NEW YORK—The Philippines advocated for the preservation of indigenous languages as the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York addressed representatives of UN member-states and civil society organizations, including indigenous peoples organizations at the event entitled, “Language as the Lifeline of Indigenous Identity and Transmission of Culture,” held at the sidelines of the 18th session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues on April 23.
Minister Ariel Peñaranda outlined the Philippines’s policies, programs and activities, including the implementation of the Philippine Indigenous Ethnographies Project. He noted that the output of the multiyear project is centered on the production of ethnographies of indigenous peoples themselves.
“Through this project, indigenous peoples will be empowered to create their ethnographies and utilize the same in the formulation of their own plans for the preservation and development of their culture, heritage and indigenous language, Peñaranda said. Ethnography is the study and systematic recording of human cultures.
He shared the Philippine government’s efforts in convening national and regional consortia of government officials, indigenous leaders and indigenous peoples organizations to implement the project. Terms of cooperation among relevant agencies, and advocacy and communication plans have also been formulated.
The Permanent Forum of Indigenous Issues took place from April 22 to May 3 at the UN Headquarters in New York. PFII is an advisory body to the Economic and Social Council mandated to deal with indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, health and human rights. DFA