The UP Resilience Institute – Research and Creative Work Division (UP RI-RCW) forges a partnership with the Kitanglad-Integrated NGOs (KIN) as part of the community engagement core for the dengue research under the Center for Health on glObal Research on Disasters (CORD) Project.
Last October 11, 2024, the UP RI CORD Community Engagement Core Team composed of Junior Project Assistants Alexa Hernandez and Ramon Caballero, and Chief Science Research Specialist Dennis de la Torre had a brief meeting with KIN Executive Director Easterluna “Chy” Canoy to discuss the areas of collaboration between UP RI and KIN. The UP RI presented the overview of the project including its main objectives, especially the role of local communities under the community engagement core as well as the importance of this partnership since the Philippines is the only country in the consortium that will include a component focusing on the Indigenous Peoples (IP).
Areas of collaboration include co-organizing a policy forum centered on the Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan (ADSDPP) of the Bukidnon tribe as a model for mainstreaming climate change, specifically focusing on the health sector. ED Chy expresses their excitement in collaborating with UP RI for the project noting that the health component of the ADSDPP for the Bukidnon tribe was indeed lacking. However, she mentions that there are no recorded dengue cases within the community of the Bukidnon tribe as they perform rituals to prevent it, despite Malaybalay City having the most dengue cases among the cities in Bukidnon in September 2024. ED Canoy also mentioned that the tribe holds rituals before committing to any project, sharing videos of similar rituals performed by various tribes. These cultural factors related to health will be considered in building on the ADSDPP of the Bukidnon tribe through a community-based participatory approach.
The Kitanglad Integrated NGOs, Inc. (KIN) was organized in 1995 to ensure the cultural survival and environmental conservation of Mt. Kitanglad Range in Bukidnon Province and its predominantly indigenous population. KIN promotes and advocates for the rights of the indigenous peoples of Bukidnon, especially on their welfare and cultural survival, which are aligned with the ideals of sustainable development, ecological integrity, and cultural democracy.
The UP RI Team is looking forward to continuing the partnership with KIN and further building on their initiatives to place pertinent policies within the ADSDPP of the Bukidnon tribe to improve their health programs in local dengue prevention and control.