Teacher Pursues Advocacy to Educate Kids of T’Boli Tribe

When she enters the room, you can clearly hear a melodious chorus of tiny little brass bells with every step she takes. Her tiny frame is decked in beautiful traditional T’Boli wear, handcrafted and lovingly stitched by the T’Boli Tribe of Lake Sebu in South Cotabato.

She takes pride in her dress and gladly obliges when you ask for a picture, explaining to you its origins in detail.

Her name is Anita Castilon, 63, a native of Antique but has spent most of her life with the T’Boli tribe of Lake Sebu, and the Exemplary Individual Awardee of the 6th Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) Triennial Awards in 2015.

Nanay Anita, as she is lovingly called by the tribe, has dedicated her life to educating and uplifting the lives of the T’Boli tribe.
She established the Marmylone Learning Center, her own private school, to cater to the education needs of the community, and set up three Indigenous Learning Schools in two mountain barangays in Lake Sebu, where she educates and nurtures young T’Boli children for free.  She travels from one mountain barangay to another by foot and doesn’t mind the long and treacherous trek.

For this, she was recognized by RAFI for her exemplary work in the community.  For being named an exemplary individual, Nanay Anita received a trophy and prize money of P484,000.

“RAFI is the instrument (for me to continue my) passion and journey to serve the marginalized children… I want to commit myself to (the tribal children). They make me happy in my everyday life,” she said in her message after accepting her award.
Nanay Anita also said the award allows her to continue her advocacy in teaching and working to improve the lives of people in tribal and marginalized areas.

Pursuing her passion

A year after her win, Nanay Anita continues to do her work in the community and nurture the T’Boli children.

With her winnings, she constructed a water system in Sitio T’nuous for one of her indigenous learning schools, and built one more classroom for her Marmylone Learning Center and one daycare center in Sitio El-Alis in Barangay Takunel.

“The assistance RAFI has given me has inspired me and my co-workers, the tribal community and the children, and my partners to do more,” said Nanay Anita.

She said they were able to build the water system, the additional classroom and daycare center through the bayanihan system—everyone in the community helped out in carrying the materials and building the classrooms.

“The 27th Infantry Battalion donated one truckload of sand and gravel for the construction of the classrooms, while the Provincial Nutrition Office was responsible for the three-month feeding program for the children,” she added.

Since the indigenous learning schools are situated up in the mountains, Nanay Anita set up a demo-farm with a variety crops
such as bananas, fruit trees, abaca, and hardwood which the community may use once harvest-ready.

This does not include the system that she up so parents can send their kids to school, and at the same time provide for their family’s needs—parents are asked to pay P20 a month and grow a garden in their own backyards, so its yield can be used for the school’s feeding program.

Nanay Anita also said the award will allow her to continue her advocacy in teaching and working to improve the lives of people in tribal and marginalized areas.

Inspiration

As Nanay Anita continues with her work in the community, she looks forward to nurturing more young T’Boli children.
“Thank you to RAFI. You are my inspiration for another chapter of my life to continue this fulfilling work,” said Nanay Anita.

Nanay Anita is one of the many awardees and finalists of the RAFI Triennial Awards who have done and continue to do great things for their communities. Since its first awards in 1999, the RAFI Triennial Awards has recognized 66 Exemplary Individuals and Outstanding Institutions from all over the Philippines. Most recent awardees of the 6th RAFI Triennial Award were Nanay Anita and Kadtabanga Foundation for Peace and Development Advocates, Inc. of Maguindanao, an organization of former MNLF rebels focused on promoting peace and development in Mindanao.

Nominations to the 7th RAFI Triennial Awards are open. To nominate exemplary individuals and outstanding institutions, please visit: rafi.org.ph/triennialawards/.