Project BALAY: A NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR BASIC LITERACY AMONG YOUNG AND ADULT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Reading and writing skills are crucial for Indigenous communities as they preserve their unique cultures and traditions and aid in recording their language, stories, and historical knowledge. Additionally, they play a vital role in providing a platform for self-expression, allowing Indigenous voices to be heard, and advocating for their rights and interests. With this, the researchers were motivated to conduct the study to determine the basic literacy needs of young and adult Indigenous Peoples (IPs) which would serve as a basis for conducting needed training. This is descriptive research wherein 150 indigenous people from the selected Mangyan communities in Panaytayan, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro were interviewed using the researchers’ checklist to gather the needed data. Frequency and percentage were used in this study. According to the findings, it is evident that the participants have a considerable lack of reading and writing skills. Moreover, the IPs must receive proper training to master the fundamentals of reading and writing competencies. The researchers proposed creating a strategic plan to implement PROJECT BALAY – Basic Literacy for Young and Adult Indigenous people. The primary focus would be honing basic letter recognition skills and targeting reading comprehension and writing skills in older children.