JOURNAL 4 - FOREWORD (VOL. 2 No. 2 January 2003)

During SY 2002 – 2003, the Institute to Cultural Studies for Western Mindanao (ICSWM) and the Ateneo Peace Institute (API), in cooperation with the Special Zone of Peace and Development (SZOPAD) Social Fund, the Peace Advocates Zamboanga (PAZ), the Sarang Bangjn Foundation , and the Social Amelioration and Literacy Agenda for Muslims (SALAM) Foundation, ran a special lecture series entitled “On Contemporary Moro Issues.” The lectures were held late in the afternoon for four consecutive Mondays. Each lecture was attended by more than 150 Zamboanga City residents, most of whom were connected with academe, the NGO world, the government and public service sectors.

Three of the articles published in this issue of Culture and Peace Studies come from that lecture series. In the first, Prof. Julkipli Wadi puts forward his thesis that Muslims in the Philippines today continue to live in a constricted political space. The other two are on the topic of Christian – Muslim
dialogue. In one, Mr. Amilpasa Bandaying spoke of a need for tolerance between Muslims and Christians. In the other, Fr. Angel Calvo goes beyond tolerance into genuine dialogue.

Fr. William Larousse ‘s contribution, from a talk he gave on the occasion of Zamboanga City launching of his book, also has a lot to say about Christian – Muslim dialogue. In that dialogue, there is a need for accuracy in retelling our local history.

Incidentally, lay readers may be confused by the use of “Church” and “church” in his text. Culture and Peace Studies makes the clarification that Fr. Larousse and many other Catholic eccleosiologists use “Church” to mean the universal church and “church” when they are referring to the local church.

The next two papers take the discussion to an international level. They also come from ICSWM – and – API sponsored special public lectures held around the time of the first anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In one, Fr. Thomas Michel, S.J. discusses the impact of those attacks on Christian – Muslim dialogue. In the other, Dr. Toh Swee-Hin places the continuing efforts at peace education.

The last two papers takes us closer home. Dr. Jamail Kamlian recounts personal experience of discrimination. Dr. Marilou Nanaman’s short paper is on her study of Sama Dilaut women in Iligan City.

One would and could hope so if such awareness and appreciation of Subanen culture and history were part of what Western Mindanao’s schools, colleges and universities consciously and systematically impart to their students. The sad fact, however, is that though the Subanen are clearly part of Western Mindanao in more ways than one, they are hardly mentioned in history, literature and social studies textbooks used in Western Mindanao schools. For that matter, local history and the culture of Western Mindanao’s ethnolinguistic groups are hardly part of the educational curriculum in Western Mindanao schools.

That situation is the proper background against which efforts (1) to promote an awareness, understanding, and appreciation of Western Mindanao’s ethnolinguistic groups and (2) to integrate local history and culture into the educational curriculum in Western Mindanao’s schools should be viewed. It is also this same background that this current issue of Peace and Culture Studies would be best viewed.

Last February 26-27, 2002, the Ateneo de Zamboanga University through its Institute of Cultural Studies for Western Mindanao (ICSWM) ran the National Conference on the History and Culture of the Subanen. This Conference was aimed at promoting greater awareness, better understanding and deeper appreciation of the Subanen and their culture.

It was made possible by the generous financial support of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the country’s premier cultural promotions institution. Other generous individuals and institutions also gave financial support, including Mr. Manuel Pangilinan (of the PLDT), Mr. Meneleo Carlos (of the RI Chemicals Corp.), Mr. Luis Lorenzo, Jr. (of Lapanday Holdings Corp.), the Metrobank Foundation Incorporated and the Ayala Foundation Incorporated. We continue to thank these institutions and individuals.

Some 165 individuals came to listen to talks given by highly regarded experts on various aspects of Subanen culture and history. The majority were educators from all over the Zamboanga Peninsula. Interestingly enough, over 75 participants identified themselves as “pure” or “partly” Subanen.

Among the participants, there were at least 60 who were more than participants in that they also shared with the others some of the more performative aspects of their culture. The Ginghuran Bae Subanen Folkloric Troupe (of Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur) and the Datu Tankilan Andus Cultural Dance Group (of Mandih, Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte) each presented an extended dance module. A presentation of traditional Subanen attire, with Subanen rhythmic music as background, was put together by Zamboanga City-based Subanen of all ages.

As if to tell participants that Subanen culture is of interest to the non-Subanen as well, three Zamboanga City-based student groups presented Subanen dance numbers as “intermission numbers” at various points during the Conference. Very many of participants made comments to the effect that all these live presentations by the Subanen and the students were as helpful for increasing their awareness and appreciation of Subanen culture as were the talks given by the speakers.

The talks themselves covered a good range of topics. Mrs. Janie Grace Hapalla, an acknowledged local expert on Subanen culture, presented an overview of Subanen culture. Dra. Gaudiosa Ochotorena, who a few decades ago did a lot of work on Subanen oral literature, was scheduled to present a paper on Subanen oral traditions. Because of certain circumstances concerning her health, she could not personally be present to read her paper and answer questions about the topic. But she sent her paper and it was read by the Conference Committee Chair.

There were also two papers on the Subanen celebration called buklug. One was an insider’s account by Dr. Vicente Imbing, M.D., who is himself a Subanen datu. The other was an anthropologist’s description. This was given by Prof. Artemio Barbosa of the National Museum’s Anthropology Division. A sketch of the Subanen in the 19th century was presented on the second day by Dr. Felice Noelle Rodriguez of the History Department of the Ateneo de Manila University. Mrs. Ofelia Lingating, an official of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Region IX, gave a quick look at the current situation and struggles of the Subanen. Finally, Dr. Racquel Georsua, a member of the Faculty of Music at the University of Melbourne, presented an overview of Subanen ethnic music.

This issue of Culture and Peace Studies makes available to a wider audience most of the papers presented and four of the main speeches delivered during the Conference. For reasons beyond our control, the papers of Dr. Rodriguez and Mrs. Lingating cannot be published as yet. Dr. Imbing actually submitted the equivalent of two papers, though he read only one during the Conference. This issue publishes both papers. Since this issue presents the papers and speeches in the actual sequence that they were delivered during the Conference, Dr. Imbing’s second paper is placed after Dr. Georsua’s paper, which was the last read during the Conference.

The main speeches include that of the Hon. Ma. Fina Yonzon, the current NCCA Executive Director, who delivered the Keynote Address, stressing the need to come to a better understanding of ourselves and its connection to the aspiration for peace. Ms. Estrellita J. Vicente, Special Projects Officer of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU), gave the General Orientation and Conference Overview. In his Synthesis Talk, Dr. Jesus T. Peralta, one of the country’s leading anthropologists, identified two things that ought to be preserved in Subanen culture---the epics and the buklug. The Closing Remarks were delivered by a Subanen princess, Engr. Aldrina Hitalia, who is also the ADZU’s Assistant Senior Dean of the Colleges.

In closing this Foreword, a small point needs to be made. All the Conference invitation letters, posters, streamers, TV ads, newspaper announcements, registration forms, programs, certificates, etc. consistently used the spelling S-U-B-A-N-O-N. There is, of course, a general confusion as to whether it should be “Subanon” or “Subanun” or “Subanen” or “Suban-on” and so forth. In the established literature, especially that coming from the earlier generation of anthropologists and ethnographers, there does seem to be a preference for “Subanon.” In recent times, the variations in the spelling are sometimes meant to distinguish among various Subanen sub-groups.

During the Conference proper, several Subanen, separately and in small groups, approached the ICSWM and pointed out that for them the spelling S-U-B-A-N-E-N is their preferred spelling. Out of respect for them, Culture and Peace Studies will adopt such a spelling in its future issues. For this current issue, however, we chose to respect the writers’ preferences.

TITLES

On Philippine Politics and Moro Society
Prof. Jukipli Wadi

Can Religious Dialogue Provide the Impetus for Social
Change in the Moro Society
Amilpasa Bandaying

On Religious Dialogue and the Peace Process
Fr. Angel F. Calvo, C.M. F.

Recent Events and the Promotion of Interreligious Dialogue
and Peace
Fr. Thomas F. Michel, S.J.

Education For International Understanding: Toward a Culture
of Peace
Dr. Toh Swee - Hin

On the Occasion of the Book Launching of Walking Together
in Peace: The Local Church of Mindanao ? Sulu Journeying in
Dialogue with the Muslim Community (1965-2000)
Fr. William LaRousse, .M.M,

Discrimination:
A Broken Bridge in Christian - Muslilm Harmony
Dr. Jamali A. Kamlian

The Role of IP Women in Peace Efforts in Mindanao:
Voices and Expressions of Peace of the Sama Dilaut Women
in Iligan City
Dr. Malou F. Siton Nanaman