Our Heritage

This blog was borne as a requirement for one of my undergrad classes. It's been a long time since I added an entry. Now that I have some free time,perhaps it's high time I start writing again... just for the heck of it... ^^

Friday, July 28, 2006

Youth and Technology Towards Peace Building

Facing the reality of ongoing wars in the world, the United Nations International Children's Education Fund (UNICEF) launches a program that taps the potentials of the youth as ambassadors of peace.

The project is called Peace Tech 2006. It is geared to unite the youthof the country to promote understanding in war torn countries in hopes of achieving the coveted peace. Starting in the Philippines that is home to "People Power", Peace Tech uses technology to attain its goal of promoting dialogue between the Muslim, Indigenous and Christian youth of Mindanao and Luzon. "It will give them a unique opportunity to express, listen and unite over concerns about the future and their country's future.", explains the project manager Robin Pettyfer.

Pettyfer has prepared a seven part video conference series for the six year project. It started with a work shop last July 22 at Palma Hall of the Univerity of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. A general overview "Peace Tech" served as the introduction in the said event.The workshop also became a training for an estimate of 60 young ambassadors of peace who will be facilitating the first video conference on July 31.

The conference entitled "Moving from Conflict to Understanding" will be hosted by Bam Aquino and Baicon Macaraya. It will be held at ULS Convention Hall in Mindanao and at the NISMED Auditorium in Up Diliman for Luzon. The speakers from the Arm Forces of the Philippines (AFP), former fighters, peace builders and victims of conflict, poverty and discrimination, will be sharing their experiences that will later be analyzed by the participants.

Most of the conferences in the "Peace Tech" series will focus on the different kinds of conflict and the analysis of the steps the comunities are taking to resolve the problem. The series will run from July to December of this year with the University of the Philippines Baguio hosting the conference on October.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Sona: GMA's Ambitious Plans


In the longest ever recorded State of the Nation Address in Philippine history, president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo reveals her ambitious plans for the country in the next three years. The Sona last Monday at the Batasan Pambansa Complex, was focused on the developent of the countryside in order to boost the economic stability of the Philippines.

Harnessing the potentials of the "super regions-"of-the-Philippines: the North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle, the Metro Luzon Urban Beltway, Central Philippines, Mindanao and the Cyber Corridor, was GMA's way of addressing the problems that the country is facing. Like former president Marcos, the Arroyo administration will be pushing for the development of infrastructures, increasing investors in the country and the mobilization and upgrading of production technology.

"In North Luzon, we will prioritize agribusiness investments. The agricultural and fisheries potential of the Cordilleras, Ilocandia, and Cagayan Valley can feed Luzon affordably. And nearness to North Asia holds the rich promise of agricultural exports and tourism." ,Arroyo explained.

The Metro Luzon Urban Beltway project is her vision to strengthen the local economy by building a continuous land and nautical highway for product transportation from region to region. Aside from economic gains, this project shall improve the fight against insurgency and rebel rule in barangays in the country.

Central Philippines will become a haven for tourism."The area sweeps across Palawan and Romblon, the Visayas and Bicol, plus the northern Mindanao islands of Camiguin, Siargao and Dapitan. Topbilled by Boracay, Cebu, Bohol and Palawan, it attracts more than half of the foreign tourists to the Philippines. ", Arroyo said.

The president is also eyeing agribusiness investments in Mindanao due to its "...fertile and largely typhoon-free [lands], exporting coconut products and high value crops, and from its waters come 40% of the country's fish catch.", she remarked.

On the otherhand, as an answer to greater ob opportunities, Arroyo presented the Cyber Corridor project. This aims to to open more call center agencies in the super regions fromBaguio to Cebu to Davao, to improve the telecommunications, technology and education of the country.

In order to put to effect the project of harnessing the potentials of the "super regions",
Arroyo calls for peace and unity among the Filipinos." We are a great people.We have scaled the heights of Mount Everest, dominated the Southeast Asian games, we have won international beauty titles, and of course punched our way to triumph in the boxing world.Together, we must take on the challenge of creating a new, peaceful, humane and competitive nation and prevail."

She also challenged her detractors saying "For those who want to pick up old fights, we're game... But what a waste of time. Why not join hands instead?"

After 166 rounds of applause, the president ended her Sona by thanking "all the true friends of the Filipino people". "Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart," she said.


Reference:
Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 25,2006 issue
http://www.gov.ph/sona/sonatext2006.asp

Sunday, July 16, 2006

The Formation of Identity, Nan Tawid Mi (Our Heritage)

Culture plays an important role in the foundation of a person's identity. Wars have been fought. Empires have risen and fallen. But culture will forever remain. It is the mark of a nation's greatness or a reminder of what was.

The Latin word colere, which means enrichment, is the root word of culture. Thus the birth of culture beca,e the basi of a civilization. (Wikipedia, 2006) The Philippines during the Spanish era, is an example of this context equation. Pigafetta and his chronicles of Magellan's voyages emphasized the absence of a unifying culture depicted the lack of civilization.

In this time and age, culture is valued in studies because it gives identity to a nation and its a people. It is a great influence in one's formation of his personality. It is a force that dictates right from wrong since a person's whole being swims in culture. It encompasses history, values, customs and traditions in a specific time and place. As a person necomes immersed in culture, he starts a journey of discovery towards his own identity. It starts with knowing his personal history and the domains of his ancestors. Along with this discovery of identity is the freedom of a individual to accept or reject what he has found. Since nobody can impose identity to a person he or she has the freedom to choose the identiy he or she wants.(Villalon, 2005)

In the Cordilleran comunity, identity is incorporated in culture. Since culture is regarded as an inheritance from the elder generation, so is his identity. This is his heritage, his tawid.

Tawid is an Ilocano/Cordilleran term meaning gift. For the Cordilleran family, this is the process of passing or handing down tradition, culture, practices, ideas, beliefs, and material possession to the next generation. (Villalon, 2005)

The elders (apos or the lallakays) are in charge of the passing down of traditions and beliefs to the youth of the community. Thus idenity formation is a very important process since the existence of the Cordilleran culture depends on it.

The identity can be associated to the building of a traditional house. The most important part is the ecology that includes the land. It is owned by the whole community and defines culture and life. The land become the foundation of the houseand also the foundation where the community begins its legend.

The post of the house represents the customs and traditions that is the binding force that holds the Cordillerans together. The stairs symbolizes language. Speaking one's language is the entrance to be accepted in a community thus into a house and culture. This part of identity includes the family and relatives in the learning process because they teach the language.

Inside the house, one can see the effort and hardship that has been given to build the house. It is a symbol of the importance they give to work. The great detail that the workers give to building the house shows the great value they have for the importance of the home.

The structure of the house is also a symbol. It compares to the heirarchial structure of the home wherein the father is the head of the home.

The floor or the papag is the representation of their history. It is the foundation of knowledge and support of the Cordillerans.

The walls of the house where decorations are hanged symbolizes the aesthetical value of music, arts and literature in the Cordillerans. They acknowledge the fact that the walls are replaced through time and it also accepted that the arts also change.

As they gaze out the windows, other houses can be seen. Their relationship is bonded by the view. The door is an open welcome to their fellow Cordillerans.

The last part of the house is the roof. It represents the spiritual life of the Cordillerans. It is their beliefs and their acknowledgement of a higher power.

In this light, identity can come from various aspects of life, not only in culture. Identity is freely chosen but culture can be rejected. The existence of culture is dependent on the acceptance and enrichment of those who are privileged to own it. When one seeks out his identity he or she can leave his or her tawid behind and create his own.

When one chooses not to accept his tawid we can never say that he is no longer himself. Although I hope that when one rejects he should never forget.