BAGUIO CITY– “Mid tekteken” (there’s not much of a difference) were the words of most of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples – Cordillera Administrative Region (NCIP – CAR) personnel to incoming NCIP – CAR Regional Director Manuel Jaramilla during the turn-over ceremony last Monday [January 13, 2019] underscoring that his former constituents, Indigenous Peoples (IPs) from Region 1, are the same and/or trace their roots here in the Cordilleras.
In his turn-over message, outgoing NCIP – CAR Regional Director Atty. Roland Calde assured Jaramilla that he won’t be hard up in adjusting to CAR. Calde will assume as regional director of NCIP – Region 1.
“IPs in Region 1, the ‘Bago’ groups, are in areas where were once parts of the Cordillera but becames parts of Ilocos Sur or La Union. Their indigenous knowledge, systems and practices resemble those of the IPs of CAR.
Jaramilla in his acceptance message affirmed Calde’s take on the ‘Bago’ IP groups of Region 1 and he is one of them. He thanked NCIP–CAR for the warm welcome wherein he was treated as a brother in the same tribe. Further, he vowed to continue the work started by Calde.
Jaramilla traces his roots to the ‘Bago’ group of Capariaan, Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur. He is married to a fellow civil servant at the Capariaan Elementray School. They are blessed with six children.
Jaramilla rose from the ranks of first level civil servants. He first worked as a livestock inspector in the then Ministry of Agriculture in 1981. He then landed as a storekeeper at the National Manpower Youth Council of Region 1. From 1995 to 2018, still as a civil servant, he jumped from one position to another at the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). He was appointed as the NCIP Regional Director for Region 1 last September 1, 2018.
Following the turn-over ceremony, Jaramilla was given a brief orientation by the high ranking officers of NCIP – CAR. “I think my head will be doing a lot of brain calisthenics,” jhe okingly said after the event.
Calde rallied the NCIP–CAR personnel and his fellow Cordillerans to give the same amount of support to the incoming NCIP–CAR regional director as earlier accorded to him.
The reassignment of the two regional directors according to NCIP Commissioner Gaspar Cayat was the marching order of NCIP Chairman Allen Capuyan.**Rocky Ngalob
