Key personalities from the academe, government institutions, and nongovernmental organizations gathered at UGNAYANG KAALAMANG BAYAN: A Seminar-Workshop on Philippine Indigenous and Traditional Culture on Nov. 9 at Microtel, Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

Organized by the UP Diliman (UPD) Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the seminar-workshop discussed matters on indigenous knowledge and cultural studies.

There were seven lectures at the event. The first set delivered in the morning was composed of Paradigm/Framework of Indigenous Studies by Raymond D. Rovillas, PhD, former UP Baguio chancellor; Indigenous Studies in the Context of Philippine Studies by Mary Jane B. Rodriguez, PhD, an associate professor at the UPD Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas; and Intangible Cultural Heritage and Oral Cultures in the Philippines by Elena R. Mirano, PhD, professor emeritus of art studies at the UPD College of Arts and Letters (CAL).

Meanwhile, the second set delivered in the afternoon included Indigenous Culture and Communities: Legal Framework by Teodoro B. Baguilat Jr., chairperson of Angat Kalikasan Pilipinas; Indigenous Cultures and Communities: Government Policies and Frameworks by Allen A. Capuyan, former chairperson of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and commissioner of Southern Eastern Mindanao; Intangible Cultural Heritage: Government Policies and Frameworks by Renee C. Talavera, head of Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts Section and Program Management Division of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts; and Methods and Methodologies of Cultural Engagements: Implementing Programs/Projects Involving Cultural Communities by Aurea B. Lopez, senior lecturer at the UPD Department of Art Studies.

The seminar-workshop served as a venue for consultations with national and local agencies and key figures related to the indigenous cultures and cultural communities. This event was one of the projects of the Ad Hoc Committee for the UPD Culture Bearers-in-Residence Program headed by Ma. Theresa T. Payongayong, PhD, UP System assistant vice president for academic affairs and Sir Anril P. Tiatco, PhD, a professor at the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts.

The UPD Culture Bearers-in-Residence Program was officially launched on 6 Feb. 2023 at the Quezon Hall Lobby during the opening program of the UPD Arts and Culture Festival 2023. This envisions culture bearers or culture masters to teach or mentor UPD students, researchers, and artists for a period of three weeks to six months. It is also conceived as a significant step towards the preservation of indigenous knowledge through its transmission via formal and non-formal education.

Datu Waway Saway, a Talaandig musician, visual artist, teacher, and community leader, is currently being hosted by the UPD College of Music (CMu) for the pilot implementation of the UPD Culture Bearers-in-Residence Program. Saway is on a three-week residency program, teaching and sharing his knowledge and talent in indigenous music with CMu students, faculty members, and administrative staff.