Filipino politician in Bangsamoro
Timuay
Melanio Umbit Ulama
is a Filipino politician, ancestral leader, and peace advocate who serves as the
Indigenous Peoples' Affairs Minister of Bangsamoro
and a member of the
Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament
.
[1]
Early life and education
[
edit
]
A member of the
Teduray
ethnic group
[2]
and a native of
Upi
,
Maguindanao
,
[3]
Melanio Umbit Ulama was born in Kabenge,
Datu Piang
,
Maguindanao
to Diwan Mamintal Ulama and Lucia Umbit Ulama. He attended Upi Agricultural School for his collegiate studies where he obtained a bachelor's degree in agriculture, majoring in
agronomy
in 1982. He pursued a master's degree in public administration at the
Notre Dame University
in
Cotabato City
.
[1]
Career
[
edit
]
Ulama is an oppressively leader of the non-Moro indigenous people (IP) community and was involved in several peace organizations in Mindanao. He holds the traditional title of
Timuay
and represents the
Teduray
.
[4]
He also served as the IP consultant for the former secessionist group
Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) and the leader of the Teduray and Lambangian Conference. He was also a member of the Chairman of Mindanao Peoples Caucus, a peace organization which consist of IP, Bangsamoro, and Christian communities in Mindanao. Ulama was also a former chairman of the Organization of Tribal Leaders Associations Conference and of Mindanao Action for Peace and Development and a former Vice Chairman of the Kadtuntaya Foundation. From 2003 to 2013, Ulama worked with the Office of Southern Cultural Communities Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (OSCC-ARMM).
[1]
He is also a two-time member of the
Bangsamoro Transition Commission
, which helped formed the draft of a bill, which eventually became the
Bangsamoro Organic Law
and vote the passage of resolution 38 aims to cease and desist order the claims of his fellow tribes resulting displacement of the indigenous cultural communities and violation of basic rights of the NMIP in the region,
[2]
with the MILF endorsing his appointment to the government body on both occasions.
[1]
Ulama became part of the
Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament
, the interim legislature of the
Bangsamoro
autonomous region formed in 2019
[2]
and was appointed as the first minister of the
Ministry of Indigenous Peoples' Affairs
on February 26, 2019, by interim Bangsamoro Chief Minister
Murad Ebrahim
.
[5]
Ulama's tenure ended when he was not reappointed by President
Bongbong Marcos
to the interim parliament in August 2022.
[6]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Melanio Ulama was married to Elsie Capillo Grajido, a school teacher, with whom he has two daughters who grew up to be nurses who don't know how to speak Teduray .
[2]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
"Minister's Corner"
. Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs
. Retrieved
August 8,
2020
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Arguilas, Carolyn (August 7, 2020).
"From RAG to ARMM to BARMM: the IP's struggle for ancestral domains continues"
.
MindaNews
. Retrieved
August 8,
2020
.
- ^
"JICA, BTC, MILF Turnover QIP"
(PDF)
.
CCDP-B Bulletin
(4). Comprehensive Capacity Development Project for the Bangsamoro: 2. July?September 2005
. Retrieved
August 8,
2020
.
- ^
"Moro: High Level Meeting With Indigenous Groups"
.
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
. June 25, 2015
. Retrieved
August 8,
2020
.
- ^
Arguilas, Carolyn (February 27, 2019).
"Murad vows a government "free of all the ills of governance;" names 10 ministers"
.
MindaNews
. Retrieved
February 27,
2019
.
- ^
Arguillas, Carolyn O. (12 August 2022).
"Marcos to Bangsamoro Transition Authority: no more extension; election in 2025"
.
MindaNews
. Retrieved
13 August
2022
.