𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘆: 𝗨𝗦𝗧–𝗡𝗖𝗖𝗔–𝗗𝗧𝗜

𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘆: 𝗨𝗦𝗧–𝗡𝗖𝗖𝗔–𝗗𝗧𝗜 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲, 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝘀
As the Secretariat of the 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮-𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 (𝗔𝗣𝗛𝗘𝗡-𝗜𝗖𝗛), the 𝗨𝗦𝗧 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 the advocacy of APHEN-ICH into concrete educational action. It connected universities with tradition bearers, cultural institutions, government agencies, and the creative industries while underscoring the responsibility of higher education 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.