University of the Philippines President Angelo Jimenez engaged in meaningful dialogue with the (Nurunutan Yang Tagbanua Calamian Tong Calawit may Quezon (NTCQ) Indigenous community, represented by Chairman Roy Dabuit and witnessed by their council of elders. President Jimenez is accompanied by UPV Chancellor, Dr. Clement Camposano, UPV Ugnayan ng Pahinungòd Director, Prof. Jerry Ian Leonida, and the UPV Pahinungòd staff and volunteers.
The presence of Pres. Jimenez marks a significant interaction between different indigenous groups—Pres. Jimenez, as Manobo Datu Mankalagan, and the Tagbanua IP Community in Calauit Island, Busuanga, Palawan with their council of elders and community members, headed by Apo Fidel Mondragon.
The dialogue goes over initiatives for participatory coastal resource assessment and management and sustainable tourism, highlighting opportunities to utilize technological innovations and scientific research to develop their women managed area (WMA) and existing livelihood projects through the Ugnayan ng Pahinungòd programs such as the Dampig Baybay Program, where the Tagbanua IP Community has been a partner of.
Moreover, the discussion also emphasizes the urgent need for legal assistance especially amidst illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing within their ancestral waters.
UP is firm in its commitment to exploring opportunities for cultural heritage retention both through tangible and intangible forms of heritage. With the Tagbanua IP community taking the lead in the preservation of cultural artifacts and practices, the dialogue highlights a strong partnership geared towards learning and cultural appreciation.
On the aspect of education, Pres. Angelo Jimenez also served as speaker for the graduation ceremony of Calawit New Quezon High School, also a Gurong Pahinungòd deployment site, offering inspiration and motivation to graduating students and their families.
With the certainty of a new testing center in Northern Palawan, students are also given the opportunity to take the 2027 UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) through the efforts of the Office of Admissions and the UPV Ugnayan ng Pahinungòd, thereby expanding their access to UP education.
Overall, the event reaffirms UP’s commitment to honoring heritage, amplifying voices, and building pathways toward inclusive education and shared progress.
Written by Ms. Chloe Ann F. Dulos
Photos courtesy of UPV Ugnayan ng Pahinungod Oblations Corps
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