THE National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center (NOLITC) are currently working on mainstreaming IPs in the province by providing them scholarships.
Ma. Cristina Orbecido, vocational school administrator of NOLITC, told Sun.Star Bacolod they are planning to include the IPs as one of the stakeholders of their program.
Orbecido said NOLITC in partnership with the NCIP-Negros Occidental is coming up with a recruitment activity in one of the IP tribes in the province to conduct an assessment and profiling to identify specific courses to be offered to qualified scholars.
“We will profile their skills whether they can qualify for IT or vocational courses,” she said, adding that “the rationale behind this initiative is that we want to have inclusive growth thus, we need to reach out to the deprived sectors including, the IPs that need information and communication technology-enabled services.”
Milina Geruta, nurse II of NCIP-Negros Occidental, said they are targeting the Marikudo tribe in Isabela town as pilot-recipients of the program.
The NCIP is also scheduled to visit the community and conduct an orientation and recruitment, Geruta said, adding that the Ata and Ati tribes are the program’s priority since they need most the English proficiency and other skills trainings.
“IPs really have the capacity and potential, and if given the chance, they can really excel,” Geruta said.
By mainstreaming them, they are given the opportunity to attain better livelihood and eventually uplift their community’s economic status, she added.