NCIP-2 Director Apaling urges Kalinga youth to carry on culture, protect ancestral lands

TANUDAN, Kalinga — National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Region II Director Catherine Gayagay-Apaling urged Kalinga youth to take an active role in preserving their cultural identity, protecting ancestral lands and carrying forward the traditional knowledge of their elders.

Apaling made the call during the culmination of the Season of Creation and the provincial kick-off of Indigenous Peoples’ Month 2026 on October 10 in Barangay Taloctoc, Tanudan, Kalinga.

She urged young Kalinga to learn from their elders and combine Indigenous knowledge with modern education so they can help protect and develop their communities amid modernization.

“To the youth of Kalinga, look around you. The wisdom of our elders, the rhythm of our gongs, and the sacred boundaries of our mountains are your inheritance. Do not let them fade in the shadows of modernization. Embrace your identity, master your traditional knowledge and combine it with modern education, to defend and develop our home. You are the future stewards of this legacy,” Apaling said.

Apaling said the responsibility of preserving Kalinga culture extends beyond celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Month through traditional clothing, dances and other cultural presentations.

She called on communities to use the observance as an opportunity to strengthen their commitment to passing their culture and responsibilities to the next generation.

“As we kick off this IP Month celebration, let this not be a month of wearing our traditional attires and dancing. Let it be a month of commitment,” she said.

Apaling emphasized the importance of intergenerational responsibility in ensuring that Kalinga children will continue to speak their native languages, practice their traditions and maintain their connection to their ancestral lands.

“Let us move forward with the courage of our ancestors, guided by our intergenerational responsibility. Together, let’s build a future where Kalinga children can proudly stand on our ancestral lands, speak our native tongue, and reap the fruits of a prosperous community,” she added.

Indigenous Peoples’ Month is observed every October under Presidential Proclamation No. 1906, issued in 2009. The observance recognizes the cultures, traditions and contributions of Indigenous Peoples and promotes awareness of their rights and the protection of their cultural heritage and ancestral domains.

For Apaling, the continued preservation of Kalinga culture ultimately depends on the younger generation’s willingness to learn from their elders and carry that knowledge forward.