PANABO CITY – Davao del Norte State College’s Institute of Advanced Studies partnered with the Department of Education, Division of Panabo City, to conduct a training program for teachers facilitating indigenous learners. The training took place on May 16-17, 2024, at the DNSC Hostel.

The training covered two main topics. On Day 1, discussions focused on “Cross-cultural Competence: A Journey toward Cultural Sensitivity.” Day 2 was dedicated to “Embracing Indigenous Wisdom” by exploring effective pedagogical practices.

The topics were further divided into specific discussions. The first session addressed the importance of culturally responsive school leadership among school heads in indigenous communities. This was followed by a presentation on the National Indigenous Peoples Education Policy Framework and Indigenous Peoples’ identity.

The training concluded with in-depth sessions on Indigenous Knowledge, the Principles of Indigenization, and Integrative and Thematic Teaching. The organizers were faculty members from the Master of Arts in Educational Management of DNSC and the selected resource speakers were graduates of the same program. The participants were DepEd teachers from various schools in Panabo City.