(RA 8371, signed 29 October 1997)
Activity: A Cultural March called “Mamantad,” co-organized by Teduray Lambangian Women’s Organization Incorporated (TLWOI), Timuay Justice and Governance (TJG), and Indigenous Peoples’ Council for Reform and Development (IPCRD) on Mt. Firis, sacred ground of the Teduray, Lambangian & Dulangan Manobo Tribe on October 26-27, 2012.
Participants: 500 indigenous men and women of Teduray, Lambangian and Dulangan Manobo tribes.
Mamantad is a cultural march that symbolizes the Indigenous Peoples’ desire for peace. It is done in solidarity with Eidl Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) which is celebrated on October 26 by the Muslim Faithful; in the culmination of October as IP Month and October 29 as Thanksgiving Day for the passage of the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA).
This march will be a pilgrimage to Mt Firis, which we value as our sacred ground. Mt. Firis is very important to the Teduray, Lambangian and Dulangan Manobo culture. It is the burial ground of our legendary leaders like Laguey Firis, Seboten and Maw. It is our peoples’ cultural identity.
The Mamantad is a continued venue to campaign for the declaration and recognition of Mt. Firis as a sacred ground for the Teduray, Lambangian & Dulangan Manobo tribes. Beyond being a zone of peace, the area will not only be free of armed groups; but rather it will be about the Teduray, Lambangian and Dulangan Manobo tribes being able to perform its cultural practices
such as rituals and gatherings; and to freely exercise their ways of living – gathering of food and water, and ultimately farming – without any fear.
The cultural march for peace will also include group consultations, especially among the men and women living in the Mt Firis complex, where the heart of displacement often took place. The men and women will be asked about their experiences with the “segoyong frayag” or the spirit of war; and at the same time will be asked to voice out their recommendations. In the
process, the consultations will help capture the roles of the indigenous people in maintaining order and peace in their respective communities.
Further, with the signing of the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, this walk for peace can also serve as venue for discussing the contents of the framework agreement; to share their general recommendations on the issue of Mt. Firis in the context of the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement.
After the Mamantad, cultural presentations like chanting, indigenous dances and sharing of messages of support will be done.
After the solidarity night, a ritual shall be called by the fantas bliyan or group of spiritual leaders in the early dawn of October 27, 2012 that will reaffirm Mount Firis as Sacred Ground.
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IPDEV supports all initiatives geared toward the Recognition and Protection of the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao for their Empowerment and Sustainable Development.
(For questions and details about the activity, kindly get in touch with Ms Froilyn Tenorio-Mendoza, IPDEV Advocacy Specialist, through mobile phone number 09197484018).