Flalok Big Book Re-printing Project
Report
by: Arjho Turner, GFI Mindanao Outreach Director
Project Sponsor: The
Cross of Life Church Endowment Fund of InFaith Community Foundation
Project Objective:
To help fund the re-printing of Flalok Project Big Books to benefit Blaan
students in the Galing Foundation, Inc. Mindanao Outreach.
Definition of
Terms:
Blaan – One of the Indigenous Peoples groups of the Philippines
primarily located in south central Mindanao. GFI Mindanao Outreach
beneficiaries are living in Blaan communities too (http://gfimindanao.blogspot.com/).
Blaan language - Blaan is an Austronesian language of the southern
Philippines.
Flalok – It is the art and oral
tradition of storytelling among the Blaan.
Flalok Project – "Flalok Project: Reviving the Blaan Art of
Storytelling to Improve Literacy and Develop a Community of Readers in South
Central Mindanao" is a USAID funded project to document the oral tradition
and publish as a written document with Filipino and English translations.
Background:
The "Flalok Project: Reviving the Blaan Art of
Storytelling to Improve Literacy and Develop a Community of Readers in South
Central Mindanao" is a project initiated by KafyeBlaan Empowerment, Inc.
and the main author is Annalie Edday. Annalie Edday met with the Galing
Foundation, Inc. Board back in January 2014 and shared the vision for the
KafyeBlaan Empowerment, Inc. and the Blaan Academy of the Philippines. Being a
relatively very new organization, Ann took the initiative to partner with
Conrado and Ladislawa Alcantara Foundation, Inc. (CLAFI) as the big brother for
the Flalok Project and serve as project proponent to the Philippine-American
Fund (USAID Program) c/o Gerry Roxas Foundation and as the project implementer.
“Over-all Flalok Project Goal: The Flalok Project seeks to
increase adult and early graders literacy outcomes among the Blaan communities
in South Central Mindanao by promoting the culture of reading using “Flalok”
and providing quality mother tongue reading materials.
Specifically, the project aims to:
1. Improve stakeholders’ involvement in raising awareness in
the importance of early grade and adult literacy in Blaan communities;
2. Increase access to quality mother tongue reading
materials both in print and e-books;
3. Enhance cultural and linguistic diversity in education
through mother-tongue based learning.” – Flalok Project document
The books are primarily written in Blaan with Filipino and
English translations. Since 2013, the Lamlifew Indigenous Peoples Integrated
School is one of the school beneficiaries of Galing Foundation, Inc. and is one
of the beneficiary pilot schools for the Flalok Project. Kinder to Grade 2
students are the primary target school grade levels. In our 2017 GFI Best in
English awards project, some awardees shared about the Flalok Project books
they have read on their essay entitled “My Favorite Book”. With so many
students using a set of Flalok Project books, they get over used and the school
is requesting for more copies to be re-printed.
Project
Implementation:
On June 14, 2018, KafyeBlaan
Empowerment, Inc. Honorary Board of Trustee Arjho Carino Turner received the
$1,500.00 grant from The Cross of Life Church Endowment Fund of InFaith
Community Foundation thru the Galing Foundation, Inc. The check was made to
Arjho and was then deposited in her account and money transfer done the same
day via Western Union thru KafyeBlaan Empowerment, Inc. Board Jocelyn Robles. Financial
Expense Report is attached for details.
Each set of Flalok Big Books is composed of 72 stories/books. One set went to each of the school.
Reason why there are three transfers of the money:
The suggestion came from KafyeBlaan
Empowerment, Inc. treasurer Jocelyn Robles to have 3 money transfers was to
avoid suspicion on money laundering on the Philippines side (for security reasons with the government
crackdown on people engaged in drug business, and even other security threats
funding acts of terror for instance) and also making sure that the local outlet
of Western Union where the money will be claimed will have enough cash that
will be given at the time of claiming the money…so, if only the first batch is
available, then that is made available. What she did was to communicate with
the local Western Union outlet that she has to claim 3 separate money transfers
mentioning the total amount sent and she waited for their go signal confirming
the availability of the money upon claiming.
The re-printed big books were
turned over to the schools above and were made available to the public thru
their reading centers/libraries. This Flalok Project is also in support to the
call of the Department of Education in the Philippines “towards a culturally
responsive education for IP learners”- http://www.deped.gov.ph/press-releases/towards-culturally-responsive-education-ip-learners
“We extend our sincerest gratitude to the Cross of Life
Church Endowment Fund of InFaith Community Foundation for supporting Galing
Foundation Inc., a US-based foundation with KafyeBlaan Empowerment, Inc. as
their local partner to gift Flalok big books to Blaan children of Maligo Elementary
School and Lamcuah Elementary School in Polomolok and 3 more schools in
Sarangani. Each set has 72 different titles of Blaan folktales collected from
different Blaan ICCs in Southern Mindanao. Children can now enjoy listening and
reading stories written in their own language depicting their own culture.
Alcantara Foundation also provided teacher guides and copies
of Blaan-Filipino-English dictionary that everybody can use. A crash course on
Blaan orthography was also facilitated so teachers can spell the words
correctly in teaching Blaan MTBMLE.
Thank you to the school heads, teachers, parents, and pupils
who wholeheartedly accepted our gifts.
Thank you kuya Volvic Cariño (son of Jocelyn Cariño Robles,
KafyeBlaan Board of Trustee) for joining us. I was amazed at how well you speak
Blaan. You also enjoyed the orthography class.
Thank you Ms. Arjho Carino Turner and Annalie Edday for your
undying love to Flalok and your passion in empowering all fellow Blaans. Many
Non-Blaans (like me) now understand and appreciate the beauty of the Blaan
culture. We dream that 1 day, people will understand that there is no superior
or inferior language and culture.
#FlalokProject” – Evan Labrilla Campos, Flalok Project
Manager of Conrado and Ladislawa Foundation, Inc. (CLAFI)
Photo credit: Evan Labrilla Campos
