Flalok Big Book Re-printing Project

 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