Likhang Kamay: Training Course on Teaching Indigenous Handicrafts in Higher Education Institutions

As the Secretariat of the Asia-Pacific Higher Education Network for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (APHEN-ICH), the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics (USTGS-CCCPET) advances the network's advocacy of strengthening the role of higher education institutions in safeguarding living heritage.

In fulfillment of this commitment, USTGS-CCCPET conceptualized and organized Likhang Kamay: Training Course on Teaching Indigenous Handicrafts in Higher Education Institutions, held on 13-16 May 2026. The four-day training brought together educators, cultural workers, artisans, and institutional partners to strengthen the integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSP) into higher education.

Organized in celebration of National Heritage Month, Likhang Kamay translated APHEN-ICH's advocacy into concrete educational action. It connected universities with tradition-bearers, cultural institutions, government agencies, and the creative industries, while underscoring higher education's responsibility to support the respectful and sustainable transmission of indigenous knowledge and creative traditions.

The program is in partnership with the UST College of Fine Arts and Design, in collaboration with the UST Museum, UST Center for Continuing Professional Education and Development, Museo ng Kaalamang Katutubo, and APHEN-ICH. It was further supported by the Department of Trade and Industry-Likhang Filipino and the Design Center of the Philippines and formed part of the Heritage Month activities of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

For four days, participants explored the cultural, educational, and policy foundations of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage; connected traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design and the creative industries; learned directly from artisans through hands-on activities; and translated these experiences into culturally sensitive courses and teaching strategies for higher education.

Through Likhang Kamay, USTGS–CCCPET affirmed its continuing responsibility as the APHEN-ICH Secretariat to transform regional heritage advocacy into meaningful programs within universities and communities. The initiative demonstrated that safeguarding indigenous handicrafts is not solely the responsibility of artisans and cultural institutions. It is a shared commitment among educators, designers, government agencies, communities, and higher education institutions to ensure that living knowledge is respected, practiced, creatively sustained, and passed on to future generations.