By Claro A. Lanipa
PAGADIAN CITY – “In the five workshops that
we have conducted throughout the region, we always instill in the mind of the
participants the importance of loving yourself first, your tribe and preserving
your culture,” PIA-9 Regional Director Noemi B. Edaga emphasized.
This was the closing message of RD Edaga during the IP
Journalistic Writing Workshop yesterday at Chandler Suites, to the 31 participants
and grantees under the Educational Assistance Program (EAP) of the National
Commission on Indigenous Peoples IX (NCIP-9) in Zamboanga del Sur.
“PIA can only teach you to write, and we hope that the
knowledge we shared will be kept alive in you by writing, re-writing and
reading,” Edaga said.
“You are the only one who can write from the heart, from
the IP’s point of view, ours is just to give you the tools,” Edaga pointed out.
She added, “this workshop will end up today, but I hope
our connection would not end here because we are virtually connected through
the internet.”
The lady chief encouraged the newly-elected officers and
EAP grantees to unite, meet every now and then, send text
messages to the group and encourage them to write or do something for their IP
community.
“We want to see you shine through this workshop,” Edaga
said.
Meanwhile, Mercilyn Hatad, NCIP Provincial Officer was
optimistic that participants have learned much through this two-day training
workshop given by PIA. “For those of you who have the skills and talent in
writing, this training will help enhance and improve it,” she encouraged.
Hatad was also grateful to PIA for helping the IP youths because
this is one way to hone their skills and talents. “I am pretty sure that this
training will be a great help to the EAP grantees,” Hatad declared.