PRESS RELEASE
The group Samahan ng mga Artista at Manunulat para sa Bayan (Sambayan) held a cultural night for the 927 Talaingod Manobo evacuees from Talaingod, Davao del Norte at the UCCP Haran compound here in Davao City. The performances rendered songs calling for peace and the protection of the ancestral land and environment.
Neil Cervantes, Chairperson of Sambayan, said, “What we are witnessing tonight is only a bit of the rich culture and arts of the lumad through their dances and songs. But more than our performances, this is a night to unite with the ‘roots’ of our country.” He further said that, “Our lumad sisters and brothers here are calling for the pull-out of military troops in their areas after they experienced aerial bombing and many forms of abuse from the soldiers. Any form of aggression upon their land like military operation ultimately destroys their culture.”
Several artists’ groups from Davao joined the event. The group Kaliwat, in their songs, expressed their solidarity with the evacuees whom the group considered as “the defenders of Pantaron Range”. “The Pantaron Range is the source of all our bodies of water in Mindanao, and the Manobos are the ones defending it against its aggressors like the big logging and mining companies,” the group said before they sung “Agila”, written and sung by Joey Ayala.
Kathara, also one of the performing groups, danced a traditional Manobo dance. The groups Silab, Zach of Jazzistas de Davao, Spiral Fire Dancersand Kuntaw likewise performed.
Children evacuees from the Salugpongan Learning Center in Sitio Dulian also performed, singing their school anthem “Salugpongan”, and “Tagumpay nating lahat” popularized by Lea Salonga.
According to Cervantes, another cultural night in tribute to the Manobo evacuees and their quest for peace based on justice will take place on April 22 in line with the Earth Day celebration.
The group Sambayan stated, “We are joining the evacuees in their quest for genuine peace. We believe in peace that is based on justice- it also means respect for human rights and asserting the rights of the lumads to self-determination and their ancestral domain.” The group is calling for the immediate resumption of the peace talks between the GRP and NDFP as it hopes for the approval of significant agenda in the said negotiation particularly on Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER).
For Reference:
Neil Cervantes (09264080276)
