Bago Cultural Society Organization History

Brief History

The first organizational stirrings of the Bago was prompted by one of our elders, retired Division Superintendent of Schools Damaso M. Bangaoet of Baguio City, in 1987. He proposed the creation of a Bago organization that would promote the well-being of the Bagos and the preservation of their cultural practices and traditions. The Bago Cultural Society, Incorporated (BCSI), as a result, was organized on October 4, 1987 with Teodoro G. Gines as founding President and was duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on April 8, 1988 with SEC No. BE00073.
Monthly meetings have been held and membership grew although limited to Bago residents of Baguio City and some who frequented Baguio from nearby places. A scholarship program for Bago youth was begun which was fully funded from contribution of members. And as a matter of course, the “Saranay” or mutual help have also been observed in times of death or emergency needs of members.
On August 11, 1997, BCSI designated some members of the Board of Directors to coordinate with the Office of Northern Cultural Communities (ONCC) for expansion and other organizational work in Region I where the Bago majority and the Bago homeland itself is located. This group consisted of Mr. Rogelio B. Salibad, Lt. Col. Sinforoso M. Dumling, Mr. Jose Segundo, Dr. Salvadora Serrano, Engr. Ruperto Gumnad and Rev. Fr. Alejandro G. Abad. The ONCC was then headed by Regional Director Rosalina L. Bistoyong who called for elders and representatives from several Bago communities in Region I to attend the consultation with the BCSI representation from Baguio City and the ONCC. Actively involved in this activity and several other activities even after his retirement from government service was Mr. Andres P. Morales, Jr. who was then the Chief of the ONCC Region I Tribal and Cultural Affairs Division.
This first meeting was well attended and several concerns taken up. A major decision made was the holding of Bago Tribal National Congress with the formulation of the First Bago Congress Executive Committee consisting of Director Bistoyong as Chairperson; Dr. Geoffrey S. Tilan as Executive Vice Chairman; Mr. Rogelio Salibad as Chairman of the Ethno-History Committee; Rev. Onofre W. Sunggay, Sr. as Chairman of the Socio-Religious Practices Committee; Mr. Feliciano Tumacdang as Chairman of Cultural Arts, Education and Sports Committee; Mr. Inocencio Carganilla as Chairman of Folk Medical Practices Committee; Mr. Evaristo Belloza as Chairman of Traditional Justice System Committee; Mr. Romulo Ramos as Chairman of Traditional Governance Committee; Lt. Col Sinforoso M. Dumling as Chairman of Traditional Economics, Trade and Industry Committee, Judge Benjamin Almazan as Chairman of Committee for Ancestral Domain; and Dr. Tilan as Chairman of Problems and Issues Committee.
The First Bago Tribal Congress and Begnas Cultural Festival was held on January 28-30, 1997 in the Active Resort, Paraoir, Balaoan, La Union with fund support from ONCC and the National Commission on Culture and Arts (NCCA). 215 representatives attended this congress from Bago communities all over the country and also a few from the United States. Distinguished personages, guests and government agency representatives came to give their felicitation and message to the Congress. These included former Senator Leticia R. Shahani, USEC Atty David A. Daoas of ONCC, former Governor Justo O. Orros Jr., former City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan, Prof. Felipe De Leon Jr. of NCCA and former Congressman Victor F. Ortega, among others.
An important offshoot of the First Congress was the creation of the Bago National Cultural Society of the Philippines, Incorporated (BNCSPI) that was supposedly to replace the BCSI. BNCSPI was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 22, 2002 with SEC Registration No. B200000415.
Before the year’s end, a significant and milestone event not only for the Bagos but also to all indigenous peoples of the Philippines, occurred. This was the enactment of Republic Act 8371, otherwise known as “Indigenous Peoples Rights Act or IPRA.” This law spells the emancipation of all indigenous peoples and tribes of the country from their disadvantaged socio-economic situation and also provided for their protection, upliftment and empowerment. The law allows them to obtain title to their ancestral lands and domains, grants them self-governance and self-determination on social, economic and cultural matters while protecting their rights and allowing greater opportunities for their empowerment. This law also replaced the ONCC with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
This change, unfortunately, brought the replacement of the indefatigable and ever supportive Director Rosalina L. Bistoyong with an unqualified and inept NCIP Regional Director who was to prove a great harm to the Bagos. Through gross ignorance and ill will against some officers of the BNCSPI, he formally withdrew recognition of the Bago as an indigenous tribe of the Philippines through his Office Memorandum 083 dated October 10, 2002. He has actually harmed the very people he was sworn to protect by depriving them of the support, entitlement and privileges provided them by law. This proved to be a greater embarrassment not only to the NCIP, to the leading politician of Ilocos Sur who recommended him to the job but to the President herself who appointed him to the position. The recent replacement of this particular NCIP official does not have the qualification for the job and still recommended to the position by the same leading politician of Ilocos Sur. It is fervently hoped that he will do a better job than his predecessor.
Through formal communication and even street protest, BNCSPI opposed such non-recognition of the Bagos until no less than the NCIP Chairman, Atty. Reuben Dasay A. Lingating himself formally recalled and revoked Donrique’s Memorandum 083 and officially confirmed that the Bago is an ethnic tribe and indigenous people of the Philippines, through NCIP Memorandum No. 58 Series 2003. A Position Paper on this matter was also made and forwarded to the President. (See page 72).
Among the noteworthy accomplishments of the Second Bago Tribal Congress and Cultural Festival in the Year 2000 at Saytan, Pugo, La Union on December 20-23, 2000 were the definition of the BNCSPI Vision, Mission and restatement of Goals and Objectives. The Vision is “A Bago indigenous people united, empowered and sustained by its culture and heritage.” The Mission is “To empower the Bago indigenous people and communities to attain peace, prosperity and the preservation of their culture and way of life.”

Notwithstanding the continued handicap of non-cooperative NCIP Region I Director, BNCSPI proceeded to perform its organizational functions. Earlier this year we have gone on to acquire a lot behind the Sudipen municipal hall upon which a building will be put up to house the BNCSPI home office and Region I IP Center. A headquarters or home office for its own is a long sought dream of BNCSPI. This was through the initiative of BNCSPI Consultant Vic Buaquen who requested the Municipal Mayor Visitacion M. Piaoan for such a lot citing the desirability of its central location in the Bago homeland. This active and assertive lady Mayor has not only convinced her constituency to grant the request but went on to solicit the seed funds for the construction of the building that would be put up in the said lot. The lady Mayor and the Sangguniang Bayan of Sudipen have thereby earned not only the appreciation but also the undying gratitude of their fellow Bagos. Funds for the construction of the building continue to be pledged and we are quite hopeful that BNCSPI shall have a building for its home office, a cultural museum and an IP Center for Region I, within a year from now. The initial pledge of fund support came also from Congressman Manuel C. Ortega of La Union 1st District, Governor Victor F. Ortega of La Union, Congressman Eric D. Singson of 2nd District Ilocos Sur and Congressman Mauricio G. Domogan of the lone district of Baguio City.
BNCSPI has also successful conducted the Third Bago National Congress and Cultural Festival last April 23-25, 2003 in Cabaroan, San Emilio, Ilocos Sur. It was attended by representatives of Bago communities from as far north as Tabuk, Kalinga and as far south as Mindanao. It has gone on to replace its set of officers that were due for replacement. The documentation of its proceedings are much better this time around for it will not only be in print media but in audio-visual media as well.
The local chapter of BNCSPI in Tabuk, Kalinga makes a special niche in the BNCSPI history. They formally call themselves the Bago Tribal Association, Incorporated with an acronym of BATAI. While they have just registered with the SEC on January 14, 2000, their association has been active and in existence as early as 1963. The formation of a special association was a reaction to the killing of Bagos either as victims of headhunting forays by neighboring tribes or due to land grabbing. The group was quite active and has pursued killers of their people even in the Courts and has actually gained conviction of a number of cases. The BATAI is outstandingly one of the Bago groups that still practice actively the Bago traditions of saranay, sapit and sintatako. The first leader of the association was Pedro Balakang, followed by Eufemio Ramos, then Alejandro Dapasen, replaced by Nicanor Adong and now presently and formally held by Emmanuel Diasen. One memorable event of the group was the emotional and tearful appeal of Nicanor Adong before the council of elders of Bacarre in 1966 to identify and present one of their people who killed a Bago. His appeal was so compelling that some leaders of the offending tribe themselves spoke during the council for and in behalf of the Bagos and the killer eventually identified and yielded to the authorities. The Bago of Tabuk is now a peace-pact holder and a part of the tribal Budong system of the Kalingas.
A mention must also be made of the fact that we already have a local chapter in Mindanao. This chapter was organized by our Vice President for Visayas and Mindanao, Dr. Alberto Gallao. The chapter was organized in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental. The distance of Gingoog City from Region I is considerable and a little more information and contact with us here in the home office need to be done.
The Bagos in Maddela, Quirino have just activated their tribal council and are in the process of formalizing their association to become a local chapter of the BNCSPI. The BNCSPI team members that went to Maddela to help them organize were Vic Buaquen and Samson Sixto. Another team consisting of Martin Caoili, Alejandre Layagan, Fernando Salacan and Mario Simbajon also went to Villa Concepcion, Caoayan, Isabela to organize the local chapter thereat and found the Bagos there glad and willing to do so. These were all preceded by the earlier trip of a team in the year 2000 consisting of then Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan, Dr. Salvadora Serrano, Father Alejandro Abad, Mr. John Pastor, Pastor Adriano Lingbaoan and Col. Alejandre Layagan who went to Naminlangan, Potia, Ifugao to induct the officers of the newly organized BNCSPI local chapter thereat. The several other Bago communities in other parts of Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao will likewise be asked to organize to make BNCSPI a truly functional and effective national people’s organization of the Bago.

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Brief History

The first organizational stirrings of the Bago was prompted by one of our elders, retired Division Superintendent of Schools Damaso M. Bangaoet of Baguio City, in 1987. He proposed the creation of a Bago organization that would promote the well-being of the Bagos and the preservation of their cultural practices and traditions. The Bago Cultural Society, Incorporated (BCSI), as a result, was organized on October 4, 1987 with Teodoro G. Gines as founding President and was duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on April 8, 1988 with SEC No. BE00073.
Monthly meetings have been held and membership grew although limited to Bago residents of Baguio City and some who frequented Baguio from nearby places. A scholarship program for Bago youth was begun which was fully funded from contribution of members. And as a matter of course, the “Saranay” or mutual help have also been observed in times of death or emergency needs of members.
On August 11, 1997, BCSI designated some members of the Board of Directors to coordinate with the Office of Northern Cultural Communities (ONCC) for expansion and other organizational work in Region I where the Bago majority and the Bago homeland itself is located. This group consisted of Mr. Rogelio B. Salibad, Lt. Col. Sinforoso M. Dumling, Mr. Jose Segundo, Dr. Salvadora Serrano, Engr. Ruperto Gumnad and Rev. Fr. Alejandro G. Abad. The ONCC was then headed by Regional Director Rosalina L. Bistoyong who called for elders and representatives from several Bago communities in Region I to attend the consultation with the BCSI representation from Baguio City and the ONCC. Actively involved in this activity and several other activities even after his retirement from government service was Mr. Andres P. Morales, Jr. who was then the Chief of the ONCC Region I Tribal and Cultural Affairs Division.
This first meeting was well attended and several concerns taken up. A major decision made was the holding of Bago Tribal National Congress with the formulation of the First Bago Congress Executive Committee consisting of Director Bistoyong as Chairperson; Dr. Geoffrey S. Tilan as Executive Vice Chairman; Mr. Rogelio Salibad as Chairman of the Ethno-History Committee; Rev. Onofre W. Sunggay, Sr. as Chairman of the Socio-Religious Practices Committee; Mr. Feliciano Tumacdang as Chairman of Cultural Arts, Education and Sports Committee; Mr. Inocencio Carganilla as Chairman of Folk Medical Practices Committee; Mr. Evaristo Belloza as Chairman of Traditional Justice System Committee; Mr. Romulo Ramos as Chairman of Traditional Governance Committee; Lt. Col Sinforoso M. Dumling as Chairman of Traditional Economics, Trade and Industry Committee, Judge Benjamin Almazan as Chairman of Committee for Ancestral Domain; and Dr. Tilan as Chairman of Problems and Issues Committee.
The First Bago Tribal Congress and Begnas Cultural Festival was held on January 28-30, 1997 in the Active Resort, Paraoir, Balaoan, La Union with fund support from ONCC and the National Commission on Culture and Arts (NCCA). 215 representatives attended this congress from Bago communities all over the country and also a few from the United States. Distinguished personages, guests and government agency representatives came to give their felicitation and message to the Congress. These included former Senator Leticia R. Shahani, USEC Atty David A. Daoas of ONCC, former Governor Justo O. Orros Jr., former City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan, Prof. Felipe De Leon Jr. of NCCA and former Congressman Victor F. Ortega, among others.
An important offshoot of the First Congress was the creation of the Bago National Cultural Society of the Philippines, Incorporated (BNCSPI) that was supposedly to replace the BCSI. BNCSPI was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 22, 2002 with SEC Registration No. B200000415.
Before the year’s end, a significant and milestone event not only for the Bagos but also to all indigenous peoples of the Philippines, occurred. This was the enactment of Republic Act 8371, otherwise known as “Indigenous Peoples Rights Act or IPRA.” This law spells the emancipation of all indigenous peoples and tribes of the country from their disadvantaged socio-economic situation and also provided for their protection, upliftment and empowerment. The law allows them to obtain title to their ancestral lands and domains, grants them self-governance and self-determination on social, economic and cultural matters while protecting their rights and allowing greater opportunities for their empowerment. This law also replaced the ONCC with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
This change, unfortunately, brought the replacement of the indefatigable and ever supportive Director Rosalina L. Bistoyong with an unqualified and inept NCIP Regional Director who was to prove a great harm to the Bagos. Through gross ignorance and ill will against some officers of the BNCSPI, he formally withdrew recognition of the Bago as an indigenous tribe of the Philippines through his Office Memorandum 083 dated October 10, 2002. He has actually harmed the very people he was sworn to protect by depriving them of the support, entitlement and privileges provided them by law. This proved to be a greater embarrassment not only to the NCIP, to the leading politician of Ilocos Sur who recommended him to the job but to the President herself who appointed him to the position. The recent replacement of this particular NCIP official does not have the qualification for the job and still recommended to the position by the same leading politician of Ilocos Sur. It is fervently hoped that he will do a better job than his predecessor.
Through formal communication and even street protest, BNCSPI opposed such non-recognition of the Bagos until no less than the NCIP Chairman, Atty. Reuben Dasay A. Lingating himself formally recalled and revoked Donrique’s Memorandum 083 and officially confirmed that the Bago is an ethnic tribe and indigenous people of the Philippines, through NCIP Memorandum No. 58 Series 2003. A Position Paper on this matter was also made and forwarded to the President. (See page 72).
Among the noteworthy accomplishments of the Second Bago Tribal Congress and Cultural Festival in the Year 2000 at Saytan, Pugo, La Union on December 20-23, 2000 were the definition of the BNCSPI Vision, Mission and restatement of Goals and Objectives. The Vision is “A Bago indigenous people united, empowered and sustained by its culture and heritage.” The Mission is “To empower the Bago indigenous people and communities to attain peace, prosperity and the preservation of their culture and way of life.”

The restated organizational goals and objectives of BNCSPI are:

To promote the culture and identity of the Bago

To enhance the Bago’s assimilation into mainstream society

To foster unity and cooperation of all Bago communities and other indigenous peoples

To initiate and advocate programs and projects for the welfare and upliftment of the Bago and other IPs

To organize and strengthen local chapters and facilitate their organizational growth and development

To generate and build sustainable BNCSPI resources.

Notwithstanding the continued handicap of non-cooperative NCIP Region I Director, BNCSPI proceeded to perform its organizational functions. Earlier this year we have gone on to acquire a lot behind the Sudipen municipal hall upon which a building will be put up to house the BNCSPI home office and Region I IP Center. A headquarters or home office for its own is a long sought dream of BNCSPI. This was through the initiative of BNCSPI Consultant Vic Buaquen who requested the Municipal Mayor Visitacion M. Piaoan for such a lot citing the desirability of its central location in the Bago homeland. This active and assertive lady Mayor has not only convinced her constituency to grant the request but went on to solicit the seed funds for the construction of the building that would be put up in the said lot. The lady Mayor and the Sangguniang Bayan of Sudipen have thereby earned not only the appreciation but also the undying gratitude of their fellow Bagos. Funds for the construction of the building continue to be pledged and we are quite hopeful that BNCSPI shall have a building for its home office, a cultural museum and an IP Center for Region I, within a year from now. The initial pledge of fund support came also from Congressman Manuel C. Ortega of La Union 1st District, Governor Victor F. Ortega of La Union, Congressman Eric D. Singson of 2nd District Ilocos Sur and Congressman Mauricio G. Domogan of the lone district of Baguio City.
BNCSPI has also successful conducted the Third Bago National Congress and Cultural Festival last April 23-25, 2003 in Cabaroan, San Emilio, Ilocos Sur. It was attended by representatives of Bago communities from as far north as Tabuk, Kalinga and as far south as Mindanao. It has gone on to replace its set of officers that were due for replacement. The documentation of its proceedings are much better this time around for it will not only be in print media but in audio-visual media as well.
The local chapter of BNCSPI in Tabuk, Kalinga makes a special niche in the BNCSPI history. They formally call themselves the Bago Tribal Association, Incorporated with an acronym of BATAI. While they have just registered with the SEC on January 14, 2000, their association has been active and in existence as early as 1963. The formation of a special association was a reaction to the killing of Bagos either as victims of headhunting forays by neighboring tribes or due to land grabbing. The group was quite active and has pursued killers of their people even in the Courts and has actually gained conviction of a number of cases. The BATAI is outstandingly one of the Bago groups that still practice actively the Bago traditions of saranay, sapit and sintatako. The first leader of the association was Pedro Balakang, followed by Eufemio Ramos, then Alejandro Dapasen, replaced by Nicanor Adong and now presently and formally held by Emmanuel Diasen. One memorable event of the group was the emotional and tearful appeal of Nicanor Adong before the council of elders of Bacarre in 1966 to identify and present one of their people who killed a Bago. His appeal was so compelling that some leaders of the offending tribe themselves spoke during the council for and in behalf of the Bagos and the killer eventually identified and yielded to the authorities. The Bago of Tabuk is now a peace-pact holder and a part of the tribal Budong system of the Kalingas.
A mention must also be made of the fact that we already have a local chapter in Mindanao. This chapter was organized by our Vice President for Visayas and Mindanao, Dr. Alberto Gallao. The chapter was organized in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental. The distance of Gingoog City from Region I is considerable and a little more information and contact with us here in the home office need to be done.
The Bagos in Maddela, Quirino have just activated their tribal council and are in the process of formalizing their association to become a local chapter of the BNCSPI. The BNCSPI team members that went to Maddela to help them organize were Vic Buaquen and Samson Sixto. Another team consisting of Martin Caoili, Alejandre Layagan, Fernando Salacan and Mario Simbajon also went to Villa Concepcion, Caoayan, Isabela to organize the local chapter thereat and found the Bagos there glad and willing to do so. These were all preceded by the earlier trip of a team in the year 2000 consisting of then Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan, Dr. Salvadora Serrano, Father Alejandro Abad, Mr. John Pastor, Pastor Adriano Lingbaoan and Col. Alejandre Layagan who went to Naminlangan, Potia, Ifugao to induct the officers of the newly organized BNCSPI local chapter thereat. The several other Bago communities in other parts of Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao will likewise be asked to organize to make BNCSPI a truly functional and effective national people’s organization of the Bago.

Among the proposed programs and projects of BNCSPI at this point in time, are the following:

Organizational expansion and the activation of local chapters, tribal councils and the designation of tribal chieftains of all Bago communities in the Philippines

Dissemination of information to all Bago communities –IPRA and BNCSPI organizational activities together with awareness of government projects

Acquisition of title for all Bago ancestral lands and domains

Construction of BNCSPI headquarters/building and activation of a Secretariat with full time personnel with adequate office facilities

Distillation of Bago culture and traditions into teaching materials for learning of Bago youth and children

Creation of a BNCSPI website

Creation of Bago data base and document archive

Continued advocacy and networking with other NGOs and government agencies for the welfare and advancement of the Bago and other IPs.

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updated last February 28, 2003