By Maria Jose
Ria-Lity Bites

ON JUNE 19, the Adidas Family led by country manager Nolet Puno handed over thousands of shoes to the Pamulaan Center for Indigenous People's Education.

The shoes were collected from over 100 Adidas stores around the country via the "Wanted Old Shoes Promo" (WOS). Through the WOS, Adidas encouraged Filipinos to donate their old sports shoes of any brand to Adidas.

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In exchange, Adidas gave the donors generous discounts to their Adidas purchases. Thousands of shoes were donated from all over the country, and these were all given to the Pamulaan Center.

The turn over ceremony was held at the Pamulaan Center (www.pamulaan.org) at the University of Southeastern Philippines in Mintal, Davao City. The program was hosted by MYX VJ Andrei Felix and Pamulaan Center student Jenelyn Demagejes from the Teburay Tribe in Blensong, Upi, Maguindanao.

Other Adidas assets who graced the affair were TV celebrity Rayver Cruz and Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants players Enrico Villanueva and Peter Jun Simon.

Receiving the shoes, in behalf of the Pamulaan Center, was its president and founder, Benjamin Abadiano. Bloggers and members the Digital Photographers of the Philippines (DPP)-Photographers for a Cause were also present to lend support to the event.

According to Adidas Philippines corporate communications manager Jillian Panganiban, WOS is part of Adidas' goal of giving back to their Filipino customers.

Adidas has held two other turn over ceremonies in Iloilo and Bacolod. And sometime this July, they will have the final turn over ceremony in Metro Manila.

Adidas chose the Pamulaan Center as their sole beneficiary since they saw the great potential of the center and their unique vision of educating the Filipino Indigenous Peoples.

The Pamulaan Center is home to students coming from 31 various Indigenous Tribes from all over the Philippines. It is the first of its kind in Asia, with the goal of creating culturally appropriate and relevant venues for training and formation for the indigenous peoples.

The term "Pamulaan” is a Matigsalog term which means seedbed. The center’s name stresses its goal of being the root of the development of its students and beneficiaries.

The Pamulaan Center’s curriculum and methods of teaching are based on the indigenous people’s traditions, beliefs, and culture.

It stresses on the eight elements of an Indigenous People's Education System: (1) valuing indigenous education, (2) promoting cultural integrity, (3) valuing land and environment, (4) employing holistic and integrative learning process, (5) enhancing creative and analytical thinking, (6) promoting the value of service and volunteerism, (7) promoting peace and community-building, and (8) promoting empowerment and people’s participation.

The Pamulaan Center in Usep-Mintal offers specialized tertiary education to students coming from different indigenous groups.

It offers four courses: Bachelor of Science in Education, Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Technology, Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, and Bachelor of Arts in Peace Education.

During the turn over ceremony, Pamulaan students showed off their talents and skills highlighting their different cultures and traditions. They expressed their gratitude to the Adidas Team by giving Puno an indigenous musical instrument.

The Adidas Team, in turn, expressed joy in being able to support the organization and the indigenous peoples of the Philippines via the WOS Promo.

The shoes turned over to Pamulaan will be distributed not just to the Pamulaan students, but also to other indigenous groups all over the Philippines. The shoes will be of great use to hundreds of IP students who walk to school and to their workplaces every day.

Pamulaan hopes Adidas and other benefactors will continue to support their programs and their students in their goal to educate the Filipino IPs for their and their communities’ sustainable development.

Kudos to the Pamulaan Center for advancing the cause of the Indigenous Peoples and to Adidas for supporting the cause!

Photos courtesy of Chattee Lara of http://www.katherinevlara.com.