By Johana H. Sawayan
MALAYBALAY CITY (BukidnonNews.Net/24 March 2025) Tagtigusan is a volunteer training project for Community Documentation and Reporting Training among select tri-people young writers based in Bukidnon State University.
The project involves training of volunteers for Community documenters and reporters from among youth from IP-Moro-Settler communities as part of their academic support in the university.
The young writers from tri-communities create stories rooted in their cultural experiences. More than just a writing platform, it trains participants to become future writers who document the struggles, traditions, and realities of their communities. These stories are not mere fiction but are reflections of real-life challenges and triumphs meant to be passed down through generations as sources of insight and solutions to societal issues. However, as modernization continues to reshape traditions, cultural preservation faces growing challenges.
On February 10, 2025, I was introduced to Mr. Walter I. Balane, the Head, Kalandang Taw Center for Peace and Studies. He is also the weekend editor of Bukidnon News. Tagtigusan was unfamiliar to me, but as an intern assigned to assist in organizing and guiding young writers, I soon realized its deeper purpose.Engaging with the writers and mentors, I saw how storytelling in Tagtigusan was more than a creative exercise, it was an act of cultural preservation and a voice to social issues . Writers were not merely crafting simple narratives, they were documenting real concerns about their communities, using their intellect and the power of the written word to address pressing issues.
“The cultural knowledge we have today was told to us by our elders through storytelling. This is why storytelling is crucial in preserving our cultural identity,” said Ray John C. Molion, a participant from the Higaonon tribe.
Tagtigusan serves as a bridge between generations, ensuring that the voices of Indigenous communities are not lost in the face of modernization. It is not only for the tri-people but for anyone who wishes to tell their community’s story. Through storytelling, tribal history is not just remembered, it is lived and carried forward.
Platforms like BukidnonNews.net play a vital role in amplifying these voices. Media can serve as an archive of cultural heritage, a space where traditions and stories are documented for future generations.
As I became more involved in Tagtigusan, I saw how powerful stories could be when given the right platform. Additionally, media like Bukidnon News provides an opportunity for the voices of the community to be heard, to preserve culture and traditions, and to address existing issues.
However, the young writers also faced challenges. Many of them were students balancing academics while striving to keep their cultural heritage alive through writing. Their narratives reflected deep-rooted connections to their indigenous identity; some wrote about traditions passed down from their elders, while others tackled community struggles.Molion emphasized the importance of preserving ethnic attire as part of his storytelling.
“As a young Higaonon from Kalabugao, Impasugong, Bukidnon, I want to preserve our culture from our elders. What inspired me to write my story for Tagtigusan is my wish that every youth should know the meaning of ‘Sinabaang,’ the Higaonon ethnic attire, despite the modernity of society and the diversity of culture.” (Read Molion’s Tagtigusan story here)
For him, every thread and color in the Sinabaang carries meaning symbolizing the identity and heritage of their people. His story is a call to action, urging the younger generation to understand and embrace their traditions.Molion said storytelling addresses inter-generational knowledge gaps.
“It is important for the present generation to know our culture because this is the only way we can pass it on. Storytelling ensures that our traditional practices are not forgotten,” he said when interviewed for this piece.
Through my interactions with the writers, I realized that every word on their paper was like a puzzle piece, contributing to a larger picture of cultural identity. Preserving traditions is not just about remembering the past but about making it relevant in the present.
Every story is a conversation with the future, holding the essence of our culture and traditions.However, writing about culture also comes with challenges, according to Molion.
“One challenge I faced is arranging the statements from the elders, particularly from the Datu. I have to be careful not to add or eliminate anything important,” he added.
This highlights the responsibility of writers in accurately preserving cultural narratives making sure that the stories remain true to their origins while still being accessible to modern audiences.
Participating in Tagtigusan changed my perspective on storytelling. At first, I saw it simply as a writing event, but I soon realized it was a movement, a testament to the power of stories in shaping identity, preserving culture, and connecting generations.I came in as an intern from the BA Philosophy Department, but I left deeply moved by the realization that storytelling is one of the strongest forms of cultural preservation.
This experience reshaped my understanding of traditions. As a Philosophy student, I viewed postmodernism as a natural progression, questioning modernism in the pursuit of change. Now, I see that traditions are not meant to be discarded, they are what keeps us connected to our roots.
As modernization advances, will we allow our cultural heritage to fade, or will we continue to tell our stories and keep our heritage stories alive?Tagtigusan is proof that the past is never truly gone; it lives on in the words we write, the stories we tell, and the identities we assert.
The author, an intern from the BA Philosophy program of Bukidnon State University, is a member of the Higaonon youth. She has been assigned to the Kalandang Taw Center for Peace Studies - Peace Communication initiative. She served as staff for the Tagtigusan Community Documentation and Reporting Training for Youth from the Tri-people Communities of Bukidnon. Tagtigusan is an initiative of Kalandang Taw Center for Peace Studies and the Bukidnon Studies Center of Bukidnon State University in partnership with BukidnonNews.Net.