MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / June 13, 2013) – The Philippines appropriated some P100 million to finance education capacity-building initiatives for indigenous peoples or IP as part of the government’s effort to make education universal and inclusive of all learners.
Education Secretary Armin Luistro said the fund comes with implementing guidelines on its allocation and utilization for IPs education program. “This is part of our commitment to achieve the Education for All 2015 targets and the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations which we are duty bound to fulfill,” Luistro said in a statement.
The IPEd program, he said, is the response of the Department of Education or DepEd to the right of IPs to education that is responsive to their context, respectful of their identity and supportive of the value of the value of their indigenous knowledge, skills and other aspects of their cultural heritage.
Luistro explained that to strengthen the capacity of DepEd to respond to the IPs learning needs in manner that is flexible, demand-driven and evidence-based, the program support fund shall be provided to 100 divisions in 15 regions for school year 2013.
The recipient regions are Ilocos, Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, CALABARZON which is composed of the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon; and MIMAROPA which is also composed of Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan; Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Western Mindanao, Northern Mindanao, Southern Mindanao, Central Mindanao; CARAGA which comprises Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Islands; and the National Capital Region or the Metropolitan Manila area.
Luistro said the fund shall be used for capacity building to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed by teachers and personnel across DepEd offices and units in order for them to be effective IPEd implementers.
It is also intended for advocacy and partnership building within DepEd, with non-government organizations, IP organizations and communities and other IP advocates. The fund can also be utilized in establishing baseline and situational analysis on IPEd specifically in creating a data base on IPs, he said.
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