Aiming to empower the selected Indigenous People (IP) community for food security, poverty alleviation as well as capacitate and encourage our 4H club to reach out our indigenous people, the 10 selected active 4H officers and members from five (5) provinces participated the 10-day Sensing Journey to IP Community held in Calintaan, Occidental Mindoro on May 29-June 07, 2018.
On the first phase of the activity, the participants were trained on the peace and order of the area, Mangyan and Tau-Buid cultures and traditions, Indigenous People’s Right Act or RA 1673, Facilitation Skills, Proposal Writing and Integrated Diversified Farming System (IDOFS). After they were capacitated on different skills, they were immersed in Tau-Buid Community (Mangyan Tribe) at Sitio Tamisan, Barangay Poypoy, Calintaan, Occidental Mindoro.
Participants were warmly welcomed by the community during their immersion. They prepared games and other fun activities for the Mangyan kids. Moreover, an open forum was conducted with the elders.
Five IP families in the community were selected to be the host family of the 10 4H participants. Two of them were assigned to observe and experience the farming activities of the IPs.
On the last day, a short closing program was prepared after church activities since Sunday is a church day for Tau-Buid. They started it with a boodle fight together with the tribal leader and the Indigenous People Municipal Representative (IPMR). They also prepared simple give away like notebooks, ballpens, pencils and papers for the young IPs, farm tools (hand trowel, buri hat and working gloves), grocery items and rice to old IPs.
On the last phase of the activity, they prepared the project proposal based on the problems and identified needs of the Tau-buid. They also prepared and presented a documentation of the present cultures and traditions of the said Mangyan tribe. The Municipal Mayor and Municipal Agriculturist of Calintaan served as their panelists. They finalized their output based on the comments and recommendations given by the panelist.