BAGUIO CITY – National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Commissioner Norberto Navaro, during the Luzon Cluster Conference held at Teachers Camp last April 11-12, 2018 presented the delegation of Indigenous Peoples leaders and elders the proposed amendments to strengthen Presidential Decree No. 1986, MTRCB grounds to stop and suspend a show, for a stronger cultural sensitivity.
It can be recalled first week of March, that the Commission issued a statement asking a known television station for the immediate rectification of their new ‘fantaserye’ titled ‘Bagani’ following the letter of Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner, Ronald Adamat to ABS-CBN president, Karlo Katigbak. The Commission states that the ‘fantaserye’ misrepresented the ‘Bagani’ culture adding it was reduced to fiction and it watered down its deep significance among the Lumads of Mindanao.
Among the delegates, Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) Jaime ‘Lakay Tingan-o’ Dogao suggested to the body of the importance of the culture of collective action coming from the IPs/ICCs concerned. IPMR Dogao narrated their experience on how they managed to correct a movie that misrepresented the culture of Sagada. Dogao cited the 1996 controversial R-18 movie ‘Igorota’ that bastardized the essence of an Igorata (a Cordilleran woman) in the Cordillera.
According to Dogao, through the initiative of the community and collective action, they sought for a dialogue for the rectification of the movie resulting in the trimming off of the lewd portrayal of an Igorota. Also, scenes that were discriminatory and did not represent the essence of an ‘Igorota’ were stricken out.
“Cordillera is a gold mine of indigenous experiences and struggles all of which are predicated in our culture of collective action. We consciously keep a hindsight of our past while we continue to move further forward above marginalization”, said NCIP Regional Director Atty Roland Calde.
Anchoring on this experience of the IPs of Sagada, it was suggested that there’s a need for a prior consultations with the IPs in every cinematic portrayal of their culture. If not, an IP consultant/s has to be a part of the crew opting to shoot a portrayal of the IP culture. Said prior consultation would mirror IP’s vested rights to be informed and consulted as enshrined in the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) to preserve their cultural Integrity.
Among the proposed amendments to PD No. 1986 is to prohibit “those which offend the cultural sensitivity of indigenous cultural communities /indigenous peoples (ICCs/IPs), such as but not limited to, misrepresentation or distortion of their histories, literatures, arts, cultural practices, religious and spiritual beliefs, and institutions; inappropriate or misleading use of their symbols, marks, insignia or other indigenous images”.
Said amendments was infused in the Indigenous Peoples Luzon Conference (IPLC) Resolution No. 02, series of 2018.
Director Calde disclosed that the Resolution will be forwarded to the Commission En Banc for their appropriate action then will be endorsed to congress hopefully for legislation. **Rocky Ngalob
