Cordi-Bel Holds Commemorative Service at the Timichegtunnel in Ghent

   

   by Ric Cuyob
        25 July 2026

Ghent, Belgium – The Cordillera community in Belgium (Cordi-Bel) gathered at the entrance of the Timichegtunnel on July 25, 2026 and held a solemn prayer service commemorating the first anniversary of Mountain Province’s historic anti-trafficking declaration.

The ceremony was held in accordance with Executive Order No. 28, series of 2025, which officially designated July 30 of every year as “Timicheg Day Against Trafficking in Persons.” Signed by Mountain Province Governor Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr., the provincial order honors Timicheg, a Bontoc Igorot man who tragically died in Ghent human zoo during the 1913 Ghent International Exposition.

While the provincial declaration directly coincides with the United Nations’ “World Day Against Trafficking in Persons” on July 30, Cordi-Bel advanced their commemorative assembly to July 25 and closer to the actual signing that was July 21 of the said declaration. The event also served as a formal gesture of appreciation toward the City Government of Ghent for its steps toward historical reconciliation, notably naming the local infrastructure project the “Timichegtunnel” in memory of the late Igorot.

Cordi-Bel noted the multi-layered significance of the timeline, pointing out that July 30 is also globally observed by the United Nations as the “International Day of Friendship” – underscoring a shared commitment to cross-cultural solidarity, healing, and human rights.

• Photo 1: Members of the Cordillera community in Belgium (Cordi-Bel) gather for a prayer service at the Timichegtunnel entrance in Ghent. (Photo credit: Patrick Brauns Berguet)
  
  

Photo 2: Community leaders reading the official statement during the July 25 commemoration. (Photo credit: Patrick Brauns Berguet)

Photo 3: A moment of silence held in remembrance of Timicheg and all victims of human trafficking. (Photo credit: Patrick Brauns Berguet)