“Handumanan sa Kabilin: Kaugmaong Malamboon” Unconference set for December 27

CulEd 204 serves as a bridge between Level 1 and 2 Cultural Heritage Education. It builds upon the previous reiteration of Module 6 and 7, which focused on Rights of Nature and Futures Thinking and Strategic Foresight. This year’s CulEd 204 in Region 2, Cagayan, offered by the Isabela State University, aims to update the modules developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to better suit the post-pandemic “next normal” context.

The updated modules include: Module 1: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA); Module 2: Logframe; Module 3: Open Space Technology; Module 4: Appreciative Inquiry; and Module 5: Inputs to Impact.

Additionally, the modules address new challenges and concerns that form the basis for advocacy.

Cebu Normal University (CNU) Batch 6 selected keywords that resonate with their own issues, concerns, and challenges, which could potentially inform Central Visayas’ advocacy campaign. This year’s CulEd 2044 unconference centers around the central theme, “Handumanan sa Kabilin: Kaugmaong Malamboon.” Handumanan evokes nostalgia and emotion for the Cebuano, encompassing keepsakes, mementos, memorials, remembrances, and tokens. On the other hand, kabilin signifies enduring significance and meaning, representing inheritance, heritage, legacy, and patrimony for the Cebuano. Meanwhile, kaugmaon embodies hopefulness and optimism for the future, while malamboon symbolizes booming, flourishing, and thriving.

Unlike previous batches, CNU Batch 6 comprises only three groups. Group 1 focuses on “Promoting Awareness and Preservation of Cebu Churches,” with discussants Fr. Danilo Noval and Fr. Andy Guban. Group 2 presents “Padayon Lapu-Lapu: Preserving our Cultural and Natural Heritage,” featuring reactors from the Department of Education local division: Mam Daria Nimenzo and Dr. Faith Bullo. Finally, Group 3 concludes with “Roots in Rhythm: an advocacy for local music preservation,” led by the esteemed CNU chorale conductor Darlene Yap.

Although the December 20th marks the conclusion of the five meetings for the Graduate Diploma in Cultural Education (GDCE), they have already conducted screen tests and recorded various parts of the Unconference. By December 27th, the Unconference will be finalized, as recorded and available for rewatching during the holiday break before the year 2026. The GDCE is a postgraduate diploma offered by the Philippine Cultural Education Program (PCEP) through the College of Nursing and Allied Professions (CNU) under the guidance of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).