1st ASEAN Tribal Games to feature spear throwing and blow guns

They are not your ordinary Filipino athletes, but on September 15, a 12-member RP contingent will represent the country in the 1st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Indigenous Tribal Games in Sabah, Malaysia. Ranau Village in Sabah state will host the two-day Tribal Games. The RP delegation – which will be represented by Filipino indigenous tribes like the Mangyans of Mindoro, the Aetas of Pampanga and the Dumagats of Sierra Madre – is composed of nine athletes and three coaches. ASEAN Tribal Games founder Col. Jeff Tamayo, who is also the Philippine Soft Tennis Association president and a board member of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), said they have selected the best athletes to represent the country in the inaugural event. The Mangyans, Aetas and Dumagats will be up against the Kadazandusun and Murut tribes of Malaysia and other indigenous people from Indonesia. The two-day Tribal Games will have competitions in boat race, foot race, traditional dancing, spear throwing, blow gun, and archery in assault courses, like shooters aiming for targets while they're up in trees. "I hope this is the start of something big," said Tamayo, who was joined by members of the team garbed in their traditional attire. "They are true ambassadors of sports. And they are here to help spread the goodwill to the indigenous people of other countries, and show them what they could be missing in their traditions," Tamayo added.

Composing the RP athletes are Arnulfo Bernardo, Reynaldo Panagsagan, Ryan Pacifico, Marlon Luna, Ricardo Turgo, June Ablong, Manalo Ablong, Dumlao Naval and Jimmy Ablong while the coaches are Conchita Consada, Jerry Manalo and Danilo Tecson. Consada is a Dumagat tribal official while Manalo is a Mangyan indigenous people educator from Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro. Tecson is an Aeta chieftain based in Mabalacat, Pampanga. Luna and Turgo are the tribal athletes representing Quezon province while Bernardo, Panagsagan and Pacifico are Mangyans that will compete in the barefoot long distance race. Tecson will be joined by the Ablong brothers – June, Jimmy and Manalo – and Naval where they are entered in the tribal archery event. "It's a tribal competition and we hope that people, not only in the Philippines, will take notice of it. Again, these people are the original protectors of our bio-diversities, our national heritage, our culture, our environment," said Tamayo. The ASEAN Tribal Games will be held in conjunction with the Nunuk Ragang World Indigenous Peoples’ Day Celebration in Kota Kinabalu. The Philippines will host the 2012 edition where Tamayo hopes to attract 80 different tribes in the ASEAN region. – JVP/RCJ, GMANews.TV