Indigeneity and the Anthropocene: Recontextualizing Modern Technology in the Lived World of the T’boli and Obu Manuvu

The Anthropocene refers to the dystopic condition of the human world. Environmental destruction and socio-cultural degeneration now characterize humanity’s current state of affairs. To preserve indigenous culture, the intrusion of Western values must be resisted to escape the catastrophe brought by this technological onslaught. Employing the interpretive research method, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted to investigate the way of life, social environment, and use of modern devices by members of two tribal groups in South and North Cotabato – the T’boli and Obu Manuvu. We present two schools of thought. On one hand, it is suggested that there has been an erosion of the cultural identity of Indigenous Peoples (IP) due to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). On the other hand, it can be said that the T’bolis and Obu Manuvus have continued to live their unique way of life and traditions despite the presence of modern technology. According to Martin Heidegger, such an unfolding is unstoppable. This means that the essence of technology is part of man’s being. Andrew Feenberg explains that while technology has an instrumental role, it is also concerned with its adaptability to societal aspects, which he calls recontextualization, enabling people to benefit from the good made possible by modern devices.