The Indigenous People's Education (IPEd) Program is DepEd's response to the right of IPs to basic education that is responsive to their context, respects their identities, and promote the IPs' indigenous knowledge, skills, and other aspects of their cultural heritage.
As a human rights advocate, I believe that efforts should be made to ensure that the Mangyans have access to rights-based education that is culturally and linguistically appropriate and that does not aim at or result in undesirable assimilation.
The IPEd here in our Division, like in any other DepEd divisions in the country, is not yet fully established. In the previous assessment of the department itself, it was found that the problem lies in a lack of learning resources and a lack of knowledge of the IPs’ systems and practices.
I believe that all interventions, be it in education or other aspects or social dimensions must be culturally appropriate. The cultural appropriation must be eliminated in the general educational system.
The present educational system and I am very sorry to tell you this, is rampant with cultural appropriation, and exploitation of the Mangyan culture than promoting it. During cultural presentations, we exploit and misuse the Mangyans’ cultural tradition, fashion, symbols, language, songs and music, and traditional dance steps by “modernizing” them. By doing such, we are distorting or losing their cultural heritage because we are removing those aspects from their originating cultural contexts, and such displays are disrespectful or even a form of desecration of their ethnicity and humanity. Such lowland "intrusions" are an affront and more damaging to their already waning culture.
But despite these flaws and bottlenecks, teachers and administrators are trying their capacities to implement it and abide by the noble act towards IP culture and education, therefore the Community Engagement cum Orientation on the Formation of Consultative Advisory Body or CAB meeting this 22nd of February, Ash Wednesday, here in Mamburao.
In my opinion, this is our immediate task as CAB-IPEd: Set up indigenous education resource centers, essentially task-organizing in nature, to handle research and promotion of courses, teaching materials, and teaching methods for indigenous education and to assist the schools, to develop ethnic education curriculum plans and evaluation methods suitable for the local indigenous peoples, and deal with other indigenous education matters.
Secondly, to implement the teaching of indigenous peoples’ languages, cultures, and art, educational institutions of all types at all levels may select and appoint tribal leaders and elders or prominent members of IC/ICCs with relevant expertise to provide related teaching support. They must be accredited by the NCIP and/or the ICCAO/ IP Affairs Office of the Province. The role of the NCIP is as highly important as the IP leadership as well.
The CAB-IPEd shall regularly organize ethnic education-related training programs and workshops to enhance the professional skills of indigenous education teachers.
Our indigenous education teachers shall study courses on indigenous peoples’ cultures and/or multi-cultural education courses to improve their professional teaching skills in close coordination with the NCIP and other related government agencies.
LGUs at all levels shall provide opportunities to learn about the indigenous cultures of the Mangyan and multi-culturalism to enhance the basic knowledge of multicultural and indigenous education-related efforts of the teachers and other staff in schools at all school levels to enhance their professional development.
This is our first line of defense or self-reminder against cultural appropriation. Educators also need to be educated. In this particular aspect, by the tribespeople themselves.
The road ahead to IP education is long and rough but this historic gathering is a giant leap in hitting this challenging road. Cultural immersion is imperative in this quest.
On behalf of Mayor Bong Marquez, I would like to thank Ms. Marilyn S. Pille, PSDS-Sablayan, Atty. Ulysses G. Bambo of the Legal Division, Mary Queen T. Bernardo of the Curriculum Implementation Division (CID) and Ms. Haydee P. Abeleda, focal person of IPEd, all of DepEd-Occidental Mindoro, and the rest of the organizers and participants, especially to the Mangyan attendees, for such a historic and timely endeavor.
Fadi, fadi. Saayo fagayu.
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Photo: Dr. Marilyn S. Pille
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