“We need Marian values to ride with AI”—NCIP Chair on AI and IP Rights
Gracing this year’s Indigenous Peoples and Museum Month celebration, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)Chairperson Dr. Marie Grace Pascua emphasized the importance of embodying the four core values of Saint Mary’s University (SMU) in defending the rights of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) during a community-based forum on the cultural and artistic rights of Indigenous Peoples at Sacred Heart Center, October 9.
Organized by the Community Engagement and Indigenous Peoples Center, the forum brought together students, employees, Ayangan culture bearers of Barangay Gonggongob, Cabuluan, Villaverde and other members of Indigenous Peoples cultural communities to discuss the on-going challenge of navigating the era of artificial intelligence (AI).
In her speech, NCIP Chairperson Dr. Pascua highlighted the importance of having a strong character molded by the values of excellence, innovation, communion, and social responsibility to move forward with AI.
“There is much that the academe, SMU, as well as the government (through) NCIP, there is much we can do together. The values of SMU instilled in the hearts of the students are the ones that we need for this era—we need those right values to be able to ride in artificial intelligence,” she said.
Even if AI can come and do the work you are doing—computerize databases, even speaking, what they don’t have is the heart that SMU values—the Marian values,” she added.
Moreover, the NCIP Chairperson explained that through excellence, everyone is reminded to uphold the highest standards of service specially in protecting the IP rights of the Indigenous cultural communities to the best that they can.
Additionally, she underscored innovation in hopes of understanding that knowledge on the cultural and artistic rights of IPs is evolving.
“Fo us IP, day in and day out, we are hammered on the external forces. Are we going to be stuck to 10 years ago? Malulusaw ka kung hindi mo i-upgrade ang learnings mo. You need to innovate but don’t forget your principles,” she noted.
“Sana, academe, we do not preserve culture, because we cannot preserve culture because it’s evolving, we protect it—so others will understand,” Dr. Pascua added.
Furthermore, Dr. Pascua underscored that the “value of communion reminds us to bridge tradition and technology, ensuring that collaboration and respect remain at the heart of every advancement,” later expounding that tasks cannot be done by one person and must always involve the communities.
Lastly, Dr. Pascua noted that moving forward in the evolving age, “true development is not measured by how advanced our machines become but how deeply we value our humanity, we as people, our heritage, and our shared future.”
The event also featured an open forum which discussed various topics joined by Dr. Pascua, IP leaders, and legal experts through NCIP-Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Director Engr. Shelly Ruth Joy Calata, Municipal IP Mandatory Representative of Villaverde Hon. Jason Panal, Atty. Efraim Osingat, Executive Director of Tebtebba Foundation Helen Biangalen-Magata, and SMU Vice President for Administration Dr. John Tayaban.
The open forum discussed topics on appropriation, tokenism, exoticism, marginalization, commodification, issues on gender, protection of IP languages, and protection of Indigenous knowledge.
Written by: Marielle Camonayan, CEIPSC Staff
