Hayaan mong ako ang unang magsabi
na alam ko ang pangalan ng lahat
at aking bibigyan ng ngalan yaong ‘di ko alam:
dukkha, naufragio, talinghaga.
Katulad ng mga musmos
na may pusong ‘di nagtutulak ng kahihiyan,
iniibig ko ang mga labis ng kariktan,
‘di sapat ang liwanag ng araw
sa daigdig na aking pamumuhayan,
‘di sapat ang puwang para sa pag-ibig.

Ako’y nangangamba na walang magtatagal sa ating dalawa
para patotohanan ang matagal ko ng hinala,
na ang himpapawid ay isa lamang lamad
sa loob ng bungo ng anghel,
ang mga puno ay nag-uusap sa gabi,
ang yelo ay tubig sa gitna ng katahimikan,
ang sanggol sa sinapupunan ay nakikinig sa ating sinasabi.

Ako’y nangangamba sa bata na nagluluksong-lubid
sa sulok ng aking pasilyo,
sa dilag sa tren na may mga bulaklak sa kaniyang buhok,
sa lalaking ang buong ala-ala
ay sa wikang Kastila. Ako’y higit na nangangamba na mawalan ng ulirat
kapag ako’y humimbing, na sa aking paghimbing
ako’y tatanda at makakalimot kung paano na minsan
ang pagnanasa ang nagpabaliw sa akin sa kawalan ng antok.

Katulad ng mga sakdal na panahon
sila ay papanaw
at ako ay papanaw
at ikaw din ay papanaw;
walang nakakaalam kung sino ang mauuna,
at ito ang ugat
ng lahat ng aking pighati.

(Pasintabi kay Eric Gamalinda)

From here to the red rays of the sun,
I clench my fist – like thunder drawing
itself to your bosom;
to picture my unselfish memory
of you making love with the masses.

From here to the line of fire,
I raise my arms – like clouds holding
the rains beneath your eyes;
to free the class of the deprived.

From here to the roses of battles,
I open myself – like bullets fired
across the fields against the enemies;
to win your heart and the people’s.

(April 2001)

Sa araw na ito, hayaan mong ibulong ng hangin ang aking pagbati sa iyo –
nang may kagalakan – katulad sa kung paanong ang mga maya sa palayan
ay umaawit ng walang alinlangan.

Sa araw na ito, hayaan mong ibuhos ng kasalukuyan ang aking pasasalamat –
nang taimtim – katulad sa kung paanong niyayakap ng bukang-liwayway
ang mga kabundukan sa parang.

Sa araw na ito, hayaan mong handugan kita ng tula –
nang may pagpapakumbaba – katulad sa kung paanong yumuyuko
ang anino sa dapit-hapon.

Sa araw na ito,
sa araw na ito ng Setyembre,
mapagpalaya ang araw,
mapagpalaya ang kaarawan.

(Sinulat para sa Setyembre 5, 2009)

Kapag binibigkas ko ang salitang Kinabukasan,
ang unang pantig ay naroon na sa nakaraan.

Kapag binibigkas ko ang salitang Katahimikan,
binabasag ko ito.

Kapag binibigkas ko ang salitang Kawalan,
nililikha ko ang bagay na hindi kayang sapuhin ng walang buhay.

(Pasintabi kay Wisława Szymborska)

Tanging ikaw ang musa –
ang diyosa sa aking mga alamat,
ang rosas sa aking mga digmaan,
ang hamog sa aking mga tag-araw.

I.

Umaga.
Isang umaga nang kita’y alayan
ng wangis ng aktibista bilang isang mangingibig
sa piling ng nagniningas na mga buhangin
at nagpupunyaging mga alon.

Hapon.
Isang hapon nang nalaglag ng tuluyan
ang mga natuyong dahon na nababad
sa iyong mga luha.

Gabi.
Isang gabi nang ako’y maglakbay
ng walang kasiping
at natagpuang ikaw ang tanging bulaklak
sa kagubatan ng aking kaluluwa.

II.

Hapon.
Isang hapon ng ligalig na napawi
ng pagtatagpo ng ako at ikaw
nang may pagbabadya
ng mapupusok na planeta
sa wagas na mangingibig.

Gabi.
Isang gabi ng pagsabog
sa kalawakan na tanging tayo
ang nakaligtas
ng walang nakakaalam
maliban sa matatandang pantas.

Umaga.
Isang umaga ng ako’y napoot
na sa aking paghimbing
ay muling sumilay sa Hilaga
ang nag-iisang bituin
ng aking daigdig.

III.

Gabi.
Isang gabi ay niyakap
ng hiwaga ang Mayo
at ang dakilang mangingibig
at ikaw
ay naglahad
na ang sukatan ng paglalakbay
ay ang pag-unlad
ng pagkatao ng manlalakbay.

Umaga.
Isang umaga ay nagtagisan
sa grabidad
pagkatapos
kong kumawala
papalayo
sa iyo.

Hapon.
Isang hapon ay nagisnang
nilulusaw ng hangin ang apoy
at ikaw ay nasa ibang lupain
kasama ang tubig
na ninais kong iyong ibuhos
sa bukal ng aking dibdib.

XXXII.

Tanging ikaw ang musa.

What is poetry that does not save nations and peoples?
Flood, flood that destroys homes and books.
Horses, insane horses with no master
pounding on family’s chest.
Poisoned blood, no milk, pure pain.
Dead.
Dead.
Dead.
Dead.
Countless dead.
Corpses floating in mud.
Governments, bad governments.
What is poetry that does not save nations and peoples?
Floods and governments.
It is floods and governments.

(Tula na isinulat at binasa sa Ahon (Tula at Tulong sa mga Nasalanta ng Ondoy) sa Conspiracy Bar noong Oktubre 6, 2009.)

Igorota
On a soft green [play] ground by the river bend
She was sitting there to meet the morning sun
She was playing a [flute] when the songbird’s broke out

As they listened to [her wonderful] melody
And he was filled with every note she’s playing
Slowly I sat by her side

Refrain:
Igorota, girl of my dreams
You’re the most precious gift that I ever had
Igorota, queen of my heart
I’ll go on loving you
Throughout my life

You are my day, my morning sun
You’ll forever be my only one
She puts the [flute] then sweetly she smiles

And she asks me, “Why are you staring at me?”
I held her close and a songbird sang
I whispered to her, “I love you.”

Between going and staying the day wavers

Between going and staying the day wavers,
in love with its own transparency.
The circular afternoon is now a bay
where the world in stillness rocks.

All is visible and all elusive,
all is near and can’t be touched.

Paper, book, pencil, glass,
rest in the shade of their names.

Time throbbing in my temples repeats
the same unchanging syllable of blood.

The light turns the indifferent wall
into a ghostly theater of reflections.

I find myself in the middle of an eye,
watching myself in its blank stare.

The moment scatters. Motionless,
I stay and go: I am a pause.

*Written by Octavio Paz

Our Vision and Commitment

KATRIBU is the voice of the indigenous peoples. It manifests the strong desire of the indigenous peoples to work collectively in pursuit of a long dreamt peaceful and just society where the right to self-determination of the indigenous peoples is realized to the fullest.

We, members of KATRIBU, stand by this commitment as we draw inspiration from the historic and valiant struggles of our ancestors.

We embody the collective desire of the indigenous peoples, who have long suffered from the stigma and discrimination resulting from the colonial history of the Philippine nation, to be free from this oppressive condition, and to bear the power to decide and chart our own destiny as indigenous peoples.

We believe that KATRIBU must have a significant role in defining the economic, socio-cultural, and political life of the whole Philippine nation and society, and that genuine participation and representation of indigenous peoples at all levels of government decision-making is necessary.

Upon this vision and commitment, we vow to advance the collective rights and aspirations of the indigenous peoples of the Philippines.

Our Principles

We, indigenous peoples, united by common goals and aspirations, bonded by our common history, taking pride in our struggle for the right to ancestral domains and to self-determination and pursuing social justice and equity, non-discrimination, progress, and peace, do hereby affirm our basic principles that serve as our torch and guide in our endeavors.

We thereby

• Uphold the right to self-determination, self-governance and genuine autonomy of indigenous peoples.
• Commit to defend our ancestral domains and resources and protect the environment from destruction and unbridled exploitation.
• Call for a policy that recognizes, promotes, and respects the collective rights of indigenous peoples as well as their civil and political rights
• Uphold and nurture indigenous socio-political institutions, knowledge systems and culture.
• Pursue a progressive and enlightened unity and cooperation among the indigenous peoples and between the indigenous peoples and non-indigenous peoples of the Philippines.
• Pledge to work for peace based on justice in local indigenous communities and in the whole Philippines.
• Assert self-determined, self-reliant and sustainable development towards the eradication of poverty in communities of indigenous peoples.
• Engage in international solidarity with other indigenous peoples around the world.

Our Program

Guided by our principles and commitment, we affirm the following objectives, to:

1. Unite the indigenous peoples on the basis of KATRIBU’s principles and objectives;
2. Work for the review of laws and programs that impact on indigenous peoples and violate the indigenous peoples’ basic human and collective rights;
3. Promote self-determined development by supporting programs on ancestral land recognition, sustainable development and against the continuing plunder of resources;
4. Undertake programs that protect, nurture and develop the environment for the general peoples’ welfare.
5. Strengthen unity and cooperation among diverse tribes and communities of indigenous peoples and non-indigenous peoples, by pursuing collective actions on common problems and common aspirations;
6. Institute programs and mechanisms that shall address the continuing displacement of the indigenous peoples from their communities and to uphold the right of indigenous peoples to free prior and informed consent over any development projects affecting them.
7. Initiate measures that would allow indigenous peoples to primarily benefit from the resources found within their ancestral territories ;
8. Promote initiatives that shall safeguard the socio-economic and cultural rights of the indigenous peoples in their places of re-settlement and in workplaces abroad;
9. Work for the attainment of peace based on social justice by supporting peace initiatives that address militarization in indigenous territories and initiate the resolution of tribal conflicts;
10. Establish collective and cooperative programs and projects for the welfare of indigenous peoples;
11. Uphold the indigenous peoples’ basic human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to ensure justice for all victims of human rights violations by initiating corresponding support programs;
12. Promote and develop the indigenous peoples’ culture towards the enrichment of the national cultural heritage;
13. Foster international solidarity relations with other indigenous peoples on the basis of indigenous peoples rights and welfare.