Upi, Maguindanao del Norte — In the lush but increasingly fragile highlands of Upi, a quiet strength endures. Among the forested slopes and river-fed valleys, the Teduray and Lambangian peoples have lived for centuries, cultivating not just crops, but an identity shaped by the rhythms of nature and a deep spiritual connection to the land. Today, as climate threats grow more severe, they are showing the rest of the country what it truly means to be resilient.
This July, in observance of National Disaster Resilience Month, the story of the Teduray offers a timely reminder: resilience is more than physical infrastructure or disaster drills — it is also the strength of a people rooted in culture, memory, and stewardship of the earth.
Land, Loss, and the Legacy of Survival
The Teduray are no strangers to adversity. Their ancestral domain, spanning the mountain ranges of Cotabato and Maguindanao del Norte, has long been a contested terrain — first from colonizers, then from decades of logging and violent conflict that pushed them out of their homelands. From vast forests teeming with life, what remains today is less than half of the land they once stewarded.
Despite the passage of landmark legislation like the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) and the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), their fight for a full Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) remains unfinished. As legal battles drag on, the climate crisis marches forward.
The Climate Crisis Arrives on Sacred Ground
In October 2022, Typhoon Paeng (Nalgae) tore through the Bangsamoro region. In Upi, the storm brought floods that surged up to residents’ necks — an unthinkable event in a mountainous area. Eight lives were lost, farms were wiped out, and sacred sites vanished beneath mud and debris.
“This is not just about climate anymore,” said Noli Acosta, Barangay Chair of Rempes and a Teduray farmer. “The mountains are bare. Without trees to hold the soil, the rain becomes a weapon. The forest used to protect us. Now, we are exposed.”
Deforestation, aggravated by decades of logging and unsustainable farming practices, has left the soil brittle. Even traditional farming methods are being tested, as chemical fertilizers appear to weaken tree roots and disrupt natural water retention. With rivers overflowing and slopes collapsing, Upi has become a cautionary tale of what happens when ancestral knowledge is ignored.
When Stories Are Washed Away
But the floods did more than destroy crops and homes. They submerged places where the Teduray once held rituals, told stories, and passed on spiritual beliefs tied to the land. Natural formations like waterfalls, rock beds, and clearings — once seen as sacred — were erased.
“Disasters don’t just kill people,” said Timuay Johnny Mokudef, a spiritual leader. “They destroy our heritage. If we lose the places where our stories live, our children may grow up with no memory of who we are.”
Timuay Johnny recalled offering a traditional prayer during Typhoon Paeng, placing tarines (a ritual item) on a rock. Despite the pounding rain, the offering remained intact. “It was a sign,” he said, “that we are not yet forsaken — but we must act, and remember who we are.”
Culture as a Compass for Resilience
This sense of identity — and the will to preserve it — is central to the Teduray’s definition of resilience. While external support is welcome, they are charting their own path forward.
Their plan is as practical as it is spiritual: restore native forests, return to ecological agriculture, and revive traditional knowledge, including weather forecasting based on the stars, insects, and the behavior of trees. Young leaders are being trained not only as farmers and foresters but as future scholars, lawyers, and cultural bearers.
“If we can’t finish this in our lifetime,” said Timuay Johnny, “at least we can pass on our knowledge and the wisdom of our ancestors. That is the heart of resilience.”
Supporting Indigenous Resilience: SHIELD’s Role
Supporting the Teduray’s journey is the Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change (SHIELD) Programme. Through its Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) assessment, SHIELD worked with the community to understand how climate change impacts different groups — from women and elders to persons with disabilities and youth.
By grounding resilience in local knowledge and cultural context, SHIELD helps ensure that efforts go beyond infrastructure. It supports inclusive strategies that uplift indigenous voices and protect the community’s right to define their future.
Funded by the Australian Government and implemented by UNDP Philippines along with civil society and government partners, SHIELD currently operates in ten provinces and two regions among the most climate-vulnerable in the country, including the BARMM.
Resilience as Resistance, Resilience as Hope
For the Teduray, resilience is not merely the ability to survive — it is a refusal to disappear. Every reforested slope, every recorded oral history, every youth taught to honor the land is an act of resistance and renewal.
At a time when disaster resilience is often equated with technology and urban preparedness, the Teduray teach us that the deepest resilience comes from knowing who you are, where you come from, and why it matters that you stay.
In the words of Alim Bandara of the Timuay Justice and Governance, “Had they only replanted trees instead of cutting them down, the forest could have saved us. But now we must save the forest — and in doing so, save ourselves.”
What is SHIELD?
The SHIELD Programme — Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change — is a multi-year partnership aimed at helping high-risk provinces in the Philippines build resilience. Supported by the Australian Government, it works with UNDP Philippines and partners like the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), National Resilience Council (NRC), PBSP, UN-Habitat, DILG, OCD, and DOST. SHIELD emphasizes inclusive, locally-driven approaches, ensuring that indigenous communities like the Teduray are not only heard but empowered.
Original article: When Culture Becomes the Link to Resilience by UNDP Philippines