02/11/2025
๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฑ
College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS) spearheaded the second annual AytaLigsahan Project at MGCI Sitio Manabayukan, Capas, Tarlac, on October 30, 2025, with the theme โMalikhaing Paligsahan ng Ayta Mag-Anchi para sa Pagpapanatili ng Kultura.โ
Led by Dr. Francelle L. Calub, the overall project head, AytaLigsahan is part of Project Aytalakad ng Lahi, a research-based extension program that aims to preserve and revitalize the language and culture of the Ayta Mag-Anchi community in the sitio.
โThis project is just one of the many components of Aytalakad ng Lahi, so we are very happy and honored to partner with the sitio,โ Dr. Calub shared.
Dr. Calub also noted that one of the goals of Project Aytalakad is to foster the communityโs independence by training young localsโsuch as the two 16-year-old girls who hosted the event with guidance from 87.5 Firefox Radio, the Communicatorsโ Guild, and several volunteersโto eventually organize their own celebrations during Indigenous Peoplesโ Month.
Despite challenges in crowd control, time management, and travel constraints, the team successfully fulfilled its objective of promoting community building and cultural enrichment.
Residents of Sitio Manabayukan rely on farming root crops and selling puso ng saging for income, but food scarcity remains a major challenge as recent typhoons have damaged crops and made it harder for families to sustain their needs.
Sitio Manabayukan has only an elementary school with limited classrooms, forcing students to travel to nearby areas for high school, while some parents rent spaces in other barangays to make schooling easier for their children.
โAs long as the children continue studying, parents will always find a way,โ shared one resident father.
Healthcare also remains a concern since the local medical center has closed due to lack of funding, leaving residents to travel to OโDonnell or the city for treatment through rough and narrow roads.
Despite these hardships, residents remain optimistic, with Nanay Gloria expressing her gratitude to everyone who joined the event, saying, โAytaLakad, ipinagmamalaki ko โyan!โ
Several competitions highlighted the program, including traditional dance, cookfest, slogan making, and poetry writing, with the winning dishโChicken Labuyo (Red Junglefowl)โshowcasing the communityโs creativity and resourcefulness.
The event was organized in partnership with the Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ng Tarlac, PDRRMC of Capas, Don Bosco Tarlac Institute, JCI Tarlac City, Master of Arts in English Language, Department of Communication, and various TSU organizations, including the CASS Student Council, COESSE-TSU, The Psychological Society, Communicatorsโ Guild, 87.5 Firefox Radio, Linguistic Society, and Auxilium Sodality.
Through projects like Aytalakad ng Lahi, CASS continues its commitment to strengthening and empowering communities while preserving their cultureโleaving future generations of Aytas more resilient and competitive.
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Report and photos by Chino Brendon Tangonan
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