The tourism center provided the educational requirements of 12 IP college and 18 IP high school students, any their day-to-day allowances and dormitory expenses.
The TATAG IP Students Tourism Center was inaugurated on August 12, 2023, which offers a 5-meter-wide and 25-meter-long swimming pool; a function hall that can accommodate 400 people; and a restaurant that can cater 200 guests.
The center also has a souvenir shop with local craftsmanship; and five uniquely designed cottages named after Talaingod sitios - Sambulungan, Pongpong, Bagang, Peroy, and Nalubas.
The project materialized through the support of the 56th Infantry (TATAG) Battalion under the 10th Infantry (AGILA) Division, and the 7th Air Reserve Center of the Philippine Air Force.
Misiyang Dogiyon, an IP TATAG student in a statement said that no one finishes education in her community and that she is the only one who reaches college.
"Noong wala pa ako sa foundation, mahirap talaga ang buhay namin. Nag-aaral ako, pero hindi iniisip na makapagtapos. Ang sa akin lang, matuto lang ako magbasa at magsulat," Dogiyon said.
"Kaya magsisikap ako makapagtapos kasi ako ang kanilang modelo. Ngayong tinulungan kami ng foundation, malaki na ang opportunity na makapagtapos ng pag-aaral at nabigay lahat ng pangangailangan namin. Yung mga gamit na hindi pa namin alam tulad ng laptop, ay ibinigay sa amin," she said.
10th ID Commander Major General Jose Eriel M Niembra committed to support the foundation and the IP students in achieving their dreams.
Yasmin Dalisay Fabricante, co-founder of TIPSF during Wednesday’s AFP-PNP Press Corps media briefing at the Royal Mandaya Hotel said that the program is part of the sustainment effort of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
She said the IP beneficiaries are those from “Salugpungan” schools and some are former New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who want to go back to school.
Apart from the support for the education of the IP students, the foundation also provided some services like psycho social intervention and technical skills development, Fabricante said.
“Our goal is to produce effective and better leaders for these students to lead in Talaingod in the future,” Fabricante said.
August 30, 2023 Yasmin Fabricante, co-founder, IP Students Foundation, Inc.