# DepEd Contextualization, Localization and Indigenization

What DepEd contextualization, localization and indigenization mean under RA 10533 and MATATAG, with examples for four schools and the school head's role.

This is the Markdown copy of [DepEd Contextualization, Localization and Indigenization](https://nash.com.ph/blog/curriculum-contextualization-localization), an article on the NASH Reviewer Blog by Mark Anthony Llego, published Oct 26, 2026, updated Nov 4, 2026. Topics: School leadership, Aspiring school heads. NASH Reviewer is an independent practice platform not affiliated with DepEd, BHROD, or NEAP.

Contextualization, localization and indigenization are how a Department of Education (DepEd) school relates the curriculum to its learners' setting. Below are what each term means, what a school may adapt in the curriculum and what it must keep, and how a school head leads the work. The legal basis is Section 5 of Republic Act (RA) No. 10533, the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013. The current rules come from the MATATAG curriculum policy in [DepEd Order (DO) No. 010, s. 2024](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2024/07/23/july-23-2024-do-010-s-2024-policy-guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-matatag-curriculum/), the lesson planning rules in [DO No. 016, s. 2026](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2026/06/04/june-4-2026-do-016-s-2026-guidelines-on-lesson-planning-and-learning-design/), and DepEd's orders on Indigenous Peoples Education (IPEd).

For teachers preparing for the National Assessment for School Heads (NASH, formerly the NQESH) and for new school heads, the topic falls under the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (PPSSH) in [DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2020/09/07/september-7-2020-do-024-s-2020-national-adoption-and-implementation-of-the-philippine-professional-standards-for-school-heads/). The main strand is 3.1, School-based review, contextualization and implementation of learning standards. Strands 5.3, Inclusive practice, and 5.5, Community engagement, cover the work with communities. The worked examples are set in a coastal school, an upland school that serves an Indigenous community, an urban school and a school in a disaster-prone area.

## Key points

- **The law requires a contextualized curriculum.** RA 10533 says the curriculum "shall be contextualized and global". It must also be flexible enough for schools "to localize, indigenize and enhance the same based on their respective educational and social contexts".
- **DepEd defines the three terms in [DO No. 32, s. 2015](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2015/07/29/do-32-s-2015-adopting-the-indigenous-peoples-education-curriculum-framework/).** Contextualization is the general process, and localization and indigenization are its two degrees. Localization relates curriculum content to local information and materials. Indigenization enhances competencies, resources and teaching processes for the community's context.
- **The national standards stay the reference point.** DO 010, s. 2024 calls MATATAG a "standards-based framework" that "shall actively promote curriculum contextualization". Teachers adapt examples, materials, strategies, assessment contexts and the timing of lessons, and they still teach the learning competencies.
- **In Indigenous communities, indigenization is decided with the community.** DO 32, s. 2015 says the scope of indigenization "will be determined by DepEd together with the community". [DO No. 51, s. 2014](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2014/12/19/do-51-s-2014-guidelines-on-the-conduct-of-activities-and-use-of-materials-involving-aspects-of-indigenous-peoples-culture/) says all DepEd personnel "should be guided by the basic principle of free, prior and informed consent".
- **The school head leads the work.** DO 016, s. 2026 asks school heads to provide regular opportunities for collaborative lesson planning and to lead qualitative reviews of lesson plans. DO 010, s. 2024 asks instructional leaders to build partnerships with the community.

## What contextualization, localization and indigenization mean

DepEd's definitions of the three terms are in the Indigenous Peoples Education Curriculum Framework, adopted by DO 32, s. 2015. The implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of RA 10533 repeat the law's principles but do not define the terms. For schools that serve Indigenous Peoples, the framework links the curriculum with Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSPs) and Indigenous Learning Systems (ILS). The table quotes the framework.

| Term | DepEd definition (DO 32, s. 2015) | In plain words |
|---|---|---|
| Contextualization | "the educational process of relating the curriculum to a particular setting, situation or area of application to make the competencies relevant, meaningful, and useful to all learners" | The general term. Any lesson that connects the curriculum to the learners' setting is contextualized. |
| Localization | "the process of relating learning content specified in the curriculum to local information and materials in the learners' community" | The content the curriculum specifies stays. The teacher relates it to local examples, data, stories and materials. |
| Indigenization | "the process of enhancing curriculum competencies, education resources, and teaching-learning processes in relation to the bio-geographical, historical, and socio-cultural context of the learners' community" | A deeper change. The competency, the resources and the ways of teaching are enriched by the community's context. |
| Indigenization in IPEd | "the process of interfacing the national formal education curriculum and Alternative Learning System (ALS) curriculum with IKSPs and ILS" | In schools that serve Indigenous Peoples, the curriculum is joined with the community's own knowledge and its own ways of teaching. |

The framework also defines the terms that indigenization depends on. IKSPs are the community's body of knowledge about its people, land and environment. An ILS is the community's own way of educating its young, with its own curriculum, teaching methods and forms of assessment. Culture bearers are "the recognized elders in the community". IKSP holders are not limited to elders and include community members known for their expertise in a particular practice.

### How the three terms relate

DO 32, s. 2015 presents localization and indigenization as two degrees of contextualization. Its text reads: "The degree of contextualization may be described and distinguished into the following", and the two definitions follow. Every localized or indigenized lesson is therefore contextualized. The two terms differ in how far the change goes.

Localization keeps the content that the curriculum specifies and relates it to local information and materials. The framework's annex says localization "focuses on the enhancement of curriculum content and is generally the same for all communities in the country".

Indigenization goes further. It may also "involve the enhancement of the curriculum framework, curriculum design, and learning standards of subject areas". That enhancement is "guided by the standards and principles adhered to in the national curriculum". Indigenization is not only for schools that serve Indigenous Peoples. The annex says its general examples "may be applied in schools and communities in general, not specifically to indigenous communities only".

A single competency shows the difference. Take a mathematics competency on measuring length with non-standard units. A teacher who localizes asks learners to measure with objects from home, such as a bamboo stick or a slipper. A teacher in an IPEd school who indigenizes, with the community's agreement, starts from the community's own system of measuring length. The framework's annex gives this example: measuring the distance between seedlings with the community's measurement system. In both classes, learners still learn to measure length with non-standard units.

## The legal basis for curriculum contextualization

The laws and orders below make contextualization part of a school's work. They also explain why the school head, not each teacher alone, is responsible for it.

### RA 10533, Section 5

[RA No. 10533](https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2013/05/15/republic-act-no-10533/) lists the standards and principles DepEd follows in developing the curriculum. Three of them concern context:

- Section 5(c): "The curriculum shall be culture-sensitive".
- Section 5(d): "The curriculum shall be contextualized and global".
- Section 5(h): "The curriculum shall be flexible enough to enable and allow schools to localize, indigenize and enhance the same based on their respective educational and social contexts. The production and development of locally produced teaching materials shall be encouraged and approval of these materials shall devolve to the regional and division education units".

The [IRR of RA 10533](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2013/09/24/do-43-s-2013-implementing-rules-and-regulations-irr-of-republic-act-no-10533-otherwise-known-as-the-enhanced-basic-education-act-of-2013/), adopted by DO 43, s. 2013, repeats these principles in Section 10.2. It says the curriculum "shall be gender- and culture-sensitive". Section 10.3 adds that the approval of locally produced materials "shall be devolved to the regional and division education unit in accordance with national policies and standards".

### RA 9155: why the school head leads

[RA No. 9155](https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2001/08/11/republic-act-no-9155/) is the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001. It says the State "shall ensure that the values, needs and aspirations of a school community are reflected in the program of education". It also says: "Schools and learning centers shall be empowered to make decisions on what is best for the learners they serve".

Section 7 makes the school head "both an instructional leader and administrative manager". Two of the school head's duties apply directly: "Implementing the school curriculum and being accountable for higher learning outcomes", and "Establishing school and community networks". Contextualization needs both. The series post on [RA 9155 and the school head's duties](https://nash.com.ph/blog/ra-9155-school-head-duties) covers the full list.

### The MATATAG curriculum, DO 010, s. 2024

DO 010, s. 2024 is the curriculum policy in force. [DO No. 012, s. 2024](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2024/09/18/september-18-2024-do-012-s-2024-amendment-to-deped-order-no-010-s-2024-policy-guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-matatag-curriculum/) amended parts of it, mainly the time allotments, and left the provisions below in effect. DO 010 says the curriculum is "adaptable to local and global contexts, allowing schools to localize, indigenize, and enhance according to their unique educational and social contexts".

The order places contextualization inside the standards. It says: "The MATATAG Curriculum, with its standards-based framework, shall actively promote curriculum contextualization, which takes into account the learners' abilities, socio-cultural background, historical context, and environmental factors". It also says the curriculum "shall be contextualized in implementing the different inclusive education programs", including IPEd.

The order assigns duties at each level. Schools must "Ensure that the MATATAG Curriculum standards and learning competencies are effectively implemented". They must also "Design learning activities that will enable learners to connect with the learning opportunities in their own communities". Instructional leaders "shall cultivate and strengthen partnerships with stakeholders and the community to meet new curricular standards and delivery requirements".

### Lesson planning, DO 016, s. 2026

DO 016, s. 2026 builds contextualization into every lesson plan through the ILAW framework: Intentions, Learning Experience, Assessing Learning, and Ways Forward. Under Learning Experience, teachers "shall identify opportunities" to connect lessons within and across learning areas. They also "incorporate relevant real-life, cultural, or community-based contexts that enrich learner understanding and engagement".

The order's Lesson Planning Rubric includes the line "Learning experience maximizes available opportunities for integration and contextualization". For IPEd, the lesson planning components may guide collaborative planning between IPEd teachers and community resource persons such as elders and leaders. The order adds: "Community competencies and Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSPs) shall also be appropriately reflected in the lesson plan". The [guide to DO 016, s. 2026](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-lesson-planning-do-016-s-2026) explains the whole framework.

### IPEd: DO 62, s. 2011, DO 32, s. 2015 and DO 51, s. 2014

Three older orders govern contextualization in schools that serve Indigenous Peoples (IP). [DO No. 62, s. 2011](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2011/08/08/do-62-s-2011-adopting-the-national-indigenous-peoples-ip-education-policy-framework/) adopted the National IPEd Policy Framework. Its policy statements include: "Adopt appropriate basic education pedagogy, content, and assessment through the integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSPs) in all learning areas and processes".

DO 32, s. 2015 adopted the IPEd Curriculum Framework, which holds the definitions above. DO 51, s. 2014 sets the Guidelines on the Conduct of Activities and Use of Materials Involving Aspects of Indigenous Peoples Culture. DO 32 cites DO 51 as an example of the cultural standards used to check the cultural sensitivity of curriculum and program implementation.

These orders remain in effect. DO 010, s. 2024 says: "Existing policy guidelines on the curriculum of the different inclusive education programs and ALS shall remain in effect until revised, rescinded, or repealed". [DO No. 035, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/11/05/november-4-2025-do-035-s-2025-guidelines-on-the-language-mapping-process-for-key-stage-1/), on language mapping, lists DO 62, s. 2011 and DO 32, s. 2015 among its references.

### The medium of instruction: RA 12027 and DO 020, s. 2025

The medium of instruction is not a teacher's choice; national rules and the school's language mapping set it. [RA No. 12027](https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2024/10/10/republic-act-no-12027/), which lapsed into law on October 10, 2024, discontinued the mother tongue as the medium of instruction from Kindergarten to Grade 3. It allows the mother tongue in monolingual classes that meet requirements, such as an official orthography and trained teachers.

[DO No. 020, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/07/03/july-3-2025-do-020-s-2025-policy-on-the-medium-of-instruction-for-kindergarten-to-grade-3-effective-school-year-2025-2026/) sets the medium of instruction for Kindergarten to Grade 3 under four language scenarios. Under Scenario D, schools implementing IPEd may continue to use the IP language, with gradual introduction of Filipino and English. This applies where the classes are fully or dominantly IP learners, the IP language is dominant, monolingual classes can be organized and three requirements are present. One of them is "culturally appropriate learning resources, quality-assured by the Department and the IP community".

DO 035, s. 2025 sets the language mapping process that decides the scenario for each class. Its first cycle is in School Year (SY) 2026-2027. In every scenario, teachers still give linguistic support, such as translanguaging, to learners whose first language is not the medium of instruction. [Mother Tongue After RA 12027](https://nash.com.ph/blog/language-of-instruction-ra-12027-edcom-ii) covers why EDCOM II supported the law, where its evidence is mixed and what school heads should do about language.

## What a school can adapt and what it must keep

The orders above separate what a school may adapt from what it must keep. The national standards and competencies are the reference point, and the context around them can change. The table sums up what each source supports.

| Part of the lesson | Can the school adapt it? | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Content standards, performance standards and learning competencies | Keep them. Localization does not change them. Indigenization may enrich them or add community competencies, guided by the national standards and decided with the community. Nothing in these orders lets a teacher drop or lower a competency. | DO 010, s. 2024; DO 32, s. 2015; DO 016, s. 2026 (review against curriculum standards) |
| Examples, data, names, stories and local facts | Yes. This is localization. | DO 32, s. 2015, annex |
| Learning resources and materials | Yes. Teachers may modify or adapt materials from DepEd offices or partners, and they remain responsible for lesson plans that fit their learners. The approval of locally produced teaching materials rests with the regional and division offices. | DO 016, s. 2026, para. 22; RA 10533, Sec. 5(h) |
| Teaching strategies | Yes. Real-life, cultural and community contexts; in IPEd, the community's own teaching methods. | DO 016, s. 2026; DO 010, s. 2024 (culture-based instruction); DO 32, s. 2015 |
| Assessment tasks and contexts | Yes, if the task still measures the competency. Tools must be "appropriate to the standards, competencies, skills, and concepts being covered". | DO 32, s. 2015 |
| Sequence and timing of lessons | Yes, within the scope and sequence of competencies. The framework shows competencies taught around a planting season, "guided by the learning standards and the needed scope and sequence of competencies". | DO 32, s. 2015, annex |
| Venue of learning | Yes. The community can be a learning space. In IPEd, the community guides visits to its places. | DO 010, s. 2024; DO 32, s. 2015 |
| Medium of instruction | No. It follows the national language scenarios. | RA 12027; DO 020, s. 2025; DO 035, s. 2025 |
| Rituals, sacred items and cultural expressions | Not the school's decision. The community decides. | DO 32, s. 2015; DO 51, s. 2014 |

## Contextualizing the competency, the strategy and the assessment

A contextualized lesson changes three things in a planned way. Each one has a test the school head can apply when reviewing a plan.

1. **The competency.** Under DO 016, s. 2026, teachers unpack, cluster or sequence competencies into learning objectives that fit learner readiness, the instructional context and the time available. Contextualizing the competency means setting the objective in a local situation while keeping what the competency asks learners to do. If the competency asks learners to explain, the local objective still asks them to explain.
2. **The strategy.** The teacher chooses activities that use the local setting, local resources and, where it helps, local resource persons. The test is whether the local element helps learners understand the concept. Local names and pictures that do not help understanding add nothing.
3. **The assessment.** The task uses a local context and still measures the competency. A competency about describing is assessed by asking learners to describe, not by asking them to perform.

### A worked review: what the school head writes back

A Mathematics teacher in a fishing barangay submits a plan for a competency on reading and interpreting data in a graph. The school head reviews it with the three tests.

| Part | Teacher's draft | School head's note | Revised plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competency | Objective: learners compute how much a fisher earns in a week. | This objective teaches a different skill. The competency is about reading and interpreting a graph. | Learners read and interpret a graph of the barangay's monthly fish catch. |
| Strategy | A fisher talks about his work for the whole period. | The guest is a good resource, but learners do no mathematics. | The fisher explains for ten minutes why catch changes across months. Pairs then plot the data and read the graph. |
| Assessment | A quiz on the local names of fish. | The quiz does not measure the competency. | Learners read values from a new catch graph, compare months and explain one trend. |
| Data and consent | Numbers copied from a social media post. | Use records the owners agree to share. | The fisherfolk association or the barangay gives the records and permission to use them. |

The revised plan keeps the competency and changes everything around it. This is the qualitative review DO 016, s. 2026 asks school heads to lead: a check of alignment with curriculum standards and learner needs, followed by coaching.

## Curriculum contextualization examples for four kinds of schools

The same competency can look different in four schools. The examples use one Science competency on how living things interact with one another and with their environment. In each school the competency and its standard stay the same. What changes is the setting, the resources, the strategy and the assessment context.

### A coastal school

| Element | What the teacher does |
|---|---|
| Local context | Mangroves and seagrass beds near the school, fishing families, daily tides |
| Localized content | Food chains in the mangrove; local names of fish and shellfish beside their common names; catch records from a fisherfolk association |
| Strategy | An observation walk at low tide with a safety plan and parent consent; a fisher as resource person; learners build a food web from their notes |
| Assessment | Learners draw the food web and explain what happens to it when mangroves are cut |
| Partners | Fisherfolk association, barangay, municipal agriculture or fisheries office |
| The school head checks | Safety and consent for the walk; the explanation, not the drawing, is what gets scored |

### An upland school serving an Indigenous community

| Element | What the teacher does |
|---|---|
| Local context | The community's ancestral domain, its farming cycle and forest, its own names for plants and animals |
| Indigenization | The lesson starts from the community's knowledge of the forest and farm as prior knowledge, as DO 32, s. 2015 describes. Culture bearers or IKSP holders join as co-facilitators. The lesson is timed with the farming season. |
| Strategy | A learning walk only to places the community approves; the elders decide what knowledge may be shared and how |
| Assessment | Learners explain one interaction using both the community's knowledge and Science terms; community members may take part in assessment |
| Partners | The community's elders and leaders, reached through its own decision-making processes; the Schools Division Office (SDO) for technical assistance |
| The school head checks | Consent through the community's process; nothing recorded or published without the community's agreement; sacred places respected |

DepEd's SY 2023-2024 learner file counts 9.3% of public school learners as Indigenous Peoples, as the [report on IP learners by grade](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-ip-alive-balik-aral-learners-sy-2023-2024) shows. DO 51, s. 2014 guides activities in all schools and DepEd offices, not only in IP communities.

### An urban school

| Element | What the teacher does |
|---|---|
| Local context | Dense neighborhoods, few green spaces, a creek, learners from many provinces |
| Localized content | The school garden, street trees, a vacant lot and the creek as ecosystems; organisms learners see daily, such as birds, insects and rats |
| Strategy | Small groups survey living things on the school grounds; learners add examples from their families' home provinces, so no single background is assumed |
| Assessment | Groups present a food web of the school grounds and propose one action that protects it |
| Partners | Barangay, city environment office, a nearby college |
| The school head checks | Safety near the creek; examples that include learners from every background |

### A school in a disaster-prone area

| Element | What the teacher does |
|---|---|
| Local context | Floods or landslides in past typhoon seasons, a local hazard map, class interruptions |
| Localized content | How tree cover on slopes and mangroves on coasts affect landslides and floods; the local hazard map |
| Strategy | Learners read the hazard map with a resource person from the local disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) office; the teacher prepares home-based learning resources in case classes stop |
| Assessment | Learners use the map to explain how losing vegetation changes risk in one area |
| Partners | Local DRRM office, barangay |
| The school head checks | Care for learners who lost homes in a recent disaster; home-based resources ready, as DO 016, s. 2026 requires |

The last point comes from the lesson planning order. It says alternative learning resources for home-based learning "shall likewise be prepared should face-to-face instruction be interrupted". It refers to the guidelines on learning continuity in emergencies, issued as [DO No. 014, s. 2026](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2026/06/04/june-4-2026-do-014-s-2026-guidelines-on-learning-continuity-in-emergencies/).

### More localization and indigenization examples by learning area

The examples marked DO 32 come from the annex of the IPEd Curriculum Framework. The others follow its pattern.

| Learning area | Localization example | Indigenization example |
|---|---|---|
| Languages | Stories of the learners' community as a starting point for language competencies (DO 32) | Community narratives taught with culture bearers, after the community agrees to share them |
| Mathematics | Names of local people and local products in word problems (DO 32) | The community's own system for measuring length or mass (DO 32) |
| Science | Local plants and animals as examples; a local practice as an example of a technology (DO 32) | The community's technologies and practices used as prior knowledge that the Science content builds on (DO 32) |
| Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan | Local crops and local tools in lessons on growing vegetables | Community knowledge of planting, crop care and harvest discussed first, before additional methods (DO 32) |
| Araling Panlipunan | Barangay history from local records | The ancestral domain as a unifying theme across the early grades (DO 32) |
| Arts | Local plant dye for paints; leaves, bark and fiber in artworks (DO 32) | Learners discuss DO 51, s. 2014 before they study the artistic expressions of cultural communities (DO 32) |
| Kindergarten | Local examples of helping one another at home and in the barangay | Ways of showing respect based on the community's own culture, which may differ from pagmamano (DO 32) |

## Working with community elders and IKSPs

In IPEd, contextualization is a partnership. DO 32, s. 2015 calls this community engagement: a "sustained partnership and dialogue on IPEd between DepEd and indigenous communities". The community and DepEd formulate an IPEd Framework through dialogue. That framework "shall serve as the agreement between DepEd and the indigenous communities on IPEd implementation". Curriculum indigenization is then done at the school level, with technical assistance from the division office.

The orders give elders a defined role. DO 62, s. 2011 says: "The active participation of community members, especially elders and community knowledge specialists, in the learning process shall be encouraged and supported". DO 32 says culture bearers and IKSP holders "not only provide and validate information but also facilitate learning". It also says: "The conduct of rituals related to particular IKSPs to be learned shall be the purview of the community, and shall be planned with community elders".

A school head who wants to work with elders can follow these steps:

1. **Ask the division office what already exists.** Find out whether the community and DepEd have an IPEd Framework, and what it says about the school.
2. **Go through the community's own processes.** DO 32 says DepEd must learn to work with the community's realities, including its "customary governance structures". Do not bypass that process by asking individual elders directly.
3. **State the purpose and ask permission.** DO 51, s. 2014 says the purpose of an activity "should be clearly and accurately communicated to the community whose cultural expression is to be shared".
4. **Plan the sessions with the elders.** Let the community set the time, so that elders "are able to calendar and prepare for their sessions", as DO 32 puts it.
5. **Orient everyone on their roles.** DO 32 says IKSP holders and culture bearers who teach "shall also undergo capacity building". The aim is that they understand their role and how they will work with teachers.
6. **Validate before use, and agree before publishing.** DO 51 says the final content of materials about the community "should be cleared and validated with the community". This includes pictures, artworks and local terms.

## Quality assurance of contextualized materials: who checks what

No single office checks every contextualized material. The sources assign different checks to different people.

| Who | What they check | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher | Self-check of the plan with the rubric line on integration and contextualization; responsibility for lesson plans that fit the learners | DO 016, s. 2026, Annex A and para. 22 |
| Peers in the learning action cell (LAC) | Shared review of plans and materials; alignment of competencies | DO 016, s. 2026, para. 37(a) |
| School head | Qualitative review for alignment with curriculum standards and learner needs; accuracy; cultural appropriateness; consent | DO 016, s. 2026, para. 37(b); DO 62, s. 2011; DO 51, s. 2014 |
| Culture bearers and IKSP holders | Validation of content; consent; protocols for anything to be published | DO 32, s. 2015; DO 51, s. 2014 |
| Division and regional offices | Approval of locally produced teaching materials | RA 10533, Sec. 5(h); IRR Sec. 10.3 |
| Bureau of Learning Resources (BLR) | Quality assurance of textbooks and teacher's manuals | DO 010, s. 2024, para. 47 |

Two rules from the IPEd orders apply to every material about Indigenous Peoples, in any school. Under DO 62, s. 2011, learning resources must be free of "discriminatory content and erroneous accounts, descriptions, and visual depictions, which misrepresent the history and culture of IPs". DO 32, s. 2015 requires that "Cultural sensitivities and protocols (e.g., consent-seeking, validation) shall be observed in the development and use of instructional materials and other learning resources".

Before a contextualized material is used or shared, the school head can check seven things:

1. **Alignment.** The plan names the competency, and the objective keeps what the competency asks learners to do.
2. **Accuracy.** Local facts and data are correct, and their sources are named.
3. **Cultural appropriateness.** Content about a community was validated with that community, with no stereotypes and no sacred items used as props.
4. **Consent and ownership.** Stories, photos, artworks and recordings have permission. Anything to be published has the community's agreement.
5. **Inclusion.** Learners from other places and learners with disabilities can use the material.
6. **Assessment fit.** The assessment measures the competency.
7. **Workload.** Teachers were not asked for a separate template or form. DO 016, s. 2026 bars schools from requiring "additional or expanded lesson plan templates, supplementary forms, or documentation" beyond its simplified standards.

Before the school reproduces a material for wide use, ask the division office how it reviews and approves locally produced materials. RA 10533 places that approval with the regional and division offices.

## The school head's role in contextualization, step by step

The school head organizes the conditions in which teachers contextualize well. The steps below follow the duties in DO 010, s. 2024 and DO 016, s. 2026.

1. **Review the curriculum with teachers.** In grade-level or learning-area teams, study the standards and competencies for the term. Mark the competencies where a local context would help understanding. Use the curriculum guides and what teachers know about their learners.
2. **Profile the community.** List local livelihoods, places, hazards, cultures, languages and people with knowledge to share. In Kindergarten to Grade 3, DO 035, s. 2025 says teachers "shall use mapping results to guide instruction, assessment, and development of localized and culturally relevant materials".
3. **Build partnerships.** Approach the barangay, the local government unit (LGU), local offices, associations and businesses. In IP communities, approach the elders through the community's own processes. Record what each partner agrees to give and how its data or knowledge may be used.
4. **Plan learning action cell sessions on contextualization.** DO 016, s. 2026 names LAC sessions as primary venues for peer learning, aligning competencies and co-creating lesson plans. Useful topics are listed in the table below.
5. **Give teachers time and resources.** DO 016, s. 2026 tells school heads to make sure teachers are relieved of administrative tasks and have time to prepare lesson plans. Plan the needed materials and community activities in the School Improvement Plan (SIP).
6. **Review plans and coach.** Lead qualitative reviews of lesson plans, and use the findings for coaching and technical assistance, as DO 016, s. 2026 requires.
7. **Observe in short walkthroughs.** DO 016, s. 2026 encourages frequent, non-rated walkthroughs of about 10 to 15 minutes. Look at whether the local context helps learners understand the concept. The post on [instructional supervision](https://nash.com.ph/blog/instructional-supervision-school-heads) covers walkthroughs in detail.
8. **Quality-assure and share materials.** Apply the seven checks above, and keep good materials where other teachers can use them.
9. **Monitor learning and adjust.** DO 016, s. 2026 says school heads "shall continuously assess the instructional needs of teachers, evidence of learning, and classroom realities". Use learner work, not the number of contextualized plans, as the evidence.

| LAC topic | Output |
|---|---|
| Unpacking competencies into local objectives | Objectives that keep each competency's demand |
| Finding local data and examples | A shared bank of local data, with sources and permissions |
| Writing assessment tasks in local contexts | Tasks that still measure the competency |
| Cultural protocols under DO 51, s. 2014 | Agreed school practice for activities and materials about IP culture |
| Peer review of contextualized materials | Materials checked against the seven points above |

## Common mistakes in contextualization

Most problems come from two errors: adding local details that do not help learning, and treating contextualization as permission to change the curriculum.

| Mistake | What it looks like | What to do instead | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokenism | A lesson opens with a photo of the town festival and never returns to it. Culture appears only as dances and "costumes" during programs. | Use the local context where it helps learners understand the concept. Do not call indigenous clothing a costume. | DO 016, s. 2026 rubric; DO 51, s. 2014 |
| Changing the standard | A teacher replaces a competency with a local topic, lowers "explain" to "name", or skips a competency as "not relevant here". | Keep the competency and change the context around it. | DO 010, s. 2024; DO 016, s. 2026 |
| Cultural misrepresentation | Practices of different groups are mixed together. A presentation imitates how community members look. A sacred artifact becomes a prop. | Validate content with the community. Do not imitate physical appearance. Use artifacts only with permission. | DO 62, s. 2011; DO 51, s. 2014 |
| Skipping community consent | A teacher records an elder's story and posts it online. Indigenous knowledge is taught with interpretations the community never checked. | Seek permission through the community's process, and agree on publication first. | DO 32, s. 2015; DO 51, s. 2014 |
| Assessment that tests something else | A dance performance is used to assess a competency about describing celebrations. | Assess the skill the competency names, in a local context. | DO 32, s. 2015 |
| Extra paperwork | Every teacher must fill in a separate contextualization matrix each week. | Look for contextualization inside the ILAW lesson plan. | DO 016, s. 2026, para. 21 |
| One context for all learners | Examples assume every learner grew up in the same place or culture. | Draw on the varied backgrounds of the learners in the class. | DO 010, s. 2024 (inclusive education) |

DO 51, s. 2014 says indigenous clothing "should not be referred to as 'costume'". It also says all DepEd personnel "should be guided by the basic principle of free, prior and informed consent and respect for cultural integrity".

## PPSSH strands and Career Stage 1 indicators

Three PPSSH strands cover this topic. The indicator texts are quoted from the PPSSH. For the whole domains, see [PPSSH Domain 3: Teaching and Learning](https://nash.com.ph/blog/ppssh-domain-3-teaching-and-learning), [PPSSH Domain 5: Building Connections](https://nash.com.ph/blog/ppssh-domain-5-building-connections) and the [PPSSH guide](https://nash.com.ph/ppssh).

| Strand | Career Stage 1 indicator | How it applies to contextualization |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 School-based review, contextualization and implementation of learning standards | 3.1.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of school-based review, contextualization and implementation of learning standards. | Know the definitions, the legal basis and the line between adapting the context and changing the standard. |
| 5.3 Inclusive practice | 5.3.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of inclusive practices, such as gender sensitivity, physical and mental health awareness and culture responsiveness, to foster awareness, acceptance and respect. | Know the IPEd orders and the cultural protocols in DO 51, s. 2014. |
| 5.5 Community engagement | 5.5.1 Involve the community, such as parents, alumni, authorities, industries and other stakeholders, in school programs, projects and activities to gain support for learner development, as well as school and community improvement. | Bring local partners and elders into curriculum work in ways that serve learning. |

At Career Stage 2, the serving school head acts on the same strands. Indicator 3.1.2 reads: "Assist teachers in the review, contextualization and implementation of learning standards to make the curriculum relevant for learners". Indicator 5.3.2 asks the school head to "Exhibit inclusive practices, such as gender sensitivity, physical and mental health awareness and culture responsiveness, to foster awareness, acceptance and respect".

## Practice: how the NASH may test this

The NASH under [DepEd Memorandum No. 069, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/08/11/august-11-2025-dm-069-s-2025-administration-of-the-national-assessment-for-school-heads-for-fiscal-year-2025/) uses conceptual and situational items scored on the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy. An item on contextualization will likely describe a teacher's plan or a community situation and ask for the best judgment or action. The best answer keeps the competency, involves the community properly and respects cultural protocols. The items below are written in that style. They are not real NASH items. For timed practice, use the [practice sets on the app](https://nash.com.ph/assessment) and the [50 NASH practice questions with answers](https://nash.com.ph/blog/nash-practice-questions-with-answers).

### Question 1

*Indicator 3.1.1, School-based review, contextualization and implementation of learning standards. Career Stage 1, Conceptual, Moderate.*

Three teachers describe their plans. Teacher 1 uses the names of local crops and barangays in word problems and keeps the competency unchanged. Teacher 2, in an IPEd school, plans with the elders to start a measurement lesson from the community's own system of measuring length. Teacher 3 replaces a competency on graphs with a lesson on the town fiesta because graphs "are not relevant here". Which statement best describes the three plans?

- **A.** All three relate lessons to the learners' community, so all three are valid forms of contextualization under RA 10533.
- **B.** Teachers 1 and 2 both localize the curriculum, while Teacher 3 should keep the graph competency and use local data.
- **C.** Teacher 1 indigenizes, Teacher 2 localizes, and Teacher 3 enhances the curriculum, which RA 10533 allows every school to do.
- **D.** Teacher 1 localizes, Teacher 2 indigenizes with the community, and Teacher 3 drops a competency instead of contextualizing it.

**Answer and explanation**

**Best answer: D.** Points: A = 1, B = 2, C = 0, D = 3.

- **A (1 point, Unistructural).** It sees one shared feature, the link to the community, and misses that Teacher 3 removed a competency the curriculum requires.
- **B (2 points, Multistructural).** It rejects Teacher 3's plan and accepts the other two. It misses that Teacher 2's plan, built with the elders on community knowledge, is indigenization.
- **C (0 points, Prestructural).** It reverses the two definitions and treats dropping a competency as enhancement, which is a misconception about what RA 10533 allows.
- **D (3 points, Relational).** It applies both definitions correctly and connects them to the rule that contextualization changes the setting of a competency and never replaces it.

**Why.** This aligns with Career Stage 1 expectations because indicator 3.1.1 asks for knowledge and understanding of contextualization. DO 32, s. 2015 defines localization as relating curriculum content to local information and materials. It defines indigenization as enhancing competencies, resources and processes for the community's context, and in IPEd the community takes part in that decision. DO 010, s. 2024 calls MATATAG a standards-based framework and requires schools to implement its learning competencies, so a teacher may not drop one.

*Indicator 3.1.1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of school-based review, contextualization and implementation of learning standards.*

*Sources: DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2015; DepEd Order No. 010, s. 2024; RA 10533, Sec. 5; DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020.*

### Question 2

*Indicator 5.3.2, Inclusive practice. Career Stage 2, Situational, Difficult.*

You are the school head of a school that implements IPEd. During a class session, a teacher recorded an elder telling the community's origin story and singing a ritual chant. The teacher now plans to post the video on the school's social media page and to enter the chant in a division arts festival. Parents are pleased and support both plans. What should you do?

- **A.** Hold both plans, and ask the community through its own decision-making process whether and how the story and chant may be shared, then follow its decision.
- **B.** Allow the video to be posted with the elder named and thanked, but remove the chant from the festival entry, since rituals are sensitive matters.
- **C.** Approve both plans once the elder who was recorded agrees in writing, since he took part in the session willingly and freely.
- **D.** Approve both plans, since showing indigenous culture to a wider audience reduces discrimination and is part of contextualization.

**Answer and explanation**

**Best answer: A.** Points: A = 3, B = 2, C = 1, D = 0.

- **A (3 points, Relational).** It connects consent, the community's authority over its cultural expressions and the school's duty under the IPEd orders into one course of action.
- **B (2 points, Multistructural).** It sees that the ritual needs care and gives credit to the elder, but it still publishes community knowledge without the community's agreement.
- **C (1 point, Unistructural).** It seeks consent, but from one person. The orders ask for the permission of the community, which decides how its knowledge is shared.
- **D (0 points, Prestructural).** Good intentions do not replace consent. Publishing and performing without permission is the misuse that DO 51, s. 2014 was written to prevent.

**Why.** DO 51, s. 2014 says permission should be sought from the community before presenting aspects of its culture and before producing videos about it. It says all DepEd personnel should be guided by "free, prior and informed consent". DO 32, s. 2015 says rituals are "the purview of the community" and that protocols for published resources must be agreed with the community. A Career Stage 2 school head exhibits culture responsiveness by applying these rules even when parents are enthusiastic.

*Indicator 5.3.2: Exhibit inclusive practices, such as gender sensitivity, physical and mental health awareness and culture responsiveness, to foster awareness, acceptance and respect.*

*Sources: DepEd Order No. 51, s. 2014; DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2015; DepEd Order No. 62, s. 2011; DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020.*

### Question 3

*Indicator 5.5.1, Community engagement. Career Stage 1, Situational, Moderate.*

You are a head teacher in a coastal school in a flood-prone town. The Science teachers want their lessons on ecosystems to use real local data about mangroves and flooding. The school head asks you to propose how the school should involve the community. Which proposal is most appropriate?

- **A.** Ask the barangay to donate mangrove seedlings for a school planting day, and report the planting day to the division as the school's community engagement activity.
- **B.** Invite the local DRRM officer to talk to all classes about floods, and ask the teachers to add the main points of the talk to their ecosystem lessons.
- **C.** Ask the DRRM office and fisherfolk association to share hazard maps and catch records for the ecosystem lessons and to serve as resource persons.
- **D.** Have the teachers set aside the Science competencies this term for a mangrove-planting project, since community action is more relevant to the town.

**Answer and explanation**

**Best answer: C.** Points: A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, D = 0.

- **A (1 point, Unistructural).** It involves the community, but the activity is not linked to any competency, so it gains support without improving learning.
- **B (2 points, Multistructural).** It brings in a partner and links the talk to lessons, but the partnership is one-way and learners do not work with local data.
- **C (3 points, Relational).** It involves the right partners for a stated learning purpose and puts their data and knowledge inside the lessons that teach the competency.
- **D (0 points, Prestructural).** It replaces required competencies with a project, which changes the standard instead of contextualizing it.

**Why.** Indicator 5.5.1 asks aspiring school heads to involve the community in school programs to gain support for learner development. DO 010, s. 2024 asks instructional leaders to strengthen partnerships with the community to meet curricular standards. It also asks schools to design activities that connect learners with learning opportunities in their own communities. The best proposal does both while keeping the competency.

*Indicator 5.5.1: Involve the community, such as parents, alumni, authorities, industries and other stakeholders, in school programs, projects and activities to gain support for learner development, as well as school and community improvement.*

*Sources: DepEd Order No. 010, s. 2024; DepEd Order No. 016, s. 2026; DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020.*

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the difference between contextualization, localization and indigenization in DepEd?

Contextualization is the general process of relating the curriculum to the learners' setting, and localization and indigenization are its two degrees. DO 32, s. 2015 defines localization as relating curriculum content to local information and materials. It defines indigenization as enhancing competencies, education resources and teaching-learning processes for the community's context. In IPEd, indigenization joins the curriculum with the community's IKSPs and learning systems.

### What are examples of localization and indigenization in teaching?

A teacher localizes when she uses local plants as Science examples, or local names and products in word problems. A teacher indigenizes when, with the community, she starts a lesson from the community's own knowledge, such as its system of measuring length or its planting practices. DO 32, s. 2015 gives these examples in its annex.

### Does the MATATAG curriculum allow contextualization?

Yes, DO 010, s. 2024 says the MATATAG curriculum "shall actively promote curriculum contextualization" within its standards-based framework. The order allows schools to localize, indigenize and enhance the curriculum. DO 016, s. 2026 asks every lesson plan to identify opportunities for integration and contextualization.

### Can a school change a learning competency when it contextualizes?

No, localization keeps the competency as written and changes only the examples, materials and context. Indigenization may enrich competencies or add community competencies, guided by the national standards and decided with the community in IPEd. Neither allows a teacher to drop or lower a required competency.

### Who approves contextualized learning materials in DepEd?

The regional and division offices approve locally produced teaching materials under RA 10533, Section 5(h). Within the school, the teacher is responsible for lesson plans that fit the learners, and the school head reviews plans for alignment with standards. Materials about an Indigenous community must also be validated with that community.

## More on school leadership

This post is part of a series on what a school head does under the DepEd rules in force today. The other posts, in reading order:

- [RA 9155 Duties of DepEd School Heads: 12 Areas Explained](https://nash.com.ph/blog/ra-9155-school-head-duties)
- [Leadership vs Management for School Heads: Five Practices](https://nash.com.ph/blog/leadership-vs-management-school-heads)
- [DepEd Revised SBM: DO 007, s. 2024 and the Self-Assessment](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-school-based-management)
- [DepEd School Improvement Plan (SIP): Steps, AIP and SRC](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-school-improvement-plan)
- [Root Cause Analysis for the DepEd School Improvement Plan](https://nash.com.ph/blog/root-cause-analysis-school-improvement-plan)
- [Organizational Diagnosis Models in Schools: 7S, SWOT, PESTLE](https://nash.com.ph/blog/organizational-diagnosis-school-heads)
- [Change Management in Schools: A Guide for DepEd School Heads](https://nash.com.ph/blog/leading-change-in-schools)
- [DepEd ILAW Lesson Plan, DO 016, s. 2026: School Head's Role](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-lesson-planning-do-016-s-2026)
- [DepEd Grading System, DO 015, s. 2026: School Head's Role](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-classroom-assessment-do-015-s-2026)
- [DepEd Instructional Supervision: Observing and Coaching](https://nash.com.ph/blog/instructional-supervision-school-heads)
- [DepEd Learning Action Cell (LAC) Guidelines: DO 35, s. 2016](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-learning-action-cell)
- [DepEd PMES for Teachers: DM 089, s. 2025 for School Heads](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-pmes-teachers)
- [DepEd Enhanced ALS, Inclusive Education and Special Programs](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-als-inclusive-education-programs)
- [Human Resource Management for DepEd School Heads](https://nash.com.ph/blog/school-head-human-resource-management)
- [DepEd School MOOE: Allowable Expenses and Liquidation](https://nash.com.ph/blog/deped-school-mooe)
- [RA 6713 for DepEd School Heads: Ethics and Internal Control](https://nash.com.ph/blog/school-head-ethics-internal-control)
- [Leadership Styles of School Heads: What the Evidence Says](https://nash.com.ph/blog/school-leadership-styles)
- [Instructional Leadership for DepEd School Heads](https://nash.com.ph/blog/instructional-leadership-deped-school-heads)
- [Principal, Head Teacher or Teacher-in-Charge in DepEd](https://nash.com.ph/blog/principal-head-teacher-teacher-in-charge)
- [OPCRF for DepEd School Heads in 2026: What Applies Now](https://nash.com.ph/blog/opcrf-school-heads-deped)
- [RA 9155 at 25: Why Shared Governance Has Not Happened](https://nash.com.ph/blog/ra-9155-shared-governance-decentralization)
- On the app: [The roles of a school head](https://nash.com.ph/school-head-roles), the six roles in one guide, and the [PPSSH guide](https://nash.com.ph/ppssh)

## Sources

- [Republic Act No. 10533](https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2013/05/15/republic-act-no-10533/), Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, Section 5
- [DepEd Order No. 43, s. 2013](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2013/09/24/do-43-s-2013-implementing-rules-and-regulations-irr-of-republic-act-no-10533-otherwise-known-as-the-enhanced-basic-education-act-of-2013/), Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 10533, Sections 10.2 and 10.3
- [Republic Act No. 9155](https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2001/08/11/republic-act-no-9155/), Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001, Sections 2 and 7
- [Republic Act No. 12027](https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2024/10/10/republic-act-no-12027/), on the mother tongue as medium of instruction from Kindergarten to Grade 3, October 10, 2024
- [DepEd Order No. 010, s. 2024](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2024/07/23/july-23-2024-do-010-s-2024-policy-guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-matatag-curriculum/), Policy Guidelines on the Implementation of the MATATAG Curriculum
- [DepEd Order No. 012, s. 2024](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2024/09/18/september-18-2024-do-012-s-2024-amendment-to-deped-order-no-010-s-2024-policy-guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-matatag-curriculum/), Amendment to DepEd Order No. 010, s. 2024
- [DepEd Order No. 016, s. 2026](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2026/06/04/june-4-2026-do-016-s-2026-guidelines-on-lesson-planning-and-learning-design/), Guidelines on Lesson Planning and Learning Design, with Annex A (Lesson Planning Rubric)
- [DepEd Order No. 014, s. 2026](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2026/06/04/june-4-2026-do-014-s-2026-guidelines-on-learning-continuity-in-emergencies/), Guidelines on Learning Continuity in Emergencies
- [DepEd Order No. 62, s. 2011](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2011/08/08/do-62-s-2011-adopting-the-national-indigenous-peoples-ip-education-policy-framework/), Adopting the National Indigenous Peoples (IP) Education Policy Framework
- [DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2015](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2015/07/29/do-32-s-2015-adopting-the-indigenous-peoples-education-curriculum-framework/), Adopting the Indigenous Peoples Education Curriculum Framework, with its annex of examples
- [DepEd Order No. 51, s. 2014](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2014/12/19/do-51-s-2014-guidelines-on-the-conduct-of-activities-and-use-of-materials-involving-aspects-of-indigenous-peoples-culture/), Guidelines on the Conduct of Activities and Use of Materials Involving Aspects of Indigenous Peoples Culture
- [DepEd Order No. 020, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/07/03/july-3-2025-do-020-s-2025-policy-on-the-medium-of-instruction-for-kindergarten-to-grade-3-effective-school-year-2025-2026/), Policy on the Medium of Instruction for Kindergarten to Grade 3 Effective School Year 2025-2026
- [DepEd Order No. 035, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/11/05/november-4-2025-do-035-s-2025-guidelines-on-the-language-mapping-process-for-key-stage-1/), Guidelines on the Language Mapping Process for Key Stage 1
- [DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2020/09/07/september-7-2020-do-024-s-2020-national-adoption-and-implementation-of-the-philippine-professional-standards-for-school-heads/), National Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads
- [DepEd Memorandum No. 069, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/08/11/august-11-2025-dm-069-s-2025-administration-of-the-national-assessment-for-school-heads-for-fiscal-year-2025/), Administration of the National Assessment for School Heads for Fiscal Year 2025

*Written by Mark Anthony Llego for NASH Reviewer. Sources: RA 10533 and its IRR (DepEd Order No. 43, s. 2013); RA 9155; RA 12027; DepEd Orders No. 010 and No. 012, s. 2024; No. 016 and No. 014, s. 2026; No. 62, s. 2011; No. 32, s. 2015; No. 51, s. 2014; No. 020 and No. 035, s. 2025; DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020 and the PPSSH; DepEd's SY 2023-2024 learner data.*

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© 2026 Mark Anthony Llego, NASH Reviewer. All rights reserved. You may quote up to 100 words from this article with the author's name, its title and a link. In research, cite it as: Llego, M. A. (2026, October 26). *DepEd Contextualization, Localization and Indigenization*. NASH Reviewer. https://nash.com.ph/blog/curriculum-contextualization-localization. Any other reuse of the article, its charts or its data needs written permission: email support@nash.com.ph. Terms of Service: https://nash.com.ph/terms#website-content-and-data