BAGUIO CITY, Nov. 13 (PIA) – – Education Secretary Armin Luistro wants officials and employees of the Department of Education to focus on “Katutubong Kaalaman”, another meaning of the letter “K” of K to 12 basic curriculum.
Luistro, in his keynote message during the Pambansang Pagtitipon sa Katutubong Edukasyon” (National Conference on Indigenous People Education) at the Teachers Camp here on Thursday, highlighted the importance of incorporating indigenous knowledge and practices into the educational system. More so in putting it into the K to 12 curriculum for the Filipinos to relive the country’s rich history and culture and pass it on to the next generations.
‘Indigenous knowledge and practices defines our identity as Filipinos which is why we need to pass it on to the next generations by reliving it and teach it to our children’, he said.
Luistro called for unity among the participants from all over the country in assuring the successful implementation of Indigenous People Education (IPED) under the K to 12 educational system.
Three IP leaders representing the island of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao also delivered their message of unity for “Katutubong Edukasyon” or IPED.
The conference opened with an indigenous ritual and putting of important DepEd documents into a time capsule.
Highlight of the program was the DepEd Affirmation of Commitment to IPED wherein Cordillera DepEd officials headed by Regional Director Ellen Donato affixed their signatures and ceremonial tying a cultural cloth.
DepEd’s affirmation of Commitment toured all the regions of the country for all DepEd officials to sign and tie a cultural cloth that symbolize their unison to the commitment. Cordillera is the last region that it visited for the IPED Conference.
Donato, in an interview, assured that DepEd Cordillera is on track in implementing IPED in accordance to the region’s IPED Road Map.
Cordillera region has over 400,000 students in public elementary and high schools, with around 90 percent of them are IPs. This is one reason that we really need to focus on IPED, Donato explained. /JDP/CCD – PIA CAR
