Tuesday, December 17, 2024

12 paresan misalmot sa Tribal mass wedding

Dose ka paresan sa Indigenous Peoples (IPs) ang nisalmot sa tribal mass wedding nga gipahigayon niadtong Agosto sa Covered Court sa Barangay Sumpong sa Malaybalay City, Bukidnon

Sumala sa kasayoran sa local government unit sa Malaybalay, ang kalihokan isa ka highlight sa “Araw ng Barangay Sumpong.”

Gitumong kini aron mapormal ang panaghiusa sa mga magtiayon nga nag-ipon na isip bana ug asawa.

Ang seremonyas gihimo subay sa naandang mga balaod, ritwal, ug tradisyon sa mga magtiayon, sumala sa gilatid sa Republic Act 8371 kon Indigenous Peoples Rights Act.

Si Datu Danny Sarito ang nangulo sa kasal, uban sa tabang ni Bae Inatlawan – Adelina Tarino ug Datu Chepin Jose Gumindan.

Gitinguha usab sa kalihokan nga masiguro nga ang mga magtiayon maka-access sa mga importanteng programa sa gobyerno, sama sa 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) ug PhilHealth.

Si City Mayor Jay Warren R. Pabillaran, uban sa mga sakop sa Sangguniang Panlungsod, mga opisyal sa barangay, ug nagkalain-laing lider sa tribo, nitambong sa seremonyas aron pagpakita sa ilang suporta.

Anaa ang City Civil Registrar’s Office aron motabang sa pagpirma sa mga sertipiko sa kaminyoon, pagsiguro sa legal nga pag-ila sa ilang kaminyoon. (Diego M. Hidalgo)

Demo farm showcases drought-tolerant hybrid rice variety in Buk’non upland area

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon — A demonstration farm in Sitio Incalbog, Can-ayan, featuring the hybrid rice variety TH-82 NSIC Rc350H, has showcased resilience amid the El Niño phenomenon, highlighting its potential to thrive within an upland ecosystem

This was underscored during a culmination program of the techno demo on August 22 in the said city.

This was led by the Department of Agriculture – Northern Mindanao (DA-10) in partnership with the Bukidnon Tagoloanon Mulahay Ha Kabukalagan Agriculture Cooperative (BUKTAMACO), Bukidnon province and Malaybalay City agriculture offices, and SeedWorks Philippines, Inc.

Chona H. Nacalaban, DA-10’s Rice program focal person, emphasized the importance of introducing the hybrid rice technology in upland conditions and engaging members of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs), especially in their ancestral areas with limited rice cultivation.

Launched last February 8, the planted rice variety was initially expected to be harvested by the third week of May, but faced a 58-day delay in maturity due to a significant lack of rainfall from March to May, albeit yielding 2.2 tons per hectare based on crop cut results after receiving rainfall in June.

For his part, Emmanuel F. Piñol, former DA Secretary and an early supporter of the initiative, lauded the demo farm’s success as a significant milestone for Philippine agriculture.

“The ability of this rice variety to survive drought and continue growing, despite a delayed maturity period, underscores its potential to revolutionize rice production in upland areas,” Piñol remarked.

“This breakthrough could allow us to cultivate rice in areas previously reliant on irrigation,” he added, while further noting that it is pivotal in easing the reliance on rice imports and addressing the need to feed the growing population by expanding and improving available tribal areas of the country for rice production.

The demo farm, covering 3,000 square meters, is a precursor to developing the 300 hectares within the BUKTAMACO ancestral domains, which overall seeks to implement sustainable farming practices tailored to upland environments, at the same time bolstering food security in the region. (BJCE)

7 sites sa Bukidnon nakaangkon og free Wi-Fi access

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon (August 15, 2024) – Nakaangkon og free Wi-Fi access ang pito ka mga barangay sa Bukidnon bag-ohay lang

Ang pito ka mga dapit lakip sa activated nga 600 ka mga lugar sa nasud nga natabonan sa Connectivity, Capability, and Resiliency through Free Wi-Fi for All (CoRe FW4A) project sa Department of Information and Technology (DICT uban sa United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Nahigayon ang nationwide launching sa proyekto sa People’s Hall sa Malaybalay City, Bukidnon kaniadtong Agosto 15, 2024.

Diha sa programa si Mr. Paul Tuason, director sa DICT, Ms. Vivien Suerte-Cortez, team leader sa UNDP Philippines Institutions and Partnerships, Malaybalay City Mayor Jay Warren R. Pabillaran, ug uban pa.

Duha sa mga proyekto sa Bukidnon ang lakip sa Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) diin ang Free Wi-Fi naplastar sa Barangay Hall sa Cabadiangan, Kadingilan ug sa Santa Felomina Barangay Hall sa Quezon.

Samtang ang lima pa anaa sa Indigenous People’s (IP) communities nga naplastar sa Saint Peter Barangay Hall sa Malaybalay City, Dolorosa Barangay Hall sa Dangcagan, Maraymaray Barangay Hall sa Don Carlos, Kalabugao Barangay Hall sa Impasug-ong ug Sampaguita Barangay Hall sa Kibawe.

Ang CoRe FW4A project direktang gipatuman sa UNDP nga nagsuporta sa pagpatuman sa DICT sa Free Wi-Fi for All (FWFA) Program niini subay sa R.A. 10929 kon Free Internet Access in Public Spaces Act of 2017.

Ang programa gikatakdang matapos sa Disyembre 31, 2025. (melbmadera)

NCIP, LGU Manolo Fortich ink MOA on P226.9M FMR in Kalugmanan

The drafting and signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the concreting of the farm-to-market road in Sitio Balakbakan, Barangay Kalugmanan, took place on August 19, 2024, at the Barangay Kalugmanan covered court

The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the Local Government Unit of Manolo Fortich signed the agreement.

The project involves concreting a 7.8-kilometer Farm-to-Market Road (FRM) under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), with a budget of 226,992,990 million pesos from the Department of Agriculture.

The road concreting will begin at Sitio Balakbakan and continue to Kalugmanan proper.

This project aims to assist farmers in Barangay Kalugmanan by facilitating the easier transportation of their farm produce to the Municipal Public Market in Barangay Tankulan.

Municipal Mayor Rogelio N. Quiño was present during the MOA drafting and signing. He expressed his enthusiasm for infrastructure programs, particularly road projects.

“Matod pa, himoon nato ni nga dako nga kalipay nga ang atong karsada gikan didto sa Café by the Ridge, musangko dinhi sa atong tulay, pasubida paingon sa ila ni Mr. Perrine, ug gani naa pay sobra nga budget, I think nga e-semento pa paingon diri. Nindot na kaayo mga programa nato mga roads section sa atong lungsod sa Manolo Fortich. Including ang atong Sankanan road, ang atong gi-plano nasad ang Lindaban paingon sa Dahilayan atong sementohon, so nangita tag budget para ana,” Mayor Quiño stated.

Farmer Sirapin Buyoc, 67 years old, from Zone 2, Kalugmanan, expressed his gratitude for the road project, which has made transporting their agricultural products easier.

“Ang ako lang, nga makadugang benepisyo niining muabot ang dalan nga kami di nami maglisod sa among mga produkto, sama sa mga mais, cassava, mga utanon, daghan mi mga utanon diha sa Ilaya. So sayon ra gyud kaayo ang pag-deliver sa produkto paingon sa atong market ug sa Cagayan,” said Buyoc.

Also in attendance were Municipal Administrator Engr. Joie Caesar M. Gaid, Sangguniang Bayan Member IPMR Coun. Alex Payangga, NCIP Regional Legal Officer Atty. Dexter Precioso, the Barangay Council of Kalugmanan, and Indigenous Peoples (IP) community members, including the Higaonon, Talaandig, and Bukidnon tribes.

Heads of offices and representatives from focal departments of the Local Government of Manolo Fortich, such as the Municipal Agriculture Office, Municipal Engineering Office, Municipal Assessor’s Office, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office, and Municipal Planning and Development Office, also attended the MOA signing. (PR)

MVP buying out dairy farm in Bukidnon for P700 million

MANILA, Philippines (July 11, 2024) — Business titan Manuel V. Pangilinan is dipping further into the dairy business as he will buy out for around P700 million a Bukidnon-based milk company to increase the supply of his ice cream venture

Pangilinan confirmed to The STAR that he will be acquiring Bukidnon Milk Co. to raise the dairy supply for premium ice cream brand Carmen’s Best of The Laguna Creamery Inc., where he has a controlling stake.

“Sales of our ice cream products have been growing exponentially and we are slowly running out of milk supply from our dairy farm in Bay, Laguna,” Pangilinan said.

“We are buying another dairy farm in Bukidnon to supplement the supply. Maybe we could ship some of the milk to Manila because we want to expand our fresh milk supply and we want to get into yogurt and cheeses,” he added.

Sources privy to the buyout told The STAR that the transaction is estimated to cost at least P700 million. This would make it larger than Pangilinan’s P198 million acquisition of a majority stake in The Laguna Creamery in 2022.

Sources said Metro Pacific Agro Ventures (MPAV), a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., is wrapping up negotiations with Bukidnon Milk with the goal of closing the deal this July, in time for Pangilinan’s birth month.

Pangilinan said Bukidnon Milk has a capacity three to four times bigger than MPAV’s dairy farm in Bay, Laguna.

Based on data from the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service in Manila, the Philippine market for ice cream products is estimated to reach $408 million, of which $105.3 million is imported.

Pangilinan made his first dip into the dairy business in 2022 when MPAV took on a 51-percent share in The Laguna Creamery, the maker of Carmen’s Best. Pangilinan views his entry into the dairy industry as another step toward food sufficiency.

Apart from this, MPAV partnered with Israel’s LR Group Ltd. to put up the Metro Pacific Dairy Farms through a 60:40 sharing in favor of the Metro Pacific Group. The facility can produce as much as 6.5 million liters of milk every year once it begins operations in 2025.

MPAV hopes to grow the revenue of its dairy business to P500 million by 2025 and P1 billion by 2027.

In earlier interviews with reporters, Pangilinan aired his frustration over the dairy supply in the Philippines, lamenting that 99 percent of the demand is served by imported milk and 70 percent of the supply is powdered, not fresh.

Pangilinan said this import dependency is caused by low yields in dairy farming, as farmers are unable to go beyond traditional practices.

This is where Bukidnon Milk pours into the glass. The company runs a 460-hectare grazing farm in Maramag, Bukidnon—the first and biggest of its kind in Mindanao—where cows are allowed to wander freely.

Bukidnon Milk practices a kind of dairy farming that gives cows a stress-free landscape, as opposed to the usual confined animal feeding operations method. The company also boasts that it neither enriches nor fortifies its milk products, doing nothing more to them than light pasteurization and homogenization to retain their natural nutrients.

In its facility, Bukidnon Milk uses RFID readers and automated sensors for safety and sanitation, and it also employs indigenous peoples in the community to provide them with jobs.

To date, Bukidnon Milk sells its milk products in select outlets of Balai ni Fruitas, Landers, S&R, and SM, and supplies dairy items for coffee shops in Mindanao.

Bukidnon Milk takes care of around 2,000 cows in its land and the company supplies to at least 50 businesses nationwide. (Jasper Emmanuel Arcalas, Elijah Felice Rosales /The Philippine Star)

Pipila ka kalohokan sa Kaamulan 2024 gipangandaman sa NCIP Bukidnon

Gipangandaman sa National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)-Bukidnon Provincial Office ang pipila ka mga kalihukan nga gisalig kanila sa Provincial Government of Bukidnon (PGB) alang sa nagsingabot nga Kaamulan 2024

Sumala sa press release sa PAIA, isa ka Meeting uban sa Indigenous People’s Mandatory Representatives (IMPRs) ang gipangunahan sa NCIP Bukidnon niadtong Enero 26, 2024 nga gipahigayon sa Provincial Office niini sa Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.

Sa pagpakisayud ni Melinda Tulba, OIC sa Bukidnon Provincial Office, siya miingon nga “Yearly nga activity sa Bukidnon ang Kaamulan. Ang among participation sa NCIP isip lead agency nga magtabang sa atong mga kaigsoonang lumad, ang pagtan-aw sa kaayohan ug pagplastar sa mga kaigsoonan nga magpartisipar.”

Sa maong tigum sa IPMRs, gi-usa-usa pag-presenta ang mga kalihukan sa Kaamulan 2024, ug gipalawoman ang pagtuki sa Culture and Arts Exhibits, ingon man ang mga gabayan sa bag-o nga Laga ta Kaamulan, ug uban pa.

Sa Culture and Arts Exhibits, gisiguro sa pagkuha ang commitment sa matag IPMR sa 22 ka mga LGUs sa Bukidnon kabahin sa adlaw nga sila mag-presenta.

Gikahinaman usab sa mga tribal leaders ang maong pagpasundayag, sanglit ning higayona, aduna na’y nakataganang pondo isip pa-premyo kanila.

Mamahimong criteria sa gipangandaman nga Municipality/City ICCs/IPs Cultural Presentation ang mosunod: Exhibits nga 40 porsyento nga naglangkub sa kamahinungdanon sa butang sa kultura, pagkatinuod sa produkto o ginama sa IP, ug pagkanindot sa presentasyon.

Saysenta-porsyento usab sa Presentation sa ilang mga kulturanhong sayaw, kanta, mga traditional nga mga estorya, panultihon, ug mga kasaysayan nga nahimong tamdanan sa matag tribu.

Mitambong sa maong tigum si Regional Director Ordonio P. Rocero, Jr. sa NCIP Region X, kung diin mipadayag sa iyang pagdayeg sa kalig-on sa tribu sa Bukidnon.

Anaa usab si Provincial IPMR Atty. Arbie S. Llesis, kinsa mipadangat sa iyang pakigtimbayayong sa NCIP-Bukidnon ug gidasig ang kahiusahan sa pito ka tribu.

Kamulo pa usab gi-finalize ang mamahimong gabayan sa Laga ta Kaamulan ug gilauman nga magpatawag og laing panagtagbo alang sa pagplastar sa Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) alang sa Kaamulan Street and Ground dancing contingents. (melbmadera)

Heirs of Datus Mampaalong, Mansikiabo hold annual Sakub ritual

MALAYBALAY CITY (BukidnonNews.Net/20 January 2024) The heirs of Datu Mampaalong and Datu Mansikiabo ancestors of the Bukidnon Tribe held a ritual on January 20, 2024, in Sakub, a riverine sacred historical site

Datu Maayun-ayun Arthur “Tiboy” Melendez led the annual ritual also known as Panungdan Panalawaig Pamuhat ta Sakub Salubseb, which pays respect to the spirits that guard the river and the water that flows through it.

Malaybalay City Mayor Jay Warren R. Pabillaran led dignitaries who attended the ritual. Also present were City Council Chair of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, Councilor Allan Ryann Legaspi and City SK Federation President Christopher Lambert Tortola, Brgy 7 Punong Barangay Digs Ramos, Barangay 2 Punong Barangay Vinci Melendez, Brgy 7 Kagawad Emilio Cahilig, Brgy. 4 Kagawad Jet Tulang, and media personality Eric Cacay, based on reports by Erlow D. Talatala.

Datu Maayun-ayun Arthur O. Melendez, the tribal leader, told BukidnonNews.Net in 2020 the ritual should be held every year at the strike of new moon. He added that it is important for the tribe as well as the rest of the city to hold the annual ritual as it promotes mutual respect, understanding, and unity.

The datu cited free and prior informed consent and mutual sharing of information as among the principles promoted in the ritual. In the past, visitors to the town used to pay courtesy to the site as a sign of respect for the story of the town and its people.

Back in 2020, he added that the heirs do the ritual to mark a cultural reawakening in the city. They plan to hold cultural reorientation and education.

The ritual is usually attended by tribal elders and leaders from other parts of Bukidnon and other members of the community.

For him, Panalawaig is important for the city as water is important to life. In Binukid, water is “wahig”. He said they can trace the importance of paying respect to creations in the foundations of the city, even before the Spaniards declared it as a pueblo or town.

Datu Maayun-ayun relates to BukidnonNews.Net the story of ancestor Amay Manlanot, who came even before Datu Mampaalong and Datu Mansikiabo. The tribal leader came to the spring site one day. Somehow, he dropped his sakub (scabbard or sheath of a blade weapon) on one part of the river, and swam for it but never resurfaced.

Since then, the tribe has called the place Sakub, which is near the San Isidro Bridge in Impalambong, along the Sawaga River. It is close to the original market site of Malaybalay, along Bahada, in the boundary of Brgy 4 and Brgy. 7.

In September 2019, the City Government of Malaybalay passed an ordinance declaring Sakub a talengdanen (sacred site) and Salubseb spring as an anthropological and historical site of the indigenous peoples.

The ordinance, authored by City Councilor Louel M. Tortola and then Vice Mayor Jay Warren Pabillaran was sponsored by then City IP Mandatory Representative Bede Blaise Omao Maghilom. It recognized that the city government is duty-bound to maintain unity, peace, and understanding by promoting mutual respect among the city’s inhabitants.

Datu Maayon-ayon said in 2020 that the ordinance is important in the tribe’s efforts for cultural reawakening and the genuine development of the city.

Datu Mampaalong of the Melendez clan and Datu Mansikiabo, his counterpart in the Moreno clan are recognized forefathers of the Bukidnon tribe in Malaybalay City. (BukidnonNews.Net)

Datu Maayon-ayon Arthur “Tiboy” Melendez speaks during a portion of the ritual. (Erlow D. Talatala)


Tourists flocked to Don Carlos, Bukidnon on January 20 to 21, 2024 to join parishioners as they celebrate the town fiesta in honor of the Sto Nino (child Jesus). The local version of the Sinulog Festival was marked with religious, entertainment, and public showcases. Photos courtesy of Sinulog sa Don Carlos 2024 FB Page/LGU Don Carlos/BukidnonNews.Net

Bukidnon Bansalumad Congress held

MALAYBALAY CITY (Dec. 27, 2023) – Leaders of Bukidnon’s seven tribes gathered alongside Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representatives (IPMRs) for the Bansalumad Congress, which was held in the Hall of Peace in Tulugan, Brgy. Songco, Lantapan on the 22nd and 23rd of December 2023

They primarily discussed the proposed Indigenous Peoples (IP) Code.

Atty. Arbie “Bagani” Saway Llesis, Bukidnon provincial IPMR, presented and discussed the significance of his largely prepared proposed ordinance with the participants.

He proposes the Bukidnon Bansalumad Code of 2024, also known as the Ordinance Adopting the Comprehensive Bansalumad Indigenous Peoples Welfare and Development Code in the Province of Bukidnon.

Llesis explained that “the IP Code isn’t just any law. That represents our unity. Now we will sew our effort, bind our effort to become stronger, to be heard more, and to be more believable that we can implement our rights here in our territory”.

Generally, the purpose of the code is to provide the basis for conscious and planned development for the IPs in the province and provide them substantial opportunities for access to governmental resources for the same.

One of its goals and objectives is to recognize the IPs’ right to decide on their development priorities as these affect their lives, beliefs, institutions, and spiritual well-being, as well as the lands they occupy or use, and to exercise control over their own economic, social, and cultural development to the greatest extent possible.

The proposed ordinance calls for the construction of a Provincial Indigenous Peoples Complex on a three-hectare property.

The Provincial IP Complex will act as the focal point for centralized and coordinated support, response, livelihood, and development involving Bukidnon’s IP.

The participants unanimously agreed on the IP Code’s desired approval during the two-day session.

Apart from explaining the IP Code, the Bansalumad Congress also discussed other resolutions to be signed by the elders and leaders of the seven tribes, such as the resolution to request funding for the IP Complex from the provincial government, as well as the request to congressmen for more funds for the construction of other IP structures, crafting an ordinance that will lead to the formation of the League of IPMRs, and resolutions opposing the national plan to zero budget the NCIP and House Bill No. 9608 which is the transfer of the ancestral domain office of NCIP to DENR. (melbmadera)

Malaybalay tribal group gets 40 new homes

Family beneficiaries of Daraghuyan Tribal Village housing project pose after the awarding ceremony held at Daraghuyan Ancestral Domain in Damitan, Brgy. Dalwangan, Malaybalay City on Dec. 14, 2023. (Photo lifted from Mayor Pabillaran’s Facebook account)

Malaybalay tribal group gets 40 new homes

MALAYBALAY CITY (Dec. 15, 2023) – Forty (40) recently built housing units were turned over to the family recipients who are members of Daraghuyan Tribal group at Damitan, Brgy. Dalwangan here

The Daraghuyan Tribal Village housing project’s awarding ceremony took place on December 14 at the project’s location, Daraghuyan Ancestral Domain, according to a news statement from the city government.

Bae Inatlawan Adelina Tarino, chieftain of the Daraghuyan tribe led the customary rite that opened the event.

The Daraghuyan Tribal Village project was a joint undertaking initiated by the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the City Government of Malaybalay.

NHA represented by its District Manager Engr. Madeleine Gilda Abellera and OIC- Regional Manager Engr. Homer Cezar graced the event.

City Councilors Brian Flores, Erwin Damasco, Alan Ryann Legaspi, and Melchor Maramara were present at the event.

The Governor’s Office personnel, tribal leaders, and guests from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were among the forty project beneficiaries who attended the ceremony.

The project was initiated during the term of late City Mayor Florencio “Doc Boy” T. Flores Jr. and was diligently ensured for completion by Mayor Jay Warren R. Pabillaran, who secured the necessary counterpart funding.

Vice Mayor Estelito Marabe and the members of the 8th and 9th Sanggunian Panlungsod provided unwavering support for the project.

The Daraghuyan Tribal Village showcased a model house, which was inaugurated during the
event.

The housing staff took great care with the interior design and landscape.

This noteworthy accomplishment is a result of the collaborative efforts of the local government and the NHA, providing the Daraghuyan people sustainable housing solutions. (melbmadera)

DA-PRDP, World Bank, EU visit IREAP enterprise in Damulog for 16th ISM

DAMULOG, Bukidnon – The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project, together with the World Bank (WB) and the European Union (EU) visited the Crumb Rubber Processing and Marketing Enterprise subproject of the Migcawayan Tribal Agricultural
Cooperative (MTAC) on November 16, 2023, as part of the 16th Implementation Support Mission (ISM)

Bukidnon Governor Rogelio Neil Roque welcomed the WB and the EU team to the province of Bukidnon and thanked them for their assistance to MTAC and the province.

Mio Takada, WB Task Team Leader to PRDP said that the main objective of the mission is to hear from the proponent group on their preparation for the implementation of the given subproject, which includes addressing their apprehensions and constraints and providing direction to the group.

Further, the apprehensive about constraints that they are facing so they can address and provide direction for them.

Meanwhile, Mojca Krisper-Figueroa, EU Programme Manager, is glad that the EU was able to join the ISM for the first time and visit the subproject site.

“It’s great that the existing facilities are running, and there is enhanced workforce labor and enhanced price increase in the production, which is actually good. We are happy to be here, learn from you and exchange ideas with you, and of course, if there is something that we can do for
the cooperative, we are happy to assist,” Figueroa added.

DA-10 Regional Technical Director for Operations and DA-PRDP Deputy Project Director (DPD) Carlota S. Madriaga affirmed the department’s commitment after noticing the perseverance, dedication, and drive of MTAC towards the success of the subproject.

Funded under DA-PRDP’s second additional financing (AF2) and European Union Co-Financing Grant, the medium enterprise proposed by MTAC has a subproject cost of Php 80,971,551.00 and will benefit greatly from the cooperative members, including a huge number of women, indigenous people, and rubber farmers in the barangay and nearby areas as it provides livelihood for them once the operation starts.

Gracing the activity are the WB team composed of Ning Bondoc, Shubham Singh, Mario Orilla, Cora Dankers, Tomas Sta. Maria, Gomer Tumbali, and Maya Villaluz, with representatives from the PRDP National Project Coordinating Office.

Also present in the activity are the Project Support Office Mindanao team led by DPD Noel Provido, the LGU of Damulog headed by Mayor Melino Buro, the Regional Project Coordinating Office 10 team, Migcawayan barangay officials, and MTAC members. (pr)