Timing was so good that right after my talk in Dagupan, I was invited in La Union to be the guest speaker and inducting officer for the induction program of the BIBAK-Bago new officers.
This is a group for indigenous people. An organization created for the people of Cordillera Region. The member provinces are Benguet, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Abra, Apayao and Kalinga. This group also includes Bago ethnic group.
This is also known as BIMAAK. Its main objective is to unite the people from the said provinces and uplift the indigenous roots of their group to be able to promote their communities preventing issues of discrimination and criticism.
I am just so honored that they consider me to invite maybe because I work for northern cultural communities committee of NCCA and that they have known me conducted capability building seminar in San Fernando City. I was welcomed by the officers, Jhasper Lipaen and Daisy Carbonell and adviser Mr. Noel Sumingwa.
They did the program during daytime for the first time for security purposes and it was held at the Lorma Gymnasium in San Fernado City La Union. It was a Sunday morning so many of the members were present and everyone’s busy doing their respective tasks. Some were preparing the venue and some were carrying the food they served after the program.
They really had the unity and cooperation that brought them to successfully put up the event. I praised them for that because their organization won’t work without these elements. I cited the situation in their organization as an example in my speech revolving around the theme of the celebration stated as “Winds of Change: Island of Unity in a Sea of Diversity.”