OVERCOMING CULTURAL BARRIER: 53IB Empowers Subanen Timuay

Overcoming cultural barriers is essential in understanding differing communities. To achieve this, the Philippine Army’s 53rd Infantry “Matapat” Battalion (53IB) conducted face-to-face dialogue with Timuay Leonido Amimay of Sitio Kumpayan, Barangay Dapiwak, Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur on June 14, 2021.

The troops empowered Timuay Amimay and discussed with him the social and economic factors affecting the Subanen people in Sitio Kumpayan. They also tackled the issues and concerns regarding their ancestral domain which are often exploited by the New People’s Army (NPA) terrorists in the orchestration of their deception and propaganda.

This activity was also participated by a team from 1st Civil-Military Operations Battalion (1CMO Bn) led by SSg Hernando Hoqilla Jr. composed of six Enlisted Personnel (EP), two CAFGU Active Auxiliaries (CAAs) and and one (1) Friend Rescued (FR).

The Subanen tribe is indigenous to Zamboanga Peninsula. Majority of the populace in the Municiality of Dumingag are Subanen.

Tribe leader empowerment and engagement such as this is part of the 53IB’s drive to strategically communicate the Army’s transformation to become world class that is a source of national pride by 2028 in line with the Army Transformation Roadmap (ATR).