Indigenous peoples’ plight for recognition of their ancestral domain in iSYU & iSTORYA

If you went to Mindanao and failed to taste Chedeng's Peanuts, you missed out on a food 'tradition', big time. Chedeng's is not only patronized by Mindanaoans and vistors from all over the country, it is also a "pasalubong of choice" that has travelled across seas in thousands of Balikbayan boxes and luggage for so many years. Who is the genius behind Chedeng's? That's reclusive Filipino -Chinese businesswoman, Isidra Tan of Iligan City. For the first time, Mrs. Tan sits down in a full-length interview with Isyu & Istorya to tell people about her journey to making Chedeng's a household name.

The Isidra Tan interview is but one of the highlights of this Saturday's Isyu & Istorya. Prepare for a fully informative Saturday morning as host John Paul Seniel tackles the issue of ancestral domain that up to now continues to trouble many tribal communities in Mindanao.

Contrary to the Indigenous Peoples Right Act (IPRA) of 1997, which aims to recognize and promote all the rights of indigenous peoples in the country, several ethnic groups still face the tough struggle of claiming the lands they have inhabited for years.

Most of the time they were displaced by the influx of either people or big companies who want to explore their ancestral land. In this Saturday’s episode, Seniel personally witnesses the lumads’ anxiety and hears their plea when he visits the Manobo tribe in Las Nievez, Agusan del Norte. Catch this in the segment “Dinhi sa ilang Yutang Kabilin.”

Also taking the spotlight is the t-shirt printing business of the Mindanao State University students in General Santos City via “My Mindanao Story.”

Lastly, join Seniel in his "sour" journey to Asuncion, Davao del Norte where he gets to rediscover the town’s famous vinegar.

Do not miss iSYU & iSTORYA’s episode this Saturday, August 9, airing at 7:00am on GMA Channel 5 in Southern Mindanao, GMA Channels 12 and 35 in Northern Mindanao, and GMA Channel 8 in GenSan. (30)

Winner!

The most interesting, impactful and unique comments to any of our posts will win you a limited edition i&i notebook. We also welcome your story suggestions. And of course, you may send your My Mindanao Story via youtube or post the same to our FB or Twitter pages.

HEADS ARE TURNING (Repost from Halupi, January 13, 1987) and a rejoinder

This is an article culled from a compilation of short essays of a very prolific Filipino writer, Felice Sta. Maria. "Clean tresses should be enough to make a man take a second look, shampoo advertisements explain. Once upon a time, that second look could have been fatal and an unfavored suitor's head could have rolled from the headman's axe or the guillotine. Elders the world over warn against bare heads ha can fall prey to morning dew and cold. In the Philippines, where the same healthy head-counsel remains, most men wore headcloths. The turbans were wrapped and folded in a variety of ways-- each style signifying rank and ethnic lineage. The Bukidnon epic about hero Agueo's clan describes three seas-- one of betelnut for the living and two others of red and black made for the "turbans" of mortal men and women warriors. Early Spanish Christian missionaries recorded that pagan priests resembled horned Satan. Actually the native male clergy were simply garbed complete with a square head-cloth wrapped so that two tips stood up like horns. The masculine head gear is called by a variety of terms including putong, tubao and pis. Because pis is used in the Mindanao area "peace cloth" might be the more apropos reference, although in the 1970s new collectors of ethnic textiles inadvertently called the turban 'piece cloth'. Bukidnon ladies wear a headcloth but onl to cover their chignon. Use of the vehil among Muslim and Christians varies. Yet it is veil which unites both religions with Visnu. Hindi bridal couples exchange sampaguita garlands and tie head veils and shawls together. Muslims keep an ornate silk cloth over the heads of bride and groom during nuptials, and also keep a knotted garland around them. The Philippine Christian ceremony maintains this Asian custom with the veil and the cord-- not part of traditional Latin marriage rites." A study of head gears especially those which are still in use would be interesting especially to a Mindanao observer. In a place where centuries-old customs and traditions are still being practiced, it is best written about and chronicled especially by our young to better understand their cultural and heritage. The story suggestion for this topic gets a prize!

Mindanao TV programming turns a new leaf with iSYU&iSTORYA

There will never be a shortage of Mindanao stories to last one's lifetime. As a Mindanaoan myself, I feel overwhelmed, in fact, where to begin so that Filipinos in general get to appreciate this jewel in our geography even more. As we prepare to finally launch a program that is primarily about and exclusively on Mindanao, we look back at our biggest stories and features in all of GMA's Mindanao-based programs not because we want to show them again. We looked back at our past and current stock because we wanted to offer something new, something never done or featured before, something very Mindanao...essentially something that will make every Mindanaoan not only aware of what is happening around him but also proud of what he has or what he is. For July 19, see former Davao Mayor Inday Sara Duterte in another light-- a daycare teacher! Learn Lumad lingo in interesting vignettes. See more of Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental's best-kept secrets. And of course, get a hold of tips on how to cook goat meat, the Mindanaoan way. So now, we encourage our viewers to be storytellers and chroniclers of this beautiful land-- so that someday soon, we will achieve lasting, sustainable peace, understanding and progress --- aided by our unique Mindanao stories.(Cel Rosales-Amores)

We remember Jose Rizal's "Peaceful Life in Dapitan"

Today is Jose Rizal's birthday. That is why we are sharing one of his letters as published by the Commission on Higher Education in its website. Let us remember Rizal, who once lived, laughed and loved in our midst. Mindanao then, to this extraordinarily brilliant and freedom-loving Filipino, was a haven....a place where he further grew in wisdom and godliness. Letter to Ferdinand Blumentritt, December 19, 1893 "I shall tell you how we lived here. I have three houses-one square, another hexagonal, and the third octagonal. All these houses are made of bamboo, wood, and nipa. I live in the square house, together with my mother, my sister, Trinidad, and my nephew. In the octagonal house live some young boys who are my pupils. The hexagonal house is my barn where I keep my chickens. "From my house, I hear the murmur of a clear brook which comes from the high rocks. I see the seashore where I keep two boats, which are called barotos here. "I have many fruit trees, such as mangoes, lanzones, guayabanos, baluno, nangka, etc. I have rabbits, dogs, cats, and other animals. "I rise early in the morning-at five-visit my plants, feed the chickens, awaken my people, and prepare our breakfast. At half-past seven, we eat our breakfast, which consists of tea, bread, cheese, sweets, and other things. "After breakfast, I treat the poor patients who come to my house. Then I dress and go to Dapitan in my baroto. I am busy the whole morning, attending to my patients in town. "At noon, I return home to Talisay for lunch. Then, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., I am busy as a teacher. I teach the young boys. "I spend the rest of the afternoon in farming. My pupils help me in watering the plants, pruning the fruits, and planting many kinds of trees. We stop at 6:00 p.m. for the Angelus "I spend the night reading and writing."

The Golden Tara of Agusan

One of GMA's winningest documentaries hosted by Mel Tiangco, The Philippine Treasures, features the Golden Tara of Agusan del Sur. The Golden Tara is a 21-carat golden figure of a female Hindu deity. It is said to have been found by a Manobo woman along the muddy banks of the Wawa River and was first thought to be some kind of a doll. Now, the Golden Tara's home is the Fields Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois. It solemnly sits in a delicate glass case and is counted among the most precious in the collection of pre-historic artefacts from Asia. In Butuan, Golden Tara replicas of different sizes may be purchased by tourists and locals in souvenir shops and pasalubong centers. As I see the image dangling in keychains, emblazoned on t-shirts and molded in plaster of Paris table ornaments, I cannot help but wonder how it would have felt if personally, I can see the original image in the Balanghay Museum instead. There is one giant marker though declaring that the Golden Tara was discovered in the Caraga region. It stands as a proud reminder that yes, there is so much history left to be unearthed, so many stories to be told, so many questions to be answered. If only we can all make an effort to take one small step to understanding our country's colorful history, we may well be on the path to more lasting peace, harmony and of course, progress. (CARosales)

New Beginnings

We write today as if it is still the first day of January as we fling open our doors and windows to yet another challenge in the converging worlds of television and the world wide web. iSYU & iSTORYA is a shared blog by the producers of GMA Regional News and Public Affairs in Mindanao. Entries will be in both Cebuano/Visayan and English. We endeavor to be chroniclers, storytellers, storycatchers for stories of and about Mindanao in this generation for the benefit of the next. Join us in this exciting ride by suggesting issues and stories. We prefer those that focus on the beauty, mystery and heart of Mindanao. Certainly, there is something to look forward to this July.