by: Jocelyn P. Alvarez
PAGADIAN CITY - At least 30 Indigenous People (IP)-students and Out-of-School-Youth (OSY) participated in a two-day Journalistic Writing Workshop conducted at Anastacia Pensionne House in this city starting July 3.
Philippine Information Agency (PIA) 9 Assistant Regional Director Franklin Gumapon said the activity hopes to enhance the writing skills of the participants with end in view of empowering them since “they are the most marginalized sector in the region.”
Gumapon said the student-participants are scholars of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
“The participants are NCIP scholars taking up different courses like HRM, education and other courses,” Gumapon said.
He added “the training/workshop hopes to complement the formal training in school so they would become skilled once they graduate.”
NCIP Community Affairs Officer of district 1, Fidel Ebillo, in his welcome message said “first time na na involve sa ganitong pagsasanay ang aming -Educational Assistance Program (EAP) grantees. Ito ay isang malaking simula at hakbangin ng ating mga EAP grantees.”
(It’s the first time that we get involved in this kind of training for our Educational Assistance Program (EAP) grantees. This a big step toward helping our EAP grantees.)
Addressing the participants, he said: “magamit ninyo ni puhun inig manarbaho na mo, o inig manguli mo sa inyong kaugalingung komunidad, nga dili na mu maulaw mag communicate ug makatabang mo pamaagi sa pagsuwat (You can use your learning from this training when you start looking for a job. This will help you improve your communication skills.)”
He said this activity is one great opportunity “na makita o madiscover nga naa diay mo kapasidad sa pagsulat (you will see and discover your talents in writing).”
Meanwhile, Yolly de Guzman of the US Embassy Public Affairs Division, who came here to personally observe the activity, said “this is the first time that we are having this kind of project with IPs.”
She encouraged the participants to really pay attention and put at heart this training-workshop for their own benefit.
IP-student participants came from Western Mindanao State University-Pagadian City; St. Columban College; Southern Mindanao College; JH Cerilles State College- Ramon Magsaysay Campus; JH Cerilles State College -Molave, JH Cerilles State College–Dumingag; JH Cerilles State College Mahayag; JH Cerilles State -Mati, and JH Cerilles State College -San Pablo.
This activity is spearheaded by PIA-9 in partnership with NCIP and US Embassy.
