Third Year BAEL Conducts Kulturang Bukidnon Radio Program

The third year Bachelor of Arts in English Language students are conducting a radio program to preserve and spread the knowledge about the language, and the culture of the Indigenous People in Bukidnon. It is an activity initiated by the ENG154 class, supervised by the instructor and College of Arts and Sciences’ dean Dr. Hazel Jean Abejuela.

The program, which is named “Kulturang Bukidnon (ENG154 on Air)” is a platform for the BAEL students to apply and to share the knowledge they have learned during class sessions and discussions. The students are given a schedule to speak on air in a radio broadcast to talk about the language and the culture of the Indigenous People of the Province of Bukidnon.

As one of the broadcaster, I and my partner talked about the general descriptions of the ICC’s of Bukidnon. There are 7 tribes in the province of Bukidnon the Talaandig, Higa-onon,  Bukidnon , Umayamnon, Matigsalug, Manobo and Tigwahanon. Each tribe has different cultural identity, norms, values and rituals they follow or continue to perform. The different tribes also speak different language. I and my partner tried to teach some simple phrases in Binukid language (the indigenous language of the lumad in Bukidnon).  We also encourage the listeners to use the Binukid language to preserve the language of the ICCs.

The “Kulturang Bukidnon” has been a program which encourages the new generation to accept and continue to use the Binukid language- one way to preserve an Indigenous language. It is also an event which inspires the lumads to be proud of their cultural identity and to themselves.