The Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA) marked the 36th Cordillera Day commemoration last April 24 by distributing food packs and personal protective equipment (PPE) to the poor and heath workers.

It enjoined the people to make the Cordillera Day celebration meaningful by continuing to unite and defend the Cordillera people’s rights and and ancestral lands.

The Health for the People Brigade spearheaded the conduct of the ub-ubbo, innabuyog and binnadang to raise PPEs and other donations for the poor.

The ub-ubbo, innabuyog and binnadang are indigenous systems of labor exchange to support those in need which highligh the value of collective effort and mutual aid.

For years, the Cordillera Day also served as a venue to commemorate the Cordillera people’s struggle against dictatorship, fascism and human rights violations. Macli-ing Dulag, leader of Butbut tribue in Tinglayan, Kalinga was killed by the military on the same day in 1980. Dulag was among the tribal leaders who led the struggle against the Chico Dam Project. Dulag’s death was commemorated from 1981 to 1984 and was dubbed Macliing Memorials. From that time on, the CPA launched the Cordillera Peoples’ Day which was annually celebrated in various provinces in Cordillera and in Baguio City.