Finding Common Ground Amidst Diversity: The Subanen Youth Camp in Midsalip, Zamboanga del Sur
By Bing Mordeno and Sr. Ashwena Apao
The Subanens, the indigenous peoples inhabiting Western Mindanao, perceive non-Subanens, particularly the Bisaya, as land-grabbers having a superiority complex, the kind of people that need to be avoided. On the other hand, Subanens are being thought of as unclean, uncivilized, and devoid of good manners, among other negative traits.