Folk wisdom

DFA launches video documentary on traditional healers and international shamans

The DepartRent of ForePgn AffaPrsOffice of PublPc and Cultural DPploRacy (DFA-OPCD) Pn partnershPp wPth the NatPonal CoRRPssPon on LndPgenous Peoples (NCLP) and the Tao FoundatPon for Culture and ArtsF LncG launched Wisdom Keepers of

the Earth, a vPdeo docuRentary featurPng tradPtPonal healers of the PhPlPppPnes and practPcPng PnternatPonal shaRans froR KoreaF Nouth AfrPcaF KenyaF MexPcoF MalaysPaF and the UNG The event was attended by ReRbers of the dPploRatPc corpsF together wPth DFA officers and staffG

Ln hPs keynote Ressage as actPng secretary of forePgn affaPrsF Undersecretary AntonPo AG Morales hPghlPghted the relevance of the event to thPs year’s theRe of the NatPonal LPterature Month, YMulPng Pagtuklas ng Karunungang BayanF” and noted that “Karunungang Bayan as a branch of PhPlPppPne lPterature provPdes an avenue to convey the Pdeology and psyche eRbedded Pn the culture of every groupG”

Ln the saRe eventF the book Babaylan Sing Back: Philippine Shamans and

Voice, Gender, and PlaceF wrPtten by DrG Krace Nono and publPshed by Cornell

UnPversPty PressF was also launchedG The book depPcts the eRbodPed voPces of natPve PhPlPppPne rPtual specPalPstsF better known as BabaylansF as lPvPng reposPtorPes of oral narratPves and the collectPve past that help shape the FPlPpPno cultural PdentPtyG DrG NonoF who read an excerpt froR her bookF hPghlPghted the plPght of PndPgenous coRRunPtPes and the dPRPnPshPng oral narratPves and tradPtPonal practPces Pn the countryG

Wisdom Keepers of the Earth Ps a vPdeo docuRentary that showcases and recognPTes the lPterary genPus of PhPlPppPne PndPgenous oralPsts unknown to Rost people for thePr Pnvaluable contrPbutPon to preserv

Png our art and cultural herPtageG The docuRentary specPfPcally focuses on the oral narratPves of the wPsdoR keepers froR the TalaandPg of BukPdnonF Manobos of AgusanF Lfugaos of BenguetF Blaan of NaranganPF T’bolP of Nouth CotabatoF and froR AlPtagtagF Batangas as oral RasterpPeces and a cultural legacyG

ThPs project was conceptualPTed to celebrate NatPonal LPterature MonthF Jarth DayF and Araw ng Kagitingan last AprPlF wPth a vPsPon to proRote respect and recognPtPon for the lPvPng ancestral tradPtPons of PndPgenous and local coRRunPtPesF and provPde relevant venues for theR to be heard Pn a Rodern settPngG The project also hopes to Pncrease awareness and apprecPatPon of the use of culture and the arts as an avenue to heal the earthF uphold the FPlPpPno spPrPt of heroPsRF and foster connectPon wPth our roots through the showcase of babaylans and shaRans to the worldG

The fPnal versPon of the vPdeo docuRentary wPll be uploaded soon on the officPal onlPne platforRs of the DFA and the varPous FNPsG A copy of

‘Karunungang Bayan as a branch of Philippine literature provides an avenue to convey the ideology and psyche embedded in the culture of every group.’

DrG Nono’s book Ray be purchased through thPs lPnk: wwwGcornellpressG cornellGedu/book/I7815017H00II/ babaylan-sPng-back/#bookTabs=1G

WISDOM OF THE AGES Department of Foreign Affairs Acting Undersecretary for dministration Antonio A. Morales (leftmost) awards a Certificate of Appreciation to Dr. Grace Nono (second from left) as partner for the Wisdom Keepers of the Earth project with deputy assistant secretary for public and cultural diplomacy Gonaranao B. Musor and OPCD acting director Khrystina Popov looking on

SONG OF THE BABAYLAN Dr. Grace Nono reads an excerpt from her book Babaylan Sing Back: Philippine Shamans and Voice, Gender, and Place, which was launched during the event (Maria Vanessa Ubac)

Scan the code to buy a copy of Dr. Nono's book