The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) – Philippine Cultural Education Program (PCEP) launched the “Kongreso ng Gurong Mag-aaral (K-GuMa) para sa Edukasyong Kultural” on the 16th day of September 2023, held virtually from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. This Regional Students’ Congress was intended for graduating Education students from different teacher-training institutions in the archipelago to acclimatize them to become culture-based teachers of the 21st century.
This undertaking was perceived along the following objectives:
(1) Integrate 21st-century teaching-learning paradigm in the Basic Education;
(2) Orient the student teachers regarding the theories, framework, and principles of culture-based education; and
(3) Promote the Gawad PCEP of the Diwang Sagisag Kultura ng Filipinas.
Through the lifelong learning feature of cultural education, educators can map out strategies on how to cope with the challenges of a globalized world, such as global health issues and pandemics, terrorism, and the adverse effects that are the global issues affecting culture-based learning. The KGuMa para sa Edukasyong Kultural aims to address these concerns and challenges affecting our culture by sharing how we can surpass adversities using culture itself.
The five pre-service physical educators who attended the said undertaking from the Don Honorio Ventura State University were Christian Louie C. Simon (BPEd 4-A), Kyla H. Dofredo (BPEd 4-A), Kylene S. Lacson (BPEd 4-A), Rodnel D. Cauilan (BPEd 4-B), and Caryll Ann C. Jabal (BPEd 4-B). As articulated by Christian Louie C. Simon, one of the participants, “Natutuhan ko kung gaano kalawak ang kulturang mayroon tayo at kung paano natin ito maaaring gamitin bilang daan sa pagkatuto ng ibang bagay gaya ng agham at matematika. Gaya ng nabanggit kanina, “Lahat ng likas ay natural, at lahat ng likha ay kultural.” Kaya marapat lang na ating pagyabungin ang kultura kung paanong pinagyaman ito ng ating mga ninuno”.
Ultimately, this NCCA-PCEP project became a significant platform for would-be teachers to integrate arts in contextualizing, indigenizing, and vernacularizing the teaching-learning process at the basic education level.
Report by Jaslee C. Campo | DHVSU - Physical Education Majors’ Society
