Senator Loren B. Legarda
Senator Loren B. Lergada has been an instrumental force in preserving indigenous culture
Tribal halls - Tribal halls are large communal hotels where tourists can come learn about indigenous culture, and lay down their blankets and sleeping mats at night.
Indigenous tribal elders wear their clothes to work at the hall, and greet visitors in their customary attire
The Bagobo Tribal Hall has a trained kitchen staff to cook traditional dishes for guests
Tribal halls were created to preserve culture, and encourage “voluntourism” where tourists come and learn more about Bagobo native lifestyle.
Senator Legarda is also working on replicating the success story of the Tribal Hall for the Bagobo tribe with the Ifugaos in Northern Luzon, to preserve important traditions like the hudhud chant.
Funding for Lergada’s work comes from the NCCA, Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Technical Education, Skills and Development, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
Culture - Senator Legarda launched the country’s first permanent textile galleries called the Hibla ng Lahing Filipino: The Artistry of Philippine Textiles. Senator Legarda also supported the development of cultural villages of the Ata-Talaingod, Mandaya, and the Bagobo Tagabawa in their Schools of Living Traditions.
The Cordillera Peoples Alliance
Founded in 1984 in the Bontoc, Mountain province by 150 delegates from 27 organizations attending the Cordillera People’s Congress.
The CPA is an independent federation of progressive peoples organizations among the indigenous community in the Cordillera region.
The battle-cry of the CPA is “for the defense of the ancestral domain and for self determination.” Through the years the CPA has sustained information drives, advocacy campaigns, and direct actions on local struggles by indigenous community.
The CPA also does work within native communities through education seminars, training, and various types of assistance.