Abstract
The United Nations and the Philippine Department of Education have highlighted the need for education that respects the unique cultural contexts of indigenous peoples, as conventional schooling often fails to equip them with relevant skills or support their communities. Responding to this, the DepEd Order 62, s. 2011 established the Indigenous Peoples Education (IPEd) Program to promote a culturally grounded education through curriculum contextualization, community involvement, and capacity building for indigenous schools and teachers. This study examined the implementation and effectiveness of the Indigenous Peoples Education Policy Framework (IPEd) in IP Schools in Tupi, South Cotabato, for SY 2021-2022. Specifically, it assessed the schools' profiles, the extent of IPEd implementation in curriculum, capacity building, and planning, the effectiveness of indigenized instructional materials and socio-cultural awareness, and explored whether school profiles and implementation levels influenced IPEd's effectiveness. The study concludes that IP schools in Tupi have diverse demographics in student population, teacher distribution, pupil ethnicity, and language, with the Blaan group and bilingualism in local languages prevalent. The IPEd policy framework shows moderate implementation and effectiveness, particularly in curriculum development, teacher capacity building, and socio-cultural integration, yet improvements are needed. A strong relationship exists between the extent of policy implementation and its effectiveness, suggesting that comprehensive implementation boosts cultural responsiveness and educational relevance for indigenous learners. Key recommendations include creating culturally responsive curricula, enhancing teacher training in indigenous pedagogy, prioritizing indigenized instructional materials, implementing a monitoring system, and providing tailored support for schools with diverse needs.
