BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
A memorandum of agreement that aims to uplift the lives of indigenous cultural communities and the indigenous peoples of Negros Occidental and nearby provinces, a memorandum of agreement was entered into by the Technological University of the Philippines-Visayas Talisay city campus and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples in Central and Western Visayas recently.
The signing was led by Eric Malo-oy and Nelson Franco, TUP-V campus and research and extension directors, respectively, and NCIP commissioner Jeorge Largado and Agosto Maglunsod, the agency’s director for regions 6 and 7.
Under the agreement, TUP-V will conduct needs assessment for the target beneficiaries, propose, and implement extension programs that can contribute to technical skills training, continuing education, and community-based development.
It will also draft and finalize research-related proposal subjects for panel review and funding and will propose and implement intervention projects and programs, like workshops for skills enhancement, business development and technology adaptation for the IPs, including equipment and operations training.
TUP-V will participate in capacity building projects by allowing its faculty members, staff and consultants design and deliver related programs for the benefit of identified partners and the NCIP.
It was also agreed that all projects and activities to be conducted shall be submitted to the NCIP for evaluation and assessment.
All projects should be within the indigenous knowledge systems and practices, and customary laws research and documentation guidelines of 2012 or any other applicable guidelines.
The NCIP will provide TUP-V the data and demographics of the IPs in the implementation of research and extension projects that can contribute to the technical skills training, continuing education and community-based development for as long as it is not restricted by privacy laws and provided that it is allowed under the NCIP freedom of information manual.
The partnership is valid for a year and is subject to renewal and extension. There are at least eight indigenous groups in the Visayas, to include the Atis, Sulods, Bukidnons, Magahat, Korolanos, Ata, Escaya, Badjao, and Kongking.*
