as livelihood assistance, and others.

"Meron din tayong Haggai Project na directly for the IPs, so imposible na hindi namin pinansin yung mga IPs kasi sa tingin namin ni Gov. Migs, we are all equal," he said.

Solon pointed out that Governor Migs Dominguez is implementing continuous projects for IPs' development. The governor's office even funded projects in the IP communities through the IPDP on School of Living Tradition (SLT).

Sarangani Province has at least four SLTs for the Blaan in Lamlifew; the Tagakaolo in Malungon town; the Blaan mat weavers in Malapatan; and the Tboli brass casting and basketry in Kiamba.

SLTs enable the tribe to value their culture and tradition. According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the province models the country's SLTs. This only means that there is a strong support from the provincial government in developing SLTs in the IP communities. (SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Malaysian master weavers


MALUNGON, Sarangani (October 24, 2009) - Nancy Ngali and Bangie Embol, master weavers from Malaysia, check the materials used by Blaan weavers. The Malaysian and Blaan weavers were sharing learning on their traditional way of weaving cloth. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Malaysian designer


MALUNGON, Sarangani (October 24, 2009) - Edric Ong, a Malaysian and Southeast Asian textile designer, shows the finished product of Malaysian weavers to Blaan weavers in Lamlifew village. The designer is in the province with two Malaysian master weavers to exchange learning with Blaan weavers. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Exchange learning in traditional weaving


MALUNGON, Sarangani (October 24, 2009) - Edric Ong, a Malaysian and Southeast Asian textile designer discusses with Beth Farnazo, Indigenous People Development Program project manager, the materials used for weaving in Malaysia as weavers of the Blaan tribe in Lamlifew village listen. The designer is in the province with two Malaysian master weavers to exchange learning with Blaan weavers. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)