Ang Langgad Natin: Walang Kulay

Photo and Art Exhibit

Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at 3 PM – 6 PM

Protest Gallery
4th Floor, PUP, Main Campus, Sta. Mesa, Manila, Philippines

“Ang Langgad Natin: Walang Kulay” is compilation of artworks which depict the condition of Aeta communities in Central Luzon. The Absence of Color in this collection symbolizes elimination of all the barriers, discrimination and misconceptions about our Indigenous People so that the audience may see the effects of development aggression in an impartial view. The aim of this show is to enlighten the public, as development or progression of state aggression, land grabbing, and fascist attacks on our people—mainly our peasants and our national minorities worsen, it is time to join the Aeta in their defense of their Ancestral Lands.

Background

Development aggression is a term that was first used in 1994 to development projects that violate and ignore the human rights of indigenous people. As a fellow artist and brother at arms said, “Development is development aggression when the people become the victims, not the beneficiaries; when the people are set aside in development planning, not partners in development; and when people are considered mere resources for profit-oriented development, not the center of development. Development aggression violates the human rights of our people in all their dimensions—economic, social, cultural, civil and political.”-The Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates ,1996.

Aside from this injustice, development aggression also imposes a serious threat to our environment as it will ravage mountains, rivers, etc. This will have a disastrous effect on the whole country as we are all interconnected. In the case of New Clark City, the Balog-balog Multipurpose Dam, and Military Complex or Air Force Development Plan that are now being implemented, we can see the greed-fueled and opportunistic agenda, that the promised eco-friendly development projects that would benefit everyone is just a sham, an empty promise, a threat to thousands of lives hiding behind an idealistic facade.

KAISAHAN NG MGA ARTISTA AT MANUNULAT NA AYAW SA DEVELOPMENT AGGRESSION

The organization breath its first on June of 2016, from the experience of integration of several artists and writers during a Project Pisapungan activity of Ecohumans Inc., in partnership with Aeta Tribal Association (ATA), a provincial alliance of Aeta Tribal communities in Tarlac.

The first hand contact and encounter with the Aeta communities brought the artists and the writers into the realization of an urgent need to promote protection, and build active defense of environment and ancestral lands, and life and culture of our national minorities and peasants.

Nature unveiled beautiful landscapes of clear rivers and green hills, perhaps full of rough and difficult muddy terrain but opens up to blissful and heavenly summits of warm and embracing smiles of communities welcoming visitors—as if we were long lost relatives, that finally took time to return, rejoin, and visit the family.

We cannot bear to imagine that the beautiful mountains, with its rich green and golden fields of food crops, pasture lands, wild forests, clear-cold-and-sweet river and springs, and an entire life of aeta tribes, culture, history, heritage, will one day be figments of the past, or myths for the future generation, or worst—unremembered at all and replaced by tall “intelligent buildings”, “smart, and green communities” vehemently promised by the New Clark City, one of the several National Government projects hiding its hideous scheme of destruction, displacement, and death under the rug of supposed to be “development”.

The Exhibit

Ang Langgad Natin: “Langgad” is a term used by the Aeta to refer to a gift offered to the deities who are living and guarding the forests and mountains. The gift is aimed to appease their anger caused by the destruction and neglect of people to nature.

“Ang Langgad Natin” is a roaming exhibit that goes to different parts of the Philippines. This exhibit takes stories of our natives and relay them to the widest audience possible. Part of the proceeds of this event will fuel Magbasa, Magsulat at Magbilang Project. This project literacy has been supported by Kamandag with the belief that the Indigenous People deserve peace and education. Learning how to read and write is also a powerful tool of the Aeta against landgrabbers and is a helpful aid towards self- determination. Also part of the proceeds will be used to make different Kamandag Programs push through.

KAMANDAG Programs includes but are not limited to:

– Art for the People Education Workshops
– Basic Masses Integration
– Art and Advocacy Forums and Focus Group Discussions
– Art for the People Exhibits
– Joining the Aeta in the Streets if need be
– Lobbying in the Congress and Senate
– Art as Voice of Dissent for the People Against Development Aggression