Subanens, DepED, NCIP, LGU inked Covenant to strengthen IP’s Education
Tudela, Misamis Occidental – With the Department of Education D.O.
62, The Division Schools of Misamis Occidental together with the National
Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), the Local government of Tudela,
Misamis Occidental and the Subanens Provincial Tribal Council of Misamis
Occidental signed yesterday (August 6) the covenant to strengthen Indigenous
Peoples Education (IPeD) and implement the Division initiated IPeD Framework
Policy to preserve the culture and traditions of the Gensalugan Subanens of the
province.
IPeD or the Indigenous Peoples
Education is the one of the priorities found in R.A. 8371 or otherwise known as
Indigenous Peoples Right Act of 1997 signed by then President Fidel V. Ramos to
give way to the needs of the Filipino “Lumads” or Indigenous People of which
according to NCIP, more or less 110 Lumad Tribes with their culture and
traditions are to be preserved for their next generation.
In Misamis Occidental,
Division Superintendent Dr. Jonathan dela Pena, implemented DO 62 thru its
first initiative, Project “Suba” or the Subanon Balasahon (Subanen Books) in
one of the Subanen (Gensalugan) Community in Mamalad, Calamba and established
the first School of Living Tradition (SLT).
Project “Suba” is a collective
written form of the Subanen Stories funded thru the Department of Education
which comes from the elders and “Timuays” (Spiritual Leaders of the Gensalugan
Subanens of Misamis Occidental)to be part of the implementation of Indigenous
Peoples Education.
On Thursday, Another School of
Living Tradition (Tonggo Elementary School) was launch in Tonggo, Tudela,
Misamis Occidental that caters more or less 300 School Children of which 90% of
them are Subanens.
With Local Government
Officials of Tyudela led by Mayor Estela Ubot-Estano and its Sanggunian Bayan,
The Provincial Tribal Council with its President Timuay Sofronio Cabatuan,
Board Member Dodz Cabahug, the province Indigenous Peoples Mandatory
Representative (IPMR), National Commission ofr the Indigenous People, and the
Department of Education-Misamis Occidental Schools Division signed the Covenant
promulgating its responsibility to preserve and nurtured the Subanen Traditions
and Culture thru a IPKSP or the Indigenous Peoples Knowledge System and
Practices.
IKSP is one of the issues and
concern of the June 25-26, 2015 validation and finalization of the Indigenous Peoples
Education Framework Policy together with the four major rights in the IPRA Act
of 1997, the rights to Ancestral Domain, the rights to Self-Governance and
Empowerment, the rights to social justice and the right to education.
Other issues and concern in
the Indigenous Peoples Education Framework Policy also involves the DepED K to
12 Program that will be adopted also in the Indigenous Peoples Education, and
lastly the Indigenous Peoples Political System.
Ms. Ivy Joy Rubio, the first
IP teacher on her part said that,” it is a challenging being a full blooded
Subanen to share and teach her knowledge to Subanen Children in understanding
their own culture and tradition and be educated thru the Indigenous Peoples
Education program of DepED”.
Meanwhile, with the covenant
signed by DepED, LGU, the Provincial Tribal Council and NCIP will set the
standards in educating the Subanens, particularly the Gensalugan Subanens of
Misamis Occidental, not only for their children but also as well for their
parents thru the school of living tradition which they are to be educated by
their own Cultural masters and Elders with the support from the Department of
Education School Division of Misamis Occidental.
On his part, Division School
Superintendent Jonathan dela Pena who was adopted as a Subanon Leader thru their ritual
of acceptance and named him “Datu Mananao” send a message of hope that thru
DepED Misamis Occidental School Division who give time and effort, love,
understanding, and commitment, IPED will awaken up the long sleeping culture of
the Subanens Gensalugan of Misamis Occidental.( Mis.Occ News Bureau)
