Mariano Marcos
State University

MMSU joins new consortium to champion Amianan culture

By Jedd Bryant Boado

To support the preservation and promotion of Northern Philippine culture, Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) joined 13 higher education institutions from Regions 1, 2, and the Cordillera Administrative Region in establishing the Amianan Consortium through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on May 19 in Benguet.

Member institutions will collaborate on various initiatives, including research and development, capacity-building activities, academic publications, policy recommendations, and knowledge-sharing programs such as symposia, forums, and conferences. Through these efforts, the partnership seeks to further promote regional cultures and indigenous knowledge systems.

During the MOU signing, MMSU President Virgilio Julius P. Manzano, Jr. was represented by Graduate School Dean Doreen Domingo and Center for Ilokano and Amianan Studies (CIAS) Chief Leslie Kay Corpuz.

In her message, Dr. Domingo said that the university’s membership in the consortium would deepen its understanding of Northern Luzon cultures and further strengthen its Ilokano and Amianan studies programs.

“With our membership in the Amianan Consortium, we hope to learn from our partner institutions so that we can enhance the curriculum of our Ilokano and Amianan studies programs,” Dr. Domingo said.

Founding members of the Amianan Consortium include Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, Lorma Colleges, Union Christian College, Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College, University of Northern Philippines, Pangasinan Polytechnic College, Panpacific University, Saint Mary’s University, Baguio Central University, Benguet State University, Cordillera Career Development College, Divine Word College of Bangued, and the University of the Cordilleras.