09/10/2026
๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐๐ข๐ฃ๐๐'๐ฆ ๐ ๐ข๐ก๐ง๐
๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
| October 2026
Culture is more than what we wear. It is the stories that we carry, the traditions that we keep, and the joy that we share. Our heritage tells the story of who we are today. Our Indigenous People are its keepers, carrying generations of knowledge, culture, and tradition forward.
October is National Indigenous Peoples' Month in the Philippines. A vital observance that recognizes the identity and rights of over 110 ethnolinguistic groups, totaling an estimated 14 to 17 million people.
It is observed every month of October under Presidential Proclamation No. 1906, signed in 2009 by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, which recognize the invaluable contributions, rich traditions, and cultural heritage of Indigenous Cultural Communities and Indigenous People in the Philippines. This month also celebrates the anniversary of the Indigenous Peopleโs Rights Act (IPRA), enacted on October 29, 1997.
๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐น๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐: (1)๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐, (2)๐ฆ๐ฒ๐น๐ณ-๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ, (3)๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ (4)๐๐๐น๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐, ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ (๐๐ฃ๐๐) ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐.
Higit sa pag-alala, ito ay panahon din upang makinig, matuto, gumalang, at makiisa sa pagtataguyod ng kanilang mga karapatan at pagkakakilanlan. Sapagkat ang kanilang kultura ay bahagi ng ating kasaysayan, at ang kanilang tinig ay mahalagang bahagi ng ating kinabukasan.
And this is why National IPs Month is so important: it is an opportunity for us to remind ourselves about the history, culture, and ongoing struggles of our fellow countrymen, and to be inspired to help preserve their heritage and honor their valiant efforts in continuing to protect their rights. Because Indigenous culture is not simply a part of our history. It is a living legacy that deserves to be respected, celebrated, and passed on.
โ
โ
Words & Graphics by | Mike Sherwin Canina, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
