NVSU Hosts 3rd UMMONG to Affirm Indigeneity

The Nueva Vizcaya State University (Bayombong Campus) organized an all-day event to celebrate Indigenous Peoples (IP) Month and the 27th Anniversary of Indigenous Peoples Rights Acts (IPRA) through "Ummong," which recognized and celebrated indigenous cultural lifeways and collective identity, held on October 22, 2024 within university grounds.

Organized by the Culture and the Arts Office, under the leadership of Director Fermila D. Cauilan, in partnership with NVSU Study in the Philippines (StudyPH) and student-led organizations, the Ummong festivities rallied multicultural and ethnolinguistic groups, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, IP community elders/members, Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representatives (IPMRs), and officials/representatives from allied institutions such as the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the local government unit of Bayombong.

As part of the multimodal and interactive series of activities championing IP tangible and intangible culture, the NVSU community completed the opening program with community dances, songs, and messages in front of the former Administration Building, and then simultaneous initiatives followed:

The College of Human Ecology (CHE), an implementer of one of the three-pronged Commission on Higher Education (CHED)-funded Study in the Philippines (StudyPH) program, pre-launched beside the old Admin Building the project "Food Potentialities of Nueva Vizcaya," which unveiled unique dishes and flavorful delicacies of IP communities in the province.

In a simultaneous manner, the College Student Councils (CSCs) spearheaded the "Indigenous Booth Fair" in front of the Library Building, proudly exhibiting Indigenous traditions, cultural expressions, and material heritage of their represented Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs).

Completing the first half of the day, participants patiently lined up for the much-anticipated "Watwatan sa NVSU," which depicted the traditional way of serving rice staples with unseasoned pork slices that is common among IP groups. A couple of thousand meals were distributed to participants during lunchtime with assistance from CHE students and school-accredited student organizations (SOs).

With the collective work of the Culture and the Arts Office and the Department of Social Sciences and Humanities under the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), the afternoon celebration was made more meaningful and impactful through the launching of "SARITA 2.0" at the University Library, giving premium on the essence of indigenous knowledge in promoting resilience and preserving cultural heritage through engaging discussions between invited resource speakers from NCIP and attending students, along with a display of cultural artifacts.

While the SARITA forum was ongoing, the Northern Campus Supreme Student Council (NCSSC) officers arranged "Laro ng Lahi" and creative games, such as sanggul (arm wrestling), sumo, and tug of war, among others, for faculty and students along the old Admin Building.

As the celebration concluded, the community witnessed the "Bugan ya Wigan," where selected representatives from the eight colleges of NVSU wore and featured Indigenous attires to promote awareness and appreciation of traditional woven textiles.

Key institutional leaders who attended expressed their overwhelming support and appreciation for this initiative of the university to protect, respect, and promote Indigenous Knowledge, Systems, and Practices of ICCs in the province of Nueva Vizcaya through an all-inclusive and culturally sensitive celebration of cultural diversities. 

On behalf of former NVSU Officer In-charge Ruth Rana Padilla, as guest speaker, Mr. Flodemonte Gerdan challenged the young students to be proud of their roots and to practice wearing traditional attires properly during similar celebrations in order to preserve authentic cultural representation.

NVSU President Wilfredo Dumale, Jr. echoed the question of CHED Chairperson Popoy De Vera: "What will makes us stay in Nueva Vizcaya?" to invoke the immense potential of NVSU and its rich IP population in responding to the call of cultural documentation and promotion through its cohesive internalization and internationalization efforts.

Marking its third, this year's Ummong carried the theme, 'Mga Katutubo at Katutubong Dunong: Pahalagahan, Pangalagaan, at Parangalan,' which uplifted unity and cultural strength among ethnic groups in the university and advocated inclusive education and community well-being, anchored on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), indigenization, and decolonization frameworks. The word "Ummong" is borrowed from the lingua franca Iloco language that basically means "coming together" in English. 

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The Culture and the Arts Office, led by Director Fermila D. Cauilan and Campus Coordinator Joseph Bubod, wants to express its profound gratitude and congratulations to all that rendered their invaluable services, in one way or another, and that fulfilled their roles and responsibilities before, during, and after the Ummong celebration. The Office also thanks the Administration for its evident and consistent support to students' activities, rights, and well-being.