A cloud of colors burst in the air as students, cooperatives and other members of the civic society gathered together to participate in the city’s first IP color run last Saturday, August 21.
The I run for Preservation of culture, Protection of Forests and Peace Run (IP Run) was spearheaded by the Xavier University – College of Agriculture (XUCA) in partnership with the Xavier Science Foundation, Inc. (XSF) and the Institute of Land Governance (ILG). It formed part of XUCA’s Manresa Days celebration which ran from August 19-22. The IP run was aimed to raise funds for the Indigenous Peoples (IP) scholars in Talakag and Pangantucan, Bukidnon, the partner IP communities being supported by XSF.
Datu Johnny Guina of the Portulin Talaandig Tribal Association graced the event and brought with him the Kulahi (Talaandig term for ‘shout’) band who performed songs about finding pride in one’s cultural identity. They hail from Brgy. Portulin in Pangantucan.
Brgy. Miarayon in Talakag and Brgy. Portulin are tribal communities resting on the foot of each side of Mt. Kalatungan. Its forests are denuding, leaving threats to the tribes’ cultural identity and to the safety and survival of the lowland communities such as Cagayan de Oro City, catchment of the waters that trickle down from the highlands of Bukidnon.
The IP Run also meant to popularize the notion of inter-connectedness among the highland and lowland communities. How we care for our forests and rivers will directly affect one another. With this, XSF, together with the Mindanao Development Authority, piloted the Payment for Ecosystem Services, where the private groups and individuals will financially support the IP communities to reforest Mt. Kalatungan, mitigating floods and other disasters. Part of the IP run program was the awarding of plaques of appreciation to the PES supporters namely the Cooperative Development Authority, MASS-SPECC, the First Community Cooperative, Oro Integrated Cooperative, Oro Savings and Sharing Cooperative, Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc., Xavier University Community Credit Cooperative, Bukidnon Pharmaceutical Multipurpose Cooperative, Del Monte Philippines, Inc. Employees Credit Cooperative and Oro Integrated Cooperative. This was presented by his Excellency Most Rev. Antonio Javellana Ledesma, SJ, DD, chair of the Cagayan de Oro Riverbasin Management Council.
The IP run ended with the awarding of race winners and a performance by the Kaliwat Ki Apo Agyu student organization of Xavier University. XSF hopes to raise more resources for its IP program initiatives. The IP run was sponsored by Kia, Mahindra, Cong. Rufus Rodriguez, Abante Mindanao, Shell, MASS-SPECC, CDA, Parasat, Radyo Ultra, Vjandep and Smart.