June 2017
BATAAN PROVINCE: Bankal is one of the nine barangays of the municipality of Abucay in the western part of the province of Bataan, which is located about 119 kilometers from Manila. The Aeta in this province are called Ambala. The province has an 18-20 degree sloping land area of 1,598 hectares. The total land area consists of watershed areas of 100 hectares, where 80 hectares are allocated for residential lots, 50 hectares are for the Bataan National Agricultural School, and the remaining 1,369 hectares are devoted to the forest area and to the agricultural production of fruits, vegetables, and rice. The total Aeta population of Bankgal and Abucay settlement is 187 families. Out of the total population, 24 percent are children under six years of age who suffer from first-degree malnutrition, while three percent of the same age group suffers from second-degree malnutrition. The scarcity of food, the absence of potable water, and their inability to access immediate care have placed the younger generation in a more dire situation than that of their elders. There are 18 communities throughout the Bataan and nine communities are Ambala. Our Aeta honorary member, Rosita Sison, is also a chieftain for the Ambala village.
I walked around the village and saw a long hose attached to the house of a non-Aeta neighbor but it only dripped into a large pan. A duck was even using the water to bathe while I was there.
One of their most satisfying livelihoods for the Aeta is collecting honey from tropical trees such as mangos and jackfruits during the months of February to May. About 55 percent of the Aeta population have a monthly income below Php 2000 ($40). The price of one bottle (24 oz.) of honey is Php 150 during the early season, Php 100 in the middle season, and Php 80 in the late season.
They are asking the foundation to help with the marketing and selling of their organic, wild, raw tropical honey. I proposed that the foundation purchase all the honey at Php 100 up front so they will no longer be pressured to sell it and they would have money to buy food for their families. We would provide them with labels to put on their bottles, and they in turn will sell the honey on the open market for Php 200. Php 100 from each sale will be paid back to the foundation and put in a savings account. At the end of the year, the money saved will be used to generate labels and purchase bottles for the following year. The money collected in the savings account will be shared and used in whatever way the community wishes as long as they continue to put money into the savings account every year. They have the option of raising the price of the honey, as long as the Php 100 for each bottle sold is returned to the savings account. However, the foundation will be the one to monitor the disbursement of money to ensure that it is collected, saved, and spent wisely to benefit the community. The Aeta were excited to move forward with the concept.
It is honey season and we have provided the Aeta with 500 of the 5ml bottles to fill with honey and 187 5-gallon blue plastic containers for water collection in the forest.
When I was about to leave the village, I learned that one of their non-Aeta neighbors was about to sell their young female water buffalo for Php 30,000 (US $600) to be butchered. The Aeta community felt that they needed the water buffalo for farming and for transporting honey. They also wanted the female to breed. So, the foundation purchased the water buffalo for them. They named her Lucky Bella.
BAMBAN, TARLAC: We visited the Aeta village in Bamban to follow up on their first harvest. They were able to increase the number of seeds for this year. Because they followed through with their promise, we have provided 150 5-gallon blue plastic containers for each household to collect more water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and growing food. We also gave them new agricultural tools.
SAPANGBATO, PAMPANGA: We have received a request to perform outreach programs for the Aeta communities in Pampanga province. We have arranged a visit to Target Primary School in Sapangbato. This is the same school we visited last year. We have sent 75 5-gallon blue plastic containers for each household and 10 containers for the school. Instead of using paper plates, we asked the villagers to make 500 bowls using coconut shells to be used during the feeding programs. We have already set schedules for the following groups to visit during the summer season:
Dr. Librada Yamat, DDS
ABC for Global Health
KLARK Foundation
The Team Hugot Moutaineers and LAPSA (Lapis At Papel Sa Aeta)
Entrepreneur Application Operations (EAO)/Yellow Bag
Motorista Filipino Clubs
Target Pamantasan Ng Lungsod Ng Maynila
The Team of Helping Ninjas
I walked around the village and saw a long hose attached to the house of a non-Aeta neighbor but it only dripped into a large pan. A duck was even using the water to bathe while I was there.
One of their most satisfying livelihoods for the Aeta is collecting honey from tropical trees such as mangos and jackfruits during the months of February to May. About 55 percent of the Aeta population have a monthly income below Php 2000 ($40). The price of one bottle (24 oz.) of honey is Php 150 during the early season, Php 100 in the middle season, and Php 80 in the late season.
They are asking the foundation to help with the marketing and selling of their organic, wild, raw tropical honey. I proposed that the foundation purchase all the honey at Php 100 up front so they will no longer be pressured to sell it and they would have money to buy food for their families. We would provide them with labels to put on their bottles, and they in turn will sell the honey on the open market for Php 200. Php 100 from each sale will be paid back to the foundation and put in a savings account. At the end of the year, the money saved will be used to generate labels and purchase bottles for the following year. The money collected in the savings account will be shared and used in whatever way the community wishes as long as they continue to put money into the savings account every year. They have the option of raising the price of the honey, as long as the Php 100 for each bottle sold is returned to the savings account. However, the foundation will be the one to monitor the disbursement of money to ensure that it is collected, saved, and spent wisely to benefit the community. The Aeta were excited to move forward with the concept.
It is honey season and we have provided the Aeta with 500 of the 5ml bottles to fill with honey and 187 5-gallon blue plastic containers for water collection in the forest.
When I was about to leave the village, I learned that one of their non-Aeta neighbors was about to sell their young female water buffalo for Php 30,000 (US $600) to be butchered. The Aeta community felt that they needed the water buffalo for farming and for transporting honey. They also wanted the female to breed. So, the foundation purchased the water buffalo for them. They named her Lucky Bella.
BAMBAN, TARLAC: We visited the Aeta village in Bamban to follow up on their first harvest. They were able to increase the number of seeds for this year. Because they followed through with their promise, we have provided 150 5-gallon blue plastic containers for each household to collect more water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and growing food. We also gave them new agricultural tools.
SAPANGBATO, PAMPANGA: We have received a request to perform outreach programs for the Aeta communities in Pampanga province. We have arranged a visit to Target Primary School in Sapangbato. This is the same school we visited last year. We have sent 75 5-gallon blue plastic containers for each household and 10 containers for the school. Instead of using paper plates, we asked the villagers to make 500 bowls using coconut shells to be used during the feeding programs. We have already set schedules for the following groups to visit during the summer season:
Dr. Librada Yamat, DDS
ABC for Global Health
KLARK Foundation
The Team Hugot Moutaineers and LAPSA (Lapis At Papel Sa Aeta)
Entrepreneur Application Operations (EAO)/Yellow Bag
Motorista Filipino Clubs
Target Pamantasan Ng Lungsod Ng Maynila
The Team of Helping Ninjas