ASUNCION, Don Jerod B.

COMDP 10:30-11:30 MWF P-108

BA COM 2 November 29, 2019

THE MADNESS OF LUMAD KILLINGS

I want you to imagine yourself as a leader, 12 years old, in Southern Mindanao,

running barefooted in the forest, trying to salvage your family as you inhale the

smoke from random bombings. Got that image? Good.

There are 14-17 million indigenous peoples in the Philippines. Sixty-one

percent of those are Lumad. They are about 18% of the country’s population. The

Lumad are the largest indigenous group in the Philippines. The word “Lumad” is a

Visayan term which means “born of the earth.”

In a nation of mixed cultural influences, the indigenous people hold the most

distinctly preserved customs and traditions. This ancestry is a pride to many Filipinos.

But like jewels – precious and beautiful – the rich history of our native tribes

are kept from light, rarely revered, and only unveiled when one has any need of

them.

Now, go back to that forest. What would you do if you’re left with no option

but to abandon your home? You guys sure are lucky to be here, sitting in the four

corners of the classroom, in a well-ventilated room, enrolled in a prestigious

university. Away from conflict. Safe and sound. But for an indigenous person in

Mindanao, every day is not a normal day for them.

The indigenous people of Mindanao – the lumads – have been suffering quietly.

They say their rights and privileges are being taken away from them, and their liberty
is being stepped on, repeatedly, by armed men whose sworn mandate is to protect

the innocent. Of unwarranted hardships, it is the children who suffer the most.

I have read the story of Bandam Dumanglay, 12 years old who has his story

to tell. He has witnessed how military groups ransacked their homes and schools,

burned what little is left of their ancestral domain and dreams, and killed his teachers

and community leaders one by one.

They were left with no choice but to evacuate – a tradeoff between security

and survival – while their perpetrators enjoy the fruits of the lands they have been

tilling for generations.

It is a form of ethnocide but it is worse because there are specific

characteristics of impunity and killings targeting the Lumad. What is alarming is that

it is happening all over Mindanao. Several incidents have been reported throughout

the course of the year and some are still happening up to this day.

Now, I am not here to present facts and overwhelm you with information.

Rather I stand to tell you that no matter where we live or who we are, we should all

care about Indigenous Peoples. I’m not saying that you should go directly to help

them but what I am trying to stress is this: I hope this story reaches more people

and create solidarity in defense of their land, culture, and rights as Lumad.

As Exupery once said in my favorite book, “It is only with the heart that one

can truly see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the naked eye.”