By BWHRA (PR)

BONTOC, Mountain Province – In the continuing fight for the recognition of their rights, women’s groups here formed the Bontoc Women Human Rights Alliance (BWHRA) this November 17 at the Ridge Brook Hotel, in Samuki here.

The women groups from the six barangays of Bontoc include: the Fanngan Women’s Organization, HEIFER from Samoki; Puspos Finachang Women’s Organization, Calitit; Lokok Women’s Group, Chakchakan; Lanao Young Mother’s Organization, Lanao Farmer’s organization; Dagupan Women’s Organization of Dallican, and Women Unite for Peace and Advancement, Guinaang.

The formation of the BWHRA was a result of the inter community training, a project supported by the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact on Empowering Indigenous Women in Traditional Customary Institutions. The theme of the training was Irupir dependaran ti karbengan dagiti Babae ken Ubbing (Assert and defend women’s and children’s rights).

Discussions at the assembly include human rights, violence against women and basic women’s orientation. Workshops on documentation, writing and composition of basic legal papers, the use and tips on filing of necessary complaints on human rights violations in their communities completed their agenda.

Representatives of the Sagada Women’s Human rights Advocates and Mountain Province Youth Alliance also attended the said activity.

Membership is still open to interested organizations and individuals. # nordis.net

By LEXVIN COS-AGON

BONTOC, Mountain Province — Mountain Province Youth Alliance – Anakbayan (MPYA-AB) gathered on November 10 and 11 at the Bontoc Multi-Pupose Hall and Nursing Arts Room, Mountain Province State Polytechnic College (MPSPC) to celebrate its 8th congress with the theme: “Konsolidaen ken Papigsaen ti Tignayan dagiti Agtutubo iti Montanyosa” (Consolidate and strengthen the Movement of the Youth Sector in the Province).

Almost 200 youth and student representatives from the League of Progressive Students (LPS), Progressive Igorots for Social Action (PIGSA), Anakbayan-Cordillera, Katribu Young Artists (KAYA), Anakbayan National, KPL Tadian and Bontoc chapters, Anakbayan Tadian, SILAWAN and other honorary members participated in the congress.

Maricel Galeng, chairperson of the LPS-Anakbayan and host organization said that the just concluded MPYA-AB Congress was generally successful. “It was able to proclaim its new set of officers and re-affirm its principle. Clearly, the progressive youth movement in the province is gaining strength in its struggle to fight for the democratic rights of the youth and the people in general.” She added that the particular issues on education, employment, land rights, culture, and basic services are their main concern.

As a result of the deliberation during the discussion of issues and concerns, MPYA delegates affirmed that the youth of Montanyosa shares in the plight of all the youth of the country in the neglect of the government of the basic right to education through inadequate subsidies which prevents many of the youth counterparts to attend school and forces them to seek employment elsewhere. “The government violates the Constitution by not prioritizing in its budget allocation basic social services like education, health and infrastructure. Instead the largest appropriation is given to debt servicing and the military. Also, school facilities and equipments are scarce or worse, none at all. There is unbridled increase of tuition and other fees in public educational institutions,” the group added.

Myranel Dong-as, the convener of the PIGSA – MPSPC chapter added that “Development Aggression is rampant in the province like mining and energy projects.” She stressed that it is but right and just that the youth stand in the forefront in the protests against mining, hydro, geothermal and wind energy.

“These projects have never and will never serve the interest of the people of Mountain Province but rather give way to the insatiable appetite of multinationals and local ruling classes in our resources. The government has always sugar-coated projects for development but in the end, it always turned out to be development for the capitalists and their local counterparts and aggression for the impoverished people,” she said.

Moreover, she said that these projects pose great threats to the environment. It is most unfortunate, that the government further violates the rights of the Indigenous Peoples through militarization. She added that the government further violates IP rights through militarization.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states that military forces should not encamp on IP territories most especially in the school, church, Barangay halls, and Dap-ay or ato. She disclosed that the entire province has military camps all over particularly in areas where so-called “development” projects exist.

“The reactionary military should vacate our communities,” Dong-as said as she expressed her rage in the numerous human rights violations perpetrated by the military.

After the program, the participants staged a torch rally from the multi-purpose hall to the Municipal Hall down to Loc-ong as the people of Poblacion Bontoc watched.

Dong-as said that the mobilization aimed to draw public opinion and expose the ongoing issues on development aggression, state neglect on basic social services, militarization, and other forms of national oppression.

“These violations must stop and our rights must be respected but it will not be given as a gift by the perpetrators. We must persevere and continuously fight for a just and fair society,” she stressed. In parting she sung the last part of the Philippine national anthem, “Aming ligaya na pag may mang-aapi. Ang mamatay ng dahil sa ‘yo.”

On the second day, the participants talked about the 2013 National Synchronized Automated Election.

According to Marcelyn Pilala, the newly elected MPYA-Anakbayan chairperson, the elections is fast approaching and it will come whether we like it or not. She challenged everyone to take part in this exercise and to exert efforts to elect candidates who will serve the interests of the youth and students and the people in the local, provincial and national levels.

She added that they will not support candidates who will not support the people’s agenda. She said that MPYA-AB is thankful that Katribu Partylist and Teddy Casiño of Makabayan Coalition were officially included by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as contenders for the Party list and senatorial raise. The MPYA earned the support of different sectors in the province.

Marcelo Daweg of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA)-MP who delivered a solidarity message lauded the participants for consolidating their ranks for the defense of land, life, livelihood and resources and asserting their democratic rights. Daweg said that the MPYA should continue to fight until genuine democracy is attained.

During the activity, several military personnel and state intelligence agents were caught taking photos of the organizers and participants. A certain Cherry Mae Facullo and a certain Lieutenant Humiwat allegedly questioned and told the participants not to join since it is an NPA activity.

Pilala condemned this act of red tagging and vilification. She said that this is a pattern used by military groups that results to various human rights violations against activists that include threat harassment and intimidation and extrajudicial killings. # nordis.net