SAN JOSE de BUENAVISTA, Antique — With the aim of helping preserve the Ari tribe indigenous culture, a School for Living Traditions (SLT) for the Ati tribe will be put up in Sitio Pantat, Barangay Igcalawagan in Tobias Fornier, Antique.
“Through this SLT, we would be able to preserve and take pride in our very own culture and craft, like weaving, so that it won’t be lost,” said Delia Pauden, cluster head of the Ati in Antique and Aklan, in their Ati dialect on Friday.
Pauden added that through the SLT, the tribal leaders and elders would be able to hand down to their next generation their dances and language.
The school will be established with assistance from the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the provincial government, which has provided the lot for the school.
The NCCA on Friday conducted a two-day workshop here with the participation of tribal leaders from the nearby towns of Anini-y and Hamtic where there are Ati communities.
Classes for the Ati will start once the SLT facility is built.
“There are now 25 Ati children and even their parents who would also like to attend classes at the SLT (are welcome),” said Pauden, who will also be one of the teachers in the SLT.
Antique Provincial Tourism Officer Jose Ramlo Villaluna, for his part, said also involved in the workshop were the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, departments of trade and labor, and the provincial social welfare office, among others, so they could also extend their assistance and programs benefitting the Ati communities. (PNA)
