Gat Jose Rizal once said, “Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan.” He who does not look back from where he came will never reach his destination. He who does not know his own history can never move forward to a greater future. As a result, schools do their best to impart history—to commemorate and to memorialize our ancestors and everything that has led up to now. In spite of this, we still fail to include the peoples who have been there since the beginning: our indigenous peoples.

By virtue of Proclamation no. 1906, s. 2009, the Indigenous Peoples Month is celebrated annually during the month of October. This law was promulgated in order to honor, recognize, and protect the rights of indigenous cultural communities/indigenous peoples. From the promulgation of this law up until the present, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has spearheaded the celebration for the Indigenous Peoples Month; this year, we celebrate the Indigenous Peoples Month Celebration and the 27th Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) Commemoration with the theme “Mga Katutubo at Katutubong Dunong: Pahalagahan, Pangalagaan, at Parangalan”.

In line with this, the NCCA’s Subcommission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts (SCCTA) also celebrates the Indigenous Peoples Month by organizing the Dayaw Festival. The word dayaw is defined differently for every language, where its meaning can range from peace (Waray), respect (Ilokano), to goodness (Tausug). The festival itself aims to celebrate the indigenous communities and the richness of their culture and tradition, and this year’s festival is celebrated with the theme “Katutubong Filipino: Pagtibayin ang Tagumpay 2030”.

As we usher towards the greater future, it is only right that our indigenous peoples have their seat in moving towards this goal. The theme for the Dayaw Festival further emphasizes this—it asserts that in achieving their goal, they must also strengthen these accomplishments. Furthermore, this theme shows that as we move along, the indigenous cultural communities shape our future and our nation. Yet, how exactly have we been treating our indigenous peoples?

In 2022, indigenous peoples situated in the Bangsamoro region have stated that due to their isolation and the lack of government coordination with their community, they have been displaced as a result of climate change. Not only were their homes ruined but also their culture as being displaced forced them to move in the lowland where they cannot practice their cultures. Furthermore, a report from a 2023 Indigenous Peoples Survey revealed that 59% of the IP perceives themselves as “poor”. In line with this, they believed that education, health, access to clean water, and social assistance should be prioritized by the government. Additionally, the Tagbanua in Narra, Palawan are under threat as their place is being monopolized by mining companies who are after the resources from their mountains. This poses a threat to their lifestyle, as they gather their needs from the lush forests that encompasses the mountain.

These are only some of the issues from the handful that our indigenous peoples have faced and are facing. It is extremely disheartening to think that, despite the various efforts and developments to honor and give voice to our indigenous peoples, there are still mountains of issues that need addressing that our government has not given any attention towards. It leaves one to ponder; do they not live and care in the same Philippines as we all do? If so, then why are they not given the same opportunities and importance as we get? Why are they constantly being excluded from dialogues that could (and should) use their perspectives? Why is the irony of our indigenous peoples being given less importance and attention still something that is being perpetuated?

As we continue our journey of reaching a brighter future, it is imperative that we include our indigenous brothers and sisters in this vision, to close the gap that keeps them apart from us, and to lift up their voices so they will be heard—not only during Indigenous Peoples Month, but consistently throughout the days to come until we reach that “bright future” and beyond.