MESSAGE to the 10th ICBE CONSULTATION

Written by Yvonne Belen on .

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10th Igorot Cordillera BIMAAK Europe (ICBE) Consultation 

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

July 26-29, 2019

Message to the 10th ICBE Consultation



Yvonne Belen 

On behalf of the Igorot Cordillera BIMAAK-Europe (ICBE), I would like to thank MABIKAs Foundation-The Netherlands (MABIKAs) for hosting the 10th ICBE Consultation. It was in 2017 when I broached the idea of hosting the event to our MABIKAs constituents. Since it was the first time for many to hear about ICBE, I shared details on the network and its consultations. MABIKAs agreed to host the event and in every quarterly Board meeting, the consultation was always part of the agenda. I would also like to thank the 10th ICBE Consultation  Preparatory Committee for the suggestions they gave not only for the consultation, but also for the ICBE Souvenir Book.  

There are two parts of this consultation. One is the consultation itself and the other is the Souvenir Book launch. For the consultation, the theme, “Celebrating 17 years of ICBE’s Existence,” is significant in the history of ICBE. Since its existence is connected with consultations, we have traced the event’s beginning from the gathering in Belgium in 2002 until this event in the Netherlands in 2019. We have ourselves to congratulate for the success of these consultations. These were only possible because we willingly gave our time, talent and treasure.  

We have chosen Abra as a province to appreciate since MABIKAs has constituents who trace their roots from the province. Our resource person, Christine Moncado, is a Kankanaey who volunteered to research on the province. Another part of the consultation is sharing our advocacies. In doing so, we hope to know and value other things we are doing now. For some of us who have retired or who have yet to retire, our advocacy is what keeps us busy. For the second- and third-generation participants, we prepared a separate programme. Where in the past, they would be running around, we hope that now they will have a more memorable experience. We would like to thank Ric Cuyob for taking care of their programme. There is a thread that sews these consultations  together. It is our passion to preserve our cultural heritage and pass it on to the forthcoming generations. The future of our ICBE consultations lies with us. So, we have allotted a time for us to share our thoughts on this subject. 

The publication of our Souvenir Book is a product of many: the authors, individuals, organizations, sponsors and businesses. It is with their articles, greetings, photos, advertisements and financial contribution that we are able to publish the book. The Souvenir Book would only have been texts and images. However, with Myra Colis’s creativity, these were raised to another level. We are grateful to her for the book we have now. 

Finally, I would like to thank you all for your presence. May this consultation be fruitful. And may this consultation be one you will remember.