The once peaceful mountains of Barangay Panaytayan, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, now resound with the gentle scratching of pencils on paper. For the Hanunuo Mangyan community, these sounds represent more than just reading and writing instruction, they are the sounds of breaking long-standing chains of illiteracy.
Through Project ARAL (Awareness, Resiliency, and Adaptability through Literacy), Mindoro State University (MinSU) continues to bring the transformative power of education to one of the province’s most vulnerable sectors. Implemented by the College of Teacher Education (CTE) of the MinSU Bongabong Campus, Project ARAL is one of the six components of the Awati TI-KAPE Community Development Program under Education. This five-year initiative, led by Ms. Zussette C. Aplaon as Program Leader and Dr. Dionisio E. Brinosa as Project Leader, aims to empower 100 learners from the sitios of Calibang, Ether, Tanawan, and Sinugbuhan in Mansalay.
Laying the Foundation: The First Leg of Project ARAL under Awati TI-KAPE
From November 19 to 21, 2025, the CTE team successfully completed the first phase of Project ARAL, which began in September 2025. This initial implementation reached 30 Hanunuo Mangyan beneficiaries, delivering literacy, numeracy, and life-skills interventions that respect and integrate the community’s rich cultural heritage.
Reaching Sitio Tanawan was not for the faint of heart. It was a difficult habal-habal ride across difficult terrain. However, for MinSU educators, every challenge encountered reaffirmed the initiative’s urgency and purpose - to bring the education where it is most needed.
While the project sets measurable targets, including a projected increase in literacy levels, its true impact is felt in the stories of hopes of the learners themselves.
The Eraser and the Elder: Tatay Balengleng’s New Hope
Among the learners was Tatay Balengleng. At over 80 years of age, Tatay Balengleng has spent his entire life navigating the world without being able to read or write his own name. His eyes clouded by time, often water from the strain of concentrating on a page. Yet his hand remains firm and steady with purpose.
“I believe now,” he shares in his native tongue, “that even in old age, there is hope for me to at least write my own name.”
His determination reflects the core rationale of Project ARAL: that adult literacy provides a "second chance" to improve the lives of people who missed to attend formal schools during childhood. For Tatay Balengleng, literacy is not just a skill to gain but a late-blooming victory over prejudice and illiteracy that have historically disadvantaged indigenous people, particularly elders.
A Household Revolution: Budgeting and Bravery
In another corner of the community, literacy has become a shared family mission. One mother initially believed her illiteracy was a permanent condition, since she stayed at home and her husband was the only one who needed to read and count to support the family’s livelihood.
However, the introduction of basic numeracy and financial literacy changed her perspective. Recognizing that these skills are essential for economic empowerment and effective household budgeting, she has given up her reluctance for a pencil. Today, her husband and children are now her teachers, demonstrating how education can bridge the gap between mere survival and sustainable living.
The Guardians of Tanawan: Signing for Dignity
In Sitio Tanawan, the "gurangon" (elders) of Sitio Tanawan, known as Inang and Amang, arrived first at all every activity. Their motivation was clear and deeply personal.
They have had enough of their thumbprints. They told facilitators that once they master writing, they would be the ones to sign the attendance sheets themselves. Most importantly, they look forward to the day when they will be able to sign their own senior citizen payrolls, assert their independence, and make sure they are no longer reliant on others to confirm their identity. Their determination underscores a central goal of Project ARAL: equipping learners with communication skills so they can proudly and dignifiedly participate fully in society.
Project ARAL: A Shield against Exploitation
The urgency of Project ARAL is rooted in a 2023 to 2024 community needs assessment conducted by the CTE of MinSU Bongabong Campus, which found that low reading and numeracy levels made the Hanunuo Mangyan susceptible to unfair commerce, false information, and social exclusion. By improving reading, writing, and numeracy skills, the program also promotes civic participation, economic awareness, and the preservation of indigenous knowledge, including ethnomedicinal and ethnomathematical practices passed down through generations.
Ultimately, Project ARAL reflects the CTE’s commitment to a transformative community engagement. MinSU is not simply teaching letters and numbers, it is helping the Hanunuo Mangyan build a lasting foundation of resiliency and adaptability that will continue for generations.
From pens to progress, these small acts of learning are rewriting their futures with their own hands - one name, one number, and one story at a time.
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