There are leaders who understand a cause, and there are leaders who live it.
The appointment of Nancy A. Catamco as Chairperson of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) is not just another entry in the long list of government designations. For me, it is something deeply personal. It is a story of identity, conviction, and heart, because Chairperson Catamco does not merely advocate for Indigenous Peoples (IPs); she is one of them.
And that makes all the difference.
In a bureaucracy where policies can sometimes feel distant from the people they are meant to serve, her leadership brings something rare and powerful: authenticity. She carries the soul of the Bagobo-Obo Manobo people within her; a heritage not worn for ceremony, but lived in daily reality. When she speaks about ancestral domains, cultural preservation, or social justice, she does so not from theory, but from lived experience.
But allow me to say this not only as an observer but as someone who has known her for decades.
I first came to know Nancy Catamco in the late 1990s, when I was still in Congress serving as a congressional staff member. Even then, what stood out about her was unmistakable: she was a strong-willed business professional, deeply committed, and unafraid to stand her ground, especially when dealing with members of the House of Representatives. Her journey brought her to become a congresswoman herself in 2010 and subsequently found herself helping resolve issues affecting Indigenous Peoples as Chairperson of the House Committee on Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICC/IP). While others would compromise, she would persist. While others would hesitate, she would push forward.
That same spirit defines her leadership today.
She is an advocate in the truest sense of the word. Not the kind that speaks only when convenient, but the kind that fights consistently, firmly, and with conviction. She does not settle for less, particularly when the rights and welfare of IP communities are at stake. For her, these are not just policy concerns; they are matters of justice, dignity, and identity.
I have seen that fire early on. And I see it even more clearly now.
Her years in public service as a congresswoman, as governor of North Cotabato, and as NCIP Commissioner for Central Mindanao have only strengthened what was already there: a relentless commitment to uplift her people. Her malasakit is not performative; it is deeply rooted, tested by time, and proven through action.
Her appointment by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is therefore both timely and necessary. At a moment when Indigenous Peoples continue to face complex and pressing challenges, the NCIP needs not just a capable administrator, but a leader with courage, clarity, vision, and conviction.
Chairperson Catamco has a heart of an IP and a heart for the IPs.
And perhaps more importantly, she has the will to fight for them.
That combination is rare.
As she assumes leadership of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples today, I say this with confidence born not only of observation, but of personal knowledge:
The NCIP is in very good hands. Strong and tested.
And for our Indigenous Peoples, that means something powerful, something real.
This is not just hope in the making.
This is hope secured by leadership that will not settle for anything less than what our IP communities rightfully deserve.
elami/
