Caraga State U, partner strengthen support for education of IP youth
By Renelle L. Escuadro
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) —The Caraga State University (CSU) in Butuan City has partnered with the Project Caraga Group, Inc. (PCGI) through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to strengthen efforts in promoting the right to education of the indigenous peoples (IP) students of the state university, and address the challenges in inclusive education and community engagement.
Signed on September 18, the partnership between CSU and PCGI will benefit indigenous peoples (IP) students in the region through the provision of a monthly stipend on living allowances of P5,000 and dormitory accommodations of P1,500 to each qualified indigenous peoples (IP) student
According to Doctor Maris T. Lasco, director of the CSU-Alumni Relations Office, “Through this partnership, more IP students will have an opportunity to finish their education. This will also motivate other IP youth to study and be passionate in finishing their schooling because the government has programs and partnerships to bring quality and affordable education to the vulnerable sector, especially the IP communities.”
She explained that the students in the state university are all scholars, including the IPs, so they are tuition-free.
“For this academic year, at least 600 IP youth are enrolled at the Caraga State University for both campuses in the cities of Butuan and Cabadbaran. However, like most IP students, they are challenged financially with expenses on food, lodging, and others. If these are not met, they opt to stop their studies and end up as out-of-school youth.”
Doctor Lasco shared that the MOA stipulated that the PCGI, led by Chief Executive Officer Richard Loi Chee Keong, will provide monthly living allowances and dormitory accommodations to qualified IP students. PCGI, a non-stock and non-profit corporation, is committed to holistic development through its philanthropic programs and extensive linkages with local and international donors and partners.
The agreement, with timetable to start on 2026, will support a total of 40 bona fide IP students by 2030 from the two campuses of the state university who are enrolled in the courses on education, aquaculture, and forestry and environmental science, and are coming from the identified 10 Certificates of Ancestral Domain Titles (CADTs) partner communities of PCGI in the Caraga region.
She emphasized that under the MOA, each of the 10 CADTs will be given one slot annually to be an IP scholar under the program through a screening process that includes academic performance, verification of IP membership, and IP community endorsement, among others.
Lasco said, “On the part of CSU, it will monitor and mentor the IP scholars through the extension project of the College of Education (CEd) Mathematics and Science Education Departments called ‘Kahiusa,’ which locally means unity.”
“The Project Kahiusa will also conduct tutoring, remedial classes, study groups, and time-management workshops to address the specific learning needs of IP students, parents, para-teachers, and IPEd or IP education teachers in the region, particularly in core subjects like mathematics and science,’ Lasco added, also serving as project leader.
This partnership with PCGI strengthens CSU’s extension mandate through community programs, student welfare monitoring, and collaboration with PCGI’s 10 CADT partner communities, affirming both institutions’ commitment to academic success, growth, and empowerment of IP students that are relevant to Sustainable Development Goal No. 4 on Quality Education, and No. 17 on Partnerships for the Goals.
Meanwhile, the Caraga region is home to six IP groups—Banwaon, Higaonon, Mamanwa, Mandaya Manobo, and Talaandig. This means that there is a youth population in this vulnerable sector who need to exercise their right to education.
This kind of partnership between the Caraga State University and the Project Caraga Group, Inc. serves as a beacon of hope to the IP youth to dream that someday, through education, they will be the game changers in their communities and contribute to countryside development. (RLE, PIA Dinagat Islands with a report from CSU)
