Tribal children put their hopes, struggles into songs

New album aims to raise awareness of the day-to-day difficulties faced by indigenous peoples in the Philippines.

The cover of the Tunog Bobongan album

Davao City:  Michelle Royo, 14, is a picture of a typical tribal girl. Her eyes are curious but calculating, her demeanor somewhat reticent.

I want to be a teacher, she said. "I want to go back to the mountains and teach tribal children," she told ucanews.com.

Like her elder sister, 16-year old Shiela, Michelle speaks as if her tongue is dragging the words out. But the two girls, daughters of a Matigsalog tribal couple who abandoned them years ago, are not too shy when it comes to their music.

They are part of Tunog Bobongan (Songs Of The Mountain), a group of tribal children who recently released a compilation of songs titled Dedicated to the Tribe and the Environment.

The 11-track album speaks of the children's experience of poverty and their longing for education, for peace in their community, for freedom in their ancestral land.

The song Batang Gamay (Little Child) tells the story of five children who fight over an empty pot of rice while their mother watches in tears, apparently helpless.

Michelle's favorite song is Bisan Kami Bata (Even If We're Only Children). The song asks whether children deserve the kind of society they are in. "Do we deserve a life where we hardly have enough?" the song says.

For Michelle and Shiela, being part of the group allows them to see into the lives of other tribal children as the siblings come to terms with their own situation.

Since their parents abandoned them, Michelle and Shiela have been under the care of a non-government organization.

"There are many children like us, with little in life but full of dreams," said Shiela.

"Our dream is not only for ourselves, but also for others. There are many, many tribal children who are hungry for food, for attention, and for education," the young girl said.

"We dream along with them," she added.

Michelle said tribal children like her are undeniably neglected.

"If you look at our tribal communities, you will feel sorry over the lack of a lot of things that are considered essential by lowlanders," said Michelle.

Tunog Bobongan, which comprises 13 young artists, is an initiative of the Save our Schools (SOS) Network, an alliance of organizations that calls for the protection of the rights of the indigenous peoples in Mindanao.

Rius Valle, spokesperson of the Children’s Rehabilitation Center, the NGO that takes care of the youngsters, said the album is a collection of stories of real people.

"This is the truth that the public must know," he said, adding that the reality is that tribal communities in Mindanao "are suffering and are living a very distressing life".

Valle said the album is aimed at raising public awareness about the conditions and plight of children of indigenous peoples, and to raise funds for their education.

Late last year, soldiers occupied several schools in tribal areas during military operations against communist rebels, forcing many tribal people, including children, to abandon their communities.

Worse, the military branded the Salugpongan Ta’Tanu Igkanugon Community Learning Center, a network of schools for tribal children, as "NPA schools".

The NPA, or New People's Army, is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines that has been waging a four-decade insurgency in the country.

Schools run by Catholic nuns under the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines in Mindanao were also tagged as "NPA schools".

In addition, a community learning center in Surigao del Sur province was burned to the ground last year, resulting in the evacuation of some 1,700 Manobo tribal people.

Madella Santiago, the spokeswoman of the SOS Network, said "children and adults alike continue to live in fear".

In the southern Mindanao region alone, the Children’s Rehabilitation Center has documented at least 41 instances of "attacks" on schools and tribal community learning centers since 2011.

The "attacks" include military occupation, indiscriminate firing and harassment of students and teachers.

"It was heartbreaking," said Michelle as she recalled the experience. "You can listen to our songs to learn our stories.”

The children are now preparing to hold a concert to raise funds for school materials for Salugpungan learning centers. The album is being sold for approximately US$3.40 each.

Source: UCAN