The Philippines received the literacy award from Unesco in the 1986 International Literacy Day competition. The award was for the mobile tent school (MTS), an alternative school that can reach out to the most remote and deprived areas where groups of ethnic minorities exist whose cultures have resisted the lure of civilization. The nongraded MTS for seven tribes implemented the findings of a literacy survey in the Cagayan Valley region. Ninety educators served as field researchers and experimental teachers. A collection of indigenous teaching materials was developed, the training needs of teachers were identified, and policies that conflict with the minority tribes were identified. The researchers' training included measures to ensure their safety, since some tribes had a history of headhunting. The nonformal education program of the MTS provides four categories of essential learning: family and community life, literacy and numeracy, health and nutrition, and livelihood. The mobility of the tent is important, given the fact that the tribes move as they search for food. The success of the MTS depends on the teacher. (CML)