By Rheena Mangaoil, StratCom Intern

Taking a big step in championing indigenous culture for development, Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) and the University of Saskatchewan (USask) in Canada has started to embark on a research project focusing on indigenous Ilokano healthcare systems. This project aims to contextualize Ilokano indigenous healthcare system toward inclusive cultural education in the medical and applied sciences. 

Prof. Ryan Dean T. Sucgang, project leader, said the research will develop a program that integrates movement, nutrition, general medical and maternal-child care concepts in the context of Ilokano culture, society, and mindset.

The project involves five components: development perspectives on the fallacies and facts of traditional healing in Ilokano indigenous communities; healing practices and implements utilized by Ilokano indigenous communities; profiling and geo-referencing traditional Ilokano indigenous community healers; healing sites and their impact on the health and wellness practices of Ilokano indigenous communities; and, traditional healing knowledge of Ilocano indigenous communities and its connection with the COVID-19 pandemic as an old realization for the new normal. 

“In line with our research, we already had a preliminary conduct of respondent identification. We are also coordinating with the National Council of Indigenous Peoples to jumpstart the project,” said Prof. Ryan Sucgang, project leader. He bared the potential participants in the study are those who practice traditional healing and medicine, and community health workers from 10 Ilocos Norte towns: Adams, Dumalneg, Carasi, Solsona, Nueva Era, Batac, Badoc, Pinili, Currimao, and Paoay.

The project is expected to produce geographic information system maps of communities’ traditional health indigenous knowledge systems. Researchers are also expected to produce instructional materials on nursing care, community health development, and traditional medicine for applied medical and health sciences; research articles; video documentation of traditional health practices; information, education and communication materials; and policy briefs. 

This initiative is in line with the MMSU-led Indigenous Knowledge System and Cultural Management project of the Philippine-Canada Universities Education Consortium for International Collaborative Partnerships (PhilCanEDUCON - Magic 7+), an academic and research collaboration of seven Philippine universities, including MMSU, and Canada’s USask.

Dr. Marlowe Aquino, lead coordinator of the IKSCM project, believes the research project is instrumental in enhancing cultural health education, in improving the delivery of appropriate health services, and in preserving Ilokano heritage. 

For her part, MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis said the project “is our way to facilitate development among the indigenous communities in the province through science and technology.” The project is a result of a partnership forged between MMSU and USask in 2020. (HLY/JVBT/DPTJ, StratCom)