Republic of the Philippines

President Ramon Magsaysay State University

(Formerly Ramon Magsaysay Technological University)
Iba, Zambales (Main Campus)

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S EDUCATION

(Emerging issues in IPs’ Education)

OBJECTIVES:

CONTENT:

The education of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in the Philippines faces several emerging and
continuing issues, reflecting broader socio-political, economic, and cultural challenges. Despite
efforts to improve the inclusivity and accessibility of education for IPs, significant gaps and
obstacles remain. Some of the key emerging issues include:

Access to Education

Geographic isolation remains a significant barrier. Many Indigenous communities are

situated in remote areas, making access to educational facilities difficult. This is compounded by
the lack of transportation and infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, which can be particularly
challenging during adverse weather conditions.

Several interviews revealed that most of the respondents made it to the elementary level
because of the accessibility of an education facility located near their (respondents) houses.
Those who decided to study in high school had to walk more than 5 to 8 kilometers or ride a
transportation vehicle to reach the nearest secondary school facility. In some areas of Dingalan,
Aurora, secondary education facilities are situated in the town proper only. Those living in the
island have to travel via traditional boat for around 1 to 2 hr to reach the town proper. ( Eduardo
& Gabriel, 2021).

Some of the students doesnt have the luxury to have a proper transportation just to go to
school, if they have one, they are not pleasant to everyone and it was justified by the statements
of the participants that we interviewed. “Naglalakad lang ako papuntang eskwela” and “Meron
kaming motor pero pang gasolina walang budget. Tapos dahan dahan lang kame baka kase
madisgrasya.”
Cultural Relevance and Sensitivity
There is an ongoing need for culturally relevant and sensitive educational content that
respects and incorporates Indigenous knowledge, languages, and traditions. The mainstream
education system often overlooks the cultural and linguistic diversity of Indigenous Peoples,
leading to a curriculum that may not fully engage or retain IP students.

The concern of IP education is both global and international in scope. IPs are mostly
deprived of access to quality education. The current curriculum of education programs is
incapable of addressing the special needs of the IPs/ICCs. Despite the reality that very few
Indigenous students can do well in the education methods that do not consider the uniqueness of
Indigenous culture, the system of Education still assumes universality of application,
disregarding the distinctive nature of IP students’ cultural orientation and social experiences.
(Eduardo & Gabriel, 2021).

In the Philippines, instructors are usually encouraged and advised to be creative in their
methods of teaching to effectively connect with IPs/ICCs and respond to the demand of Section
30 of the IPRA of 1997 which states that equal access to various cultural opportunities to the
ICCs/IPs must be provided through the mechanisms of the educational system. This includes
scholarship grants, rights to use their language, and methods appropriate to their cultural
orientation. ( Eduardo & Gabriel, 2021).

Cultural Invasion within the Framework of the Right to Education

According to Freire (2000), cultural invasion is a process where foreigners invade the
cultural context of a different group, impose their own perspectives upon their subjects, and
violate the invaded freedom of expression. This phenomenon of cultural invasion is always an
act of cultural” colonization” or destruction.

In the study conduct by Eduardo & Gabriel (2021), the Dumagats knew that they were
being deprived of their right to Education. It also denotes that the present education system in
their area does not fully realize the ideals of IPRA of 1997 but that despite this, the Dumagat
respondents have made a slight progress toward achieving what they are entitled to in Education.
Sadly, the story telling with the IPs revealed that they believe that the situation they are in is
cyclical and that their children would suffer the same destiny.

Results show that the respondents were highly aware of their right to “establish and
control their educational systems and institutions by having an education and teaching learning
process that is culturally adaptive of their own language, in a manner appropriate to their cultural
methods of teaching and learning” with a weighted mean of 3.62. This means that they had full
knowledge of this aspect; a right that is afforded to them since the enactment of IPRA in 1997.
But it was only in 2015 when the DepEd crafted the IPEd Curriculum Framework through
DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2015. As previously mentioned, the Order provides guidance on
educational engagements with Indigenous communities using the K-12 Curriculum which takes
into account the vernacular languages of the learners with the implementation of MTB-MLE, and
which reinforces the IKSP and the ILS.
 Regrettably, although the respondents were not beneficiaries of the Order, they observed
that their children are being schooled using a vernacular by the people in the mainstream known
as Tagalog. Notably, none among the teachers were fluent in speaking the Dumagats’ dialect.
This phenomenon is a form of oppression perpetrated through the use of language, a means to
wage “cultural invasion” within the context of Freires Pedagogy of the Oppressed.

Language Barriers
The medium of instruction is a persistent challenge. While there are efforts to use mother
tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) in the early years of schooling, consistency
and support for this approach can be lacking. Ensuring education is delivered in a language that
IP students understand is crucial for their learning and retention.

“We, Indigenous Peoples, cannot dream of a professional career. We are disadvantaged

by the policy of using English as the medium of instruction in Higher Education Institution
(HEI). The absence of an entrance examination tailored fit to our socio-cultural milieu and
experiences among HEIs prevents us from entering and experiencing university life. Today, all
HEIs are using examination instruments based upon majority cultural experiences and standards
of which we are not fully aware we will surely fail in the exam something has to be done”.
(Interview with Emmanuel B. Domingo, June 16, 2019) ( Eduardo & Gabriel, 2021).

Under the Governance Act for Basic Education otherwise known as Republic Act 9155,
the Alternative Learning System (ALS) was established to give an opportunity for out-of-school
children, the youth, and even the adult population to have basic Education. The Philippine
government, through the Department of Education (DepEd), also welcomes change and responds
to the needs of IPs/ICCs. The DepEd crafted the Indigenous Peoples Education (IPEd)
Curriculum Framework in recognition of the right of IPs to culturally rooted and responsive
basic Education (DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2015). It aims to give guidance to educational
institutions and programs as they work with Indigenous communities in making them understand
the K-12 Curriculum based on each IP community’s social and educational context. In the new
curriculum, a Mother Tongue–Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) is implemented which
considers the vernacular languages of the students. This reinforces and supplements the
Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSPs) and Indigenous Learning Systems (ILS).
It is likewise necessary for the IPEd to institutionalize partnerships between IP communities and
the respective schools/learning programs that cater them. This can be attained by conducting
sustainable community dialogues/engagements which could ensure the active participation of IP
communities in the inclusion of their IKSPs and ILS in the Basic Education Curriculum. Thus,
consistent with IPRA of 1997 and UNDRIP. ( Eduardo & Gabriel, 2021).

Despite these developments, there remain a lack of educators proficient in the language
of IPs/ICCs, as majority of Mother Tongue–based subjects cover only local dialects and
languages but not actually the language of the Indigenous natives. Another problem is that
majority of subjects being taught in educational institutions require the use of English terms in
the absence of an ethnic equivalent for the foreign words which are primarily English words.
( Eduardo & Gabriel, 2021).
 The participants were able to tell the researchers that they are having a hard time
understanding the lessons because of the language barrier and their teachers were using words
that they cannot comprehend, thus, this affected their performance in school. Participant 11 said
that.. [Kagaya nung malalalim na english di ko maintidihan, minsan nakakahiya kasi pag nag
rerecite kami sa room wala akong masagot]

According to McConville (2019), students studying a second language frequently have

trouble expressing themselves if they don't fully master that language. Their capacity to learn
may be hampered by the resulting mental stress. Based on the study conducted by Penfold (1996)
cited by Bandara et al. (2020), one of the factors that causes the struggles of the indigenous
students was the language barrier and it is affecting their academic performance.

Socio-Economic Challenges
Poverty rates are higher among Indigenous Peoples than in other segments of the
population, which affects their ability to afford educational expenses. Child labor, early
marriage, and other socio-economic factors also contribute to higher dropout rates among IP
students.

The imposition of the right to Education is challenged by the dehumanizing effects of

poverty present in most ICCs. The IP/ICC students are challenged by the cost of transportation
toward educational institutions, the necessity of board and lodging which again equals to
financial matters, and the need for subsistence allowance on top of all these concerns. Adding to
challenge is the discriminatory treatment of mainstream society (Adonis & Couch, 2017),
whether consciously or unconsciously done, which are often encountered by student IPs
attending regular schools or universities. The challenges being experienced by the Dumagats are
common to minority groups aspiring for Education to maximize their human potentials. The
Igorots (another IP/ICC group in the Philippines), for instance, “struggle to attain tertiary level
education.”
( Eduardo & Gabriel, 2021).

Additionally, indigenous children are more likely to be starving, unwell, and exhausted
when they arrive at school; they experience bullying frequently. But despite of those situations,
the indigenous students still go to school and stepping outside their comfort zone for their future.

The IP student respondents of Zambales perceived that inadequate financial resource to

pay the initial payments for enrolment was ranked first among the financial assistance/economic
status problems often met that could hinder the completion of tertiary education. This result
implies that the IP student respondents are experiencing financial difficulties and constraints.
Their family should use their limited income properly to have extra money or saving for their
children’s education. The study of Indigenous Higher Education Advisory Council (2020)
revealed that financial hardship remains on the top of the list as the main barrier to Indigenous
educational achievement. Reduction or removal of financial barriers to participation in higher
education has been deemed crucial to widening Indigenous participation. (Regaspi, 2023)
Resource Allocation
Schools serving Indigenous communities often suffer from inadequate resources,
including insufficient learning materials, lack of proper school facilities, and a shortage of
trained teachers. The teachers who do work in these areas might not always be trained in
culturally responsive pedagogy or fluent in the local Indigenous languages, impacting the quality
of education delivered.

On the study made by Buenaflor, et al. (2023), Lack of resources researching important
keywords are needed for the participants' schoolwork. The participants stated that one of the
modular work hindrances is not being able to search important keywords, for that the participants
struggle to find the latest information they need to complete a necessity schoolwork. Participant
1 shared that sometimes they are not allowed to use the computers at school and most of the time
teachers are the one using it. “Minsan hindi namin magamit. Maraming gumagamit lalo na mga
teacher.“ This can affect the student`s drive to study as they can`t accomplish anything because
of lack of resources, which is justified by the study of Herward (2009) cited by Maffea (2020),
he statest that the availability of a wide range of educational tools helps pique learners' interests
and keep them engaged. [Wala kaming masearch kasi wala kaming gadget pang search, walang
pera din pang renta sa computer shop, may computer pero walang internet sa eskwelahan]

Digital Divide
The shift towards digital learning, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighted
the significant digital divide affecting Indigenous communities. Many IP students lack access to
digital devices and the internet, making it difficult to participate in online learning and access
educational resources.
The IP student respondents of Zambales perceived that limited access and manipulation
of new technology for educational purposes ranked first that could hinder the completion of
tertiary education. Providing the students to use those tools in their education aside from using
those for entertainment or social activities, may have positive or negative impact on education.
The finding of the study of Greenhow & Burton (2019) confirmed that students’ usage of
technology and media resources, keeps creating a vision of continual technology integration in
their classrooms but adequacy and availability are issues to be considered and addressed. As
stated by Davidson (2020) there is no doubt that the technology inside the classroom has an
effect on the study habits and practices of students today. According to Zepke & Leach (2020)
Indigenous tertiary students are more likely to be disadvantaged by low economic status which
limits their access to materials, gadgets, internet and technology for educational purposes. Dar
(2019) argued that more students use technology, internet connection and media to gain
information for academic facilitation. (Regaspi, 2023)

Representation and Participation

Indigenous Peoples often lack representation in educational policy-making and
governance. This can result in policies and programs that do not fully address their unique needs
or respect their rights to self-determination and to manage their own educational systems.
Environmental and Land Rights Issues
Environmental degradation and disputes over land rights can also impact Indigenous
education. Displacement due to mining, deforestation, and land grabbing can disrupt
communities and their access to traditional lands, which are central to their cultural and
educational practices.

Addressing these issues requires a concerted effort from the government, educational
institutions, non-governmental organizations, and Indigenous communities themselves. Policies
must be inclusive and designed to meet the specific needs of Indigenous Peoples, ensuring their
right to education is fully realized in a manner that respects their cultural identities and promotes
sustainable development.

REFERENCES

Buenaflor, Nina & Adiaton, Jocelyn & Ancheta, Galilee Jordan & Balading, Jericho & Bravo,
Aileen Kaye & Tus, Jhoselle. (2023). The Lived Experiences and Challenges Faced by
Indigenous High School Students Amidst the New Normal of Education. 7. 160-165.
10.5281/zenodo.7652948.
Eduardo, J. P., & Gabriel, A. G. (2021). Indigenous Peoples and the Right to Education: The
Dumagat Experience in the Provinces of Nueva Ecija and Aurora, in the Philippines. SAGE
Open, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211009491

Eduardo J. (2017). Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997: A standpoint from selected
higher education institutions in Nueva Ecija after 20 years. Journal of Progressive Research in
Social Sciences, 8(1), 2395–6283.
Regaspi,R.B (2023). Problems Met Of The Indigenous Peoples (Ips) In The Completion Of
Tertiary Education In The Philippines. Journal of Positive School Psychology
http://journalppw.com 2023, Vol. 7, No. 2, 355-373
GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1. How do geographic isolation, cultural insensitivity, and language barriers collectively
contribute to the persistent challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines in
accessing and benefiting from the education system?
2. In what ways do socio-economic factors, including poverty, discrimination, and the digital
divide, intersect to create barriers for Indigenous students, impacting their dropout rates and
hindering their participation in online learning?
3. Considering the reported challenges in access, cultural relevance, and socio-economic
limitations, what overarching policy changes or holistic approaches can be suggested to address
the multifaceted issues surrounding the education of Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines?
Prepared by:
(Sgd)CHRISTIAN GADIA