LAOAG CITY — The Department of Education (DepEd) is partnering with the local government unit of Dumalneg, an Indigenous Peoples (IP) community in the first district of Ilocos Norte, to preserve its Isneg cultural heritage.
Vanessa Aguinaldo, principal of the Dumalneg National High School, said Wednesday, as a way of preserving the Isneg culture, they have included its teaching in the school curriculum so that the students could have better appreciation of their roots.
The move is backed by the local government unit, said town Mayor Lervie Espiritu, who stressed the importance of Dumalneg children learning more about the culture and tradition of the Isneg people.
“It is our task to instill in them the love and pride for the tribe and the values that they must live by for the years to come,” said Espiritu.
As part of promoting and preserving the Isneg culture, the town of Dumalneg, in partnership with the Department of Education, annually celebrates the “Aldaw na Tribu” or Tribal Day at the town’s tribal museum every month of May.
During the festivity, there is the so-called “Tawid,” a culture learning transfer program where elders teach Isneg children about the importance and origin of their traditions.
“During the program, our school children are encouraged to wear their native attire such as inyapao, aken, barigkuso and baag. They also participate in the tribal dance called taddok and play the tribe’s musical instruments like ludag, gangsa and genggeng,” said Aguinaldo.
All residents of Dumalneg underwent extensive profiling of their Isneg ancestry.
Those who are not natives of the said town like Aguinaldo said they respect and appreciate the Isneg culture so much that they themselves have already learned to embrace it and make it a part of their lives. ( Leilanie Adriano/PNA)
