DepEd-Benguet holds first IPEd summit
AROUND 4,200 Indigenous people composed of Department of Education (DepEd) personnels, School Heads, teachers, Community Elders, Government Officials headed by Benguet Governor Crecencio Pacalso and stakeholders participated in the first Indigenous Peoples Education(IPEd) Summit with a theme, “IPEd at Work” which was held at Wangal Sports Complex, La Trinidad, Benguet, October 8.
“What makes you an Indigenous People (IP)? It’s not your attire, it’s not your language but it’s the way you think in an IP way,” says Keynote Speaker Belmer F. Yano, the IPEd Consultant and Secretary General of Northern Luzon of IPEd Council of Elders(COE) in his message. “IPEd is not just a program but to change the way and level of thinking and understanding of knowledge behind what we do as IPs is more important, he added.
DepEd has instituted a National IPEd Program in pursuit of the National Indigenous Peoples Education Policy Framework based on DepEd Order No. 62, S. 2011 entitled Adopting the National IP Education Policy Framework and Republic Act (RA) No. 10533, the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013.
This IPEd refers to the program that supports education initiatives undertaken through formal, non-formal and informal modalities with emphasis on any of, but not limited to, the key areas of indigenous knowledge System(ILS) and Community cyclebased curriculum and assessment goals, aspirations and competencies specific to the Indigenous Cultural Community(ICC), engagement of elders in other community members in the teachinglearning process, assessment, and management of the initiative recognition and continuing practices of the community’s ILS, and the rights and responsibilities of ICC’s(Section 8.4, Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA No. 10533).
The purpose of the summit is to ensure that DepEd-Benguet will be moving forward in one direction towards the smooth realization of the goals of IPEd.
The activities conducted during this oneday affair were; ritual, programme, Awarding of Best TAWID Center(LRC), Consultative Advisory Body Community Elders Conference, Benguet IP Showdown and Indigenous Games Challenge (Kadangkadang, Sanggol, Yakyak-ing and Ginuyudan/Tug of War). However, participants in the games must be in their complete Benguet Attire.
Despite the sunscorching weather at noontime and early downpour of rain in the afternoon, the participants actively joined and enjoyed the activities provided. Meals and Indigenous snacks of participants were provided. The participants are looking forward for more blessed IPEd Summits to come.