THE rich cultural heritage and inspiring success stories of the Philippines’s indigenous peoples (IPs) were highlighted in the special Independence Day online presentation of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The online concert, “Lessons for a Changed World: The Legacy of the Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines,” directed by Floy Quintos, showed narratives of the country’s IPs, covering their history, values, traditions, as well as the way they were able to protect and bring with them the traits as they navigate complexities of the modern world.
Through a medley of traditional cultural performances from the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, artistically weaved with stories on the experience and values of local IPs narrated by Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, viewers took inspiration and learned from the lessons taught by the country’s precolonial ancestors.
The hour-long presentation showed the early Filipinos’ unique and advanced cultures, as well as their kinship to the natural world and their strong desire to defend ancestral lands through artistic dances. The last part of the show featured profiles of several Philippine IPs who have made their way to faraway lands, while bringing with them their culture and values.