(Photo courtesy of PNA)
BAGUIO CITY – Schools across the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) are strengthening efforts to preserve Indigenous culture by integrating traditional knowledge, practices, and craftsmanship into classroom learning.
Through the Indigenous Peoples Education (IPEd) program, students are introduced to their cultural heritage while developing a deeper appreciation of the customs and traditions passed down through generations.
Lorna Tumilang, a senior high school teacher in La Trinidad, Benguet, said Indigenous education is incorporated into regular classroom subjects to help students understand how traditional practices remain relevant in everyday life.
“We integrate the subject matter on IP education in the usual subjects so that learners are apprised of how culture and tradition, as well as practices, are applied in the normal course of life,” Tumilang said.
As part of the celebration of Indigenous Peoples Month, her students participated in role-playing activities depicting traditional courtship and marriage customs.
The activities were incorporated into the subject Understanding Culture, Society and Politics, following discussions on kinship, marriage, and household relationships.
Tumilang said the approach allowed students from different Cordillera provinces and tribes to share their cultural backgrounds and learn from one another.
Students were also encouraged to bring traditional artifacts and explain their significance to their families and communities.
Among the items presented was a traditional jar previously used to hold a grandparent’s ashes before burial, which the family later preserved as an heirloom.
Other students brought bungol, traditional glass beads associated with Kalinga that are passed down through generations.
“They shared the story of the items and what they mean to the families of the students as holders of the artifacts,” Tumilang said.
She emphasized that the activity helped learners appreciate not only the artifacts but also the family histories, values, and cultural identities they represent.
The Department of Education (DepEd) institutionalized Indigenous Peoples Education through Department Order 62, series of 2011, and strengthened its implementation through the IPEd Curriculum Framework under Department Order 32, series of 2015.
The program seeks to provide culturally responsive education while ensuring that Indigenous learners remain connected to their heritage.
Schools sustain traditional craftsmanship
Beyond classroom discussions, several schools across the Cordillera offer hands-on training in traditional crafts through Schools of Living Traditions (SLTs) and other cultural education initiatives.
Supported by DepEd and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, these programs allow community elders, artisans, and cultural practitioners to pass their knowledge to younger generations.
In Abra, Peñarrubia Integrated School teaches traditional embroidery, natural dyeing, and loom weaving, while San Quintin National High School offers instruction in kattukong, or bottle gourd hat-making.
National Living Treasure Teofilo Garcia helps preserve the traditional hat-making craft by teaching students the techniques involved in producing the distinctive headwear.
In Baguio City, Pines City National High School offers traditional weaving, while schools in Ifugao provide instruction in handloom and upright weaving.
Lepanto National High School in Benguet introduces students to woodcarving, wine-making, blacksmithing, and gong-making.
Gongs remain an important part of Cordillera culture, particularly during traditional ceremonies, community gatherings, and celebrations.
In Kalinga, Lubuagan continues to promote backstrap weaving and traditional textile production, while Central Pasil National High School teaches pottery.
Southern Tinglayan National High School also offers traditional tattooing, helping preserve an Indigenous art form closely associated with Kalinga’s cultural identity.
Meanwhile, schools in Mountain Province continue to promote traditional craftsmanship through specialized programs.
Bila National High School in Bauko and Sadanga National Technical Agricultural Vocational Arts and Skills Trade High School incorporate Indigenous skills into their educational offerings.
The latter teaches traditional stonewalling techniques using locally available materials.
Guizadan National High School and Tadian School of Arts and Trades also provide training in backstrap weaving to help sustain traditional textile-making.
Cultural preservation and livelihood opportunities
DepEd-Cordillera emphasized that Indigenous education does more than preserve cultural identity, as it also equips students with practical skills that may lead to livelihood and entrepreneurial opportunities.
“With guidance from community elders, artisans, and culture bearers, learners can gain skills while understanding the stories, values, and identities embedded in traditional practices,” the regional education office said.
The agency noted that sustaining these initiatives requires culturally appropriate learning materials, stronger community participation, and continued partnerships with Indigenous knowledge holders.
It also highlighted the importance of creating opportunities for further training and sustainable livelihoods to encourage younger generations to continue practicing traditional crafts.
DepEd-Cordillera reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Indigenous education by making cultural heritage an essential part of meaningful classroom learning.
Through these initiatives, schools aim to ensure that Cordillera’s Indigenous knowledge, traditional skills, and cultural practices remain relevant and are passed on to future generations.