Groups urge gov’t to prioritise reopening of Lumad schools in Mindanao, Philippines

Editorial Note: In October 2019, under the regime of the former president of Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, more than 55 lumad (indigenous) schools were closed due to alleged non-compliance with the Department of Education's guidelines and for spreading anti-government agenda. The military also forcibly entered the campuses and detained teachers and students, despite not carrying a warrant for this raid. However, according to the Save Our Schools initiative, the Department of Education had approved the schools’ curricula when the schools were started. Since then, the schools have remained shut, severely impacting indigenous children's right to education.

In Philippines on National Children’s Month, various groups urged the current Marcos Jr. administration to prioritize the young indigenous peoples’ (IP) right to education by reopening the Lumad schools that were forcibly shut down during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Former Bayan Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat, also convener of the Save Our Schools (SOS) Network, stressed that other than providing a better future for students, education for IP youth also enables them to easily teach younger generations about their traditions, which are vital in preserving their culture and defending their ancestral lands.

The child-focused group noted there was an estimate of 10,000 IP students in Mindanao who were affected after the discontinuation of over 200 Lumad schools, which were built by non-government organizations, IP communities, and church workers. 

Although some of them were able to continue their studies after the closure, those who could not afford did not have a choice but to stop studying and were forced to go to other places to work, said Cullamat in a press conference held in Cagayan de Oro on Friday, November 29.

Among the progressive groups that also raised the call were the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, ACT Teachers Party-list, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, and IP and moro rights group Sandugo.

One of the notable occurrences regarding the matter was the closure of 55 Lumad schools operated by the Salugpongan Ta ‘Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center, Inc. (STTICLCI) in the Davao region for allegedly teaching “left-leaning ideologies.” This incident took place in 2019 amid the Martial law imposition in Mindanao.

This prompted opposition legislators both in the House and Senate to call for an investigation. A Senate hearing was conducted in the same year, but this was criticized by the SOS Network after it allegedly failed to invite the administration and teachers of the schools.

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro told Cagayan de Oro reporters that the Makabayan bloc re-filed a resolution in the House of Representatives to probe the closure of Lumad schools, hoping to have a committee hearing soon as they include reports on human rights violations.

In an earlier statement, human rights group Karapatan slammed the closure order by the Department of Education Region 11, which they believed was based on alleged false accusations made by then-National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. The group asserted that it is a “denial of every Filipino child’s right to education.”

Cullamat debunked allegations that Lumad schools served as training grounds for the New People Army, citing that previous students from the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development (ALCADEV) became outstanding students when they continued their studies to other schools.

The National Children’s Month is celebrated every November in the Philippines.

Defend Talaingod 13

The SOS Network, as well as other progressive groups under the Makabayan Coalition, also called for the reversal of what they believe as unjust conviction of the Talaingod 13, which refers to the 13 human rights advocates, including Castro, former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, and Lumad teachers who were convicted for child abuse.

The charges stemmed from the 2018 incident in Talaingod, Davao del Norte, where the supposed solidarity mission of the human rights advocates had turned into a rescue mission after the students and teachers of STTICLCI and the Community Technical College of Southern Mindanao were victimized by the forced closure of these Lumad schools.

In an earlier report of Bulatlat, one of the rescued Lumad students belied the charges filed against the Talaingod 13, saying that these human rights defenders helped them when the soldiers allegedly forced them to leave their schools.

Castro said the conviction is under appeal with the appellate court. (RVO)