Talaandig chieftain Datu Migketay Saway passes away at 72

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Datu Victorino “Migketay” Saway, the supreme chieftain of the Talaandig tribe in Bukidnon and a towering figure in Mindanao’s indigenous rights movement, has died. He was 72.

Saway, widely regarded as a cultural vanguard and peacemaker, dedicated his life to defending the ancestral domains of Mount Kitanglad and championing indigenous self-determination.  

“Graduated from the physical realm into the realm of our ancestors,” his daughter, Aduna Saway, wrote in a poignant tribute confirming his passing. “May the heroes of Nalandangan greet you with a Sagyawan – a resounding yell of victory. Because of your bravery, we remain unbowed and unconquered.”

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The local government of Lantapan mourned the loss of the tribal patriarch, honoring his “profound legacy, visionary leadership, and unwavering dedication to preserving Indigenous culture, peace, and heritage in Lantapan and beyond.”

Cultural defender

Born in 1954, Datu Migketay was instrumental in securing the cultural survival of the Talaandig people. He founded the Talaandig School of Living Traditions in Songco, Lantapan, creating a vital sanctuary where the tribe’s music, dances, oral epics, and soil painting are actively passed down to the youth.

A scholar-leader who bridged traditional governance and modern academe, Saway held a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Silliman University. He served in the first set of commissioners of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and was honored with the Fr. Francisco R. Demetrio SJ Award by Xavier University in 2018 for his immense contributions to culture and the arts.  

As a prominent peace advocate and environmentalist, Saway tirelessly mobilized indigenous networks to protect the biodiversity of the Mount Kitanglad Range Natural Park against ecological threats.  

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Even in his final days at the Malaybalay Polymedic Hospital, the chieftain remained fiercely focused on the future. Associates who visited him in the hosital recently noted that despite his failing health, he remained in high spirits, passionately outlining a vision to empower indigenous youth through cultural immersion so they could step up as the next generation of tribal defenders.  

With his passing, the Talaandig community and the broader Lumad network in Mindanao lose one of their most articulate, uncompromising, and unifying voices. /das