The inaugural TINGUG International Conference, taking place on October 24, 2024, at the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Davao City, Philippines, convened scholars, practitioners, government agencies, and community representatives to facilitate dialogue on indigenous knowledge systems and practices. A key feature of the conference was the Pakighinabi sessionโa Bisaya term meaning “to converse”โwhich aimed to elevate the voices and experiences of various Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in Mindanao, Philippines.
The session was structured as an interactive platform for the different government agencies in Mindanao, and representatives from eight distinct Indigenous Peoples (IP) groups, complementing the morning launch of the book โIndigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management of Selected IP Groups in the Davao Region.โ This publication, led by Associate Professor Sajed S. Ingilan, resulted from an extensive research initiative funded by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), which documented essential indigenous practices related to disaster risk management.
In a warm and engaging atmosphere, session moderators Associate Dean Joy R. Risonar and Assistant Professor Virgel S. Torremocha, both of whom lead studies for the recently published IKSP Book 2, welcomed participants to the pakighinabi group 1 session. This event served as a vital platform to discuss the initiatives of each agency and advocate supporting Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and Bangsamoro communities in Mindanao, spotlighting the collaborative efforts of various institutions.
Atty. Joan Melo, serving as the Regional Legal Officer for the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in Region XI, plays an integral role in advocating for the rights and welfare of Indigenous Peoples. Her office works tirelessly to ensure IP communities are recognized and empowered, providing legal frameworks and support to navigate various challenges. Through education and outreach, the regionโs initiatives aim to elevate the voices of Indigenous Peoples, ensuring they have a say in policies that affect their lives.
Deputy Minister Nur-Ainee Tan of the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) in BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) ardently promotes social justice and equitable development. Her office focuses on creating programs that cater specifically to the needs of the Bangsamoro population, ensuring that basic services reach the most vulnerable in these communities. Through targeted social initiatives, Deputy Minister Tan aims to foster an inclusive environment where Bangsamoro culture and heritage are preserved and celebrated.
Norman ‘Noi’ Narciso, a renowned Davao-based artist and faculty member at Ateneo de Davao University, uses his creative talents to raise awareness about Indigenous issues and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Mindanao. By integrating art and advocacy, Narciso educates the public about Indigenous Peoples’ struggles and inspires a sense of pride in their cultural identities. His initiatives often involve community engagement, bringing together people from various backgrounds to appreciate and support the vibrant artistic expressions of the IPs.
Datu Rodolfo Mande, the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of Davao City, serves as an essential bridge between the government and Indigenous communities. His role involves voicing the concerns and aspirations of IPs within local governance frameworks. Datu Mande champions the rights of his community, ensuring their perspectives are incorporated into local policies. His presence in forums and discussions helps to amplify Indigenous voices, fostering a deeper understanding and collaboration between Indigenous Peoples and government entities.
Lastly, Indalesio L. Diano, associated with the NCIP-Davao City Provincial Office, is dedicated to facilitating programs that promote the welfare of Indigenous Peoples in the region. His office works on various initiatives, including capacity building, education, and community development projects. Diano and his team strive to provide Indigenous communities the tools they need to thrive and prosper by focusing on empowerment and self-sufficiency.
Together, these leaders pave the way for meaningful dialogue and action, fostering a stronger partnership between Mindanao’s government, educational institutions, and Indigenous communities. Their collective efforts highlight the importance of recognizing and respecting the rights of IPs and Bangsamoro people, ensuring that their voices and cultures are preserved and valued in the broader societal fabric.
In the pakighinabi group 2 session, bringing together diverse IP leaders from the Davao Region, highlighted the critical role of Indigenous knowledge systems in addressing contemporary challenges, particularly in disaster risk reduction. Participants shared insights into traditional practices, such as early warning systems, sustainable resource management, and community-based disaster response. These practices, rooted in deep cultural and ecological understanding, offer valuable lessons for modern disaster management strategies.
Tumanuron Boyson E. Anib, Sr. of the Ata ICCs in the Paquibato District, Davao City, emphasized the importance of traditional knowledge. “๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ช ๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฑ๐ถ๐บ๐ฐ ๐ด๐ข ๐๐ข๐ฒ๐ถ๐ช๐ฃ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ ๐๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ช๐ค๐ต, ๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ด๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐จ ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ. ๐๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฏ, ๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐ข ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ข ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐จ๐ช๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ, ๐ด๐ข๐ฎ๐ข ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ธ๐ข๐ญ๐ข ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฃ๐ถ๐ฌ๐ช๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ถ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข๐ต๐ข๐บ ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐ด๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ. ๐๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ถ๐ญ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ข ๐ถ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฃ๐ถ๐ฌ๐ช๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ (we live in the Paquibato District and rely on our ancestral land for our needs. However, we are facing many challenges, such as the loss of our forests and a decline in our traditions. Our hope is to preserve our culture and protect our ancestral lands).โ Highlighting how his community have effectively navigated the impacts of natural and man-made disasters.
Pongnguo (Datu) Mantawel Castillo from the Bagobo-Klata ICCs of Sirib, Calinan District expressed gratitude for the platform to exchange ideas. โ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ช ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ฑ๐ข๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ถ๐ฏ๐จ๐ฐ๐จ ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ถ๐ญ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ข ๐ด๐ข๐ฎ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐จ๐ช๐ด๐ข๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ช๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฉ๐ข๐จ๐ช๐ต ๐ด๐ข ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฏ. ๐๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐บ๐ข ๐ถ๐จ ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ช๐บ๐ข ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ข๐บ๐ฐ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ-๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฌ๐ณ๐ช๐ด๐ช๐ด ๐ด๐ข ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ช๐ฎ๐ข (This event allows us to honor our cultural heritage while addressing contemporary challenges. Our stories and strategies are vital in today’s climate crisis).”
Matanem (Datu) Gideon M. Tolentino of the Bagobo-Tagabawa of Sibulan, Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur added, “๐๐ข๐จ๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฌ๐ช๐ต๐ข ๐จ๐ช๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ช๐บ๐ข๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ถ๐จ ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐จ๐ถ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฏ. ๐๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ข๐ด๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐บ๐ข๐ธ๐ฆ. ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ข๐จ๐ช ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ฑ๐ข๐ข๐ฎ๐ฃ๐ช๐ต ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช๐ฃ๐ข๐ญ๐ฐ, ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐จ-๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ด ๐ญ๐ช๐จ-๐ฐ๐ฏ. ๐๐ช๐ด๐ข๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ด๐ถ๐ญ๐ข๐บ, ๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฎ๐ช ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฅ. ๐๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ต๐ถ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ด ๐ฎ๐ข๐ข๐บ๐ฐ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐ถ๐จ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ข ๐ด๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ด๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ, ๐ถ๐ด๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐ถ๐จ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ช๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ถ๐ญ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ข ๐ถ๐จ ๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐ด๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฃ๐ถ๐ฉ๐ช (we have learned from nature and our ancestors. Collaboration is key. By sharing our knowledge, we can strengthen our resilience together. Despite the challenges, we continue to fight for our rights. Our hope is to build a better future for the next generations, a future where our culture and traditions will continue to thrive).”
Matikadong (Datu) Rodolfo Mande from the Matigsalug ICCs of Marilog District, Davao City shared that “๐๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ด๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐ด๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข๐ข๐จ๐ช ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ฆ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ด ๐ช๐ฏ๐ค๐ญ๐ถ๐ด๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข๐ข๐จ๐ช ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ด๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ด๐ข ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐ฅ. ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐บ ๐ฌ๐ช๐ต๐ข ๐ด๐ข ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ข๐ฑ๐ช๐ญ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช๐ฃ๐ข๐ญ๐ฐ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฎ๐ข๐ด ๐ญ๐ข๐ฑ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ช๐บ๐ข (understanding indigenous practices is essential for creating a more inclusive approach to disaster management. We must work together with academic institutions to integrate our wisdom into broader strategies).”
The pakighinabi group 3 session, opened by Datu Erick Perez of the Mansaka ICCs of Tagum City emphasized the need for ongoing collaboration. According to him, โ๐๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐บ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ฑ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐จ-๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐ฅ. ๐๐ช๐ด๐ข๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ด๐ถ๐ญ๐ข๐บ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฏ, ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐จ๐ช๐ฑ๐ข๐ด๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐ด๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ถ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ถ๐ญ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ข. ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ข๐จ๐ช ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐บ, ๐ฎ๐ข๐ด ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ฑ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฌ๐ช๐ต๐ข ๐ด๐ข ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฉ๐ข๐จ๐ช๐ต ๐ด๐ข ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฏ (continuous collaboration can strengthen our communities. Despite the challenges of time, we remain committed to our traditions and culture. By working together, we can better face the challenges of the modern world).โ
Bae Darlina Dawa of the Manobo ICCs of Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental expressed a similar view: “๐๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ฆ ๐จ๐ข๐บ๐ถ๐ฅ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ถ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ช๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ต๐ถ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช๐ฃ๐ข๐ญ๐ฐ. ๐๐ช๐ต๐ข ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ต๐ช๐จ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐บ ๐ฏ๐ช๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐ด๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ, ๐ถ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐ช ๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐บ๐ข๐จ ๐ฐ๐จ ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ด๐ฐ๐ญ๐ถ๐ด๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ข. ๐๐ช๐ด๐ข๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ด๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฃ๐ถ๐ฉ๐ช, ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐จ๐ช๐จ๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช๐ฃ๐ข๐ญ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฃ๐ถ๐ฉ๐ช (it is essential to respect and recognize our indigenous knowledge systems. We are the guardians of these traditions, and they offer real solutions to modern problems. Even in the face of hardship, we continue to utilize our knowledge to survive),” says Bae Darlina.
Pyagmatikadung (Datu) Edris Mamukid of the Kagan ICCs of Banaybanay, Davao Oriental reinforced the sentiment, stating, “๐๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ต๐ช๐จ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฌ๐ช๐ต๐ข ๐ด๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฏ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช๐ถ๐ด๐ข ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ-๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฌ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ข ๐ค๐ญ๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ. ๐๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช๐ฃ๐ข๐ญ๐ฐ ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ข๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ถ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐บ๐ข ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ข๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข๐ข๐จ๐ช ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ด๐ข๐จ๐ถ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐ฅ (the convergence of our voices today highlights the significance of unity in addressing the impacts of climate change. Our knowledge must influence the future of disaster risk management).” He also added, โ๐๐ด๐ช๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ด๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข ๐๐บ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฌ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ด, ๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐บ ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐ด๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ถ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ถ๐ญ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ข. ๐๐ช๐ด๐ข๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐บ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฏ, ๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ด๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐จ ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ด๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ค ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ค๐ฆ๐ด. ๐๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฏ, ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ข๐บ๐ฐ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ช๐ฑ๐ข๐ข๐ฎ๐ฃ๐ช๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช๐ฃ๐ข๐ญ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ด๐ช๐จ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐จ-๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐ฅ (as a Datu, together with our council of elders, we continue to safeguard our traditions and culture. Despite the passage of time, our reliance on both our Islamic practices remains strong. In today’s world, it is crucial that we share our knowledge to ensure the resilience of our community).โ
Finally, Datu Marcelo M. Ngap, Jr. of the Sama ICCs of the Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte concluded his statements by saying, โ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ช ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ต๐ช๐จ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฑ๐ข๐ด๐ช๐ถ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช๐ถ๐ด๐ข ๐ถ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ต๐ข๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฅ. ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ข๐จ๐ช ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐บ, ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ช๐ฑ๐ข๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ถ๐ฏ๐จ๐ฐ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ช๐จ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ถ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ด๐ช๐จ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐ถ๐ฏ๐จ๐ต๐ข๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ถ๐จ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ข ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐ฅ. ๐๐ช๐ด๐ข๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ถ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ข ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐ฅ, ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐จ๐ช๐ฑ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ช๐ต๐ข ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐ข๐จ๐ช ๐ข๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฑ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฃ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐ฅ (this gathering highlight the importance of unity and respect. Through collaboration, we can elevate indigenous knowledge and ensure a sustainable future for all communities. Despite limited opportunities, we continue to seek ways to develop our community).โ
These discussions underscored the importance of indigenous knowledge and reinforced a collective commitment to working towards a resilient future in the face of climate change challenges. The convergence of diverse IP voices underscored one of the eventโs significance, demonstrating a keen commitment to honor their cultural heritage while navigating contemporary challenges.
The Pakighinabi session encouraged meaningful interactions among attendees and fostered an environment of respect and recognition for indigenous knowledge systems. It highlighted the ongoing need for collaboration between academic discourse and indigenous practices to create a more inclusive approach to disaster risk reduction and management. Through these conversations, the conference reinforced a commitment to acknowledging and integrating indigenous wisdom into broader developmental strategies, thereby ensuring the sustainability and resilience of communities in the face of an uncertain future.
Adding an enriching layer to the session, the scholarly input from international experts significantly influenced the bookโs development. Dr. Rodney C. Jubilado of the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Dr. Aurelio S. Agcaoili of the University of Hawaii at Manoa provided insightful critiques that honed the manuscript’s focus. Moreover, the supportive words from Dr. Hanafi Hussin of the Universiti Malaya, Dr. Nasirin Abdillah of the Universiti Teknologi MARA, and Dr. Takashi Tsuji of the International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage greatly inspired the research team and framed the importance of scholarly collaboration.
