Chiara G. Cox is the daughter of Arthaland vice chairman and president Jaime Gonzalez and Connie Y. Gonzalez. And as a daughter of a couple who have championed Sustainability for over a decade, way before it became a buzzword; it was no surprise to find Chiara behind the screening of a documentary that highlights Mangyan culture and their Ambahan. Loosely defined as a poem or song, the ambahan is so much more, as it’s really a form of discourse within the tribe; and whether as an oral or scripted means of communication, it predates our Spanish colonial legacy. 

Understanding and appreciating this Hanunuo Mangyan tradition, which can date back to the 10th century, is a formidable eye-opener, as it makes a travesty of the Philippine history books we grew up with. These books turned everything pre-Spanish to a single page of land bridges, and ‘no read, no write’ culture. The truth seems to be quite different, and the film showcased the Mangyan Heritage Center in Mindoro, and how it proudly preserves the language, the ambahan, and other artisan skills and customs. An illuminating afternoon, with so many made aware of this rich indigenous tradition.