Teduray and Lambangian Youth Statement on the Bangsamoro

Gai. There will always be a time for everything.

And now is the time for us, the Teduray and Lambangian youth to take an equally-decisive stand  as our inherent right as indigenous peoples in building our socio-cultural, economic and political future in our fusaka inged or ancestral domain.

Photo Courtesy: http://tripeoplesjournal.blogspot.com

Today, we affirm our tribal title holders’ declaration in their open letter to His Excellency Benigno Simeon Aquino III on April 7, 2014 that with the guidance of our ancestors, they decided to do what is just and fair to us their children and our children in the future-“to carefully prepare the small space for our tribes to thrive as distinct peoples and contribute to the new tomorrow that waits for us in the Bangsamoro”.

We echo and strengthen their voices in our assertion for our ancestral domain where our young lives are connected to since we were born, cradled and lived the customs and traditions of our ancestors.

We reiterate their call to genuinely and properly implement the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) which forms the legal basis for our assertion of our rights in any proposition including  in the Bangsamoro Government.

Hence, we demand for the government to prioritize the immediate delineation of our ancestral domain where we can fully and freely practice our traditional justice and governance system based on our customs and traditions as is our right to self-determination as distinct peoples.

Furthermore, we emphasize our important and necessary role in all decision-making processes with regard to our socio-cultural, economic and political future.

Finally, we pay tribute to our ancestors, our elders and all those who incessantly struggle to pave the best future for us. 

Today, these assertions will not be taken for granted as we make these as our generation’s responsibility to our people and the generations that follow us.

Gai. There will come a time when we will be a “minority of the minority” no more: a time when we will stand together equally with our Moro and Migrant brothers and sisters in building a just and peaceful Mindanao.

Signed on this 4^th day of May 2014 during the 7^th Teduray, Lambangian Youth and Student Association Congress in Sitio Benuan, Brgy. Kuya, South Upi, Maguindanao.

Re-posted from: Tri-peoples Journal Blogspot