THE Cordillera Administrative Region marked on Thursday the 31st anniversary of the death of Macliing Dulag, the village chief of Bugnay, Tinglayan in Kalinga who defended the lands of indigenous peoples against the Chico River Dam project during the late President Ferdinand Marcos' regime.
Cordillera People's Alliance Secretary General Abigail Anongos said in a press conference People's Day is a "political and cultural platform for the people of the Cordillera for the defense of land, life and resources."
The event was formerly called the Macliing Memorial Day.
The celebration started with a dialogue in Itogon, Benguet where elders, small scale miners and other indigenous peoples gathered to look back and talk about what their mining community has become after the arrival of big mining companies.
Celebrating today is Baguio City, Mt. Province and Kalinga with Apayao.
Baguio City is celebrating at the People's Park with an exhibit, poetry reading, cultural jamming and discussions of environmental issues in the Summer Capital.
A gathering is also being held in Maba-ay, Bauko in Mt. Province and Tabuk City in Kalinga where delegates are discussing issues on the Asean Free Trade Agreement, energy projects, mining and militarization.
Abra will hold a gathering in Bangued on April 29 and Ifugao will have its own in Tinoc on May 1 also to talk about the emerging social issues in their communities such as environmental degradation, human rights and political issues.
Cordillerans in Hong Kong and Montreal, Canada, will have their commemoration on May 10. (GJF)