Young members of the Yapayao-Isneg tribe of Adams, Ilocos Norte in their native dress or “Baag” performing a traditional dance. The ethnic garb has been targeted for mockery by some netizens, prompting the NCIP to issue a statement. Photo courtesy of Ilocos Norte provincial government.
LAOAG CITY—The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in Ilocos Norte on August 12 condemned the mocking on social media of the traditions and cultures of the Indigenous Peoples (IP) living in Adams, one of the province’s cultural towns.
The statement came after the NCIP learned of the “discriminatory comments of some certain netizens” who shamed the “Baag” or the traditional ethic attire of the tribal folk in Adams.
In a viral post circulating on Facebook since August 8, a group of residents was discussing in a ‘comment thread’ that the reason why the town of Adams had a low number of COVID-19 cases was because the IP could only have very limited movements, and are hindered to “stay at home” because of wearing the Baag.
In a statement, the NCIP said that the “ethnic attire and customary practices of the IP are sacred within the IP communities, it cannot be the subject of any mockery which may cause to defame, humiliate, and degrade the identity of our IP brothers and sisters.”
Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in all towns and cities in the province since May, Adams has been the only area which recorded zero active cases. It only recorded fresh cases on Wednesday when three residents were infected with the virus, according to the data from the provincial government.
NCIP said that it strictly condemned any degrading posts against the indigenous communities in the province, adding that the agency would uphold the protection and promotion of their rights.
Perched atop mountains, Adams is located approximately 108.3 kilometers north of the capital city of Laoag. With only 2,189 residents, it is home to one of the indigenous peoples’ communities in northern Luzon, the Yapayao-Isneg tribe.