THE kin of the revered advocate for indigenous peoples (IPs) rights, Bai Bibyaon Bigkay, appealed that her remains be returned to her hometown in Talaingod, Davao del Norte.
Rurelyn Bay-ao, niece of Bai Bibyaon Bigkay, appealed that the remains of her aunt be returned to them after the family was only informed of her death through a Facebook post of Sabokahan IPwomen last December 5, 2023.
"Mutoo mi nga patay na si Bai kung makauli siya diri, unya gusto namo pag-uli niya diri kung patay man siya ang iyang income nga gigamit siya sa pikas mauli diritso diri sa amoa (We will only believe that Bai is dead when she is returned home, and we want that when she returns, if indeed she is dead, we want all of the income that she earned be returned to us)," Datu Benito Bigkay, nephew of Bai, said as translated by Bay-ao, during the Kapihan sa PIA, on Friday morning, February 23, 2024, at NCCC VP.
Bay-ao also said that after hearing the news of Bai Bibyaon’s passing, they asked the Sabokahan if it was true since they did not even present any pictures or proof of her death. There was also not even a death certificate that was presented to them.
“Hantud karun gapangulit gihapon mi sa among kaila didtoa nga ngano ing-ani man, ngano gibuhat man na ninyo sa amoa, unsa man gyud dakong sala, dapat irespeto gyud na ninyo na, nga patay na gani iyang lawas pangwartahan pa (Until now we are still reaching out to the people we know there, why did they do this to us, what is our great sin to them, they should respect her, she already died and they are still using her to get money),” she said.
Datu Bigkay added that her cadaver must be returned to Talaingod, Davao del Norte, her hometown since it has been 13 years since Bai Bibyaon left Talaingod.
Bay-ao shared that she has been the translator of Bai Bibyaon and Bai Bibyaon has been used by the organization for fund-raising and financial support-seeking from other countries. She expressed that her family was not able to benefit from the earnings of Bai Bibyaon, as these would go directly to organizations such as the Save our Schools Network and the Sabokahan.
In September 2022, Bai Bibyaon’s family sought the help of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to bring her home. Both Bay-ao and Datu Bigkay went to the University of the Philippines-Diliman (UP-Diliman) to see her, however they never got to meet Bai. They were only told by the personnel in UP-Diliman that she was all right and had not shown any signs of going home as she was allegedly eager to continue her fight against the atrocities done to the IP community.
However, Bay-ao revealed that in 2021, Bai Bibyaon told her while crying that she wanted to go home and even sent some of her belongings to Bay-ao when she returned to Talaingod. This was the reason they refused to believe that Bai Bibyaon did not want to return home.
After some time, Bai Bibyaon’s family was cutoff and any form of communication with her, either through chat or text, was ineffective.
Thus, the family was shocked when the Sabokahan IPwomen posted in December 2023 the news of her passing, when, in fact, Bai Bibyaon passed away on November 20, 2023. The family also also denied the statement in the post where they wrote, “on November 20, 2023, Bai passed away while surrounded by loved ones,” when her immediate family is in Talaingod.
Bawan Jake Lanes, executive director of the Mindanao IP Council of Elders, said that they already coordinated with the NCIP to help the family get the remains of Bai Bibyaon.
He emphasized that there are rituals that needed to be done for Bai Bibyaon.
Based on the culture of the tribe, those who did not return to their homeland when they died, their spirit will be lost.
“Kaya meron rituals asking the guidance of the spirits, si Bai Bibyaon pag-hindi siya naibalik doon yung mga family niya may utang sa kanilang mga ancestors, yung lugar nila parang magiging cursed dahil meron silang hindi nagawang responsibility nila (That is why we have rituals asking for the guidance of the spirits. Bai Bibyaon’s cadaver, if it will not be returned to her family, they would have a debt to their ancestors, their land would be cursed because they did not accomplish their responsibility),” he said.
Once they finish reaching out to the vital government agencies, the family, together with the Mindanao IP Council of Elders, will take the legal step to retrieve the remains of Bai Bibyaon.
Bai Bibyaon was a revered advocate for indigenous peoples (IPs) rights, Lumad leader, environmentalist, and the first and only female chieftain in the history of the Manobo tribe. RGP
Related stories:
