About Edicute Incorporated

Edicute Incorporated (EDINC) is a nonprofit volunteer organization. Its main aim is to promote
education among Filipino indigenous peoples (IPs). EDINC supports nongovernmental
organizations providing IPs with alternative, systematic and sustainable education services.
Together, they work to strategically address and significantly reduce the illiteracy rate of IPs.
EDINC advocates the following:

1. Establishment of sustainable community based literacy schools to make basic education

service accessible,
2. Reduction of malnutrition among IP children, and
3. Promotion of health and sanitation among IPs.

With these, EDINC also encourages camaraderie, volunteerism, leadership and shared social
responsibility.

Indigenous peoples constitute roughly 15 to 20 percent of Philippines’ total population. They are
mainly concentrated in the Cordillera Region and Mindanao. Reasons as geographical location
and conditions bred many challenges for these people groups. They largely live in isolation
where formal schools or literacy centers are scarce. Because of this, the illiteracy incidence
among IPs is high. This leads to yet more problems as poor economic opportunities, lack of
knowledge on proper health care and sanitation, etc. Further, they have limited access to basic
government services – infrastructures, healthcare, social welfare, etc. Farming is their main
source of livelihood. But, even their practice of kaingin (slash-and-burn farming) poses concerns
for the environment. These make the IPs more marginalized in our society.

Fundraising Activities

Thus, in 2011, EDINC was born to respond to IPs’ needs, with particular focus on education.
Since then, the organization has been partnering with various groups and having fundraising
projects to fulfill their goals. These projects started as a collective initiative by volunteer athletes
and sports enthusiasts. To make their marathon events meaningful, they dedicated their
performances to helping IPs. They used their race results to pool funds for the outreach programs
of the organization. In these projects, runners, bikers and swimmers use their official race
performances to collect pledges. Donations can be a certain peso equivalent per kilometer
finished by the athlete or a fixed amount. Among these projects were Run for Pencils, Bike for
Pencils and Tri for Pencils.

Run for Pencils has been the first and principal project of the organization. Piloting in 2011 with
22 runners, it has continued to provide an inflow for EDINC to carry out its programs. For seven
years now, over a hundred athletes have been part of this initiative. Stretching out to beat their
personal bests and extending help to those who need it most.
Tri (Triathlon) for Pencils was launched in September 2013. Volunteers for this event swim,
bike and run to raise funds for the construction of a water system in Sitio Gaang, Brgy.
Panaytayan, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro. With the aid of 11 triathletes, EDINC was able to raise
P43,000. The fund was turned over to to Hagibbat-Mangyan Mindoro on April 2014.

This water system will aid the Literacy and Numeracy Program which EDINC supports. This
will help the Mangyans have a communal farm, encourage families to plant crops and
vegetables, support the students’ feeding program, address health problems caused by
contaminated water and help keep their community clean.

Bike for Pencils is another cause-oriented initiative of EDINC. It is a project in partnership with
Tiklop Society of the Philippines, Tayabas Cycling Association and Ligao Amateur Cycling
Association. 21 bikers joined the cause and cycled more than 500 kilometers from Manila to
Matnog, Sorsogon. The trail, completed in five days from April 16 to 20, 2014, is a showcase of
the bikers’ dedication to help the IPs.

These sports-oriented projects encourage not just healthy, but also meaningful lifestyles. Besides
these, EDINC also accepts donations in kind as school supplies, learning facilities, instruction
materials, groceries, clothing items, etc. Contributions in the form of volunteer services are also
most welcome.

EDINC has become a community of diverse people wanting to contribute in the simple ways
they can. And though diverse in their interests and ways, they all share the same desire to help.

Outreach Programs

EDINC holds two primary outreach activities every year. One is the Balik-Eskwela outreach held
every May or June. Another is the Edicute ang Pasko outreach during November or December.

Conducting the annual Balik-Eskwela outreach is in line with EDINC’s focus of promoting
education among IPs. It aims to equip the IP students with tools to make learning easier and
enjoyable. In this program, amounts pooled from the fundraising events were converted to school
supplies, learning facilities, sports equipment, sanitary kits, clothes, slippers and other aids.
These were accumulated along with in-kind donations received for distribution to the children.
The program provided help to both the students and the community volunteer teachers.

Other than material assistance, EDINC volunteers also spend time with the children. They hold
feeding programs and engage IP kids in educational, arts and other fun activities.
To date, EDINC was able to reach more than 3,000 Mangyan students of Mindoro with the Balik
Eskwela program. Around a hundred volunteers has also been a part of this journey. They’ve
been to the following localities since its outset in 2011:

1. Sitio Parukpok, Brgy. Panaytayan, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro (2011)

2. Sitio Balangkawon, Brgy. Lisap, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro (2012)
3. Sitio Tagaskan, Brgy. San Vicente, Roxas, Oriental Mindoro (2013)
4. Sitio Tambangan, Brgy. San Juan, Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro (2014)
5. Sitio Bahid, Brgy. Matulatula in Pola, Oriental Mindoro (2015)
6. Paraway Mangyan School, Puerto Galera, Mindoro and Sipit Saburan Mangyan School
(2016)
7. Sitio Kahil, Brgy. Tayamaan, Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro (2017)

In 2012, the first Edicute ang Pasko outreach was conducted. The program serves as a gift-
giving drive for the IP families in light of the coming Christmas season. In this, proceeds from
fundraising activities were used to buy grocery packs, rice, other food items and basic
necessities. There are in-kind donations as well. So far, EDINC has visited six sitios in Mindoro
and benefited more than 1,200 Mangyan families. This includes more than 1,000 Mangyan
children. All these through the help of a hundred outreach volunteers. EDINC has been to the
following localities since 2012:

1. Sitio Mananginan, Brgy. Panaytayan, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro (2012)

2. Sitio Cupang, Brgy. Waygan, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro (2013)
3. Sitio Ambulong, Brgy. San Roque, Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro (2015)
4. Sitio Avocado, Brgy. Conrazon, Bansud, Oriental Mindoro (2015 - extended)
5. Brgy. Panaytayan, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro (2016)
6. Sitio Salay Brgy. Panaytayan, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro (2017)

In addition to the main outreach programs, EDINC also held several other outreaches. One of
these is the RFP Cabanatuan outreach on September 2013. Beneficiaries of this program were
students from Kalikasan Elementary School, Sitio Bacao, Brgy. Doña Josefa, Palayan City,
Nueva Ecija. P27, 500 of funds were raised through Run for Pencils: A Back-to-School Run – an
event in partnership with Raw Runners and made successful by 550 participants.

In celebration of Mangyan Day on April 2014, EDINC also visited Sitio Duongan, Brgy.
Bambanin,Victoria, Oriental Mindoro. They shared a day of educational and fun activities with
children. With the help of their partners, they conducted a medical mission as well. More than
200 families and children were benefited by the program. They also turned over the funds for the
construction of water system in Sitio Gaang in Brgy. Panaytayan, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro
(read: Tri for Pencils).

This August 2017, they held Oplan Sagip Karunungan in Bliss Elementary School, Brgy. Atate
Palayan Nueva Ecija. More than 200 students were granted with school supplies and other
donations. On July 2017, they also had an outreach in Iligan City to help the Marawi evacuees.