Davao City – Kadayawan, the annual festival of harvests, is not just a celebration of the bounty of fruits in August. It is also a celebration of Davao’s rich culture as the city prides itself on the diversity of its population, which includes 11 ethnolinguistic groups: Ata, Bagobo-Klata, Bagobo-Tagabawa, Iranun, Kagan, Maguindanaon, Maranao, Matigsalug, Obu-Manuvu, Sama, and Taosug.
In Binugao, Toril, located in the southernmost part of Davao City, a Bagobo-Tagabawa indigenous community resides near the 270-megawatt (net) baseload power plant, Therma South, Inc. (TSI), a subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corporation.
A fourth-generation Bagobo-Tagabawa, Trisha Duran Valenzuela, recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from the Ateneo de Davao University thanks to the opportunity given to her by TSI and the Aboitiz Group’s CSR arm.
“I didn’t think I was qualified,” Trisha admitted. “But I still applied hoping, praying, and trusting that maybe, just maybe, something good would come out of it.”
Trisha was the only indigenous peoples (IP) scholar among 18 others who were granted a full college scholarship by TSI and the Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. The scholarship covered her tuition and provided her with a P25,000 allowance per semester.
The financial support freed her from the weight of sourcing the day-to-day costs in transportation, school materials, meals, and internet data. More importantly, it gave her the peace of mind to fully invest herself in her learning and extracurriculars.
She thrived as a student leader in roles such as Executive Vice President for Academics at the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants, Director for Partnerships at the Council of Organizations, and Core Head Facilitator of the Ateneo First-Year Onboarding Program.
For Trisha, the scholarship was a lifeline and it signified a belief in her capabilities. “There were days I wanted to give up. But knowing that TSI and the Aboitiz Foundation believed in me reminded me to believe in myself too,” she said.
Moreover, the scholarship paved the way for Trisha to reflect on her roots. “I didn’t grow up fully immersed in our traditions, and I often questioned whether I had the right to claim it,” she shared. “But the scholarship helped me see that being an IP isn’t something you need to prove. It’s something you honor.”
Now preparing for the CPA Licensure Exam, Trisha moves forward with quiet courage and deep faith. Prior to that, she’s already interned at a well-known accounting firm in Davao City and represented her peers in national accountancy organizations. She also trained with the National Reserve Corps.
Trisha carries her tribal values of hard work, humility, and respect alongside the Ateneo principles of integrity and service. But at the center of everything is her faith. “Above all, it is God who sustained me. He opened doors I never imagined and led me exactly to where I needed to be.”
“At TSI, we believe that empowering the youth is one of the most meaningful ways we can give back to our host communities,” said TSI Reputation and Stakeholder Manager Chrisyl Garcia. “Supporting education is part of our advocacy in being a good neighbor — one that listens, uplifts, and invests in the youth like Trisha.”
“To those who come after me, even if you don’t have everything figured out yet, your dreams are valid. Take the first step. You’re not alone,” Trisha said.
