BOWWBLOG #22 | Returning to the Mountains: A Personal Reflection on Our Shared Wholeness
I carry a deep and cherished memory within me: the misty mountains of Lepanto, Benguet, where I was raised until the age of ten. My childhood was painted with the vibrant colors of the Cordilleras, and my first, truest friends were Igorot and Ifugao children—Ambet Kub-ao, Joe Sok-kong, and so many others. With them, I spent my days exploring, learning, and simply being. In that majestic, mountainous terrain, I felt a profound sense of belonging—happy, well, and truly whole. It was my first, unspoken lesson in what it means to be part of a community and a land.
It was a seed planted in my heart, a feeling of one world, well and whole.
Recently, a visit to Zamboanga reminded me of the breathtaking diversity of our Philippine tapestry. From the northern highlands to the southern islands, we are a nation woven from countless vibrant threads of culture and heritage. I’ve since learned we are home to over 110 Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs), comprising 14–17 million brothers and sisters.
Yet, the same communities that hold so much of our nation's soul and wisdom—whether referred to as Igorots, “Katutubo,” or the culturally-indigenous groups of Mindanao often collectively and controversially called “Lumad” - face profound challenges. The very lands they have stewarded for generations are often threatened. Many communities experience a painful disconnect from their ancestral domains due to development projects often extractive and commercial exploitation. This separation is more than a physical displacement; it is a cultural and spiritual fracture, often accompanied by limited access to education, healthcare, and political representation, and a troubling history of discrimination and vulnerability.
This reality stands in stark contrast to the profound sense of belonging I was gifted as a child.
I believe our path forward is one of respectful partnership and co-creation! It begins by honoring land rights through the steadfast support of ancestral domain titles. It grows by ensuring access to essential services is delivered with cultural sensitivity and grace. It is strengthened by our collective will to listen, learn, and integrate Indigenous leadership into the very heart of our national development plans.
How might we, you and I, contribute to this movement of co-creation?
It starts with a shift of the heart. It begins with caring enough to know.
1. Explore Your Own Story:
Reflect on your own ancestry. What threads of your history connect you to a people and a place? Understanding our own roots builds a bridge of empathy to understand another's.
2. Seek to Understand:
Intentionally learn about the Indigenous communities in our own country. Read their stories, listen to their music, learn about their history from their perspectives.
3. Encounter with an Open Heart:
If opportunity allows, visit, listen, and support. The greatest gift we can often give is our respectful presence and a willingness to be taught. It is in authentic conversation that we make others feel truly heard and valued. When you travel anywhere you go, ask : “Who and where might I find and meet the ‘katutubos’ of this land?”
This isn't about having all the answers. It is about asking better questions and walking together toward the answers.
A Doable Call to Action:
We recently had the honor of featuring Director Angelo Sallidao, Director IV for Office on Education, Culture and Health (OECH) from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples in our monthly August First Friday Forum (F3), where we explored these themes of identity, land, and cultural wholeness in a deeply moving conversation facilitated by our Lead Coaching Essentials Training Coach Kitty Dulay-Ferreria as Forum Anchor.
I invite you to join this learning journey. Watch the recording of our conversation here: https://youtu.be/8n7ajSLqs94
Let it be a starting point. Let it open a door. Then, share one thing you learned with one other person. In that simple act of sharing, we begin to weave a new tapestry—one of awareness, respect, and collective care.
This is how we honor the child I was, the child we all were, playing in the mountains of Benguet. This is how we honor the wisdom of those who came before us. This is how we truly co-create one world, well and whole.
- Susan Grace Rivera
Posted: August 24, 2025
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