“In serving Indigenous Cultural Communities, I came to realize that working with them requires even greater patience and understanding.”
Jouie Daliripin Cagas is a 33-year-old Kalibugan, or mixed-blood Subanen, from Barangay Lalab, Dimataling, Zamboanga del Sur. For the past three years, she has been serving as a Development Facilitator (DF) of the Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (MIADP) Regional Project Coordination Office IX. She is the eldest of six siblings.
Her father is a Cebuano who has served as a member of the Civilian Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) for 33 years, while her mother is a Subanen from Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur, who manages their household and helps tend the family farm.
Jouie grew up on the farm.
“As children, we helped our parents cultivate the land so our family could make a living.”
It was there that she first experienced the hardships of life, experiences that inspired her to strive for a better future for herself and her family.
“Poverty was one of our biggest challenges. There were times when we simply did not have enough money even for our basic household needs.”
The community where Jouie grew up was home to both Subanen and Visayan families. Living in such a diverse community taught her the importance of respecting every ethnic group and living in harmony with one another. She also learned never to mock elders or call them by their first names, as doing so is believed to bring misfortune. Instead, she respectfully addresses her Subanen grandparents as Popo Baye and Popo Laki.
Jouie first completed a vocational course in Nursing Aide. However, believing that it would be difficult to find stable employment, she asked her parents in 2011 if she could pursue a four-year college degree.
Her father told her that he could not afford to support her education because his monthly allowance as a CAFGU member was only ₱3,500. He suggested that she find work instead to help support the family.
Her mother, however, encouraged her to continue studying and assured her that they would find a way to cover her expenses.
There were times when Jouie wanted to stop schooling because of financial difficulties, but she kept reminding herself that leaving school would only make life harder in the future. Through perseverance, she earned her Bachelor in Agricultural Technology degree from J.H. Cerilles State College in Pagadian City in 2015.
While in college, Jouie also experienced discrimination.
“Some students made fun of me because I am a Subanen. Whatever negative things they had heard about our tribe, they directed them at me.”
But she refused to be discouraged.
“I stood up for myself and was never afraid to speak my mind. I am not ashamed of being a Subanen because being an IP is not a curse.”
Today, as a DF assigned to the ancestral domains of Dumingag and Lakewood in Zamboanga del Sur, Jouie works closely with Indigenous Cultural Communities, Indigenous Political Structures (IPS), and Indigenous Peoples Organizations (IPOs). She helps explain the project and its activities, facilitates community participation, and encourages their cooperation throughout project implementation.
“I realized how important it is to understand the situation of Indigenous Peoples, to show respect-to our Timuays, and to have the patience needed to earn their trust and cooperation.”
According to Jouie, working with IP communities can be challenging, particularly for those who are not IPs, because of differences in language and culture.
“But it is also deeply rewarding when you see that your work has helped improve their lives and their communities.”
Jouie is a symbol of a young indigenous woman who refused to be defeated by poverty and discrimination.
“My guiding principle in life is perseverance. I never stop moving forward despite life’s challenges. My family is my inspiration, especially my mother, whose strength and unconditional love continue to guide me.”
One of her greatest dreams is to help her younger siblings finish their education.
To young Subanen and other young IPs, Jouie has a simple but meaningful message.
“Learn our customary laws and our culture. Never be ashamed of being an IP. Instead, take pride in your ethnicity and never forget the good values passed on to us by our parents and elders.”
Story by: Butz Muyco
Photo by Jam Jaramilla Abergas
