![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/picture1-7.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhile a whining man wails about his weekly woes in Malaca\u00f1ang, the country\u2019s Indigenous Peoples (IPs) continue to struggle as they become subjects of human rights violations and other forms of abuse.
Even worse, some are also merely treating them as a means to an end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under a fascist regime, what future is there to look forward to for our IPs?\u00a0 Will their voices ever be amplified, heard, and listened to, or will their voices be drowned out by this whining man and his weekly woes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Recent events surrounding Apo Whang-Od, the last of the mambabatoks<\/em> of the Butbut tribe, and Nuseir Yassin, commonly known as Nas Daily, have yet again shown how foreign entities exploit centuries worth of rich indigenous culture and history for the sake of profit. This is not the first time that Philippine indigenous culture has been the subject of exploitation. The case of Nas Academy and the batok <\/em>art form is but one among the many historical accounts of foreign entities exploiting and taking advantage of indigenous peoples\u2019 culture and ancestral domains. This unfortunate history even stems back to the arrival of the first colonial powers on the country\u2019s shores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 was enacted to protect and promote the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs). This law also paved the way for the creation of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n From its conception until now, the NCIP has always acted in the service of the state. They shut down178 Lumad schools due to false claims that they were being used as terrorist breeding grounds , disenfranchising thousands of Lumad children in the process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2020, the NCIP issued a Certificate of Precondition, without any consent from the Blaan tribe, to the controversial Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) allowing the $5.9B mining project in Tampakan, South Cotabato to continue. Underneath this project is the massacre of the Capion family who stood against the intrusion of SMI in their ancestral lands. The project pushed through despite the existence of a local ordinance and a court ruling prohibiting it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, the NCIP is led by Allen Capuyan, a retired colonel and former Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) official who has been tagged for his involvement in the smuggling of Shabu. Considering this, shouldn\u2019t the NCIP be led by an actual IP instead of a retired colonel? Appointing an actual IP to lead the NCIP is necessary for the Indigenous struggle to be fully understood. It is also in this understanding that appropriate plans and solutions are grounded upon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the enactment of IPRA and the creation of the NCIP, the IPs continue to live in constant fear of violence and abuse as militarization in their ancestral domains persists while giant industries continue to seize their lands. Indeed, enactment of the law is one thing, but effectual implementation is another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a 2018 speech by President Rodrigo Duterte at the Panagtagbo Alang sa Kalinaw ug Kalambuan: An Indigenous Peoples Leaders\u2019 Summit<\/em>, he mentioned his plan of opening Mindanaoan ancestral lands to foreign investors so that Lumads may \u201cgenerate wealth.\u201d The president, speaking in front of hundreds of Lumad leaders hailing from different communities in Mindanao, accused the audience of failing to put their lands to good use. According to Bayan Muna Representative Eufemia Cullamat, also a Manobo Lumad leader, EO 70 only creates divisions among the Lumad and justifies military attacks against them. She also pointed out that the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representatives (IPMRs), who were appointed by the NCIP, have become mere puppets of the military. Instead of being the first to condemn state forces for violating laws and invading ancestral lands without getting Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPICs) from the ICCs\/IPs themselves, they have failed the Lumad whom they are supposed to serve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This only goes to show how the NCIP allies itself with the state instead of championing the interests of Indigenous Peoples. Instead of creating a sanctuary for IPs, the NCIP further contributes to the looming threats that Lumad communities contend with every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The state\u2019s determination to serve no one else but capitalists and foreign powers fuel indigenous struggle. It is in this desire to seek foreign favor that the state deliberately compromises the welfare of its people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, such craving for foreign validation is not limited to the upper levels of government \u2014 it is also apparent in our everyday activities on social media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Such is the existence of the \u201cPinoy baiting\u201d phenomenon where foreigners take advantage of the superficial Pinoy pride by overreacting to anything tagged as Filipino. Pinoy baiting gives a social media content creator tons of views within a short amount of time which gives them more profit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It is in this manner that Filipinos are seen as nothing but a means to an end. The idea behind Pinoy baiting can even be traced back to when foreign colonizers had us believing that Filipino culture is inferior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As such, Filipinos must go through the process of deviating not only from this colonial mentality but from the shackles of imperialism as well. Only then can we become champions of our own culture and land, with the firm belief that the Filipino is standing on equal footing with the rest of the world. It is also in this firm belief that Filipinos can collectively join in the struggle of Indigenous Peoples and safeguard their right to their land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, as long as the whining man continues to wail about his woes in Malaca\u00f1ang, and his cronies bask in the power of their master, the plea of the masses will never be heard. It is high time for the masses to fight back against the oppressive thieves dressed in suits and coats and their brand of performative politics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Each day we let such a whining fascist-in-chief stay in power, the IPs, along with the other sectors, will continue to suffer daily. It is high time for us to realize how collective action bears more weight than the wails of a whining man. The times call us to militantly stand together with the masses as we amplify the calls of the marginalized and oppressed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2022, let us not elect another set of leaders who will only bait the Filipino people with their empty promises, dancing, and clownery. We should vote for leaders whose interests and plans serve that of the masses. For it is also in our collective power shall we be fully able to put an end to the long winding indigenous struggle.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each day we let such a whining fascist-in-chief stay in power, the IPs, along with the other sectors, will continue to suffer daily.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":1780,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[122],"class_list":["post-1772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/img_20210820_233116-1-scaled.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2846,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2021\/10\/14\/panunupil-at-pagpapahirap-ang-mga-katutubo-sa-ilalim-ni-duterte\/","url_meta":{"origin":1772,"position":0},"title":"Panunupil at Pagpapahirap: Ang mga Katutubo sa ilalim ni Duterte","author":"Staff","date":"14 October 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Sa ilalim ng rehimeng Duterte ay napaigting at napalala ang paghihirap na nararanasan ng mga IPs. Hindi nila natatamasa ang kanilang \u201ckarapatan sa sariling pagpapasya, lupa, edukasyon, at iba pang batayang serbisyong pampubliko na dapat ay naihahandog ng pamahalaan.\u201d Ang Oktubre ay itinalaga bilang Pambansang Buwan ng mga Katutubo upang\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-1-5-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-1-5-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-1-5-2.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-1-5-2.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-1-5-2.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-1-5-2.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2836,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2021\/10\/13\/suspected-state-agents-try-to-ntrude-up-diliman-in-search-of-lumad-leaders\/","url_meta":{"origin":1772,"position":1},"title":"Suspected state agents try to ntrude UP Diliman in search of Lumad leaders","author":"Staff","date":"13 October 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Two suspicious individuals were reported to attempt intrusion to the Bakwit School in the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) searching for Lumad Bakwit School teacher Rius Valle and Manobo chieftain Bai Bibyaon last October 11, Monday, a source from the Save Our Schools (SOS) Network confirms. Two suspicious individuals\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/news\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-2-3-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-2-3-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-2-3-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-2-3-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-2-3-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-2-3-1.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3999,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2022\/03\/04\/kontra-daya-partylist-system-hijacked-by-rich-and-powerful\/","url_meta":{"origin":1772,"position":2},"title":"Kontra-Daya: partylist system, “hijacked by rich and powerful”","author":"Staff","date":"4 March 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Almost two months before the May polls, election watchdog Kontra Daya says seven out of 10 party-lists aiming for seats in the 19th Congress are \u201chijacked by the rich and powerful\u201d yesterday, March 3. Almost two months before the May polls, election watchdog Kontra Daya says seven out of 10\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-1-1-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-1-1-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-1-1-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-1-1-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-1-1-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sinag-web-banner-1-1-1.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4539,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2022\/05\/17\/china-funded-kaliwa-dam-construction-to-push-through-in-june-2022\/","url_meta":{"origin":1772,"position":3},"title":"China-funded Kaliwa Dam construction to push through in June 2022\ufffc","author":"Staff","date":"17 May 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Almost 13 years ago, the Dumagats left the mountains to fight for their claim over their ancestral land which was then threatened by the construction of the Laiban Dam. They marched from the mountains to Manila to defend their land ownership, claiming victory in the end.\u00a0 However, another proposed dam\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News Features"","block_context":{"text":"News Features","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/news\/news-features\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/sinag-web-banner-8-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/sinag-web-banner-8-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/sinag-web-banner-8-2.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/sinag-web-banner-8-2.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/sinag-web-banner-8-2.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/sinag-web-banner-8-2.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1549,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2021\/07\/20\/four-ways-the-philippine-peasantry-suffered-under-dutertes-rule\/","url_meta":{"origin":1772,"position":4},"title":"Four ways the Philippine peasantry suffered under Duterte\u2019s rule","author":"emdeborja","date":"20 July 2021","format":"image","excerpt":"Duterte once vowed to liberate farmers from poverty by distributing the land that is rightfully theirs before he assumed office back in 2016. But in his five-year rule, more blood has been shed on our crops as he eats his words with more than 300 peasant deaths under his regime.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/news\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pesante-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pesante-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pesante-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pesante-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pesante-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6952,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2022\/10\/20\/rural-women-advancing-the-liberation-amid-crisis-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":1772,"position":5},"title":"Rural Women: Advancing the liberation amid crisis","author":"SINAG Staff","date":"20 October 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jay CruzArtwork by Kate Gotis Originally published on October 20, 2022 \u201cOrder bag-o ni mayor. Di lang daw mo patyon. Pusilon lang mo sa bisong arong\u2014\u2019 Og wa na ma\u2019y bisong, wa na ma\u2019y silbi.\u201d (There\u2019s a new order from Mayor [Duterte]. You will not be killed. Your vagina\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Features"","block_context":{"text":"Features","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/features\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image_2025-03-09_14-02-37.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image_2025-03-09_14-02-37.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image_2025-03-09_14-02-37.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image_2025-03-09_14-02-37.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":122,"user_id":9,"is_guest":0,"slug":"csspsinag","display_name":"Staff","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/194807626fee183640d3de57e788ba7c8c0d40bd86bfc1237bed56bcd3832c1b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1772","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1772"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1772\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1772"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=1772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
The batok<\/em> is an art form which serves as a symbol of strength, power, beauty, and status for the Butbut Tribe. Unfortunately, content creator Nas Daily has transformed it into a mere online tutorial worth 750 pesos through an \u201cacademy\u201d that bears his name.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This plan of granting investors legal and unimpeded access to Lumad lands has been an enduring issue that various groups representing Indigenous Peoples oppose.
Furthermore, the creation of NTF-ELCAC through Executive Order (EO) 70 further exacerbated the struggles faced by IPs and ICCs. The EO institutionalizes Duterte\u2019s preferred way of \u201cnegotiating peace\u201d \u2014 abject violence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"