City to incorporate School of Living Tradition in all learning institutions

February 5, 2022 Metro BLISTT

Baguio will have its own School of Living Tradition. This after the City Council last Monday approved on third and final reading an ordinance that will institutionalize the School of  Living Tradition (SLT) learning as part of the revitalization of indigenous cultural heritage for students in the different schools in the city.
The SLT, according to the ordinance, “aims as an avenue for the students in the various educational institutions both public and private to learn and practice the Cordillera indigenous peoples cultural heritage, including history, songs, chants, dances, life ways, among others; for the learners to present what they have learned in various venues,…”
These venues include “festivities, activities and the like which are sponsored by the city or their institutions that would help public awareness of the indigenous practices;…” This public awareness of indigenous practices will help “develop adherence to the cultural sensitivity of these practices that are learned and practiced in the said school;…”
The established school will “encourage teachers, staff, students and even their parents in the basic education to conduct researches,
documentation and studies to further the knowledge, skills, and better appreciation of the said practices under the school…”
Likewise, it is also aimed “to encourage interaction of students and schools with the community villages, elders, learners, bearers for the appreciation of indigenous cultural heritage for their advocacy and to seek support, including funding, from various offices, agencies, groups and individuals to sustain the programs on School of Living Tradition by these educational institutions.”
The SLT, if created “will cover cultural heritage, including dances, chants, songs, and the like, materials and instruments used therein and that the said practices can be shared and learned by the students….”
The exception, the ordinance stated are on “ritual-related activities, materials and instruments in relation to death, sickness and pandemic which are exclusively for the exercise of the elders, bearers and practitioners.”
Once created, it will cover learners of the SLT in the various levels of learning public and private institutions.
One of the main concerns of the ordinance will be hold a “tight and observe sensitivity to the cultural practices covered by the SLT and those concerned shall always seek the advices of the elders, practitioners and villagers considered to be knowledgeable or bearer of knowledge to the said practices.”
For sensitive cultural practices, teachers and students would need to seek approval from the concerned indigenous group and as mandated by the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act.
The new measure will “have consultations to the concerned elders or stakeholders shall always be adopted as a policy as a part of cultural sensitivity and consent of the indigenous peoples on those covered under the School of Living tradition.”
Under the ordinance, the local government shall source out funds from the annual cultural development plans or in the absence of such, there shall be an allotment pursuant to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum Circular No. 2013-98 dated September 10, 2013.
The schools, through their SLT, can avail of the funds for their related programs for basic cultural materials or indigenous instruments.
Pigeon Lobien/ABN