A Day in the Life of Dananao villagers

By Kristine Joy B. Magsanay                                                                                                                           

I have encountered one of the hardest travels I have ever been through, but for those who are in the far-flung communities it just is part of their daily routine, their way of living, it is normal.

1. Dananao

I left Manila with an excited heart having in mind that I will once again meet another group of people, especially native citizens from a tribe. It will be one of my firsts. When I arrived in Kalinga, together with the other practicumers, I already felt the fresh air and the feeling of being in a rural area. It reminded of my hometown back in a silent town in the province of Southern Leyte. After our orientation, we were once again warned about the four-hour drive to Tinglayan and another one-hour walk to Dananao. The sound of the “long travel” did not bother me at all, as my excitement was at its highest, but what I did not expect that the path was harder and more challenging than I have imagined.

When we were already taking the narrow path, I did not worry about myself for I know how to maneuver with rocks and rough road, but I did worry about my friends who have a fear of heights and fear of falling to the hillside. As I was looking up to the community from afar, I realized how hard it is for us to climb up just to reach them compared to how they do it almost every day to be able to return to their homes. For us it is just an adventure, but for them it is their daily routine. This insight served as my inspiration to push myself through the limits and used my goal in getting to interview them as my pushing reward to be able to get to know them and hear all their stories. Fortunately, when we arrived we were greeted with a heartwarming hospitality even though we were not anticipated to be there. They opened their doors for some young researchers and freely shared their accounts for our interviews.

After talking to more than five people these were some of the information we have consolidated regarding the AES. Based on our interviews, the people in Dananao lack voter’s education especially the men. One of the possible causes that turned up was that the meeting on voter’s education was held together with the meeting for the releasing of the 4Ps, otherwise known as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. It can be concluded that the meeting on 4Ps mostly concerns the mothers and that the large number of those who attended is composed of women. This can explain why their women have more will that is political and election system awareness than their men do. However, regardless of gender, all of them recognize the importance of executing their right to vote and that it should not be taken for granted unless there are unexpected emergencies on the day of the elections that prevents them from voting.

Furthermore, most of them affirmed that they prefer the AES than the previous manual elections based on their knowledge during the last 2010 elections. According to them, they are contented with how speedy the process turned out to be, and they find it easy to shade than to write the name of their candidate. Yet, when asked if they are confident that the AES can lessen if not eradicate the election fraud they cannot answer directly and one of our respondents said that maybe it could be easier to alter the results by just manipulating the machines. However, in one way or another, their yardstick for good elections, as of the moment, is speed and the triumph of the candidate generous and known to them.

Another issue we have discovered was that they were not informed that they should be the only one authorized to feed their ballot into the PCOS machine, but the case was that the teachers were the ones feeding them. One lucky detail although was that they were still there watching as the BEI does the feeding. Additionally, many of them granted proxy to their family and relatives and was allowed since the BEI knows almost everyone in their community. The teachers before the elections taught many of them, but still a proportion of men haven’t heard the full news.

One answer that kept me bothered was that the people in Dananao somehow already know the result of the elections particularly in their place, that is why they are confident enough with the outcome from the machine. Another also said, supporting this detail, that having known the result in their community gives them a tool to verify the correctness and honesty of their elections, and even the precision of the machine. According to them the results do reflect their expected turnout. On the other hand, what bothered me and my group was “how” the people knew the results even before the PCOS produced some tally. We kept asking our interviewees what process did they do to achieve such information, but none of them were able to give definite and exact answers. Maybe they did not understand us that clearly because of the language barrier that is why none of them directed us to the right information. On a positive note, most of them affirmed to us that they still persistently wait for the results and the transmission of the results before they leave the precincts. However, when asked if they know about the transmission process, they don’t anymore care much or less.

The community of Dananao maintains a sustainable living. They plant and harvest rice but they do not sell them. Instead, their main products are white beans and vegetables. They also have a variety of coffee beans, which they also sell, but not that mainstream. In a place that is quite far from civilization, these livelihood is not enough to feed their family much less send their children to school. Due to this, many of their citizens have come down to the plain lands to find jobs. Most of those who had the courage struggling in the cities were the educated ones. Those who were left in their homeland depended on their harvest and the different produce of their land. This is also the reason I see why they don’t hesitate to receive the little gifts (like rice, money, food, among others) the politicians and/or candidates during campaign give to them. Our interviewees confessed that they do vote those candidates who give them some “tulong” in their own terms. They don’t find any contradiction why they have to deny to these things when they are just gifts, “tulong din iyon” according to one of the mothers we have interviewed. On the other hand, our last interviewee said that they do accept the gifts but the choice of which they vote still narrows down to who they like. The last decision resides with them and not from any form of project proposal or offerings, but one thing they needed that if a partylist or a candidate can provide shall surely win is scholarship or any educational plan.

To conclude our encounter with the Dananao natives, I have seen in them their willingness and approval to use once more the AES in the upcoming 2013 elections. This determination may have come up from the absence of large-scale election fraud from their experience in the last 2010 automated elections. The convenience most of them felt with shading instead of writing the names in the manual elections contributed to this positive feeling with AES. Our group also put into account the illiteracy rate in the community that added up to why they choose shading than writing. Furthermore, those who still prefer the manual elections proposed that it would have been better if during the election there were an option for the voter between doing the vote in manual or in automated. They do like AES but they are once again worried in the human manipulation of the machines just like the old times.

If I was to compare the result of our interaction with the residents of Dananao than the perception of the urban public, the former trusts the AES than the former. It would be an injustice if I would deduce that the lack of education and knowledge on the possible election fraud through the machine of the former blinded them of the fact there may have been already alterations during the 2010 elections, it’s just they still do not know how to scrutinize every detail of it. Yet, on the latter’s side, many do not confide with the AES because they were given the ample information about the pros and cons of using the technology and they have the facilities and capacities to understand the technicalities of the system. I am not saying that the people in the far-flung areas are very innocent, what I am commenting is that the COMELEC did not put extra attention to the need of these communities of their right to information in a way they can understand the system better, even by just starting to overcome the language barrier.

Due to our need to attend the Cordillera Day in Tabuk, Kalinga in April 24, we have to leave as early as possible from Dananao instead of staying longer even until after lunch. I was disappointed at that time because I wanted to stay even for a whole day in the community. We have just arrived later in the afternoon and we are again to leave just after the sun has risen. As much as we can, we don’t want to remembered with a negative impression, doing just like what we did can cause such unfortunate memory of the UP students who just went up to them to be able to get some scoop not even caring to live with them and learn the way they live. It made me feel bad that we only benefitted from them while they did not get any from us; instead, it was the other way around. I felt like we have just disturbed them for our own sake.

1. Cordillera Day

My most awaited Cordillera Day commenced on April 25 at the Tabuk City gymnasium. I imagined seeing the presence of different tribes wearing their fascinating native dresses, witnessing their various traditional dances, and hearing their unique culture. Maybe my imagination was quite unrealistic but much of my expectations did not happen in the program that I have attended.

Although many tribes attended, there is no significant sign or characteristic that separates them from the other tribes. Furthermore, all the participating tribes did not bother or encouraged to wear their native dresses. There may be one or two from the audience, aside from the leaders seated on the stage, but the rest were in casual attire.

I may have anticipated too much but even before I entered CenPEG, I am already fascinated and interested with the various traditional dances of the tribes. That is also quite one of the reason that I may have escalated my disappointment in the overall program of the Cordillera Day. I was only able to witness one type of dance, the one that they use to welcome the guests, only in different rhythms and progressions.

When it comes to their culture, I learned some part of it through the way they live in comparison with the colonized ways in the urban areas. In Tabuk, also in the different parts of Kalinga and Cordillera, most of the people I have met only or prefer to speak using their own native tongue. Although a few of the elders I have met can speak in Tagalog, but most of them, especially still coming from the high mountains is loyal to their native language. It may have been caused by the inaccessibility of education during their time, but it just amazed me how they were able to preserve their native Filipino language.

For me, among all the presenters from outside the tribes aside from us, the delegates from Australia together with the participants from the international community were among the few who projected and understood correctly the real meaning of the Cordillera Day. They stated that they were there to hear the issues and actions of the Filipino natives regarding with the struggle for their land, that our country’s problems are not that quite different from their own. They also realized that amidst the many dilemmas of the Cordillera people, they do not have a representative in the higher positions, such as a congressional representative or a senator that has a pure native blood that runs in his or her veins. Maybe, until then, the Philippines will finally hear for what the Cordillera community is dying.

Throughout the program, the vigil with lighted candles is one of my favorite parts in the event. I still remember how solemn they commemorate their heroes and martyrs. Famous or not, they try to honor each one of them no matter how big or small they have contributed for their cause, and everyone even the younger generation knows almost all of them.

It was one unforgettable adventure of my life. Even until now, I cannot still get over with my happiness that I was able to set foot in those mountainous regions and near to the rice terraces that I only come across with pictures from the national bookstore and/or in the classroom. I just wish that we have stayed longer with them and learn more than the textbook gives. There are things that cannot be learned but only through firsthand experience. Yet, in a more positive note, I am grateful that I was able to overcome the very challenging way to the Cordillera community and was able to meet one of the true blue native Filipinos in the country. My children and grandchildren shall hear this adventure of mine in the future.