DepEd Memorandum No. 097, s. 2022 : Observance of the National Indigenous Peoples Month 2022

DepEd Memorandum No. 097, s. 2022

Observance of the National Indigenous Peoples Month 2022

 

 

24 OCT 2022

 

DepEd MEMORANDUM

No. 097, s. 2022

 

OBSERVANCE OF THE NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES MONTH 2022

 

To:      Undersecretaries

Assistant Secretaries

Minister, Basic, Higher and Technical Education, BARMM

Bureau and Service Directors

Regional Directors

Schools Division Superintendents

Public and Private Elementary and Secondary School Heads

All Others Concerned

 

l. The Department of Education (DepEd) announces the Observance of the National Indigenous Peoples (IP) Month 2022.

 

2. As the primary government agency mandated to protect and promote the right of every Filipino learner to basic education, including the inculculation of values that promote recognition of the nation's cultural diversity, DepEd intends to substantially contribute to the objectives of the said observances through the extensive network of schools, field offices, and various learning programs. This is consistent with the aims of the K to 12 Basic Education Program and the National Indigenous Peoples Education (IPEd) Policy Framework contained in DepEd Order {DO) No. 62, s. 2011, which stipulates that within the framework of maintaining inclusive and effective learning environments, DepEd shall nurture among all learners and DepEd teaching and nonteaching personnel, respect for human rights and cultural diversity, and that DepEd shall promote greater awareness and appreciation of the Indigenous Peoples' cultural heritage and history--an integral, yet often neglected, part of the Philippine nation's cultural heritage and history(Section 15-g).

 

3. The regional offices (ROs), schools division offices (SDOs), and schools are enjoined to observe, through various commemorative and advocacy activities the National IP Month which is based on the issuance of Presidential Proclamation No. 1906, s. 2009 titled Declaring the Month of October or Every Year as National Indigenous Peoples Month.

 

4. For this year's observance, DepEd shall be guided by the theme, Kasaysayan, Karunungan at Wika ng mga Katutubong Pamayanan: Mga Pundasyon ng Katutubong Pagkakakilanlan at lnklusibong Kaunlaran.

 

5. Year 2022 is a marker year as it kicks off several beginnings:

 

a. It is the year after the celebration of the Quincentennial Commemmorations in the Philippines which highlighted the courage towards self-determination, humanity and ingenuity of the nation's ancestors; 2022 signals the continuation of this 500-year historical journey-kasaysayan-filled with renewed hope and faith in the capacity of the country's Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) to embrace and engage the challenges of the coming centuries;

b. Jt is the first year of the second decade (2022-2031) of the lPEd Program of DepEd which continues to advocate for the inclusion and interface of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSPs)- katutubong.karunungan-in and with the national education system; and

c. It is the first year of the United Nations International Decade (2022-2031) for IP Languages-wika-which seeks to highlight and advocate for the care, protection and continued propagation of IP languages worldwide.

 

6. For the Department, 2022 is a year of moving in courage towards face to face classes and learning recovery, a contemporary expression of our ancestors' determination to carry onward, cognizant of the risks and uncertainties, yet firm in the conviction that challenges are to be engaged and hurdled. It is this conviction day by day, year by year, that makes it possible for the generation to be in the 501st year of national self-determination. This quincentennial conviction is mirrored in the continuing initiatives of the country's ICCs to protect, promote and sustain their cultural integrity, their living contribution to the continuing history of the nation.

 

7. As the Department's IPEd Program enters its second decade this 2022, 1t 1s a moment to reconfigure the program's bearings after eight years of progressive implementation and two years of engaging the disruptive pandemic, while aligning the directions being set by the Basic Education Development Plan (BEDP) 2030. The Department's continuous reach of2.5 million IP learners even during the pandemic speaks of a degree of resilience of the IPEd Program and is an evidence of the commitment of the Department to inclusive education through the various learning delivery modalities that were employed to reach IP learners in the diverse localities of the country's IP communities. Innovations and learnings that have emerged as a response to the pandemic crisis are to be harvested and woven into the journey of learning recovery relative to the priorities set by the BEDP, while being guided by the long-term directions set out in DO 62, s. 2011 or Adopting the National Indigenous Peoples Education Policy Framework.

 

8. At the international level, the call of the United Nation's International Decade for IP Languages (2022-2031) recognizes and affirms inclusive development in the arena of languages, and the value of language as a repository of a people's cultural heritage, a foundation for collective identity and cultural integrity, and a catalyst for creative learning and community development. DepEd through the IPEd Program continues to support the growth of the languages of the country's ICCs through their continued use in the teaching-learning process as it has done since 2011. 

 

9. Weaving these together, 2022 is a year to support IP communities in the historical task of learning recovery and recovery from the pandemic, chart the directions and priorities of the second decade of the IPEd Program guided by the BEDP 2030 and DO 62 s. 2011, and engage the contemporary discussions regarding language in education, all towards the continuing advancement of inclusive development.

 

10. Guided by the theme and its underlying significance, and the recent directives outlined in DO 034, s. 2022 or School Calendar and Activities for SY 2022-2023, DepEd enjoins ROs, SDOs, and schools to support the celebration of the National IP Month from October 1 to 31, 2022 by undertaking appropriate and relevant activities while observing necessary health protocols through, but not limited to, the following:

 

a. In dialogue with partner IP communities at the school, schools division and/ or regional level, participate in culturally appropriate activities aligned with the key messages discussed;

b. In partnership with parents and community learning facilitators, conduct culturally appropriate psychosocial support sessions with learners that are appropriately integrated into lessons (an electronic file of psychosocial support materials shall be provided);

c. For schools, to celebrate IP Month through discussions related to the theme that are integrated in lessons in the appropriate subject areas;

d. For ROs and SDOs, conduct of advocacy activities involving the appropriate DepEd personnel to ensure continuous classes at the school level as directed by DO 034, s. 2022;

e. Hanging of streamers/banners in strategic places in the vicinity of DepEd offices only (an electronic file of the standard layout shall be provided to ROs by DepEd-Indigenous Peoples Education Office (IPsEO); and

f. Featuring the event and other IPEd-related activities on the website and other communications media of the ROs and SDOs, and schools.

 

11. For DepEd personnel, it is highly encouraged that the said observance be maximized as an opportunity to deepen their knowledge and understanding of key DepEd policies on IPEd, such as the IPEd Curriculum Framework (DO 32, s, 2015), the implementation of the IPED Program, as well as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (online resources are available at http://www.un.org/en/events/indigenousday/resources.shtml), and the National Quincentennial celebration.

 

12. All activities and initiatives related to the National IP Month celebration shall adhere to both IP community and national protocols for well-being and safety. It is also reiterated that the planning and conduct of activities are to be guided by the Department's Guidelines on the Conduct of Activities and Use of Materials Involving Aspects of Indigenous Peoples Culture (DO 51, s. 2014), which are meant to provide guidance on the ethical assessment of the conduct of learning activities and related engagements of schools, DepEd offices, and other education initiatives, which involve various aspects of Indigenous Peoples' culture. Likewise, field offices and schools are enjoined to consult and collaborate with indigenous community elders and other culture bearers as appropriate in the conduct of activities.

 

13. Relative to the challenge of the times, this year's theme shall guide other initiatives that may commence during the National IP Month but shall continue into the coming months of the school year. ROs and SDOs, through the IPEd Focal Persons, shall ensure the proper coordination of activities and compliance with the guidance provided in this Memorandum.

 

14. Expenses incurred relative to the conduct of activities shall be charged to IPEd PSF /local funds, subject to the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

 

15. Immediate dissemination of this Memorandum is desired.

 

By Authority of the Secretary

 

 

(SGD) EPIMACO V. DENSING III

Undersecretary and Chief of Staff

 

Reference: 

            DepEd Order: (Nos. 034, s. 2022; 32, s. 2015; 51, s. 2014; and 62, s. 2011)

DepEd Memorandum Nos.: 100, s. 2019; and 128, s. 2018; 115, s. 2017; and 112 and 148, s. 2016

 

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index

under the following subjects:

 

BUREAUS AND OFFICES

CELEBRATIONS AND FESTIVALS

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES EDUCATION

OFFICIALS

SCHOOLS

 

 

Full copy of DepEd Memorandum No. 097, s. 2022: