Indigenization, when understood through a relational lens, is not an institutional procedure but an ethical commitment to being in good relationship with people, knowledge, and place. This discussion paper explores how higher education institutions (HEIs) in Cebu, Philippines, implement this commitment in non-ancestral settings, where Indigenous Peoples (IPs) reside outside of demarcated territories but within the dynamic geographies of migration, memory, and community. Grounded in a reframed Four-Dimension Framework adapted from King and Schielmann (2004), the study draws from the lived experiences of educators who translate policy into practice. It explores how teaching becomes a ceremony of connection by examining how stories, languages, and self-reflection can revitalize the intent of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (Republic Act No. 8371), the Integrated History Act (Republic Act No. 10908), and CHED Memorandum Order No. 2, s. 2019, beyond their procedural boundaries. Findings indicate that Indigenization in Cebu thrives not through mandates but through relationships built on care, empathy, and reciprocity, allowing national frameworks to take root in everyday teaching. The study concludes that the decolonial promise of education lies not in replication but in relationship, and that in non-ancestral contexts, Indigenization endures as a living covenant of belonging carried forward by educators who teach with humility, gratitude, and purpose.