INDIGENIZATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS:

Reinforcing (or Strengthening) IPED towards Ethnic Identity Awareness

By Marciano A. Paroy Jr. and Elmer Basacoy

KALINGA STATE UNIVERSITY
March 2017

RATIONALE

Lets face it: existing materials that abound in school bookshelves have a cursory
take on the indigenous peoples in the Philippines. The sparse percentage devoted to
the ethnic way of life is a glaring reality and one does not have to look beyond the
Cordilleran borders to cite examples of this recurring non-inclusion of our concerns as
well as our indigenous knowledge systems and achievement in the arts.

As a result, schoolchildren belonging to the many sub-groups of the Cordilleran

culture grow up losing their attachment to their very own distinct tag since their
exposure to learning materials tend to take their attention to the bigger and more
dominant lowland forces.

There is a need therefore to reinforce the young IPs fading recognition of who
they are and how wealthy their culture is simply through the development of
instructional materials intended to respond to said concern. The premise is Why look
beyond when the culture on which we stand on is so educationally valuable?

It will come as a surprise to seasoned textbook writers when they come to realize
that the Cordilleran culture is in fact abundant with elements that can in fact reinforce
the whole teaching process.

This is our advocacy.

OBJECTIVES
1) To infuse indigenous elements in various teaching resources:
- Material culture as can be found in woven textiles, beads, jars, jewelry,
and other heirloom pieces
- Performing arts as can be expressed in chants, songs, dances
2) To establish a participatory mode of IM Development by involving cultural
authorities
3) To pilot test and evaluate the usage of these materials
4) To publish and use these materials
Framework conceptualized and designed by M. Paroy Jr.