A son of an Obo Manobo and a Guiangan-Tagabawa, Datu Eduardo Banda was a former councilor of Magnet for several terms.
He first got involved with MAFI when he was selected as a board member of the Cotabato Tribal Consultative Council for Development Inc. in 2003. He had assisted in developing MAFI’s policies on education as well as in screening, assessing, and endorsing scholarship applications. He has also championed the voice of indigenous peoples, like pushing for a National Anti-Poverty Commission resolution to enjoin the government to employ MAFI’s scholar graduates.
“When PNOC’s geothermal power plants were still being proposed from 1988 to 1991, they were opposed by several sectors, arguing that the plants would negatively affect our community. I took part in conducting education campaigns to make our people understand about the benefits of having the project, such as having scholarship assistance for our children. Through our campaigns, we were able to gain our people’s trust and support,” the datu recalled, adding that Magnet is now reaping the project’s benefits as several MAFI scholars from the municipality have already graduated and are now successfully employed.
The datu also reminisced that through MAFI’s facilitation, he took part in a United Nations (UN) gathering on culture and environment where he realized the need to treasure the cultural heritage of his fellow Lumads. Immediately when he arrived from the UN conference, he donated a set of agong to the foundation to encourage its scholars to play this indigenous instrument, and to instill in them the need to preserve their cultural heritage.
“Since our children are our culture bearers, we should teach them to be rooted in our customs and traditions and to keep our indigenous practices. We can do this by implementing effective cultural heritage programs, such as having a school of living traditions,” the datu reflected, adding that MAFI can contribute in this area by helping strengthen the indigenous political structure and governance of Lumads in Cotabato province.
Datu Eduardo A. Banda
CTCCDI/Magpet
