Mangyan literacy program in Oriental Mindoro wins 2026 Galing Pook Award

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — The Zero Illiteracy and Innumeracy Program for Mangyan communities in Oriental Mindoro was among 10 local governance initiatives recognized by the 2026 Galing Pook Awards, which honor innovative programs that improve lives in local communities.

The recognition puts a spotlight on Oriental Mindoro’s efforts to expand educational opportunities for Mangyan communities by drawing on local knowledge, cultural understanding and community participation.

READ: 2026 Galing Pook Awards: Marcos names 10 outstanding governance programs

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Also known as “Lapis ng Pag-asa,” the Mangyan program addresses limited access to basic education among indigenous Mangyan communities in remote areas of the province through a community-based approach that deploys Mangyan parateachers and interns.

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The Galing Pook Foundation describes the initiative as a “Mangyan teaching Mangyan” approach, placing members of indigenous communities at the forefront of efforts to improve literacy and numeracy among their fellow Mangyans.

The provincial government reported that the program provided learning sessions to 5,594 Mangyan learners from 2023 to 2025, of whom 4,407 completed the sessions.

The initiative seeks to help address barriers to basic education that limit Mangyans’ opportunities to develop essential reading, writing and numeracy skills. These skills are important in everyday activities, including selling agricultural produce and making informed, independent choices when exercising their right to vote.

By engaging educators who share the learners’ cultural background and community experiences, the program seeks to make basic education more accessible to Indigenous communities in geographically isolated areas.

President Marcos Jr. led the recognition rites for the 10 awardees which includes Project Denguerra – War on Dengue of Baguio City; Bataan E-Mobility of Bataan province; the Iloilo City Action and Resilience Center; One Name, One Identity: Walang Maiiwan of Pagayawan in Lanao del Sur; KABAHAGI of Quezon City; Building Spaces in a Spaceless City of Valenzuela City; Del Carmen Farm-to-Spoon of Del Carmen town in Surigao del Norte; KAAGAPAY of Davao del Norte; and the North Manila Bay Nature-based Solutions Pilot Project of Malolos City in Bulacan. /jpv