​2019 Philanthropic Tours
in Pampanga and Zambales
Provinces, Philippines

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​During our last visit in December of 2018, the Department of Health (DOH) had approached the Aeta Tribe Foundation for our help in minimizing the epidemic of parasitic infections affecting a large number of Aeta children between the ages of 3 and 10; these parasites are hookworms which are common due to the lack of water, poor hygiene, and poor sanitation. Because of our transparency about building water systems and providing water containers for families to collect clean water, the DOH partnered with our foundation and allowed us to expand our services to supply slippers for all
children in primary schools, install cisterns for rainwater collection with filtration devices for clean drinking water, and teaching proper cleaning and hand washing techniques. The DOH can only provide deworming every six months for children under 5 years of age and it is only available to those who are able to easily access major town and cities. Aeta communities living in hard to reach places will receive minimal or no healthcare services.

The goal of the deworming project conducted by the DOH on November 27, 2017 is to end the epidemics of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by 2030. The most common NTDs are Ascaris, Trichuris, and hookworm infections transmitted through the ingestion
of eggs or skin penetration of larvae associated with poor access to water, poor sanitation, and poor hygiene. Those at the highest risk are preschool age children, school age children, and women of childbearing age. The health of the indigenous peoples
(mainly the Aeta people) remains on the margins of society as they are the poorest and least educated, they die at a younger age, are more likely to commit suicide, and are generally in worse health than the rest of the Philippines population. The Aeta are ethnic
minorities that are often excluded from available health programs. They continue to live in remote rural areas where access to health care services is poor. Therefore, they are more susceptible to diseases such as soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections, dengue,
filariasis, diarrhea, malnutrition, and other skin infections. The STH cumulative prevalence in Aeta schools in the towns of Planas and Porac were 97.4% and 82.6% respectively. These towns are both located in the Pampanga Province. The morbidities include stunted growth, diminished food and vitamin absorption, and lower school attendance with impaired cognitive development.

Having spent some time with the Aeta communities since April 2015, I realized they are plagued by multiple challenges that prevent them from achieving their full potential. These challenges include a lack of clean drinking water and water for crops, as well as unemployment and malnutrition. They are among the least documented and explored tribes which has resulted in an absence of any publicity. The Aeta people live near and around Mount Pinatubo where the topography has made their lives vulnerable to a
range of natural disasters such as volcanic eruption, typhoons, and landslides. In fact, many of the Aeta families have lost their homes and livelihoods because of the 6.1 magnitude earthquake that shook their lands on April 23rd. Since the eruption of Mount
Pinatubo in 1991, the Aeta have continued to suffer. There are far too many lactating teenage girls with babies. Hungry children have been hit the hardest. In fact, the Aeta’s health records show that women are deficient in iron and that children lack sufficient Vitamin A.

The partnership with the DOH has come at a good time as we start securing the basic necessities of food, water, and education in order to create a sustainable livelihood and to reduce or eradicate poverty in the Aeta communities. Healthcare will be an essential part of the strategy to change the lives of the Aeta people so that they become healthier, smarter, and stronger.

STARTING IN 2019, OUR STRATEGIES FOR CONTROLLING STH INFECTIONS WILL REFLECT THE SAME GOALS OF THE DOH. WE WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO:

• Provide access to safe and clean water for drinking, handwashing, and hygiene
• Improve sanitation facilities to achieve zero open defecation
• Practice proper hygiene to reduce transmission and reinfection by encouraging healthy behavior
• Deworm by providing periodic treatment such as Albendazole (400 mg) or Mebendazole (500 mg) as recommended by the DOH.

WE ARE VERY PLEASED THAT THE DOH HAS RECOGNIZED
THE AETA TRIBE FOUNDATION AS A PARTNER TO
BEGIN MINIMIZING THE EPIDEMIC OF NTDS AND STH.

Later this year from October 20th to November 5th, I will be visiting the provinces of Pampanga and Zambales in Central Luzon Island, Philippines. We would welcome highly skilled volunteers such as doctors, nurses, medical technologists, plumbers, electricians, and engineers to join our philanthropic adventure of visiting four primary schools where, alongside the DOH, we will be providing basic healthcare services, distributing slippers for all students, and installing large storage cisterns with filtration systems for drinking, cleaning, and hand washing. As volunteers, you will be able to get closer and receive a deeper understanding of what the indigenous Aeta need most. You will learn about their lives, their challenges, and their struggles and will help pave the way for a better future.

At the end of last year, we received 88 solar lamps from China’s Lions Clubs International. It is our plan to install five solar lamps for each of the four primary schools the DOH has identified. The solar lamps will be installed in recreational areas, sanitation facilities, and near water faucets.

The Philippines government affords the Aeta very little or minimal protection, and the Aeta people have continued to live nomadically due to the social and economic strain on their culture and way of life that had been previously unchanged or has gotten worse since the eruption of Mount Pinatubo.

The Aeta’s problems cannot change without outside intervention. Therefore, I am reaching out to ask if you would make a charitable donation to help us achieve our goals with the DOH. Our fi nancial goal is to raise $20,000 by October 2019.

Your continued support, along with that of our many other contributors, will be of genuine help combatting the plight of the Aeta who are struggling to survive. We are sincerely grateful to have you as one of our supporters. We are running strong in the right direction especially with in partnership with the DOH.

Please let me know if you would be interested in joining us as volunteers when we visit the Philippines from October 20 to November 5, 2019. I can be reached at (415) 971-1227 or via email at fbriosos@tsjobs.com.

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​Sincerely,

Fernando Briosos, President
Aeta Tribe Foundation