Even though I don’t belong to any of the native tribes in Bukidnon (my parents were migrants), I have always considered myself as a native. Until I started college, this is the only place I have ever lived in. My home is that of small towns and tight-knit neighborhoods. We are known for our agricultural produce and green mountains instead of high-rise buildings and a bustling nightlife. Seeing a cow, a goat or a horse on the side of the road is normal. Mornings are still filled with sounds of roosters and robins. It’s not that we have been left behind by the modern times, it’s that we are trying to grow without losing our roots.\n\nBukidnon is located on the southern part of the Philippines. In a country known for its hot weather, coveted beaches, and frankly terrible traffic in the capital city, we’re a landlocked province on the island group of Mindanao, thriving in the cool mountains instead. Bukidnon literally translates to “mountain dweller”. And I think we dwell here just fine.\n\nEvery February to March, our province celebrates the Kaamulan Festival, an ethnic festival celebrating the seven Lumad (indigenous people) tribes of Bukidnon. It is the only authentic ethnic festival in the country. The Bukidnon, Higaonon, Talaandig, Manobo, Matigsalug, Tigwahanon, and Umayamnon have inhabited the province long before the Spanish colonization. Even though the tribes have assimilated into modern society they have still retained their ancient practices. However, every year, it seems like the true essence of the festival is getting more and more lost. The advent of commercialization and tourism has placed the Lumad tribes in the background of the Kaamulan Festival. The month-long celebration has been recently defined by bringing in celebrities and politicians from the capital, a grandiose fireworks display, and appropriation of Lumad culture. In a festival that was supposed to celebrate the original dwellers of our home, they were put at the periphery.\n\nJust a few days ago, I visited a Talaandig community in the municipality of Lantapan to witness and participate in a river ritual called Panalawahig. It wasn’t my first time participating in a Lumad ritual, but it was my first time seeing it conducted by and on the river. I decided to do this because I wanted to document an authentic Lumad practice without the meddlesome politicians and their sleazy speeches.\n\nThe Lumads conduct a ritual for many reasons and occasions. But all of them have the intention of asking for guidance and protection from nature spirits and Magbabaya (God). The river ritual called Panalawahig, which took place last Friday, was to start the annual Talaandig Day and Indigenous Peoples Month celebration. The ritual requires offerings to the spirits, the most notable offering being native chickens. Their blood is spilled on the ground and the altar for the spirits; and they are cooked for the Panampulot, a feast where spirits are invited to partake.\n\nMy major takeaway from my short time with the Talaandig community was their graceful persistence to go on with life despite their collective struggle. Indigenous peoples sustainably manage about 50% of the world’s lands but have legal ownership rights to only 10%. They are also among the most vulnerable groups in the Philippines, and indigenous groups in my country are often killed and driven away from their ancestral lands by big corporations, paramilitary, and military. When Lumads and their allies go to the streets to protest for human rights, they are often mocked. And yet, despite all of these, they still insist to live as they always have. And why shouldn’t they? Long before strongmen regimes and oppressive systems have emerged, they were already here. And they should continue to be here.\n\nThe Talaandig and the other Lumad tribes have a rich and diverse culture. You see it in their traditional clothes with vivid colors and intricate patterns. You marvel at their visual artwork; how even a house built out of bamboo could look like something out of a whimsical fantasy movie, and how soil becomes a masterpiece in a canvas. You hear it in their music, the deep beat of the ethnic drums and the liveliness of their Binukid chants awakening the dormant dancer inside you. You feel it the moment you step foot on their ancestral lands, their solemn reverence and respect to nature apparent in their way of life. They only take what they need, and they never fail to give back. And yet they are often stereotypically labeled as the “uncivilized” when it was them who have been doing it right all along.\n\nWe are so obsessed with the idea of progress and development but is it really progress and development when it is at the expense of others? I want the kind of progress and development that does not shed the blood of the Lumads and take away their homes. I want the kind of progress and development that does not treat them as second-class citizens.\n\nWhen we were preparing to go to the river for the ritual, I heard one of the women say she’s bringing her young grandson. “Ato siyang i-uban. Dapat makabalo siya na nitibo ta.” We are bringing him with us. He should know that we are natives. I want Lumad kids to have a bright future to look forward to. I want them to freely practice their way of life, their art, music, and dances without fear of any of these being taken away from them.\n\nWhenever people from other places come to Bukidnon, I want them to know the mountains they came here to climb and the species that dwell in it are still thriving because of the Lumads, the ancient guardians of the forest.\n

Even though I don’t belong to any of the native tribes in Bukidnon (my parents were migrants), I have always considered myself as a native. Until I started college, this is the only place I have ever lived in. My home is that of small towns and tight-knit neighborhoods. We are known for our agricultural produce and green mountains instead of high-rise buildings and a bustling nightlife. Seeing a cow, a goat or a horse on the side of the road is normal. Mornings are still filled with sounds of roosters and robins. It’s not that we have been left behind by the modern times, it’s that we are trying to grow without losing our roots.\n\nBukidnon is located on the southern part of the Philippines. In a country known for its hot weather, coveted beaches, and frankly terrible traffic in the capital city, we’re a landlocked province on the island group of Mindanao, thriving in the cool mountains instead. Bukidnon literally translates to “mountain dweller”. And I think we dwell here just fine.\n\nEvery February to March, our province celebrates the Kaamulan Festival, an ethnic festival celebrating the seven Lumad (indigenous people) tribes of Bukidnon. It is the only authentic ethnic festival in the country. The Bukidnon, Higaonon, Talaandig, Manobo, Matigsalug, Tigwahanon, and Umayamnon have inhabited the province long before the Spanish colonization. Even though the tribes have assimilated into modern society they have still retained their ancient practices. However, every year, it seems like the true essence of the festival is getting more and more lost. The advent of commercialization and tourism has placed the Lumad tribes in the background of the Kaamulan Festival. The month-long celebration has been recently defined by bringing in celebrities and politicians from the capital, a grandiose fireworks display, and appropriation of Lumad culture. In a festival that was supposed to celebrate the original dwellers of our home, they were put at the periphery.\n\nJust a few days ago, I visited a Talaandig community in the municipality of Lantapan to witness and participate in a river ritual called Panalawahig. It wasn’t my first time participating in a Lumad ritual, but it was my first time seeing it conducted by and on the river. I decided to do this because I wanted to document an authentic Lumad practice without the meddlesome politicians and their sleazy speeches.\n\nThe Lumads conduct a ritual for many reasons and occasions. But all of them have the intention of asking for guidance and protection from nature spirits and Magbabaya (God). The river ritual called Panalawahig, which took place last Friday, was to start the annual Talaandig Day and Indigenous Peoples Month celebration. The ritual requires offerings to the spirits, the most notable offering being native chickens. Their blood is spilled on the ground and the altar for the spirits; and they are cooked for the Panampulot, a feast where spirits are invited to partake.\n\nMy major takeaway from my short time with the Talaandig community was their graceful persistence to go on with life despite their collective struggle. Indigenous peoples sustainably manage about 50% of the world’s lands but have legal ownership rights to only 10%. They are also among the most vulnerable groups in the Philippines, and indigenous groups in my country are often killed and driven away from their ancestral lands by big corporations, paramilitary, and military. When Lumads and their allies go to the streets to protest for human rights, they are often mocked. And yet, despite all of these, they still insist to live as they always have. And why shouldn’t they? Long before strongmen regimes and oppressive systems have emerged, they were already here. And they should continue to be here.\n\nThe Talaandig and the other Lumad tribes have a rich and diverse culture. You see it in their traditional clothes with vivid colors and intricate patterns. You marvel at their visual artwork; how even a house built out of bamboo could look like something out of a whimsical fantasy movie, and how soil becomes a masterpiece in a canvas. You hear it in their music, the deep beat of the ethnic drums and the liveliness of their Binukid chants awakening the dormant dancer inside you. You feel it the moment you step foot on their ancestral lands, their solemn reverence and respect to nature apparent in their way of life. They only take what they need, and they never fail to give back. And yet they are often stereotypically labeled as the “uncivilized” when it was them who have been doing it right all along.\n\nWe are so obsessed with the idea of progress and development but is it really progress and development when it is at the expense of others? I want the kind of progress and development that does not shed the blood of the Lumads and take away their homes. I want the kind of progress and development that does not treat them as second-class citizens.\n\nWhen we were preparing to go to the river for the ritual, I heard one of the women say she’s bringing her young grandson. “Ato siyang i-uban. Dapat makabalo siya na nitibo ta.” We are bringing him with us. He should know that we are natives. I want Lumad kids to have a bright future to look forward to. I want them to freely practice their way of life, their art, music, and dances without fear of any of these being taken away from them.\n\nWhenever people from other places come to Bukidnon, I want them to know the mountains they came here to climb and the species that dwell in it are still thriving because of the Lumads, the ancient guardians of the forest.

Human-Anito-Nature Relationship: Indigenous/Local Knowledge, Anitism, and Sustainable Development\t\nBobby dG. Lopez (PhD Researcher, University of the Philippines, Diliman)

All aspects of curriculum development at the University of the South Pacific requires intra-regional work especially within and across our 12 member countries. These are Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. This engagement includes both the needs assessment and endorsement of new courses and programmes. For the Professional Certificate, the UNESCO Pacific Heritage Hub Steering committee and UNESCO Apia Office were also instrumental in development. The programme design and proposed courses and structure were also presented at the 2016 and 2018 Council of Pacific Arts Meeting and the Pacific Culture Minister’s Meetings held in Guam and Fiji Respectively. We have not thus far leaned into inter-regional cooperation but are exploring the potential for this after the first roll out of the programme to determine what opportunities might exist for inter-regional cooperation and exchange. Dr Frances C Koya Vaka’uta talks about strengthening heritage management capacity in the Pacific Islands. \n\nASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DR. FRANCES C. KOYA VAKA’UTA is Director of the Oceania Center for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies and the Pacific Heritage Hub, at the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Suva.

Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is transnational in nature. It is necessary to spread the perception that ICH transcends geographical spaces and national borders, creating dynamic relations, connectedness, and continuity, which is why it is a timeless bearer of cultural diversity, the foundation of the heritage of humanity. However, as the modern structure of nation-state determines the boundaries of culture with national borders, forming the concept of “culture within the country”, subsequently led to the perception that the ownership of culture belongs to the state.\n\nThe concept of exclusive ownership of culture is often controversial in the UNESCO listing process, particularly in instances where cultural heritage and cultural domains have been shared for a long time by two or more nation-states. Such conflicts lead to excessive competition for nomination, overshadowing UNESCO’s fundamental purpose of contributing to peace and security in the world by promoting collaboration among nations, as well as the very spirit of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage that promotes international cooperation and assistance in the safeguarding of ICH as a matter of general interest to humanity.\n\nConsequently, UNESCO encourages multinational inscriptions of shared intangible cultural heritage to promote regional cooperation and international safeguarding activities, preventing conflicts among countries and coping with already existing ones. By emphasizing joint nominations of shared ICH, UNESCO revised its implementation guidelines three times to deal with conflicts between countries due to the cultural property rights. In addition, States Parties are encouraged to develop networks among relevant communities, experts, professional centres, and research institutes, particularly with regard to their ICH, to cooperate at the sub-regional and regional levels.\n\nAt the 13th Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held in the Republic of Mauritius in November 2018, Traditional Korean Wrestling was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as the first joint designation by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Republic of Korea. This milestone in the life of the Convention demonstrates that ICH contributes to the peace-building, reconciliation, mutual understanding, and solidarity among peoples. Indeed, only when acknowledging that shared cultural values are empowering characteristics of ICH, the true perspective of the unifying agent of the cultural diversity can be achieved, and that it is the cornerstone of reaching peace among nations.\n\nCountries in the Asia Pacific region are deeply connected by a long history of interactions, exchanges, flows of people, goods, and ideas that have shaped shared values, practices, and traditions. Having a balanced view, advocating for cultural diversity, and recognizing the commonalities among individuals, communities, and countries as a strength are virtuous tenets in the present time.\n\nIn this regard, APHEN-ICH Secretariat, ICHCAP, and UNESCO Bangkok Office are inviting the APHEN-ICH member institutes and public to this seminar under the theme of Diversity and Distinctiveness: Looking into the Shared ICH in the Asia-Pacific, to re-assess that while fragile, intangible cultural heritage is an important factor in maintaining cultural diversity, connecting bounds, and enhancing international dialogue and peace.

ICH Webinar Series on Maritime ICH: Maritime Living Heritage-Building Sustainable Livelihood and Ecosystems in the Asia-Pacific Region\n\nSession1: Traditional Maritime Skills and Knowledge for Inclusive Social and Economic Development\n\n1. 'Maritime Living Heritage and the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development' by Athena Trakadas, National Museum of Denmark / Ocean Decade Heritage Network\n2. 'The ties and tides of knowledge: Living as a community, living as the sea people' by Narumon Arunotai, Social Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand\n3. 'Strengthening Women Fisherfolk Empowerment toward Social Inclusion in Coastal Environment of Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines' by Elmira Thrina C. Pelayo, Bulacan State University, Philippine\n4. 'Traditional Maritime Skills and Knowledge of Social and Economic Development in Inle Lake' by Thu Thu Aung, Department of Archaeology and National Museum, Myanmar\n5. 'Preserving Maritime Cultural Values and Promoting Community Cohesion: From the Viewpoint of Cau Ngu (Whale Worship) Festival in Thanh Hoa Province' by Thao Phuong Le, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Vietnam\n6. 'Fisherwomen across Bay of Bengal region and the extension of their profession in ICH- Understanding the contributions of a vital part of the community and their symbolisms of sustainability, survival, and continuity' by Lopamudra Maitra Bajpai, Symbiosis International University, India\n\nSession2: Traditional Maritime Skills and Knowledge for Environmental Sustainablity and Resilience\n\n1. 'Evidence from the Social Economic Impact Acessment of COVID-19 in the Pacific: The Contribution of ICH in human-centered development' by Ellen Lekka, Cultural Officer, UNESCO Apia Office\n2. 'The Coastal Cultural Landscape of Yap and Marine Ecological Conservation' by William Jeffery, University of Guam, Guam\n3. 'Korean National Important Fisheries Heritage System for Strengthening Sustainability:' by Hyunjong Jong, Ministry of Ocean and Fisheries, Republic of Korea\n4. 'Voicing Culture after Nature : Traditional Knowledge and Marine Resource Management in the Sulawesi Islands' by Dedi Supriadi Adhuri, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Indonesia\n5. 'O le Va‘a Tā Palolo – The Palolo Fishing Canoe' by Galumalemana Steve Percival, Tiapapata Art Centre inc., Samoa\n6. 'Maritime Cultural Heritage of Matsushima Bay Japan:' by Alyne Delaney, Center for Northeast Asian Studies, Tohoku University, Japan\n\n\n\n

Under UNESCO Living Human Treasures Program, the project ‘Introducing UNESCO Living Human Treasures System in Mongolia’ has been successfully implemented in order to realize efforts in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Mongolia.\nThe main objective of this project aims to introduce and implement UNESCO Living Human Treasures System in Mongolia and so protect, maintain and encourage intangible cultural heritage and bearers in Mongolia within implementation efforts of the 2003 Convention.\n\nThe following activities have been defined and planned to implement within the project implementation work:\n\n1. Review and analyze previous research study materials, data information and field survey findings on intangible cultural heritage and its bearers in Mongolia, and make general overviews upon current situations of intangible cultural heritage\n2. Develop recommendations on designing a relevant legal framework for implementing UNESCO Living Human Treasures program in Mongolia and submit them to responsible governmental institutions for further approval and actions\n3. Organize exchange tours of expert teams implementing the project in South Korea and Mongolia and so share viewpoints and experiences in safeguarding and maintaining intangible cultural heritage in reality\n4. Appoint and send field research teams to some areas of Mongolia, namely some Western and Mongolian regional aimags in order to identify, survey, determine and document locations and distributions of certain bearers of intangible cultural heritage\n5. Develop draft proposals of ‘List of types and forms of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Mongolia’, ‘The List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding’, ‘The Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mongolia’ and submit them to MECS\n6. Design an initial draft of reference manuals of intangible cultural heritage in Mongolia based on results and findings of all above reviews and research analysis. During the joint seminar meetings held on 12-13 December, 2008 the Mongolian and Korean expert teams withdrew general feedback upon ongoing implementation processes of the project and shared comments on achievements of project goals and objectives, in addition to defining some specific areas of further activities. It definitely contributed considerable inputs in efforts introducing ‘Living Human Treasures’ Program and thus safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Mongolia

In 2015, ICHCAP, IICAS, and the National Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan for UNESCO co-organized an international symposium, gathering leading experts and scholars in the region, with the topic of ‘oral traditions and epics’ to uncover more profound issues on ICH in the region. As the nomadic tribes of Central Asia have always been migratory, oral traditions have been the core means of intergenerational transmission in their culture. Since ancestral cultural practices and wisdom have been transmitted across generations orally, it is crucial to discuss these issues for safeguarding living 142 heritage in Central Asia. This book is the collection of the papers from the symposium.