A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for
Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines
Prof. Paul Omar P. Gangoso
Institute for Subanen Studies- Center for Research
Southeast Asian Institute of Public Management Inc.
July 2020
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for
Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines
About the Author:
Prof. Paul Omar P. Gangoso is a professional fellow of the US State Department -IREX and is currently serving as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Southeast Asian Institute of Public Management Inc. He has numerous awards and more than a decade of experience in policy and action-oriented research in transparency and accountability, governance and technical vocational education.
Contributors:
Efrielle Delight T. Toledo Ms. Jovelyn B. Aberion, MAEd
© 2021 Southeast Asian Institute of Public Management Inc.
All rights reserved.
The copying, distribution, and reproduction of this paper into printed or any form is permitted
without prior written approval of the authors for as long as citation is made and the author is
notified.
ISS Contact Information:
The Institute for Subanen Studies- Center for Research
Southeast Asian Institute of Public Management Inc.
Southeast Asian Institute Pagadian City Campus
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Province of Zamboanga del Sur
Mobile: +639384020012
Website:www.asianinstitute.edu.ph
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July 2021
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 1
Table of Contents
Abstract 4
Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Communities in the Philippines 6
Introduction 6
The Evolving Landscape of Technical Vocational Education and Trainings 7
The Existing Framework on Competency -based TVET 11
Looking Deeper into the TVET Framework 13
Course Design Gaps 13
Gaps in Competency Standards Development 13
Gaps in Certification and Assessments and Scholarship Distribution 14
Impacts of the Current TVET Framework Implementation towards IP Communities 15
Empowerment vs Employment 15
Marginalization 16
Model Schools in Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples 20
The Australian Vocational Education and Training Experience 20
Case Studies of Best Practices in IP Education in the Philippines 22
Case Study 1: The School of Living Traditions 22
Case Study 2: The Southeast Asian Institute Experimental Curriculum 24
Case Study 3: IP Education in Philippine Basic Education 28
Case Study 4: the ALCADEV 35
A Competency-based TVET Framework for Indigenous Peoples 38
Key Principles and Pedagogies 38
IP Empowerment 40
Social Transformation 41
Culture of Peace 41
Factors in Developing an IP-based TVET Competency Standards Matrix 42
Community Ownership 43
Indigenous Knowledge, Systems and Practices 44
Recognition of IP Political Structures 44
Curriculum, Learning Material, Delivery, Assessment and Module Development 45
Proposed Policy Reforms in the Current TVET Framework 46
References 48
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 2
Acronyms
DAGI - Dumendingan Arts Guild Inc.
DEPED - Department of Education
IP - Indigenous Peoples
IPED - Indigenous Peoples Education
NC - National Certification
NCAA - National Commission on Culture and the Arts
NTR - No Training Regulation
PQF - Philippine Qualifications Framework
PTQCS - Philippine TVET Qualifications and Certification System
SAI - Southeast Asian Institute of Public Management Inc.
SLT - School of Living Traditions
TESDA - Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
TR - Training Regulation
TTI - Technical Vocational Training Institutions
TVET - Technical Vocational Education and Training
TVI - Technical Vocational Institutions
UN - United Nations
VET - Vocational Education and Training
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 3
Abstract
Over the years since the development of the Philippine Qualifications Framework which
outlines the guiding principles as how the Philippine government will adopt a new education
system consistent with the generally-accepted standards of the international education
community, technical education and vocational trainings have emerged as key national
strategies for raising the employability of the the Philippine labor force and reducing the
polarity between the skilled and non-skilled workers as well as the employed and the
unemployed graduates. As with technical vocational training programs developed and
promoted by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, these
competency-based learning systems have been brought to indigenous communities by Technical
Vocational Training Institutions, both public and private.
The curricular design and targeted learning outcomes of these trainings, though, have
limited impacts towards addressing the needs and realities of indigenous populations.
Indigenous communities have been denied the opportunity to take control of their local labor
force’s skills needs and as well as their way towards managing their own economic challenges
and opportunities. These trainings have not been helpful at all in the preservation of indigenous
culture and tradition, including their arts and crafts. If truth be told, these trainings do not
contribute toward the empowerment of indigenous communities and have been driving
community members to migrate to urban-based employment.
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 4
This study aims to come up with a working model of Competency-based TVET
Framework for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines. It will serve as a proposed general
intervention paradigm that will guide technical vocational education and training program
curriculum developers to identify and integrate the underlying theoretical and
culturally-appropriate disciplines into the curricular design of education and skills training
intended for Indigenous Peoples. It will be a new framework, separate from but parallel to the
current TVET Framework adopted by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
Keywords : technical vocational education and training, ip education, tvet
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 5
Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Communities in the Philippines
Introduction
Indigenous peoples in the Philippines face different barriers in education including that
of technical vocational education and training and are being denied access to emerging
employable skills and knowledge. As the United Nations Inter-Agency Support Group (IASG) in
its thematic paper on 2004 points out:
“Children from poor communities, ethnic minority groups and indigenous
peoples face three main barriers. The first of these is lack of access. For children to
receive an education there must be a school within safe travelling distance, with
teachers and pedagogical materials. In many countries, this is often not the case,
especially for ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples who tend to live in remote areas
or who move around. The second barrier is the poor quality of the education provided.
Children from the poorest communities often have inferior educational institutions than
those from richer communities. Children from ethnic minorities may be denied the
opportunity to learn in their own language and their curricula and educational materials
may be grounded in an alien culture. They may even be faced with social stigmatization.
The third barrier is relatively poor outcomes. Children from ethnic minorities and
indigenous peoples do not enjoy the same benefits from education as other children.
They find it harder to get jobs, and their education often does not lead to significant
contributions to life in their community.” 1
1 UN-IASG (2014: 5)
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 6
This so-called problem of education not being able to contribute towards personal and
community development serves a dead-end in many Western approaches towards education
interventions in indigenous communities. These educated children and youth tend to leave their
communities and find jobs in urban centers instead of becoming the primary actors in
stimulating inclusive development simply because the knowledge and skills they have acquired
during their education years do not match the conditions of the community.
A bottom-up, community-driven pedagogical and curricula development approach has
to be developed to ensure that the Indigenous communities can attain inclusive development.
The Evolving Landscape of Technical Vocational Education and Trainings
In 2014, the Philippines shifted to outcomes-based education—which occurred much
earlier in the TVET sector--proceeded alongside the curricular revisions in basic (ie. K to 12
reform ) and higher education (ie. new GE curriculum ). While the policies are already in place, 2 3
their implementation at the level of teaching/learning and assessment on the ground is still
uneven. As in the other ASEAN Member States (AMS), the requisite change in mindset and
practice, especially in higher education, remains a major challenge. Nevertheless, significant
headway has been achieved in opening the minds of teachers/professors in Philippine HEIs to
the paradigm shift through the continuing advocacy of the country’s education and professional
regulation agencies, reinforced by international Quality Assurance networks (e.g. the ASEAN
Quality Assurance Network) and accreditation/assessment agencies(e.g. the ASEAN University
2 Kindergarten Education Act in 2012 and of the Enhanced Basic Education Act requiring two years of Senior High School in 2013
3 CMO No. 20, series of 2013.
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 7
Network) as well as the support of international agencies in conducting workshops or projects
that enhance learning outcomes-based education (e.g. Support to Higher Education in the
ASEAN Region [SHARE] and the Tuning Asia-South Asia Project to build a framework of
comparable and compatible qualifications). 4
Figure 1: Philippine Qualifications Framework. 5
4 https://pqf.gov.ph/Home/Details/16 5 _Ibid.
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 8
The Philippine TVET Qualification and Certification System (PTQCS) is a quality-assurance
system in recognition of the attainment of competencies (knowledge, skills, attitudes and
values) as referred to the competency standards set for middle-level occupation. It is the
process of determining the qualification level of a person and a tool in identifying the training
needs of a person with competency gaps. 6
The national framework for TVET training in the Philippines was established because the
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is a signatory to the Regional
Model Competency Standards (RMCS) of the International Labor Organizations. Such framework
recognizes existing and emerging industries over a wide range of labor absorbing sectors as the
basis for the development of competency standards which are promulgated by TESDA through
Training Regulations. 7
The Philippine TVET framework as reflected through the Philippine TVET Qualification
and Certification System (PTQCS) stratified skills into different levels:
● National Certificate I for routinary and predictable work skills
● National Certificate II for specialized functions and work procedures with minimal
complexity of discretionary skills
● National Certificate III for wider range of skills which involves work supervision
and problem solving; and
● National Certificate IV for complex and non-routine work which requires
organizational leaderships, job evaluation and management skills.
6 TESDA 7 For more information on the PTQCS, see http://www.tesda.gov.ph/uploads/file/philippine %20tvet%20qualification%20and%20certificaton%20system.pdf
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 9
TESDA trainings are categorized into different employment sectors such as construction,
agriculture, tourism, among others. Within these sectors are specific training programs based
on specified skills-level training where Technical Vocational Training Institutions have to register
with TESDA and implement with TESDA-certified Trainors/ Experts. Graduates of such trainings
are subjected to mandatory competency assessments in TESDA-accredited Assessment Centers
through a strict set of assessment standards and procedures. Unlike in many Western countries
where skills certification is being done by industries, the Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority embraces full authority on skills certification in the Philippines which
often leads to some companies complaining over TESDA graduates not having the required skills
for actual industry work. 8
To address this, TESDA is updating the competency standards in training programs to
match the changes within the target industries. In addition, many of TESDA’s Training programs
have been recently migrated into new ones and the development of No-Training Regulation
(NTR) programs are encouraged to test-run and match emerging industries such as the public
sector and IT.
Slowly though the Department of Education is taking full control in the implementation
of trainings in Certification Levels I and II through the K+12 Senior High School Program.
School-age youth in Grade 11 and Grade 12 are given the opportunity to take technical
vocational trainings as part of the curricula’s specialized strands.
From National Certification level trainings, TESDA will soon focus on the development of
higher technical education programs in PQF5. Although the Technical Education and Skills
8 http://business.inquirer.net/244167/study-notes-limited-effectiveness-tesda-program
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 10
Development Authority (TESDA) is still short of its mandate in promulgating Diploma-level
policies, it is without any doubt the agency will soon evolve into an independent government
institution that will have full authority in Technical Education per se instead of mere technical
vocational trainings. By then, the state agency will begin promulgating standards in 9
Diploma-level education programs.
The Existing Framework on Competency -based TVET
It is important to ask how TESDA-promulgated Competency-based Curricula are being
developed in order to see if there are underlying concepts of Indigenous education integrated
within TESDA program development framework. A closer look at the Competency-based TVET
Framework adopted by TESDA will expose several gaps in relation to principles in Indigenous
community development.
First, the current literature identifies various Training Delivery areas such as
Competency-based Curriculum Development, Learning Materials/ Courseware Development
and Competency Assessment where modules of trainings will adopt the outcomes-based
approach and skills adaptation and knowledge comprehension are based on flexible and more
personal, individualized pacing. Nonetheless, the framework is drawn on an identified demand
for skilled laborers by a specific industry which more likely does not exist in many, if not all,
indigenous communities all over the country. The set of skills that will be translated into specific
learning outcomes in a particular training program including the approaches for competency
assessment to measure capacity change among training beneficiaries have not been specifically
9 Full news at http://www.thestandard.com.ph/sunday-lgu-section-pdf/luzon/236469/tesda-to-become-a-department-says-exec.html
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 11
developed by or with indigenous communities. These trainings are obviously not linguistically
and culturally appropriate for Indigenous community education. 10
Figure 2: TESDA Competency-based TVET Framework 11
Second, with education recognized as the centre of efforts to address many of today’s
most critical global challenges including population growth, climate change, urbanisation and
conflict, the TESDA Framework falls short in ensuring that technical education and skills
trainings has to be flexible so it can adapt to the needs of an an ever evolving economic and
political landscape of indigenous societies and communities and it can respond to the needs of
learners within their diverse social and cultural settings’. 12
10 UNESCO (2010b, pg. 25) 11 See www.tesda.gov.ph 12 UN CESCR (1999, para 7(d))
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 12
Looking Deeper into the TVET Framework
Course Design Gaps
As far as trainings with existing TESDA-promulgated Training Regulations, there is none
which recognizes among its learning competencies various critical dimensions of community
participation, sense of community, local resource development, social capital, local
empowerment and strategies for building capacities- all of which are key elements in IP
empowerment. Although there is no existing literature which points out that a TESDA training
has resulted in conflict, the same can be said to the absence of any documentation where a
TESDA training has resulted in measurable empowerment of indigenous communities. Basic,
Common and Core Competencies do not include cross-cutting areas of knowledge, skills and
attitudes that are contributory to the above critical dimensions of learning.
Gaps in Competency Standards Development
There is an outright demand for the development of TVET curricula as well as learning
materials and coursewares that will result in the development of genuinely IP-based trainings by
TESDA. But in coming up with such training programs, researchers and policymakers must
consider developing models that go beyond measurable objectives that give due credence to
direct human experience, relationships and value. For a training program to be indigenous
centered, it may consider empowerment with decolonization, healing of conflict, social
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 13
transformation where indigenous people themselves identify the processes and methodologies
factoring in community, tradition, culture and values. 13
Gaps in Certification and Assessments and Scholarship Distribution
In terms of certification and assessment, it appears that the Philippine TVET Framework
treats Indigenous peoples the same way as the Australian Indigenous Employment, Training &
Enterprise Development (IETED) models where employment, training and enterprise support for
indigenous people are geared towards purely absorbing them into mainstream industries to
reduce unemployment rates on a national, global and regional scale instead of giving them the
stimulus for self-determination where they will be empowered to generate local opportunities
and face new labor challenges on their own.
The Certification and Assessment standards currently being applied to all TESDA
TR-based trainings contradict all universally-accepted schools of IP-driven education and
training. Traditional quality control of products and services are opposed to commercial
standards in product size, designs, dimensions, aesthetics, materials. Traditional skills and
workflow involves production techniques and procedures which are opposed to accuracy and
uniformity of commercial products.
The qualifications of trainers and assessors under the existing framework recognizes only
the academic, professional and industry experience of certified trainers and assessors. A
TESDA- certified trainer has to achieve National Skills Certification, Trainer’s Methodology
Certification, some Industry-experience and at least Level 5 education credentials. A
13 Smith (1999)
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 14
TESDA-accredited competency assessor has to comply with certain industry experience,
Assessorship certification and a strict accreditation and calibration process. These long lists of
trainer and assessor qualifications reject the political systems of Indigenous peoples. In
indigneous communities, tribal leaders, cultural masters, traditional healers and elders are
considered authorities in their respective fields of traditional knowledge and their roles in the
hierarchy of tribal political structures.
When it comes to scholarship distribution, key employment generators from existing
industries should not be the determining factors in the identification of priority training
programs as TESDA currently considers. Lest NTR programs which are IP-driven will be closed
down soon, TESDA should consider providing funds to IP-driven programs which are outside of
the list of current and emerging employment-generating industries.
Impacts of the Current TVET Framework Implementation towards IP Communities
Empowerment vs Employment
Does the current approach adopted by TESDA in the conduct of technical vocational
education and training for IP Communities empower the latter and contribute to their
self-determination and preservation of their culture and traditions? Or does it further
marginalize the Indigenous peoples?
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 15
It is an established fact the technical vocational trainings implemented by TESDA has
improved employment opportunities to all employable sectors and to indigenous community 14
members. But the economic impact brought by employment towards the IP members is only
random. Through the years the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority have
repeatedly announced having implemented training programs in indigenous communities and
having provided skills trainings the indigenous community members. Although these trainings
have benefited several indigenous communities per se , these employable skills acquired by
indigenous community members are in nature foreign to their culture and tradition and will
eventually encourage those who have acquired skills certification to become migrant workers.
Marginalization
In a report published by the Japan-based Asia-Pacific Human Rights Resource Center, it is
believed that in many cases, Indigenous customary practices and laws worked favorably for
women. Historically in the indigenous communities of Cordillera, violence against women was a
communal concern and various community internvetions which included persuasive approaches
directed towards men were effective deterrents to VAWC cases. But such institutions of
community involvement and intervention in VAWC cases slowly transformed into a private
household matter due to the deepening westernization of the indigenous society. In a parallel
matter, indigenous women used to enjoy control over forest resources within the tribal
territories. Such control over natural resources empowered women with a sense of economic
and political independence from men in the community. When land registry and forest
14 https://tesda.gov.ph/Gallery/Details/10315
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 16
management systems were imposed, women gradually lost this significant social status. The
above cases highly suggest that it is indispensable to “maintain, rather than dismantle, the
traditional economy and value systems, and the customary laws and practices in order to keep
the women's status high and protect their dignity.” 15
In a rapid study on cluster TVET implementation of DSWD SLP in Zamboanga del Sur,
TVET trainings for women in rural communities are entirely limited to Beauty Care,
Dressmaking, Cookery, among other related skills which in plain view would suggest that
women’s place in the employment sector are stereotyped only as non-laborious and non- highly
technical workforce. This predicament gives multiple blows to indigenous women because they
are “women” and “indigenous”(Gangoso, 2018). A key outcome of the Philippine technical
education and skills training framework should be the empowerment of identified marginalized
sectors and women, especially IP women, should be at the frontrow. The importance of
women’s empowerment as a general outcome of the TVET framework should be treated as
indispensable.
The TESDA TVET Framework adopts an up-down approach in developing
competency-based trainings where national and regional level key employment generating
sectors (KEG) extracted from the Labor Market Intelligence Report of the Department of Labor
and Employment (DOLE) are the main factors in determining priorities the distribution of
training scholarship programs as well as the development of new training programs.
Scholarships are only given to programs with a promulgated Training Regulation (TR). Thus the
development and implementation of a No Training Regulation (NTR) program does not provide
15 See https://www.hurights.or.jp
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 17
technical vocational training institutions and trainers the incentives for doing so because there
are no subsidized training vouchers available under the current TESDA Scholarship schemes.
And because IP-based trainings may only fall under the NTR category, it is unlikely that such
programs will be developed and implemented in the near future save for some institutions that
are dedicated towards empowering the Indigenous peoples through IP-driven technical
vocational education and training programs.
In addition to, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for its part
promulgated TESDA Circular No 3-Series of 2008 which dictates that the key employment
generators will be extensively used as the basis for the distribution of Training for Work
Scholarship Programs (TWSP) and Special Training for Employment Program (STEP). Said 16
circular recognizes Indigenous peoples and cultural minorities as among Special clientele of the
scholarship programs but such provision considers them of parallel importance to a wide range
of other clientele such as farmers and fishermen, workers in the informal sector, senior citizens,
among others which makes the Indigenous communities further marginalized among the
already marginalized sectors.
This is contrary to the concept of bottom-up approach in developing development and
capacity-building interventions for Indigenous communities where beneficiaries themselves will
identify their skills needs. It is a painful fact that these urbanization-contributing key
employment generators dictate TESDA’s priority programs rather than the dire conditions of
rural and indigenous communities. To seriously empower Indigenous communities, there should
be a transformation of power relationships where approaches to IP empowerment should not 17
16 For more information of TESDA Circular No 3-2018 see http://www.tesda.gov.ph/Uploads/File/ TWSP%20and%20STEP/TWSP%202018/TESDA%20omnibus%20twsp-step.pdf 17 Labonte (2002)
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 18
be limited to government and community partnerships where technical education and skills
trainings should also be based on indigenous perspectives. It is therefore conclusive to say that
the current TVET policy and framework further marginalizes the Indigenous communities.
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 19
Model Schools in Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples
The Australian Vocational Education and Training Experience
According to Cydde Miller of the National Centre for Vocational Education Research
(Australia), his ten-year research and systematic review show that the national vocational
education and training (VET) system in Australia is still challenged by the goal of reaching a
suitable balance between pursuing equality for all, and training that is compatible and affirming
of Indigenous community aspirations and cultures.It notes that “there are seven factors that will
lead to positive outcomes in vocational education and training for Indigenous Peoples:
● Community ownership and involvement
● Indigenous identities, cultures, knowledge and values
● True partnerships
● Flexibility in course design, content and delivery
● Quality staff and committed advocacy
● Student support services
● Funding and sustainability” 18
Although these factors are manifestations from Indigenous Australians’ aspirations on
VET outcomes, they remain essential in conducting tech-voc trainings regardless of time and
place. The research reflects general strategic and coordinated appropriate policy and practices
applicable to ensure indigenous peoples’ skills for self-development, employment, community
development, and self-determination. Taking into consideration the heterogeneity of
18 Aspects of training that meet Indigenous Australians’ aspirations: A systematic review of research.National Centre for Vocational Education Research(2005) <see: http://ncver.edu.au>
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 20
indigenous communities and cultures in the Philippines and in some sense its similarity to
Australia, the TVET experience from the latter serves as a key reference in developing IP-driven
TVET programs in the Philippines.
Figure 3: How the Seven Factors Interact. 19
The Australian experience gives us some important takeaways. Indigenous identities,
cultures, knowledge and values shall be integrated into IP-driven technical education and skills
trainings. Methodologies used in course designs, content and delivery should be flexible. They
should not be constrained to standards utilized in basic and tertiary education that have been
applied in TVET.
19 Ibid.
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 21
Case Studies of Best Practices in IP Education in the Philippines
Case Study 1: The School of Living Traditions
The School of Living Tradition (SLT) is a project of the Subcommission on Cultural
Communities and Traditional Arts of the NCCA which establishes informal learning systems in
indigenous communities where indigenous knowledge and skills are taught to young IP
members by cultural masters (Talavera,2015). SLT’s are established with technical and financial
support from NCCA in different parts of the country. The SLT Model includes:
● Living Community as Learning Center
● Non-formal Civic Center
● Formal School Type
● Non-Formal Workshop/Demonstrations
● The Living Master as Resident Artist
In the province of Zamboanga del Sur, the SLT’s are organized by the Dumendinga Arts
Guild Inc, a non-profit organization supported by the NCCA. In their experience, the
Dumendingan Arts Guild Inc or DAGI has gone beyond being an organization devoted towards
the preservation of indigneous culture and the arts to becoming an organization synonymous to
NCCA and Subanen. Over the years, DAGI has successfully carried out programs from
capability-building of emerging cultural organizations to providing technical support to
indigenous artists. DAGI’s success is the result of their deep rooted and first hand experience
with indigenous communities. Key takeaways from DAGI’s experience are as follows:
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 22
1. For educators and trainers, it does not always mean that someone from outside
the community cannot be effective and will be rejected. Living ample time with
the Subanen people is key to their acceptance and support as in the case of
DAGI’s experience.
2. Respect to Cultural Masters, giving them high regard, regardless of their formal
education credentials, ensures success in the conduct of training. This is
secondary to financial and technical support. The cultural masters’ interest in the
conduct of training to younger generations especially on skills and craft relating
to their culture is the preservation of their tribe’s indigenous knowledge and
skills, culture and tradition.
3. In all of the types of skills training done in indigenous communities, those whose
ultimate outcome is the preservation of traditional language & cultural practices
are the ones which are sustained and have gained unquestionable success.
4. According to DAGI’s experience, using an IP-centered approach in project
development- meaning from planning, to implementation, monitoring and
evaluation, the participation of tribal leaders and cultural masters are
indispensable. While there are legal procedures in accordance to the Indigenous
People’s Rights Act that must be observed in the conduct of any project within IP
communities, the tribe’s historical and cultural practices such as spiritual
offerings, rituals and consultation processes take precedence.
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 23
Case Study 2: The Southeast Asian Institute Experimental Curriculum
A private Deped-recognized and TESDA-registered academic institution in Western
Mindanao, the Southeast Asian Institute of Public Management Inc. has established a
pioneering initiative to integrate IP education into Senior High School Technical Vocational
Strands, and has developed a TESDA NTR Program in Traditional Fabric and Non-fabric Design (
Weaving, Embroidery and Beadwork).
A. SAI’s Senior High School Program for Indigenous Youth
Southeast Asian Institute’s experimental Senior High School Program for Indigenous
Youth started in 2018 with a cohort of Subanen students who are native Subanen speakers
(non-Cebuano speaking) from a highly homogenous Subanen community and are not likely to
proceed to Senior high school levels due to absence of financial capacity and access to a public
high school. Forty-eight students, mostly girls, are given full scholarship support-allowances,
tuition fees, uniform, books, board and lodging, among others. Far from their remote village,
almost inaccessible by vehicle transportation, 89 kilometers from the closest urban center,
these senior high school students live in a subsidized dormitory at the Southeast Asian
Institute’s Pagadian City Campus. As to curriculum, Southeast Asian Institute’s IP-based Senior
High School Program adds two mandatory elective courses: Subanen Studies and Subanen
Language, divided into two levels each for Grade 11 and Grade 12. These two courses are taught
in both English and Subanen mediums. All Core courses such as Math, English and Sciences as
well as specialized technical vocational courses are taught in English and Subanen as well.
Professional teachers who are native Subanen speakers are especially hired to handle the core
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 24
and specialized courses. But for the elective courses which cover Subanen culture, history,
tradition, and arts and craft, the Institute tapped cultural masters to teach, providing them
technical, logistical and financial support. During a course of two years, the Southeast Asian
Institute has been able to develop learning modules with learning activities based on the actual
learning sessions led and managed by the Subanen cultural masters. On a more foundational
level, the Institute believes that the IP-based program should be able to break cultural barriers
between Subanen and non-Subanen students and it should encourage Subanen and
non-Subanen students to use the Subanen language in the same way Cebuano is used. If these
long-term outcomes are achieved, the threat of Subanen language dying out will be reversed.
SAI’s Senior High School Program for indigenous youth teaches us the following key takeaways:
1. Cultural education should not be limited to IP communities and members. In fact, it
should be made mandatory to non-IP learners in both IP and non-IP areas. It is possible
to integrate IP Studies and IP Language courses in the Senior High school levels.
2. Native language should be used as a second language among learners, both IP and
non-IP in technical vocational courses.
3. For a technical education program to succeed, cultural masters and tribal leaders should
play a crucial role and recognition and resources should be accorded to them.
4.
B. SAI’s TESDA NTR Program in Traditional Design (Weaving , Embroidery and Beadwork)
Southeast Asian Institute ventured into developing a technical skills program that
focuses on indigenous craft skills that will cover Level I to Level III of the Philippine
Qualifications Framework. In a conference organized by TESDA Zamboanga del Sur to initiate
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 25
IP-driven programs, the author presented a
curricular design framework for its NTR program
consistent with the competency standards of
TESDA (Gangoso, 2019). The Traditional
Decorative Textile/ Fabric & Non-fabric Design
(Weaving, Embroidery & Beadwork) Curricular
Matrix is structured into the following TESDA/
PQF levels:
● Level I- Traditional Weaving/
Embroidery/ Beadwork Assistant
● Level II- Traditional Weaver
● Level III- Cultural Master
The curriculum was developed by SAI
with the Subanen cultural masters and tribal
leaders as the key panel experts. A feasibility
study was made and the program was applied 20
for registration at the TESDA Zamboanga del Sur
Provincial Office as an NTR Program. It was 21
implemented with success despite the absence
of support from TESDA.
Figure 4: SAI Curriculum in Traditional Design PQF Levels I-III
20 Market Research Study on the Entrepreneurial and Opportunities of Graduates in Traditional Decorative Textile/ Fabric & Non-Fabric Design (Weaving Embroidery & Beadwork) , by P Gangoso
21Ibid
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 26
From SAI’s experience in developing an IP-based technical training program that shall be
registered as an NTR Program of TESDA, the following are the key takeaways:
1. The program’s key principles includes: First, the IP (Subanen) communities right to
self-determination must be recognized where they shall be given the opportunity to
identify and prioritize which traditional industries and what government-recognized
training programs shall be developed. Second, the standards of skills, training activities,
and assessment of learner outcomes are based on tradition rather than commercial or
global industrial standards. Third, that knowledge, skills and attitude development is
anchored on the preservation of the local community’s indigenous culture and tradition,
rather than to increase the employability of learners into urban-based industries.
2. In terms of curricular content, the identification of tools and equipment as well as the
production process of crafts should be based on traditional and historically appropriate
standards instead of commercially available ones. In weaving for example, the
measurement of specific raw materials shall be done by using the trainee’s thumb
instead of a ruler.
3. In terms of training delivery, training should be done using the native/ indigenous
language. The trainer should be someone who enjoys the status of a cultural master or
a tribal leader. Teaching methodologies should be flexible, non-linear and
non-structured. In IP culture, rituals are performed prior to, during and after the
learning sessions.
4. In the development and application of these types of programs in TESDA , support and
appreciation including funding should be provided by the government agency. SAI’s
experience suggests that the TESDA does not give funding, and the application of such a
program takes longer than the usual TR-based training simply because there are many
requirements which are inappropriate to the IP-based nature of the training program.
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 27
Case Study 3: IP Education in Philippine Basic Education
The United Nations Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) provides for
the right of IPs “to establish and control their education systems and institutions providing
education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching
and learning”. Other than its membership to the UN, the Philippines remains a signatory to 22
more international treaties and agreements for the protection of IP rights and cultural 23
preservation.
Critical developments on education, however, have manifested in recent years. These
are products of successful interventions by the DepEd, non government organizations (NGOs),
IP organizations (IPOs), and other community-based initiatives which effectively respond to the
learning needs of indigenous learners.
As the government’s arm in nurturing Filipinos’ basic education, the Department of
Education (DepEd), in line with its constitutional mandate and adherence to the Indigenous 24
Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997, implements the Indigenous People’s Education (IPEd)
Program in 2011 in response to the right of IP to education—formally institutionalizing IP
context, respect to their identities, and promotion of indigenous knowledge, skills, and other
aspects of their cultural heritage. Not long after the enforcement of DepEd Order No. 62, s. 25
2011 (DO62) outlining the policy framework for IPEd Program, the new K to 12 Basic Education 26
Curriculum was adopted in 2013 ⼀ subscribing to the international demands of educational
22 Art. 14.1, page 7 23 Education for All (1990) and the Millennium Development Goals (2000); 1990 World Declaration on Education For
All (also known as Jomtien Declaration); 2000 Dakar Framework for Action; etc. 24 Article XIV, Section 2.4; Article XIV, Section 17 25 RA No. 10533. Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 26 Enshrined under DO62 is the Indigenous Peoples Participation Framework (IPPF) for the Teacher Effectiveness and
Competencies Enhancement Project (TEACEP)
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 28
standards and principles that are: inclusive, culture-sensitive, and flexible enough to enable and
allow schools to localize, indigenize, and enhance based on the community’s educational and
social context . 27
In a study by Maria Lourie Victor and Belmer Yano (2015) on the areas of interface of 28
perspectives in formulating a meaningful national policy framework for indigenous peoples’
education, DO62 was in fact “the first rights-based, comprehensive, and systemic policy on
culturally responsive education for indigenous children and youth”—a product of decades of
dialogue between indigenous communities. Its institutionalization was a drastic move from the
preceding policies by DepEd that catered to more specific concerns (e.g., recognition of
community-based schools in IP areas, production of educational resources), local in scope
(regional, division, school levels), and tended to focus on service delivery. 29
Embedded in this national framework are a series of community engagements and
consultations with IP authorities to ensure that all initiatives of the Program are responsive 30
and appropriate to the local community.. These foundational mechanisms and processes paved
way for succeeding major initiatives which include the following:
● Training of School Heads and Teachers of schools with 100% IP enrollment
● Development of a contextualization process for lesson plans and other learning
resources appropriate to IP learners
27 RA No. 10533 . Section 5 (h) 28 Actualizing the Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in Education: A Policy Initiative in the Philippines. Human
Rights Education in Asia-Pacific. 29 Ibid. 30 Department Order 34, s. 2017 or the Guidelines on the Formation of Consultative and Advisory Bodies (CAB) on IP
Education in Regions Implementing the IPEd Program.
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 29
● Development of the four minima needed for the implementation of the Mother
Tongue-based Multilingual Education (MTB- MLE) of IP languages
● Regularized capacity building of community elders, leaders and representatives
involved in the IPEd Program
● School establishment in areas with no education services
● Establishment of pioneer senior high schools designed and anchored on the
community’s Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSPs) and
community context
● Development of key policies to support IPEd Program implementation.
The philosophy behind these educational initiatives are akin to the concept of
Indigenous Learning Systems (ILS) and IP knowledge and wisdom under Indigenous Knowledge
Systems and Practices (IKSP). Both reflect the IP/ICCs way of life or culture through time.
Education and culture are thus understood to be intrinsically intertwined, and are central to the
life of the community in the preservation of their identity.
The actualization of the indigenous peoples’ rights in education is slowly unfolding.
Through the years, data available to the Department show that several targets were met: (1)
devolution and implementation of IPEd to 117 division and 16 regional field offices and focal
persons all over the country to guarantee IP and local community consultations ; (2) as of SY 31
2018-2019, DepEd totaled 2,593,555 IP learners upon provision of more educational inputs ; 32
and (3) by SY 2017-2018, the IPEd Program reached the school level with the national
31 For more information, se e: TEACEP. Draft 32 deped.gov.ph
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 30
implementation of contextualized lesson plans in Kinder and Grade 1. As of SY 2019-2020, there
were 3,034 IPEd implementing schools using contextualized lesson plans. 33
The existing IPEd Program manifests the efforts by the government in fulfilling its
Millennium Development Goal on Education For All (EFA). However, anecdotal evidence and
available reports suggest low survival and completion rates among IP learners. “The formal 34
education system in the Philippines had not addressed this aspect of indigenous peoples’
educational needs.” (Victor and Yano, 2015) Such result is not only limited to the usual problem
of access to and quality of education in the school system. There were hidden barriers such as 35
the following:
● Experiences of discrimination based on one’s ethnic identity, considered to be “native”
or “tribal;”
● Difficulties with the language of learning because the language used in school was
different from what was used at home and in the community. The inconsistency of
languages used hindered the development of learning skills and comprehension of
topics being discussed;
● Comprehension difficulties because the social and cultural contexts of the lessons
differed very much from the realities of the indigenous children’s communities; and
33 DepEd Order No. 50, s. 2016 or Hiring Guidelines for Teacher I Positions for Schools Implementing IPEd Effective SY 2015- 2016. As of SY 2018-2019, 2,177 teachers have been hired through this policy, most of them IPs themselves. Source: TEACEP. Draft
34 EED-TFIP (EED Philippine Partners Task Force for Indigenous Peoples Rights) study in 2004 (As cited in: Cariño, Jacqueline K. 2010. Country Technical Notes on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues: Philippines. Draft. International Fund for Agricultural Development. (p. 17)
35 National Study by the Episcopal Commission on Indigenous Peoples (2008), cited by Victor and Yano (2015)
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 31
● Cognitive dissonance and personal tensions that became tensions in the family and
community because their identity and the way of life practiced at home and in the
community were negated and/or considered primitive and backward in school.
Despite the attempts made by DepEd to provide a rights-based approach to IP’s basic
education, it falls short in establishing a strong advocacy for the preservation and
empowerment of IP knowledge, systems, and practices. The IKSP must be observed with utmost
self-determination, safeguarded community and intellectual rights, and equitable sharing of
benefits reserved for the cultural well-being of IP communities. These hidden barriers have 36
brought about the “alienation of indigenous youth from their own communities, heritage,
culture and history.” A study by Lilibeth Villaplaza (2021) among schools with IPEd programs 37
validates the foregoing—that in terms of pedagogy and methodology and IKSP got a
“satisfactory” rating, while curriculum content and planning language of instruction, teacher
training, materials, and assessment and evaluation got a “poor” rating. Hence, recommending 38
the DepEd to intensify the participation of stakeholders in the instructional materials design and
development, and to craft curricula that originate from the grassroots IKSP.
The same can be accounted for by the absence of an IPEd integration or curriculum on
Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) given the adoption of the Philippine
Qualification Framework and with the enhanced basic education. The introduction of the TVL
track in the Senior High School program was a pivotal development where closer coordination
36 NCIP AO No. 1, s. 2012. 37 Ibid. 38 Level of Implementation of Indigenous Peoples Education Program in Agusan del Sur, Philippines. Asia Pacific
Journal of Contemporary Education and Communication Technology.
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 32
and collaboration between DepEd and TESDA has been critical: requiring the two agencies to
work together in the integration of TVET skills, competencies, and qualifications (including in
Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) in Junior high school) as translated into the
corresponding Curriculum Guides; ensuring that senior high school TVL graduates are eligible
for TESDA assessments (i.e., COC, NC I, or NC II); developing learning resources that are aligned
with TESDA’s training regulations; and developing in-service training and certification programs
for TLE and TVL teachers.
Here are key takeaways in IPED with regard to IP Education:
1. Deped has shown that Integration of IP Education into the Philippine Basic Education is
possible whereby IP members can be developed or tapped into teachers. To date when
access to basic education in rural areas is steadily improving, more and more indigneous
community members are completing postsecondary and licensure education in
teaching. These emerging workforce could be developed into cultural education
specialists.
2. IPED experience shows that there is a demand for serious efforts to develop IP-based
learning materials. While IPED has been creating “contextual” learning materials which is
a good start, IP-based learning materials are yet to be developed. Meanwhile, Curricular
development that shall apply IP-based education principles has not been seriously
considered yet. It is therefore important for IP education not only to use IP/native
language as a medium of instruction or to use IKSP as basis for “contextual” learning
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 33
materials development, but to develop materials and curricula where IP members
themselves develop, teach and utilize.
3. While it is significantly a good practice to tap native speakers of IP languages among
public school teachers as IPED instructors, there is no platform or systematic plan to tap
existing “cultural masters” or “tribal leaders” among IP communities as IPED Instructors.
In Subanen, they are the “ Gukoms,” Thimuays” , and “Balians“. There have been
attempts to “consult” them or “solicit” their ideas but DepEd refuses to recognize their 39
position in the community simply because they do not qualify to become a part of the
elite and professional education community. While most cultural masters lack the
academic credentials required to become a licensed public school teacher, they enjoy
culturally and historically-established political leadership and an unequivocal degree of
respect from among the IP community members. When indigenous culture, history and
tradition, not basic literacy, are concerned, cultural masters are the authority in the
field. They do not need a PhD or a college degree or a professional eligibility to attain
such status. Is it really difficult for our policymakers to understand this? It is therefore
imperative that for technical education programs to succeed, traditional leadership and
political structures should be applied as among special requirements for trainers or
should be given equivalency to academic requirements.
39 Ibid.
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 34
Case Study 4: the ALCADEV
Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development, Inc. (ALCADEV)
was established in July 19, 2004 as an alternative learning system especially designed to provide
secondary education to indigent indigenous youth -the Manobo , Higaonon, Banwaon,
Talaandig and Mamanwa. They live in the poverty-stricken mountains of Surigao del Norte and
Sur, Agusan del Norte and Sur (Caraga Region , Philippines). 40
According to AlCADEV’S Blog Site,
“There are no schools in these communities. Children walk under the scorching
heat of the sun or even brave storms to reach the town centers where the schools are.
Oftentimes , these schools are some 20 kilometers away from their homes. It is no
surprise that even before the year ends, many of the indigenous youth drop out of the
school. Their parents could not keep up with the high cost of transportation, food and
lodging and other expenses necessary to finish even a year in high school. The
indigenous youth also endure and are most of the time discouraged by derogatory
remarks and treatment from the lowlanders who consider them as second class citizens.
Cognizant of the aspirations of the indigenous youth and their families and communities,
ALCADEV fills in the void by providing secondary education that is relevant to their
culture and needs. ALCADEV ensures that the knowledge and skills the indigenous youth
acquire from school serves not only their individual growth but also the development of
their communities.
40 See https://alcadev.wordpress.com
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 35
ALCADEV offers academic studies, vocational and technical skills. Students are
likewise linked up with their communities through various activities with their parents
and community members.
ALCADEV closely coordinates with the indigenous people’s organizations and also
with the Department of Education-Bureau of Alternative Learning System (CARAGA and
Surigao del Sur), TESDA, local government units, private and public schools and
nongovernment organizations that promote alternative farming technology and offers
various livelihood skills training program.” 41
While ALCADEV has drawn a lot of controversy in relation to its political affiliation to
progressive movements in the Philippines, there is no doubt about their best practices.
In 2014, ALCADEV received the Most Outstanding Literacy Program in the Province of
Caraga. In the same year, Alcadev was nominated and won 5th place in the National Literacy
Awards Outstanding Literacy Program Category of the Department of Education (DepEd). and in
2015, while in evacuation, Alcadev students and teachers led the communities into developing
idle lands from farmers' organizations and support groups, allowing them to use the farming
skills learned at Alcadev. As a result, they were able to fill the food needs of 3,000 evacuees and
were able to sell some more, according to a 2017 updated report prepared by NGOs and church
institutions that support tribal schools in Caraga. 42
41 Ibid . 42 https://www.rappler.com/nation/caraga-school-focused-agriculture-help-sustain-lumad-communities
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 36
These recognitions are an evidence of the effectiveness of ALCADEV’s pedagogical
approach in IP education. Sustainable vocational farming skills training with long-term capital
and technical support provides economic stimulus to impoverished and inclusive indigenous
communities. Its DepEd-sanctioned Alternative Learning System (ALS) program provides
alternative formal learning to communities which have no access to the DepEd’s basic public
school education services. Having access to basic literacy and foundational skills education
highly empowers these indigenous communities. The inclusion of technical education along
with the promotion of local tribal culture and tradition into these learning platforms that
ALCADEV provides to indigenous communities creates a political vacuum brought by the
polarity between rural and urban and between IP and non-IP communities in the Philippines in
terms of access to basic education. There is beyond any doubt that such an approach in both
formal and vocational skills training applied by ALCADEV hits the very core of IP empowerment-
decolonization and social transformation. Healing of conflict resulting from social justice is 43
one area where the Philippine government needs to look into as the current militaristic
approach is a long step back from upholding IP rights. In the ALCADEV experience, indigenous
people themselves identify the processes and methodologies factoring in community, tradition,
culture and values . 44
43 Smith (1999) 44 Ibid.
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 37
A Competency-based TVET Framework for Indigenous Peoples
Key Principles and Pedagogies
Technical vocational education should encompass indigenous, community-based
principles. It must contribute to the reversal of the impacts of long, historical colonization 45
brought by education itself, ironically, and most particular of these impacts is the subjugation
and marginalization of indigenous peoples- their culture, knowledge and even language (May,
1999). It must seek to counter the assimilation of indigenous culture and language into
dominant culture and languages of education systems which are primarily, if not exclusively,
developed and controlled by non-indigneous educators (cf Anderson,1991), a precept that
prevails in today IPED framework of the Philippines’ Department of Education.
Technical skills trainings currently implemented by TESDA on a general scale which
includes indigenous communities as among its recipients should utilize linguistically and
culturally appropriate training implementation approaches. While these programs do not
necessarily follow IP-driven pedagogies, they must at least recognize the economic, political,
and cultural and linguistic structures of indigenous communities.
But TESDA must not settle for less in terms of developing programs that will follow a
new framework for IP-driven technical education and skills training. It must not confine its
mandate into the domain of global skills competency alignments without taking into account
the growing demand for IP-based skills trainings. The current TVET Framework should be able to
contribute to the targeted outcomes of the Sustainable Development Goals or Agenda 2030
45 For detailed discussion, see : May, Stephen (1 January 1999). Indigenous Community-Based Education
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 38
which includes in many areas the Indigenous Peoples. On a country-level, the TVET framework
must incorporate or explicitly pronounce the inclusion of the Indigenous Peoples empowerment
through technical education and skills training as among its long-term development agenda. It
must afford to Indigenous peoples the spirit of RA 8371 and its Implementing Rules and 46
Regulations which recognizes the right to equal opportunity and treatment towards them.
From this point onwards, we will discuss the proposed Competency-based TVET
Framework for Indigneous Peoples.
Figure 5: A Working Model: TVET Framework for Indigenous Peoples
46 RA 8371: Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 39
An ideal school in TVET for Indigenous Peoples should adopt three highly recognizable
core principles that correlates to global impact levels: Empowerment, Social Transformation,
and Culture of Peace.
IP Empowerment
For this paper’s purpose,
we will define IP Empowerment as
granting Indigenous Peoples
exclusive control in the utilization
and development of their
resources, including their ancestral domains, and of their way of life identity, language, culture
and spiritual beliefs without intervention and coercive imposition of policies from state actors
that counters their right to self-determination. IP Empowerment is widely recognized as an
indispensable core principle in IP Education. In retrospect, IP education must be able to close
the polarity between indigenous and non-indigenous learners in terms of success. Language
death (Crawford, 1994) must be reversed and indigenous language use must be promoted to
non-speakers both indigenous and non-indigenous learners in basic education. This is only
possible if the Competency Standards in technical education and skills trainings are primarily
driven by the Economic, Political and Socio-cultural interests of the indigenous peoples. Also,
Indigenous Knowledge Systems must be at the core of the curricula of technical education and
skills programs. Community-recognized political structures must be incorporated in learning
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 40
delivery, trainer and assessment standards with the tribal leaders and cultural masters at the
forefront.
It must decolonize indigenous communities from deep-rooted impacts of coercive and
assimilative education systems , past and present. TVET education must eventually heighten the
economic and political status of Indigenous peoples on a national and regional and even global
scale.
Social Transformation
Social transformation can be defined as the conscious process of change of an
individual’s identity and of the society to which one belongs over time in terms of social
relationships, behavior and values as a result of economic, political and cultural development
including technological advances and innovations. Taking into account the marginalization of
indigenous peoples and the colonization of indigenous knowledge and systems, an TVET
Framework for IP’s must be transformative in a way that it will return to the indigenous peoples
the latter’s right to determine their own future. It must effectively break the cultural barriers
between IP’s and non-IP’s in the Philippines to give the former economic and political leverage.
Indigenous women who have been robbed of their historical societal leadership in IP
communities must be given special treatment in all education and training programs.
Culture of Peace
Technical education and skills trainings must contribute towards healing conflict brought
by colonial education. A peace-based approach in curriculum development and skills training
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 41
implementation should be adopted. The individual skills of adult tribal members along with
their collective assets must be exploited in the process of establishing an effective collaboration
among parallel initiatives and in mainstreaming indigenous knowledge into existing and future
technical vocational education and training programs. Resistance and negative perception
towards technical education and skills training interventions from IP members are often the
result of linear, time-paced and traditional training pedagogies used by TESDA trainers and
Techvoc Training Institutions (TVI). Technical education and skills development specialists
therefore should adopt a method of engaging indigenous communities based on the latter’s
interest and terms and must look forward to contributing to the healing of historical conflict and
to the culture of peace. Culture of peace as defined by the UN is “a set of values, attitudes,
traditions and modes of behaviors and ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflicts by
tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation among
individuals, groups and nations.” 47
Factors in Developing an IP-based TVET Competency Standards Matrix
An IP-based competency standards matrix follows a bottom-up, community-driven
pedagogical and curricula development approach. It must factor on the economic,
socio-cultural and political realities of indigenous communities.
47https://undocs.org/A/RES/53/243
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 42
Community Ownership
Community ownership at one
hand is having community members
take the lead in the implementation of
an education or training program; on
the other hand, it is also being able to
address the economic needs and
challenges of an individual IP member and the IP community as a whole. In the process of
developing IP-centered competency standards, it is important to appraise dire local
employment and household income issues of IP communities. More often, these issues bury
the more ethnocentric interest of tribal leaders in preserving tribal traditions. When tribal
communities have full ownership of the trainings, they will find it more difficult to turn their
back on these crucial community issues and the outright impact of these trainings on their
economy will ensure that. At the household levels for instance, women are often limited to
household work and when employment and income by men cannot provide for the needs of a
growing family or has become impossible, the drive for women to take on the responsibility to
earn for a living will overwhelm household and community political structures. In many
Subanen communities in Western Mindanao, tribal leadership is no longer exclusive to men as
women are getting more and more empowered without breaking the values and traditions of
their respective communities. This evolving politics within indigenous communities can be taken
into consideration in the development of training intervention models. Women should be given
a dynamic and empowering role and their drive for economic empowerment should be given
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 43
emphasis. An IP-centered technical education and skills training model must therefore empower
communities to take control of their local employment and economic challenges and encourage
community ownership of such training programs.
Indigenous Knowledge, Systems and Practices
The Tradition and Culture of Indigenous peoples, and not the industry standards outside
of the community, should determine the standards of skills certification systems in IP-based
TVET Programs. Core competencies in technical education and skills programs must reflect
cultural identity and tradition of indigenous peoples. Indigenous knowledge, systems and
practices should define the skills sets in specific learning outcomes of basic and common
competency standards. These standards should be flexible and adaptive to each specific IP
tribal community. Trainings must be delivered in native languages and if practical, as a second
language in communities where indigenous languages are totally assimilated or dead. In arts
and crafts, creativity must take precedence over market standardization.
Recognition of IP Political Structures
Political structures and mechanisms in IP communities must be respected in a way that
the competency standards defining the technical and academic requirements of TVET educators
and trainers must be in accordance with the realities in IP communities. Cultural masters must
be accorded high regard in terms of their qualifications equivalent to certified training
specialists or licensed formal education practitioners. Their formal education credentials do not
matter. Their knowledge and skills are paramount and magisterial. Recognition of Prior Learning
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 44
or RPL should extend beyond a person’s educational and professional background to take in
tribal leadership status of cultural masters.
Curriculum, Learning Material, Delivery, Assessment and Module Development
Following the
horizontal order of TVET
Competency Standards
development, both
policymakers, and technical
educators and skills trainers
alike must ensure that course
modules are designed as flexible as possible in outlining specific learning activities and delivery
methods to allow IP trainers to apply tribal religious practices and traditions. Developing a
competency-based curriculum requires the utilization of participatory, non-formal
communication approaches in training program development and planning, curriculum design
and implementation. Curriculum developers must ensure that competency -based curricula are
not developed in a linear, structured manner. The critical dimensions of learning such as
community participation, sense of community, local resource development, social capital, local
empowerment and strategies for building capacities are integral aspects of the curricula.
Content of training should be based on community-accepted traditional standards such as
styles, designs, patterns, processes, tools, equipment among others. Trainings should be
delivered in native tongue/ indigenous language in linguistically homogenous IP communities. In
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 45
areas where indigenous language is no longer used as a mother tongue, the native language
should be used as a secondary medium of instruction and language classes shall be included as
an elective competency. The conduct of assessment and skills certification does not necessarily
follow the usual processes used in the current TVET standards of TESDA. Assessment and
certification may be done in an informal, portfolio or output-based evaluation and assessors do
not need formal technical accreditation process nor be required a standardized trainer’s
methodology training and certification.
Proposed Policy Reforms in the Current TVET Framework
In addition to the adoption of a separate yet parallel TVET Framework for Indigenous
Peoples, the following policy reforms to the existing TVET Framework are recommended:
1. TESDA shall adopt a policy where existing TR and non-TR based TESDA programs
that will be implemented in indigenous communities or for IP members must
integrate IP Language and IP studies as a mandatory elective Common
Competency in the same way as TESDA have done to Entrepreneurship.
2. The TESDA UTPRAS Policy must be amended to give Tribal Leaders and Cultural
Masters presumption of compliance to Trainer Qualifications and Requirements
in training programs for IP’s. A system of giving prior learning equivalency or
exemption in terms of educational qualifications shall be established. Likewise,
incentives and opportunities for accelerated training and non-formal education
shall be afforded to them. For documentary purposes, a TESDA-certified trainer
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 46
may be assigned to provide technical support and perform paperwork as
co-trainer.
3. TESDA officials, personnel and staff and accredited assessors and trainers
involved in trainings for IP communities or where IP members are beneficiaries
must be required to undergo cultural sensitivity trainings and native language
courses.
4. TESDA must incentivize the development of NTR programs by TVI’s aimed at
promoting indigenous skills trainings which take into account the key principles
of IP Education. Scholarship grants should be allocated to programs that are
consistent with the TVET Framework for Indigenous Peoples.
A Framework for Technical Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines 47
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