Year-End Summary for 2024
In January, Dr. Felipe Cuyugan of the Department of Health (DOH) from the town of Floridablanca in the Philippine province of Pampanga approached us requesting assistance tackling the cholera outbreak in the Aeta villages of Camachile and Nabuclod. There were 168 Aeta hospitalized and eight deaths due to contamination of water sources with cholera and Aeromonas bacteria. The DOH investigated and identified corrective measures to prevent further infections, most prominently the use of toilets to stop the open defecation that was contaminating the water. There was already a newly constructed water system in place and six toilet facilities in the community, but the local government of
Floridablanca had exhausted its funds and completion of the project was delayed. So, the DOH and the local government requested funds from the Aeta Tribe Foundation to install six solar panels on the rooftop of the water system to provide electricity to pump water to the toilets, and to construct and connect the necessary PVC piping to provide flowing water for flushing and for handwashing stations. The estimated additional cost was $9,200, and the DOH and the Department of Engineering (DOE) would manage the project in coordination with the Aeta people living in these communities. Our board members voted and approved the $9,200 to complete the construction, and we sent the funds to our
regional coordinator in the Philippines. However, the governor of Pampanga agreed to supply the villages with the solar panels and install faucets in every Aeta household. We initially retained our funds, but then received reports that the governor was not sending the funds to the local government, with mixed messages from the Aeta communities and local government about how to move forward. By June, the Aeta elders and communities requested the funds from our regional coordinator to begin construction, but we rejected this request because the Aeta wanted to perform the work themselves without DOH and/or DOE involvement. This resulted in additional conflict, and we decided to back out of the partnerships.
Instead, we instructed our regional coordinator in the Philippines to use the donated funds of $9,200 to begin building water-catchment systems and toilet facilities for six Aeta villages of Alunan, Manibukyut, Alwas, Balatong, Yanka, and Bilad in the province of Tarlac, which had been waiting for almost a year. Last year, Alunan Elementary School had requested a toilet facility for their students, which we provided, but they still lacked a water system for flushing. Unfortunately, the beginning of the wet season in June delayed development even further to September. We started all
our construction in October and completed a total of 3 water catchment systems and two toilet facilities at the end of November. We have improved the lives of 545 Aeta families with over 800 children among the six villages.
We have received total donations of $28,466 in 2024 and utilized $26,755. The cost of food and transportation for our volunteers has almost doubled, in turn reducing the number of water systems and sanitation facilities we can commit for the remaining year. This December, we have distributed 300 five-gallon blue plastic containers and humanitarian food relief in the community of Alwas during our ribbon-cutting ceremony for the completion of their water system and toilet, and in partnership with Corazon Roxas Foundation based in Burlingame, California.
As we prepare for next year, we recently found a potential donor who owns a rice farm in the province of Pampanga and is willing to provide the Foundation with 1,000 pounds of rice monthly to be distributed to Aeta villages in the poorest and most isolated mountainous regions. This poses a challenge for the Foundation, as we do not own a 4x4 truck to pick up the rice and transport it to the villages. However, we hope to raise more funds through fundraising later in 2025. The Foundation’s average donations are $25,000 annually, which is already allocated to building three water-catchment systems and toilet facilities. For 2025, we have already committed to supporting the Aeta villages of Nagsasa Cove,
Lupang Pangako, and Kanaynayan Castillijos in the province of Zambales.
An Update: we would like to share the May 2024 report from the World Bank Group’s Social Sustainability and Inclusion Global Practice, “No Data, No Story: Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines,” and that it was incomplete due to the “lack of data on Indigenous Peoples in official statistics, national surveys, and administrative records, hindering a comprehensive examination.” Mount Pinatubo erupted over 33 years ago, and according to the report, the Philippine government continues to have difficulty defining, identifying, and counting the current populations of the Aeta. For the Aeta residing in remote, isolated, and mountainous regions, poor living conditions with no healthcare, and limited access to basic services is considered the norm – a part of life. Despite the challenges the Aeta face every day and high rates of poverty, they remain proud about their indigenous identity and enjoy a sense of belonging in nature as well as their community.
We know that the Aeta people still suffer from poverty, and the approach of the Aeta Tribe Foundation is simple: because of our limited resources, we concentrate on serving those in poorer regions with little or no access to government services.
As we look back since the inception of our foundation in 2015, the board members and I would like to convey our utmost gratitude to you for financially supporting our mission and programs. We hope we can count on your donations again for next year. Your generosity will help us continue building a bright and better future for the Aeta people – especially the children, our central focus moving forward.
We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, and your donation is tax-deductible. Our Federal Tax Identification number is 47-3714375. The Aeta Tribe Foundation does not have employees – all officers and board members are unpaid volunteers who provide in-kind donations of their time.
Please make your donations today by visiting our website https://www.aetatribes.org, or simply send your donation check payable to Aeta Tribe Foundation. We also hope you can follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/aetatribes.
Should you need additional information, please contact me at (415) 971-1227 or via email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Fernando Briosos
Fernando Briosos
Chairman
Floridablanca had exhausted its funds and completion of the project was delayed. So, the DOH and the local government requested funds from the Aeta Tribe Foundation to install six solar panels on the rooftop of the water system to provide electricity to pump water to the toilets, and to construct and connect the necessary PVC piping to provide flowing water for flushing and for handwashing stations. The estimated additional cost was $9,200, and the DOH and the Department of Engineering (DOE) would manage the project in coordination with the Aeta people living in these communities. Our board members voted and approved the $9,200 to complete the construction, and we sent the funds to our
regional coordinator in the Philippines. However, the governor of Pampanga agreed to supply the villages with the solar panels and install faucets in every Aeta household. We initially retained our funds, but then received reports that the governor was not sending the funds to the local government, with mixed messages from the Aeta communities and local government about how to move forward. By June, the Aeta elders and communities requested the funds from our regional coordinator to begin construction, but we rejected this request because the Aeta wanted to perform the work themselves without DOH and/or DOE involvement. This resulted in additional conflict, and we decided to back out of the partnerships.
Instead, we instructed our regional coordinator in the Philippines to use the donated funds of $9,200 to begin building water-catchment systems and toilet facilities for six Aeta villages of Alunan, Manibukyut, Alwas, Balatong, Yanka, and Bilad in the province of Tarlac, which had been waiting for almost a year. Last year, Alunan Elementary School had requested a toilet facility for their students, which we provided, but they still lacked a water system for flushing. Unfortunately, the beginning of the wet season in June delayed development even further to September. We started all
our construction in October and completed a total of 3 water catchment systems and two toilet facilities at the end of November. We have improved the lives of 545 Aeta families with over 800 children among the six villages.
We have received total donations of $28,466 in 2024 and utilized $26,755. The cost of food and transportation for our volunteers has almost doubled, in turn reducing the number of water systems and sanitation facilities we can commit for the remaining year. This December, we have distributed 300 five-gallon blue plastic containers and humanitarian food relief in the community of Alwas during our ribbon-cutting ceremony for the completion of their water system and toilet, and in partnership with Corazon Roxas Foundation based in Burlingame, California.
As we prepare for next year, we recently found a potential donor who owns a rice farm in the province of Pampanga and is willing to provide the Foundation with 1,000 pounds of rice monthly to be distributed to Aeta villages in the poorest and most isolated mountainous regions. This poses a challenge for the Foundation, as we do not own a 4x4 truck to pick up the rice and transport it to the villages. However, we hope to raise more funds through fundraising later in 2025. The Foundation’s average donations are $25,000 annually, which is already allocated to building three water-catchment systems and toilet facilities. For 2025, we have already committed to supporting the Aeta villages of Nagsasa Cove,
Lupang Pangako, and Kanaynayan Castillijos in the province of Zambales.
An Update: we would like to share the May 2024 report from the World Bank Group’s Social Sustainability and Inclusion Global Practice, “No Data, No Story: Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines,” and that it was incomplete due to the “lack of data on Indigenous Peoples in official statistics, national surveys, and administrative records, hindering a comprehensive examination.” Mount Pinatubo erupted over 33 years ago, and according to the report, the Philippine government continues to have difficulty defining, identifying, and counting the current populations of the Aeta. For the Aeta residing in remote, isolated, and mountainous regions, poor living conditions with no healthcare, and limited access to basic services is considered the norm – a part of life. Despite the challenges the Aeta face every day and high rates of poverty, they remain proud about their indigenous identity and enjoy a sense of belonging in nature as well as their community.
We know that the Aeta people still suffer from poverty, and the approach of the Aeta Tribe Foundation is simple: because of our limited resources, we concentrate on serving those in poorer regions with little or no access to government services.
As we look back since the inception of our foundation in 2015, the board members and I would like to convey our utmost gratitude to you for financially supporting our mission and programs. We hope we can count on your donations again for next year. Your generosity will help us continue building a bright and better future for the Aeta people – especially the children, our central focus moving forward.
We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, and your donation is tax-deductible. Our Federal Tax Identification number is 47-3714375. The Aeta Tribe Foundation does not have employees – all officers and board members are unpaid volunteers who provide in-kind donations of their time.
Please make your donations today by visiting our website https://www.aetatribes.org, or simply send your donation check payable to Aeta Tribe Foundation. We also hope you can follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/aetatribes.
Should you need additional information, please contact me at (415) 971-1227 or via email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Fernando Briosos
Fernando Briosos
Chairman
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