By Chessa Pae Faustino, Stratcom Correspondent

In its third year, Mariano Marcos State University hosts the International Conference on Prairie and Indigenous Knowledge in Agriculture, Education, Culture and the Arts, and Health (PIKAECAH) from July 16 to 18 at the Center for Flexible Learning.

The theme, "Global Indigeneity and Indigenous Futurity: Sustaining Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Management through Digitalization and Universal Community Development," underscores the importance of preserving indigenous knowledge. The conference is organized with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Indigenous Knowledge System and Cultural Management Program Management Unit, CHED International Affairs Staff, and the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines.

The three-day conference features sessions on cultural education and traditional arts and cultural practices, indigenous cuisine and food system, traditional/indigenous healthcare management, and agriculture, environment, and natural resource management, which cover community-based case experiences, cultural materials/artifacts, and research work highlighting Indigenous communities, prairie, and rainfed areas. 

Dr. Marlowe Aquino, MMSU’s director for Planning and CHED-IKSCM program head, highlighted the conference's role in exchanging research on global cultures, focusing on Filipino and Canadian indigenous knowledge in agriculture, education, health, and the arts. The research papers to be presented will be published in a Scopus-indexed journal with Canadian partners' support.

The conference plenary speaker, Prof. Shermon Cruz, CEO and Chief of the Futurist Center for Engaged Foresight of Northwestern University, discussed global indigeneity and indigenous futurity, which includes sustaining indigenous knowledge and cultural management through digitalization and universal community development.

During the opening program, Dr. Christine Ferrer, Director IV of CHED Region I, emphasized integrating indigenous knowledge into everyday life and promoting community sustainability. “By meticulously documenting and revitalizing indigenous knowledge, we can sustain these ancient wisdom; thus, this conference is a springboard for a collaborative movement,” she said.

Dr. Prima Fe Franco, MMSU vice president for academic affairs, expressed gratitude for CHED and Canada Education Consortium’s collaboration, emphasizing the conference's role in preserving indigenous knowledge for future generations. “By ensuring the continuity of this knowledge, we pave the way for future innovations. Let's work together to sustain and transmit this valuable heritage to future generations,” she urged.

Participants include representatives from CHED International Affairs Staff, the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines, PhilCanEDUCON Magic 7+ Institutions (Philippine-Canada Education Consortium for International Collaborative Partnerships - Magic 7+), Association of State Colleges and Universities-Solid North (ASCU-SN), Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC), various higher education institutions across the country, MMSU faculty and researchers.

The conference will conclude with a tour of Ilocos Norte’s agri-ecotourism and cultural heritage sites, highlighting the region's agri-ecological landscapes and artistic treasures. MMSU has successfully hosted PIKAECAH since 2022, fostering international dialogue on indigenous knowledge and advancing one of its 7-point agenda as a culturally focused university.