A newly awarded grant aims to reconnect Filipino youth with their heritage, thanks to an ongoing cultural education project spearheaded by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS). The center has been awarded a $64,648 National Resource Center grant from the U.S. Department of Education that will support the expansion of the Pamana ng Lahi: Philippine Language and Culture Workshop.
Led by UH Mānoa Professor Pia Arboleda, who teaches Filipino language and culture at UH Mānoa, the workshops are geared toward fostering a sense of belonging and pride among Filipino youth, many of whom are second or third-generation immigrants. First piloted in 2019 at Saint Louis School, Pamana ng Lahi, which means “heritage of the people” in Tagalog, started off as a three-week, intensive course that introduced the Hawaiʻi high schoolers to both the Tagalog-based Filipino language, Philippine geography, food, and other aspects of Filipino culture.
“Pamana ng Lahi speaks of the things that our ancestors bequeathed to us—their language, ancient knowledge, and cultural traditions,” said Arboleda. “The lessons learned go beyond the classroom—they are lessons of identity, heritage, and pride that will stay with them for a lifetime.”
Baybayin, folklore, and food
Since its inception, the program has expanded into even more high schools and has reached more than 200 students across Hawaiʻi and the continental U.S. In the islands, schools like Waipahu, Farrington, Maryknoll, Punahou, and Maui High have hosted workshops featuring lessons in baybayin (ancient Philippine script), food, folklore and mythology, with more tailored programming planned under the new funding.
A Maui High student described that the workshop helped them discover a part of themselves that they didn’t realize was missing.
Pamana ng Lahi continues to broaden its reach. On September 30, Arboleda presented a special talk titled “Ilonggo Cuisine: Recollections and Recipes,” which focused on the food culture of the central Philippines.
