This municipality, mostly populated by indigenous people (IP) group Tingguians, is putting premium on education as a way to preserve heritage and prepare the younger generation for the future.

Under the “One Professional, One Family” program, various government support services aim to have at least one employed professional in every household.

Every opening of classes, parents here no longer need to worry about buying school supplies for their children as the Nueva Era government provides for their essential needs.

“This initiative is rooted on our advocacy to have at least one professional in every family,” Mayor Aldrin Garvida said in an interview.

Since 2022, the municipality has institutionalized the allotment of multi-million-peso funding for the provision of educational assistance and incentives to Nueva Era scholars who enrol from Grades 11 and 12 and up to the tertiary level.

Based on Municipal Ordinance No. 2022-52, scholars from the town’s 11 communities are granted at least PHP2,500 educational assistance per year for senior high school and a stipend ranging from PHP3,500 to PHP4,000 per semester for college students.

Academic achievers also receive cash incentives should they graduate top of the class, such as PHP5,000 for cum laude, PHP10,000 for magna cum laude and PHP15,000 for suma cum laude.

In addition, free transport services and dormitory rental fees are shouldered by the municipality for its out-of-town students, who are mostly studying in the cities of Batac and Laoag.

According to Garvida, one of the major reasons many IP students are unable to pursue college education is the distance to the nearest schools, along with transportation difficulties and challenges in securing affordable boarding houses.

“We are so lucky here in Nueva Era because education is a priority,” resident Agnes Parado said.

Located about 63 kilometers from Laoag and approximately 25 kilometers from Batac via the Batac-Banna road, Nueva Era’s public transport is a challenge because of its location at the foot of a mountain.

Nueva Era has a total of 3,300 households based on available data from the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office.

For Cheryll Tabangay, a Tingguian from Nueva Era and the first Indigenous People Mandatory Representative of Ilocos Norte, said the program continues to play a huge part in helping IPs with their education.

“The program is a big help for us. It intends to provide equitable access to quality education and uplift the lives of families, particularly the margined sector,” she said. (PNA)