PCOO reaches out to Aeta villagers

CLARK, Pampanga -- In celebration of Indigenous Peoples Month and the 20th anniversary of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), the Presidential Communications Operations Offices (PCOO) and its line agencies along with the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) travelled to the remote Aeta village in Sitio Haduan, Mabalacat, Pampanga as part of its Gender and Development program (GAD) for IP communities.

Headed by Atty. Maria Paz Banaag, Assistant Secretary for Operations of the PCOO, employees from the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Radio Television Malacaňang (RTVM), Philippine Broadcasting System (PBS), News and Information Bureau (NIB), Bureau of Communication Services (BCS), National Printing Office (NPO), Apo Production Unit, Peoples Television (PTV4) and the Philippine News Agency (PNA) participated in the outreach activity.

“This activity is in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive of bringing government services to people who cannot go down to the capitols and we at the PCOO are simply doing our share to be more in touch with IP communities such as the Aetas of Sitio Haduan,” Banaag said.

Sitio Haduan is about an hour’s hike from the Clark Economic Zone where a community of some 250 Aeta residents, whose main source of livelihood is fruit and vegetable farming which include: papaya, sweet potato, yam, coconuts, string beans, bananas and malunggay.

Residents were treated to a variety of services which included free medical assistance, medicines, a seminar on health and hygiene, storytelling and a donation of food packs and clothes.

Banaag, who is a member of the cultural minority herself explained: “We in the government believe in the value of reaching out to remote communities. This is a great opportunity to learn about their culture and traditions and to learn how to be more sensitive about the things that we need to respect about the different cultural minorities.”

Meanwhile, residents like Mang Joey, a farmer and one of the elder members of the community also aired their concerns and grievances to Banaag and her team.
“Maganda naman ang ginagawa ninyo at ng gobyerno pero sana mas malaki pa ang maitulong ninyo lalo na sa aming mga katutubong Aeta (What the government is doing is great but we hope you could do more for us Aetas),” Mang Joey said.

Because Sitio Haduan is located in the hills and there are no paved roads leading up to it, basic services like transportation, electricity and water supply have yet to be established.

“Ang isang kailangang-kailangan naming dito ay kuryente at tubig. Napakahirap ng buhay kapag wala noon (What we need most is electricity and water supply. Life is very difficult here without it),” Mang Joey said.

Nanay Fermina, 72, who has to hike several kilometers along the mountain trail and cross the hanging bridge of Haduan to  see a doctor  and buy medicine said it is about time that government devotes its attention to cultural minorities.

“Naglalakad ako ng panik-panaog ng bundok para lang magpatingin sa doktor at makabili ng gamut ko. Sana naman may kalsada na kasi matanda na ako (I walk up and down the mountain trails just to see a doctor and buy medicines. I hope a road would be constructed soon because I am really old).”

"The hike up the hills is really challenging and I am an Ifugao who grew up in the highlands. I think a farm-to-market road would be a very good project for this area. It's like hitting two birds with one stone," Banaag said.

For Tatay Rene who at 51 already has four grandchildren, electricity is a big priority.

 “Sa amin, pag naubos ang laman ng gasera, ayunna! Umpisa na ang paggawa ng bata (In our homes, once the gas lamp extinguishes, couples start making babies)!”Tatay Rene said while pointing to toddlers playing around a mango tree.

Residents are also in dire need of a proper medical facility since the lack of water and electricity lead to unsanitary and unhygienic conditions leading to viral infections for both the young and old folks.

Jun Sibal narrated: “Yung mga bata, one-two-one-two (indicating a marching cadence) lang pag walang pamasahe papunta ng eskwelahan. Yung mga buntis o may sakit ibababa pa ng bundok tapos makikisuyo kami sa mga gwardya para mag-radyo sa Air Force para magpadala ng ambulansya (The kids walk to school when they don’t have fare money. If a woman goes into labor or if there is a sick resident, we have to carry the person down the steep trail and ask the guards at Clark to assist us and radio the Air Force base to send an ambulance),” Sibal said.

Banaag said that this is the very reason why government agencies like the PCOO and its line agencies engage in outreach programs.

“The government has to make the effort to go further and farther to bring their services especially to the IP communities all over the country. We have to take the time to learn not only their culture but also to understand them and make people aware of their rights not only as cultural minorities but as Filipinos,” Banaag said. (PNA)