March 20, 2018

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will hold the Community-Based Skills Development Program for the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and Cultural Communities that aims to preserve the culture and arts and improve the lives of the IPs nationwide.

The five-day Community-Based Skills Development Program for the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and Cultural Communities, which will be attended by employees of TESDA, will be held in Iloilo City on March 19-23.

TESDA Chief, Sec. Guiling Mamondiong said that the event aims to strengthen the programs of the government so that it could protect and conserve the culture and the arts of the IPs in the country.

It also plans to teach the youth on the 37 various ethnic arts and culture which is likely to become extinct. These forms of art include beads-making, embroidery, weaving, healing, performing arts (songs, music, dance, chant), among others.

The conduct of the "capability building program" aims to create sustainable economic development programs tailor-fit for the IPs as well as improve efficiency in the delivery of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programs and services, technology-based community training programs, scholarships, and enterprise development.

These training programs will be based on the needs of IPs and the available resources of their community. They include the partnership between TESDA and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) which will provide support to IPs through skills training program and eventually transform them into competitive and productive individuals.

Also to be discussed in support of the IPs include curriculum development, learning modules, assessment  tool, and trainer/learner guides needed for the training programs in order to produce graduates who can create authentic traditional arts and techniques.

“In addition, a multiplier training approach will be adopted entailing a support fund of Php 60,000.00 per region that will be downloaded upon submission of the approved regional action plans to TESDA Central Office,” said Mamodiong. 

Resource persons for the event will come from NCIP, NCCA, and SLT Zonal Coordinators. The participants will experience cultural tour guiding in Calinog SLT and video coverage of the art form (paghahabi) and profiling of SLT and IP communities.

Data from NCIP revealed that there are currently 110 IP groups and sub-groups in the Philippines, while data from the NCCA-SLT showed that many indigenous communities could be found in regions of CAR, lV-A, Vl, Vll, Vlll, Xl, Xll, and ARMM which have their own respective designs and culture.