(The chicken and egg production project at Luyungan High School, funded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, provides income to support the school’s operations. The project plays a crucial role in helping Indigenous Peoples (IP) students in Bukidnon access education while promoting sustainable farming practices. Photo: DCC/PIA-10)
MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon (PIA) —Trapped in abject poverty, these children of “lumads” (indigenous people) living in the far-flung villages of Bukidnon are hard up in pursuing their studies. Steeped in cultural norms, many of these children have been betrothed resulting in early marriages. Those who balk at marrying early would run away in an attempt to find better opportunities outside their communities.
To address this deplorable condition of the Lumad children, the Department of Education through the Schools Division of Malaybalay City sought the establishment of a farm school that would cater to poor IP students belonging to the seven tribes in Bukidnon such as Higaonon, Talaandig, Bukidnon, Umayamnon, Matigsalog, Tigwahanon and Manobo.
School Head Leonila Plazos said the Luyungan High School, which is also known as the Center for Indigenous Peoples Learning and Sustainable Development (CIPLSD), was established on June 1, 2016 in a place previously occupied by the Summer Institute of Linguistics, a learning facility founded by the Americans. The school area is quite big and the students can do gardening and livestock raising to help provide for their food.
Poorest of the poor
As these learners come from the poorest of the poor in the peripheries of the province, the original plan of having their parents provide for their food did not work. “How could their parents give them food if they don’t even have some food on their table?,” Plazos retorted. “The school cannot also afford to see these students attend classes with empty stomachs,” she declared.
Plazos admitted that running this school is more than a mission with its teachers shelling out for the learners. In their hearts and minds, these are the students who deserve care and support to extricate them from their destitute communities. Knocking on the doors of the local government units (LGUs), national government agencies (NGAs), and non-government organizations, food assistance and school supplies start coming for the students.
Although these IP students are coming from the different LGUs of Bukidnon, the city government of Malaybalay regularly donates 30 to 31 sacks of rice per month for the more than 200 students staying in the school dormitories.
NPA relatives and sympathizers
As observed by the school faculty and staff, some are not ordinary IP students. In the early years of this school, they were startled to hear reports that some of the students would cut classes or sneak out at night. Soon they found out that these students were called by their parents or relatives to assist wounded NPA members after military encounters.
To protect these students from being used in the NPA movement, the school prohibits them from using cellular phones to cut their contact with their parents and relatives who might be active NPA members or sympathizers.
DSWD support
Seeing the need to continue providing IP students with access to education, the school received funding support from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for its income-generating project (IGP) on chicken and egg production in the amount of P450,000. The income derived from this project will be used to augment the needed resources to sustain the stay of the students in the farm school. Tending the chickens are the students themselves who have been trained by professional farm technicians on livestock raising.
Today dozens and dozens of eggs in different sizes have been produced and sold by the school to its customers who are mostly the stakeholders who strongly support and care for IP education.
DSWD-10 Director Ramel Jamen said his heart bleeds for IPs, as he has witnessed how hard their lives go in the hinterlands – limited access to government services especially in the areas of education and livelihood.
Jamen breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that the DSWD’s help for the school’s chicken and egg production project is now bearing fruit.
(Philippine Information Agency-10 Regional Head Franklin Gumapon addresses students and staff during his visit to Luyungan High School in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. Gumapon emphasized the importance of supporting education for Indigenous Peoples (IP) students as they work to improve their lives through learning and community support. Photo: DCC/PIA-10)
Thankful for the project
Student Jerome Catawanan, 17, Matigsalug tribe from San Fernando town, said, “Daku kaayo mi’g pasalamat ani nga project kay daku kaayo kini’g ikatabang sa among pag-eskwela.
(We are thankful for this project, as this is a big help in our studies).
He also hopes to enroll in college after finishing his senior high school in Luyungan High School.
Abem Salahang, 18, Omayamnon tribe from Kabanglasan municipality, also recalled that her parents could hardly provide for her needs in school. She is grateful that many stakeholders have extended their help to the IP students, especially for their food.
“Naay mga panahon nga matulog na lang mi nga walay kaon (There were times that we just went to sleep without meals),” she said. “Nalipay ko nga naa ni nga project kay daku ni siya’g ikatabang sa among mga panginahanglan (I am happy that we have this project, as this can help a lot in meeting our needs),” she added.
Another Omayamnon student, Olinan Iyawan, 21, of Kabanglasan town, said the hardship had brought him to Luyungan High School in search of better opportunities.
“Lisud gyud kaayo ang akong gigikanan (Life was so hard from where I came),” he said. Like other IP students in this farm school, he pinned his hopes on the opportunities education would bring in his life. (FPG/PIA-10)
