The Philippine Army conducted the inaugural Indigenous Tribal Games in observance of Indigenous People’s (IP) Month at Sitio Bagang, Barangay Sante Fe, San Marcelino, Zambales.
According to Army Spokesperson Colonel Louie Dema-ala, this initiative is part of the Army’s mission to partner with Indigenous Peoples as a component of Territorial Defense Operations (TDO).
The 7th Infantry Division, in collaboration with the San Marcelino, Zambales IP Mandatory Representative (IPMR), local government units, and key stakeholders, facilitated the games, which featured 12 different events involving 200 members of the IP community.
The events included basic archery, long-range archery, assault course archery, tree-top archery, assault course sibat, long-range sibat, basic blowpipe, blowpipe tree-top, foot race, hilltop vertical sprint, and tribal dance.
Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Roy M. Galido stated that through the Indigenous Tribal Games, the Army aims to engage IP communities and prevent their radicalization, recruitment, and exploitation by members of Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs), who use these communities to advance their agenda and take advantage of their ancestral lands’ richness.
