Ifugao State University (IFSU) has forged a new partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd)-Ifugao Division to capacitate teacher-trainees in Indigenous Knowledge (IK) instruction and development of contextualized learning modules.

The collaboration of the two learning institutions, together with the Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement (SITMo) Inc., a local non-government organization, shall continue for another three (3) years.

Formalized through Memorandum of Agreement, this accord is an offshoot of the University’s recently renewed partnership with the National Chengchi University of Taiwan for the implementation of the Ifugao Indigenous Knowledge Educators Training Program (IIKETP) under the Center for Taiwan-Philippines Indigenous and Local Knowledge and Sustainable Studies (CTPILS) of IFSU.

The IIKETP aims to build up a core of indigenous knowledge educators at the academe and community level who will develop IK instructional and learning materials.

To become IK educators, the teacher-trainees of the program shall undergo capacity-building seminars and workshops on Ifugao Indigenous Knowledge, Systems, and Practices (IKSP).

Since its opening in 2019, the IIKETP has already capacitated 43 teacher-trainees. It has produced 49 contextualized learning modules on different fields of study, six of which are copyrighted and ready for use.