Acknowledgments
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12th Igorot Cordillera BIMAAK-Europe (ICBE) Conference
ULB Campus du Solbosch, Bâtiment S, Salle Dupréel, Avenue Jeanne 44,
1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
29 May–1 June 2025
Acknowledgments
By Igorot Cordillera BIMAAK-Europe (ICBE)
Read by Airen Kalley Rüttimann (President, BIBAK Switzerland)
We are deeply grateful to everyone who gave their invaluable support and contribution to the 12th ICBE Conference.
Our thanks go to the Cordillera Community in Belgium (Cordi-Bel) with the ChiCos (Children of Cordi-Bel) for sharing their time, talent, and treasure to host the 12th ICBE Conference in Brussels, Belgium on 29 May through 1 June 2025.
We are overwhelmed with joy and quite impressed with our surroundings since it is the first time in the history of ICBE conferences that we have a university setting. And most importantly, we could beat our gongs and enjoy our traditional dances 30 minutes before midnight.
For the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) personnel who helped us in securing the venue, we owe it to the Laboratory of Anthropology of the Contemporary Worlds (LAMC-ULB) under the direction of Professor Alexander Newell.
We thank those who coordinated within ULB: Angelie Marilla (LAMC-FNRS), Bruno Leonardo (LAMC Secrétariat), Karine Triqueneaux (Coordinatrice Organisation de Conférences Scientifiques) and Sandra Schirra (Service d’Appui et de Coordination des Horaires et Auditoires). The other ULB personnel we would like to thank are the ULB Infrastructure/Operational Support, Pierre Thomas (Gestionnaire colloques et événements), Yves Nimmegeers (Responsable Atelier Electricité), M. Karim (Service Protection et Securité).
We are very much obliged to Angelie for designing the 12th ICBE Conference poster with the text. She also patiently made extensive edits on the draft program. With the Steering Committee’s input, other parts of the program were filled up. Members of the Steering Committee are: Marjorie Abeya-Soaygan, Dave Aragones, Grace Banto, Yvonne Kay-an Belen, Lorena Domanog Clerc, Myra Colis, Ric Cuyob, Marjorie Guidangen-Akistoy, Rick Kilongan, George Londob, Grace Nabus, Rhino Oblas, James Leroy Quintin, Airen Kalley Rüttimann, Averil Pooten Watan, Conchita Damaguen Balagtey Pooten, Rosmar Smith, Carmen Malidom Umayat and Mark Watan. With the program’s definitive version, Angelie chose the accompanying audio. Additionally, the program graphics with the video were attractive and attention-getting.
We have been blessed to benefit from the Belgian Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS) and ULB. They financially supported the venue, tote, lanyards, and printing of the conference materials. With their financial assistance, the host was able to invite the resource persons and take care of their travel. We are thankful to Angelie and LAMC for this collaboration.
We are grateful to attendees from 17 countries in Europe, the US and the Pacific, and their respective organizations:
- Austria - Igorot Organization in Austria & Rambak Cordillera.
- Belgium - Cordillera Community in Belgium (Cordi-Bel), other Igorot individuals, supporters and guests.
3. Canada - BIBAK BC Canada.
4. Czech Republic - Igorot Czech Republic.
5. Finland - BIBAK Suomi.
6. France - Igorot in France Association (IFA).
7. Germany - Cordillera Germany Organization (CGO), Lang-ay Frankfurt & Solibao NRW (Nord-Rhine Westfalen) Germany.
8. Italy - Cordillerans in Italy of Bologna and Modena
9. The Grand Duche de Luxembourg- Individual Igorots living there are here with us.
10. The Netherlands - MABIKAs Foundation-The Netherlands (MABIKAs).
11. New Zealand - Organisation of Cordillerans New Zealand (OCNZ).
12. Philippines - BIBAK Abra, Cordillera Organization, IGO Kalinga and few individuals.
13. Sweden – represented by Macario Lacbawan, our resource speaker.
14. Spain - BIBAAK Cordillera Barcelona.
15. Switzerland - BIBAK Switzerland.
16. United Kingdom - Benguet Organisation-UK, Cordillera UK, Igorot UK, Igorot UK-Charity.
17. United States of America - BIMAK Los Angeles and BIBAK Trailblazers (California); BIBAK of Pacific Northwest, Seattle; BIBAK of Pacific Northwest, Washington.
We thank our resource persons: Dr. Macario Lacbawan, Abigail Ruth Banisa Miel & Angelie Marilla for sharing their ideas and thoughts with us. We found their talks insightful and reflective of our collective experiences as indigenous peoples in the diaspora.
We are grateful to our reactors: Mark Sapaen Watan, Lorena Domanog Clerc & Glenn Palangdan Yamoyam. Their reactions were thoughtful, honest, sharp-eyed & professional.
We appreciate the presence of our distinguished guests, His Excellency Jaime Victor B. Ledda, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the European Union, and Professor Alexander “Sasha” Newell, Director of the Laboratory of Anthropology of the Contemporary Worlds, ULB. We are grateful for their words of inspiration.
We are also grateful for the presence of our guests from the Philippine Embassy and other academics from ULB and other universities.
Cheers to the first-, second- and third-generation Igorot Cordillerans in Europe, and BIBAK/Cordillera organizations in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, Canada, the Philippines, United Kingdom and United States of America for actively participating during the Cultural Gala Night and showcasing their performances.
We cannot thank Jérôme Brébois enough for printing the program, resolutions, liturgy, and song booklets, and for other technical and logistic support.
Credits go to the Cordi-Bel with the ChiCos, for compiling and stapling of the documents, and putting together the conference kits.
We could not have done the accommodation without the assistance of Marivonne Pumihic Cuyob. She negotiated a reasonable deal with the hotel she was working with, which was a great financial help to our kailian (compatriots).
We thank Cordi-Bel for the arrangements of the historical and cultural tour to Gent and Brugge.
We again extend our gratitude to Cordi-Bel for generously preparing and sponsoring the Thursday dinner and Sunday lunch. Thanks also to the Scheller family for their donation.
We thank Miss Amy Balbawang and Mister Michael Cu for sponsoring the photography and videographic coverage of our Cultural Gala Night. We also thank Miss Mylene Pocte and Miss Aurora Basali for handling the rent of our photobooth.
We thank Susan Kilakil Agnaonao who managed the registration and accounting.
We are also deeply grateful to Yvonne Kay-an Belen and Ric Cuyob who were tirelessly behind the 12th ICBE coordination and communication.
For their hard work, we express our gratitude to the different committees.
Though we cannot mention all the names of people in the different committees, be assured that they will appear in the Proceedings that will be posted on our website.
We express our deepest gratitude to our two energetic emcees this evening, Miss Laura Michelle “Mimi” Baeyens and Mister George Londob.
Last but not least, we would like to thank our ICBE website administrator, Glenn Amora (Rambak Austria), for posting articles, photos and videos of the 12th ICBE Conference on the ICBE website: www.icbe.eu.
Finally, to those whom we failed to mention and who, in one way or another, contributed in making the conference a memorable and successful event,
THANK YOU!
We look forward to meeting each other again and also meeting more of our other kailian in Europe on 6-9 May 2027.
Matago-tago tako am-in! (Long may we live!)
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ADDENDUM:
The Committees of All-in-One
By Ric Cuyob
From the stapling, cutting, arranging and packing the conference materials in the tote bag to the time of decorating, food preparation, cleaning, cooking, serving and bartending, it was more or less the same people who worked so we combined these different functions into one name called “The Committee of All-in-One”. This is composed of Cordi-Bel members and the ChiCo, fellow Igorots, non-Cordi-Bel as well as volunteer friends.
The people behind were: Angelou Naron, Aurora Basali, Arianne Naron, Abigail Naron, Cherry Ann Banawol-Scheller, Konstantin Scheller, Patrick Brauns, Lynlee Palangchao, Vilma Basali-Naron, Melinda Caballero, Lynn Maneguay, Junaina Johnson, Alice Cuyob, Thess Baglan, Maximo Hangdaan, Lorenza Basali, Joan Palangchao, Sherwin Khayad, Breneth Khayad, Ellen Godio, Marie Cuyob, Tala Cuyob Detry, Donmarly Benemerito Johnson, Olivier Detry, Jerome Brebois, Daisy Cajas, Rachel Lagasca, Mylene P. Ascueta, Fely Banggalit, Xavier Lindelauf, Serenita Lucas, Peter Agnaonao, Karen Palangchao, Lanie Tualla, Bong Tualla, Nancy Dacawag, Arlene Pumuhic, Kirstin Scheller, Anton Scheller, Angelito Naron, Agustin Velasco Junior.
The Finance and registration desk was under the care of Susan Kilakil-Agnaonao assisted by Ellen Godio with some Cordi-Bel Ladies rotating to give them a hand.
The transportation was taken care of by Olivier Detry, Jerome Brebois, Angelito Naron, Bong Tualla, Peter Agnaonao and Ric Cuyob.
The Introductory video and background image projection during the opening night, the Conference and Programme of the Cultural Gala Night, and during the closing liturgy were taken care of by Angelie “Gelai” Marilla, Cristobal Agnaonao and Marivonne Cuyob.
While there may be few items in the tasks that were not particularly given enough attention, all of us are thankful to one another for having taken a low-key profile but discretely and diligently doing the work that is proper and in accordance with what we defined as the general functions of the said committee. This attitude must have made everyone execute the tasks smoothly with joy and surprisingly executed lightheartedly the instructions we agreed upon with less questions and discussions but more focused on the result of the work being performed.
Though it is far from being perfect, loopholes gave us room for improvement and lessons were learned that will surely provide valuable tools to be cherished and to be shared that could benefit future events.