lumad3The Church of Kidapawan will launch on Feb. 24 a “case study on development” regarding Indigenous People (IP) communities living in different areas of the Diocese. The study will be mainly a research project enriched with “success stories of farmers in ancestral domain development.”
On the same day the Diocese will celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Tribal Filipino Program (TFP) under the theme: “TFP Journeying and Renewing Commitment as Partners with the Indigenous Peoples (IP) for their Right to Self Determination.” It will be an occasion to remember the history of IPs as well and it will be done through cultural presentation”, like the “tri-people youth and children from Columbio Valley and Sitio Tungaw, Magpet ”. IP leaders and partners who have long been serving the “Lumad” communities (Mindanao is the land of 18 indigenous group and ‘lumad’ is their collective name) for at least 15 years will be given plaques of recognition and appreciation. As for PIMEs Fr. Peter Geremia has been for more then 25 years TPF Coordinator of the Diocese with his mainly concern for the B’laang communities of Columbio while fr.Fausto Tentorio is coordinating a sustainable program for the Manobos in Arakan Valley which he started late in the 80s.