From Redaction to Subversion by Ma. Cecilia Locsin-Nava Ph.D.

"From Redaction to Subversion" is an output of Dr. Ma. Cecilia Locsin-Nava who was one of the benficiaries of the research grants by the National Historical Institute in 2004. Her work underscores the imporance of the corrido in the history of the Hiligaynon-speaking people of Panay. Introduced as a literary form by the Spaniards, the corrido became compatible with the epic stories of the island and many works were composed in the native dialect. This literary form became linked with the common man and was identified with the recurring theme of good eventually winning over evil and the exaltation of the humble. Indirectly, the corrido helped in the development of Filipino nationalism as Filipinos subliminally identified the villains in the stories to their real-life colonial oppressors. Dr. Nava's work on the Hiligaynon corrido opens a new window in understanding its role in the development of nationalism among the people of Panay.

Mangyan Treasures by Antoon Postma

Mangyan Treasures by Antoon Postma 
From the Introduction.  The Philippines is blessed with the riches and wealth of poetry in many styles and variations, to be found among the multitude of Major and Minor Ethnic Groups living scattered within this archipelago. The collection of indigenous poetry hereby presented is proudly possessed by a small Ethnic Group of Mindoro, occupying the southern portion of the Island and usually referred to as the Hanunoo-Mangyans.

They are one of the seven different Mangyan tribes that are inhabiting the upland areas of Mindoro, and the reason for focusing on this particular group, is the simple fact that I have had the privilege of staying with them for the past 45 years.

Guide on Climate Change & Indigenous People 2e TEBTEBBA

Guide on Climate Change & Indigenous People. TEBTEBBA.  From the Introduction. The severity of the impacts of climate change and mitigation processes on indigenous peoples and the complex negotiating processes around climate change compels us to have a basic understanding of climate change and the policies and actions being taken to address it. We, indigenous peoples, have long observed and adapted to the climatic changes in our communities for tens of thousands of years. Because of our sustainable lifestyles and our struggles against deforestation and against oil and gas extraction, we have significantly contributed in keeping gigatonnes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under the ground and in the trees.

However, the extent and magnitude of present-day climate change seriously challenges our capacities to cope and adapt. Many of the environmental challenges we face, be these climate change, pollution, environmental degradation, etc., are caused not by our own actions but mainly by the dominant societies in developed countries, who are incessantly pursuing a development path of unsustainable production and consumption.

Muslim Code of the Philippines by Justice Jainal Rasul Sr.

Muslim Code of the Philippines by Justice Jainal Rasul Sr.  MUSLIMS use the term “Sharia” to refer to law... Literally, Sharia means the “way” or “path” and is found in the Quran or specifically in the verse where Allah says to the Prophet Muhammad: “And now, we have set thee in the right way, concerning our Commandment" Quran, XLV 18) -- Sharia therefore basically means a divine law and obedience to it, on the part of Muslims is a religious duty. Although, absolute in the sense that it repre¬sents a divine Command, it does not claim universal applica¬bility, since it is generally binding only on Muslims. In fine, when we speak of "Sharia" or Muslim law, we refer to ordinances and regulations governing Muslims as found in the Quran…

Memory of Dances. Photographs by Sonny Yabao. Text by Sheila Coronel.

Memory of Dances. Photographs by Sonny Yabao. Text by Sheila Coronel. This is the story of the Tagbanua of Coron, Palawan, the Bugkalot and Igorot of Nueva Vizcaya, and the Manobo of Mount Apo. All of them are impoverished peoples ranged against forces much more powerful than they – mining in Nueva Vizcaya, mass tourism in Palawan, a geothermal plant on Mount Apo. In all these places, the viability of indigenous communities is being challenged by business entities and government agencies, by the ever-increasing intrusion of the market and the state. The story of the indigenous peoples of the Philippines is a chronicle of loss. Many of them have been dispossessed of their land, their culture de¬stroyed, their forests and seas exploited by outsiders. Some tribes face ex¬tinction: their numbers are rapidly dwindling because the land and forests that sustained them have been taken by outsiders...

Leaves on the Water: The struggle for survival of Pinatubo Aetas. by Rufino G. Tima

Leaves on the Water: The struggle for survival of Pinatubo Aetas. by Rufino G. Tima.  This book gives an in-depth look into the life of the Pinatubo Aetas of Zambales province. It clearly describes and defines them as a tribal people who have been forced to undertake extensive changes in their lifestyle in order to survive against the more aggressive and dominant lowlanders. The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991 forced a more rapid change. Because they live in the vicinity of the volcano, they lost their means of survival -- the plants and animals endemic to the area. The author, Dr. Rufino G. Tima, is an anthropologist who had studied both in the Philippines and in the U.S. More importantly is the fact that he came from the Kalinga tribe of Northern Luzon and can identify with the plight of tribal people.