02/10/2026
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๐ฟ A MESSAGE FROM TRICAP HONORING THOSE WHO PAVED THE WAY๐ฟ
National Indigenous Peoples Month 2026
This National Indigenous Peoples Month, Tribal Communities Association of the Philippines, Inc. (TRICAP) pays tribute to the Indigenous Peoples leaders, elders, advocates, and countless unsung heroes who came before usโthose who dedicated their lives to the long and difficult journey toward the recognition and protection of Indigenous Peoplesโ rights.
The passage of the Indigenous Peoplesโ Rights Act of 1997 (IPRA) was not simply the result of legislation. It was built upon years of consultations, organizing, dialogue, advocacy, courage, and sacrifice by Indigenous Peoples and their allies who believed that our ancestral lands, cultures, identity, self-governance, and collective rights must be recognized and protected.
TRICAP remembers those who are no longer with us. Their names and contributions may not always be fully recorded in history, but their footprints remain in the rights we continue to uphold today.
At the same time, we celebrate those who are still with usโthe elders, pioneers, leaders, and advocates who dedicated years of their lives to this struggle and now have the privilege of witnessing how their dreams, sacrifices, and perseverance helped bring IPRA into fruition.
They are living witnesses to a history they helped make.
For TRICAP, remembering our past is not merely an act of looking back. It is a responsibility to ensure that the sacrifices of those who came before us are not forgottenโand that the rights they fought for are not confined to the pages of a law.
Rights recognized must become rights exercised.
Rights protected on paper must be protected on the ground.
And the legacy entrusted to us must be carried forward.
As an organization that has been part of the Indigenous Peoplesโ journey since 1986, TRICAP honors the generations before us and recognizes that today's advocates stand on the shoulders of those who paved the way.
To those who came before us: maraming, maraming salamat po!
To those who remain with us: we honor you, we celebrate you, and we thank you for allowing us to witness the legacy you helped build.
To the younger generation: the journey is now in your hands.
May we continue to strengthen Indigenous Peoplesโ voices from Roots to Rights.
๐ฟ Mabuhay ang ating mga Elders and Pioneers!
๐ฟ Mabuhay ang mga Unsung Heroes of the Indigenous Peoplesโ struggle!
๐ฟ Mabuhay ang mga Katutubo!
๐ฟ Mabuhay ang IPRA!
โ TRIBAL COMMUNITIES ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC. (TRICAP)
Strengthening Indigenous Peoplesโ Voices from Roots to Rights
