Beng renews commitment to indigenous community

TRUE TO her commitment and advocacies, Mayor Beng Climaco has assured the indigenous community in Zamboanga that the local government will continue to protect the welfare of the native tribes and respect their culture and traditions.

Indigenous tribe members during an intermission as Mayor Beng Climaco looks on at a meeting held recently in Limpapa. (Bong Serondo)

Climaco, who is a strong advocate of equality among her people, recently joined a meeting with the representatives of the indigenous community along with Secretary Allen Capuyan, chairman of the National Commission on Indigenous People, and other government agencies in Limpapa.

She said the meeting was part of a consultation with the indigenous tribes and tackled issues and concerns affecting them, including the coronavirus pandemic and ancestral domain in Zamboanga.

The NCIP is the primary government agency that formulates and implements policies, plans and programs for the recognition, promotion and protection of the rights and well-being of indigenous peoples with due regard to their ancestral domains and lands, self-governance and empowerment, social justice and human rights, and cultural integrity.

Zamboanga has 5 indigenous communities - the Subanen, the Sama Bangingi, the Kolibugan, the Bajau and the Iyyakan or Yakan.

Tribal leaders thanked Climaco and Capuyan for consulting them on various issues and concerns affecting the indigenous community.

Climaco has been very supportive of the welfare of the members of the indigenous community or “Lumad” - a common word in many of the mayor’s major speeches when referring to the tri-people here - the Christians, Muslims and Lumads.

And in one international forum, Climaco - winner of the 2018 World Mayor Commendation for services to local government and her commitment to the community - answered a question from Army Colonel Leonel Nicolas, who asked the mayor: “Zamboanga City is a melting pot of Christians, Muslims and Lumads. How do you plan to further enhance the unity and understanding between people from different backgrounds in Zamboanga City?”

And Climaco replied: “The key is social inclusion. And we have found this as a very effective tool in order to make everyone accountable, responsible and involved in uniting our diverse community in a city with the 6th biggest population and 3rd in terms of size, in the country. The city has an Ordinance creating the Zamboanga Interfaith Council, which brings diverse groups to discuss key issues and address matters that are needed to prevent bigotry and bias. We have always adopted pluralistic and non-discriminatory policy initiatives; maintained ties with various religious organizations of civil society, and facilitated and promoted interfaith activities in the City, because we believe that we are one Zamboanga City – the Christians, Muslims, and Indigenous Peoples.”

“We are a Government that recognizes the voice of everyone and we value consultative, collective and collaborative processes in governance through citizen participation and stakeholder empowerment. In our administration, no creed, color, group or religion will be left behind. Everyone is instrumental in the decision making process.” (Zamboanga Post)

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