MIX BLOGS - My Column Page: Mountain Province Exponent

Another cultural festival is underway!

 

The upcoming third School of Living Tradition Convention expected to commence by December this year at Holy Rosary High School in Tadian will score another difference. This is but a form of cultural festival that will showcase various cultural heritages among some other municipalities here in the province. Relative to this, enormous works are ahead among the stakeholders and community members of the private Catholic schools in the province who were with them carrying this mark the SCHOOLS OF LIVING TRADITION.

 

While some may be admiring the experiential learning one can get from joining in this cultural festival, others may find it both interesting and unusual having dubbed as one of the pioneers in cultural legacy to be the possessor of the indigenous materials ironed in school’s academic programs. The tradition of having identified as academic learning institution is no longer confined in this consideration when this program was actually initiated three years ago, having the Bauko Catholic School as host of the first SLT confab. Saint Vincent’s School (Bontoc) took the flagship last year to continue the same challenge, and this time, the Holy Rosary High School (Tadian) is ready to host this fast approaching 3^rd SLT confab.

 

All the way, these conferences are but a reflection of appreciating culture in the academe. National books and DepEd versioned books were pattered from others needs and experiences that may be true to some and may not be true too to the actual needs of the learners in the province. While these editions speak common understanding as to how competencies were designed to suit the learning outcome, facilitators or shall I say teachers find it difficult to be adjusting sophisticated desired learning goals confined in the textbooks and somehow have resorted modifying the competencies therein.

 

Teacher’s eclectic ability on modifying dictated competencies patterned on genuine learner’s raw materials in the learning periphery is but a laudable effort. Less are really doing such leadership to be taking the risks whether to provide quality instructional materials not really dependent on what is dictated by the national authors. This attempt is one of the rationales in realizing the Schools of Living Tradition confab that is to help teachers identify pertinent educational stuffs that would be used as tool in teaching various disciplines to fit the learner’s interest, comprehension, appreciation and passion.

 

SLT as it should be gave birth to teacher’s competitiveness notwithstanding the advantage one can dig up from advance schooling. Definitely, the program will be better understood if one recalls some of its academic goals initiated which have a universal interest for learners to appreciate culture inclusion in the discipline.  One of the major points in interfacing culture in the academe is to promote the identity and uniqueness of the Igorots in the province. This is anchored on the government’s mandate to preserve and uphold the nation’s historical and cultural legacy by encouraging and supporting the study, recognition and preservation of human cultural resources such as weavers, chanters, dancers, as well as conservation and development of such artistic, linguistic and occupational skills that are threatened to extinction.

 

Vis-à-vis to ones passion for culture, I believe that the upcoming activities for this 3^rd SLT confab would showcase dynamic and authentic traditional practices in areas such as Tadian, Bauko, Sabangan, Bontoc and Natonin. I am so glad to learn that Natonin delegation as will be bannered by Immaculate Heart High School will join in this whopping event. As they say, this year’s confab would mean a theme for one school, one heritage. Definitely, the Schools of Living tradition identified some aspect of our traditional culture that are considered important to our cultural community and should be imparted to the youth so these values and traditions can be perpetuated. (For comments, leave them in my website at www.lesiomhar.page.tl or in my CP # at 09182452554).