The Tao Foundation for Culture and Arts is a 28-year-old Philippine non-profit organization that seeks to contribute to cultural revitalization/ cultural decolonization in collaboration with partner communities. It is run by volunteer community leaders, scholars, artists and cultural workers. The Tao Foundation currently runs the Agusan del Sur-School of Living Traditions, a community-based, non-formal school in northeastern Mindanao where local Cultural Masters transmit their knowledge of language, ancestral domain, customary law, arts, spirituality, medicine, and food to the local youth. The A-SLT is supported by the National Commission for Culture and Arts, the Tao Foundation for Culture and Arts, and a number of Indigenous Communities in Agusan del Sur. Second, the Tao Foundation currently runs Himig-at-Galaw-ng-Ninuno, a webinar series birthed during the pandemic, consisting of online traditional music and dance courses taught by Cultural Masters to students both in the homeland and in the Philippine diaspora. Third, during these last two years of global health and economic crisis, the Tao Foundation in collaboration with donor Friends, have been distributing food and cultural livelihood aid to numerous Indigenous Communities around the Philippines through the program Alay (Offering). Fourth, and in addition to its cultural work, the Tao Foundation just inaugurated its environmental work by partnering with the Kamaski Indigenous Youth Group and the Buhing Kabilin Eco, Agri, and Heritage Park in reforesting two areas in Agusan del Sur and by starting in the latter a food security and food sovereignty program.

During the pre-pandemic times, the Tao Foundation hosted PAMATI Gatherings that brought together shamans/ Indigenous religious leaders from different parts of the Philippines as well as a transnational group of scholars, religious, artists, and health workers. It also published cultural education materials and embarked on school tours to promote cultural regeneration and dialogue. Finally, it provided college scholarships to a number of Indigenous students.
 
As volunteers who have – all these years – been donating our time, expertise, and resources to the work, we, the Tao Foundation’s Staff invite Friends from all over to contribute generously to this shared service. Donations will help meet our annual government fees, cover school facilities maintenance, and help with our program and operations costs during the year.

Thank you, from our hearts, for your support and solidarity. 

PLEASE NOTE: The organizer, Amadeo Guiao (legal name: Christine), an American citizen and Board of Trustees member of the Tao Foundation, will be personally withdrawing the funds and sending all donations, minus fees, via Western Union to the Tao Foundation, a nonprofit organization licensed and based in the Philippines.