“Sa pag-ibig lang hindi pwede mamangka sa dalawang ilog. Sa Gawain, pwede.” (You cannot ride in two rivers only applies when it comes to romantic love, not in the work we do) In this picture, Timuey Jo introduced us his children, currently in high school and grade school. In one of our conversations, he mentioned the above-quoted statement. He referred to his tactic of being adaptable as a leader, when confronted by opposing sides. Indigenous peoples are often find themselves at the center of conflicts, whether it be political, or armed conflicts. In cases like these, a leader should be able to face two fronts when protecting the people.
Timuey Jo introducing one of his children to the VOICE team
The quote further relates to his role as a tribal leader and a father at the same time. While both tasks are complicated, he should be able to do both. Jo remarked that the youth needs to be actively involved in the learning and teaching processes of their culture and traditions. He emphasized that immersion in culture is the most important way to learn for young people. We can only go so far when we converse as a learning process. To learn the culture is to live it. To live it, is to better understand. To understand is step one, but a step to the right path.
He is guided by the same principle when confronted by parties from conflicting sides. He elicits meaningful conversations by sitting them down while attempting to understand their purpose. Ronaldo shared that their campaign as indigenous peoples within the Bangsamoro Region starts with an appreciation of indigenous practices and traditions, be it by the non-indigenous and their fellow indigenous.
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