Filipinas taking the lead

Community projects on cultural revival, local enterprise, and digital empowerment bring out women champions

Master seamstress. Cherlie Tundanay of the Higaonon tribe in Barangay Guihean, Bukidnon is one of the few remaining artisans skilled in sewing traditional tribal attire. She sees mentorship as a way to keep the tradition alive in future generations.

This year’s National Women’s Month proclaims “Lead like the Babaylans, Filipinas!”, which is a call to champion women leadership in Filipino identity and culture. Babaylans were pre-colonial women healers, community leaders, and spiritual intermediaries, who helped maintain social balance together with the Datu chieftain.

With the theme inspiring a look back to the past and towards the future, it is apt to recognize the women from indigenous communities who continue to sustain their tribe’s customs and traditions, as well as the women who take on the challenge of balancing home life with local enterprise or even digital upskilling for the sake of supporting their families.

Through Project Tahi ‘Ta!, KaBAMBOOhayan, and Elevate AIDA — different programs supported by AboitizPower, Aboitiz Renewables, and the Aboitiz Foundation — women are empowered with opportunities, resources, and meaningful participation that seeks to honor the past and prepare for the future.

Preserving heritage and livelihood through Project Tahi ‘Ta!

The responsibility of preserving culture moves the hearts and hands of indigenous artisans from the Higaonon tribe in rural Impasug-ong, Bukidnon. For them, building a better future means passing on the work of traditional craftsmanship to a new generation willing to take up the mantle.

“Tribal attire is important because people respect it. Our parents took care of it then. Whatever our parents did before, that’s what we take care of now,” said Cherlie Tundanay, 63, one of the few left skilled in sewing traditional tribal attire. “It’s important to me to teach whatever I know about sewing. This is not only for my grandchildren, but for young people who want to learn sewing.”

For over a hundred years, the culture of weaving colorful clothes and making bead necklaces was cultivated, with the designs and the items themselves becoming powerful symbols of tribe identity, spirituality, and respect for ancestry. “Red means bravery, white symbolizes peace, [and] yellow signifies a golden heart and kindness,” the master seamstress detailed.

Seeking to empower traditional craftsmanship and establish sustainable income among IP women in Impasug-ong, Bukidnon, Project Tahi ‘Ta! was created — a culture-based sewing livelihood training program for the community by Aboitiz Renewables, together with the Aboitiz Foundation and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority or TESDA.

Higaonon tribe in Barangay Guihean, Bukidnon

“I thank AboitizPower for giving us a livelihood. We were provided with sewing machines, cloth, and the opportunity to train,” Cherlie said. “We are proud of our work. Not everyone knows how to sew tribal attire — the clothes of Baes and Datus!”

Higaonon tribe rises again with KaBAMBOOhayan

The ingenuity of the Higaonon tribe also manifested in their use of bamboo in Barangay Santiago, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. After the town was hit by heavy rainfall and a landslide in 2021, burying the roads that brought crops like corn and abaca to the market, livelihoods were disrupted.

While Aboitiz Renewables planted bamboo in the area as a precaution to potential landslides in the future, the tribe also saw an opportunity to make use of the tall, thick, and woody grass to sell as raw materials or even create crafts such as guitars, chess sets, and chairs.

To scale, with the support of Aboitiz Renewables and the Aboitiz Foundation, members of the Higaonon tribe were trained by TESDA in bamboo propagation, processing, and treatment while waiting for more bamboo plants to grow. Eventually, they were given a machine of their own for bamboo processing.

“Our training was free, provided by Aboitiz and TESDA,” said Noemie Buclasan, a mother of three who took the opportunity to learn after damage to her modest plot of land. “Bamboo really helps the environment and our people because it can be a livelihood.”

**KaBAMBOOhayan.** Noemie Buclasan (left) is one of many beneficiaries who took advantage of free training in bamboo propagation, processing, and treatment, which helped the community recover from a natural disaster and develop a new livelihood.

“In our association, we have a rotation schedule. So our work is steady, [unlike] before when I’d ask where I could find labor and on whose farm. Now we know our schedule for the week, and we know we’ll have income,” she explained. “We’re more at ease now. When the kids ask for slippers, I can say, ‘okay, I have my pay now, let’s buy it.’”

Elevate AIDA helps upskill stay-at-home moms in Bukidnon

“Before I joined Elevate AIDA, I was a plain housewife, always at home, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of my child. Sometimes, I would wish for a job I could do from home, so I could still look after my child and help add to our income,” shared Kimberly Gumaling, a mother to a growing daughter.

Elevate AIDA — which stands for artificial intelligence (A.I.) and data annotation — is a program developed by social impact startup group Connected Women, with the support of Aboitiz Renewables and the Aboitiz Foundation, that teaches women remote work skills and basic professional and computer abilities. After training, it also helps and enables its participants to apply and work for both local and international companies.

“I was worried I might leave my child behind. But I still joined because I wanted to learn new skills, and there was a chance I could work from home,” Kimberly explained. “I was really happy after graduation because I got hired by Connected Women. I currently have two projects and I’m using what I learned like using Google Docs, Google Drive, and Google Sheets. Now I’m a busy working mom.”

Elevate AIDA instilled the value of pursuing continuous learning and upskilling to further boost their competitiveness in the digital workplace. Rhiza Mae Macalos, another beneficiary, recounted how despite her initial worries of adapting to something new, she took it as a chance to learn about new technologies and help her family and community.

“Initially, I was hesitant about A.I. [But] in my training and now in my work, A.I. made our tasks easier and faster. We now have more time for our kids and even for community work,” she said. “Now I see that A.I., when used responsibly and properly, actually helps make our work smoother and easier.”

“Now that I am working, I see that [Elevate AIDA] really has compassion and a real desire to empower women to realize their role not just at home, but in the community too,” she added.

**Work-from-home super nanays.** Kimberly Gumaling and Rhiza Mae Macalos took the opportunity presented by Elevate AIDA to undertake digital skills training and eventually pursue flexible careers in the digital space, enabling them to still have time with their growing kids.

With Project Tahi ‘Ta!, KaBAMBOOhayan, and Elevate AIDA, women at the community level are given the chance and the capabilities to champion and support what they most love. Be it in the area of cultural revival, local enterprise, or digital empowerment, these Filipinas are doing great things for themselves, their families, and their communities.