Yang Aning yang mga Mamepet Tenged tung Dibulinay, Dimanglet, Marili, ig Lajo
Digital, illustrations, published by Cartwheel Foundation, Inc., 2024
Karapatang-ari © 2024 ng Katutubong Pamayanang Tagbanwa mula sa Lupaing at Karagatang Ninuno ng Chindonan-Alulad-Lamud-Marabal sa Culion, Palawan at ng Cartwheel Foundation, Inc.
The front cover of the picture book anthology Tung Kapupuluan yang Culion, May Tagbanwa (Sa mga Isla ng Culion, May Tagbanwa). This book was made possible by Cartwheel Foundation, Inc. with the Tagbanwa Resource Persons and Partners, Story and Book Development Team, the J. Kawakami Memorial Trust for Education and Culture, and Cartwheel’s partners at The Samdhana Insitute.
Tung Kapupuluan yang Culion, May Tagbanwa or ‘In the Island of Culion, the Tagbanwa Dwell’ is a gift by the Calamian Tagbanwa for their youth. It is a collection of three short stories chosen by the great elders of the Tagbanwa of Culion from their cultural archives. It is part of Cartwheel’s L.A.H.I. (Learning Through Art, Heritage, and Cultural Identity) Book Series.
Told primarily in their native language, this book carries the Calamian Tagbanwa’s rich history and culture and their hopes and dreams for their youth. There are tales of the origins of their islands, of a giant creature living underwater, and a great inheritance of elders for their children.
I had the honor of working on the cover and anthology as a layout artist and also as an illustrator for one of the three stories, Yang Aning yang mga Mamepet Tenged tung Dibulinay, Dimanglet, Marili, ig Lajo (Ang Sabi ng Matatanda Tungkol sa Dibulinay, Dimanglet, Marili, at Lajo).
The story in Tagbanwa was told by Apu Pedro Gugma, Apu Joy Aguilar, and Apu Carlos Liedo, translated to Filipino by Manang Failyn Caballero, Apu Pedro Gugma, Apu Joy Aguilar, and Apu Carlos Liedo, and edited by Therese Jose. It is about the origins of the names of the islands Dibulinay, Dimanglet, Marili, and Lajo.
It has been a joy to work on this with the vision and direction of the indigenous Tagbanwa Community from the Chindonan-Alulad-Lamud-Marabal Ancestral Domain (CALM AD) guiding us in the storybook development and review, to have illustrated one of the short stories along with amazing artists Rye Antonio, the illustrator of May Tekbeken tung Teeb yang Sangat! (May Pugita sa Dagat ng Sangat!), and Jay D. Matias, the illustrator of Surublien yang Mamula (Pamana sa mga Bata), and to collaborate with Cartwheel Foundation, Inc. which has been doing great work in nurturing indigenous capacities and creativities through culturally relevant education.