RDC-CAR Secom mulls establishing Indigenous Culture and Knowledge Center

By Susan C. Aro

Wednesday 6th of June 2012

BAGUIO CITY, June 6 (PIA) -- The Committee on Indigenous People’s Concern (CIPC) of the Regional Development Center (RDC) is mulling in establishing a Cordillera Indigenous Culture and Knowledge Center to consolidate, share research, and advocate the use of indigenous knowledge systems and practices (IKSP) in the region.

National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) – Cordillera Regional Director Sancho Buquing stressed the need for a center where resources and information on IKSP are readily available for planning and policy formulation apart from public use. To date, there is lack of readily available and updated data on indigenous practices, which is a problem among policy makers in the government.

On the other hand, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-CAR) Regional Executive Director Clarence Baguilat, who is the vice chair of the Committee, suggested the need to have a forum among stakeholders engaged in Cordillera culture researches to share their experiences for the committee to come up with appropriate mechanisms. It is not just a matter of gathering researches but in order to establish a system, he said.

The committee plans to initially do inventory of existing researches conducted by the academe, private and non government organizations and institutions and agencies.

It also aims to establish a physical and e-libraries on Cordillera indigenous practices available to the public.

As this developed, Benguet State University Legal Officer Atty Matias Angiwan informed there was already an agreement forged among universities and colleges on the access of materials and information on IKSP in their existing e-libraries. These could be obtained particularly at the Filipina section, he added.

Representatives from the academe such as the University of the Philippines Baguio, University of the Cordilleras, Easter College, BSU including non government organizations like Ebgan, and agencies like the Department of Education (DepEd) committed to share their resources.

The committee also plans to formulate a five-year research agenda on Cordillera IKSP and encourage other stakeholders to pursue the research agenda.

Suggested areas on IKSP researches include a wide range of topics such as farming and livelihood, health, water and sanitation, care of women, children and the elderly, community management and leadership, peace maintenance and dispute settlement, and on climate change adaptation.

The CIPC technical working group will iron out preparatory activities on the details for the establishment of the center such as the conduct of a forum among the academe, NGOs, private sector and other institutions embarking on Cordillera researches and the benchmarking of available researches. (JDP/SCA-PIA CAR)