Bacolor, Pampanga—The Department of Education Regional Office III conducted a Training-Workshop on Curriculum Contextualization for Indigenous People (IP) Community Representatives on April 18-21 at the Skewers’ Grill, King’s Royale, Bacolor, Pampanga.

The said capacity building activity addresses the need to capacitate those who are engaged with DepEd in the process of curriculum and learning resource development which has been an emerging concern in various program implementation discussions both within DepEd and with IP representatives and civil society partners.

The training-workshop aims to familiarize community representatives and representatives of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) provincial/regional offices with the rationale and current developments in DepEd’s IP Education Program; level-off on DepEd’s policies, processes, procedures, mechanisms, structures relevant to implementing IP Education; and develop a platform of collaboration that would harmonize perspectives, policies and programs, rights and duties, as well as roles and functions of the different participating institutions for lPEd implementation.

Participants to this training-workshop are the 2 IP elders from each IPED implementing divisions namely Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac (P), Pampanga, Zambales, Angeles City, Olongapo City and Mabalacat City. NCIP Region 3 representatives led by Lydia Sunggod also attended the training-workshop.

The engagement with IP elders, culture bearers is an essential aspect of curriculum contextualization, as highlighted in the Indigenous Peoples Education (IPED) curriculum Framework (DepEd Order No. 32, s.2015).•