My personal view on the plight of IP

Advocating for IP education and equal opportunity for all human beings, I am very much happy to take part and volunteer my time to anyone who pursues the same advocacy as I am.

Alohaeigo is an organization based in Japan who does volunteer service here in the Philippines, their primary objective is helping the deserving student in EDUCATION. Their focus group is the Igorot Community based in Itogon, Benguet.

Poverty and education are the most overlooked systematic problem faced by the IP’s. Although we have supposedly NCIP whose mandate is to advocate for IP rights, EDUCATION is not available to all the IPs. Given the geographical location of some of the IPs particularly the Manobo Bla’an, their group is nonetheless the farthest this is mostly the excuse of the policymakers and implementers of the government.

Setting aside the geographical locations of the IPs, there is a glaring resonance of non-exercise of their rights, LGU’s do not have available avenues for them and the assistance of NCIP at times are dismal. 

We can notice that only those who have strengthened and forward-thinking IP’s have progressive communities and education at their disposal. Culture and tradition play a role in the plight of the IP’s. Rich Maranaonun have access to education because they have schools built within their proximity. Some groups of Igorots like Ibaloi and Kankana-ey are well educated because of the strong support of the LGU’s towards helping educate them. 

Aetas of Zambales are the most educated amongst their group, and this is brought upon by treaties of the Americans through the SBMA agreements that allow them to have the resources but unless enforced by the council of elders some of these agreements are overlooked.

The plight of the IPs can only be improved through proper education as this will empower them to fight for their land against the tyranny of subjugation, and to demand social services that should be given to them.

National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is the agency tasked in preserving the historical traditions and customs of the IPs. The real fight of the IPs is the dying tradition as most of the IP groups are getting influenced by modernity and other groups are too tired to maintain their history.

We can also notice that there are IP groups who were able to maintain their history through documentation and community museums.

In general, the Philippines need to do more towards implementing IP-specific programs towards preserving its heritage and towards igniting capacity-building in the communities.

Sustainability

 The projects that I have always been involved with are designed to assist the advocacy that I strongly support. We try to find ways to be sustainable. We partner with other NGO's and private corporations so we can contribute to their social responsibility and in turn we get another platform to help us.

Clark Global City is one private corporation that has offered us a venue to launch a project of my Pathfinders Club (outdoor class ) for our donation drive that shall support our Tulong sa Katutubo Project.

We are again given a chance to be part of their project. We were invited to take part of the weekend market. This will give us an avenue to support our cancer care recipents, and literacy project participants, the Aeta's from Mount Haduan and Igorots (Kankana-ey and Ibaloi) from Benguet.

We are grateful for the invitation.

Fresh produce from the Aeta students. 

Weaves of the northern tribes of Luzon.

 

The community… the sustainable future

 

The personal definition of “sustainable” meant being able to start a program that can be replicated thus creating an objective that shall support its long term goals.

We are therefore building a sustainable future by implementing agricultural projects and empowering animal husbandry. Through the help and grants selected families of Haduan Negrito Families have been awarded sows (piglet) and kids (baby goat). These farm animals are a test pilot and they were taken from within the community to make sure no disease is introduced in the mountain.

At the moment we are still securing, farm animals within the boundaries of the mountain range that Indigenous People have lived for thousands of years.

Creating a sustainable program that is not sanctioned by politicians or government is not without peril. There will always be a threat from within and from the government itself. The area being mountainous and heart of the community being inaccessible is considered haven for communist or lawless indoctrination.

My view has always been empowering the IP through basic education and supporting the children to finish their education through aids and financial support.

Investing (sweat, tears and time) in a program that can alleviate the lives of the IP is arduous, but having the tenacity to continue is worthwhile because these projects can be a success. Like a tree that can take years to take root but eventually bear fruit that will sustain a family.

The basic social services are taking a generation to be available in the mountain. Electricity alone is none existent.  It’s a good thing for a technology of solar power lamps I can be assured that my scholars will be able to have a better view of their books.

The reading room is now serving the children as a haven for storytelling and a resource area (old books as reference materials) and a bookstore (pencils, eraser and sharpeners area available on weekends).

I was asked many times why I do what I do, because I CAN DO IT  and I always say this, serving from the heart gives me peace and a certain satisfaction that a chocolate does not satisfy ( I still eat a lot of them though hahaha). I realize though, that I am not as strong as I was, the uphill trek to our heartland (community kitchen, where we plant) used to take only an hour and a half but now it is taking me two hours at the most with breathing exercises along the way. The only dedicated time I can give to my programs and projects is weekends or when there is no paid work to finish. Our programs are not yet self-sufficient hence we are still dependent on donations and aids.

My worry has always been, what will happen if the project is not yet finished, but seeing how enthusiastic Ericka is (she wants to be a lawyer someday to fight for the mountain) , and how bright Tysee (future engineer whose dream is to supply water and electricity to the 3500 hectares of ancestral land of their clan) has become I can be assured and I am joyful that the future is brighter than the last 50 years.

It may not happen in my lifetime, but what is important is that the seed is already planted, an influence accepted, awareness caught on, and that sustainable growth and socio-economic development is within reach.

Humanism is not about the dictates of the government, it is the relationship of the community with each other. It is about the respect for the people towards the environment that provides the resources so that they can live peacefully and contently.

The lives we live will always impact and influence each other's future.

trees...forest... human life

 

Infancy…childhood…adulthood…cycle of human life and the forest?

Unlike human beings as we grow older and eventually dies, the trees will remain the same unless you took an ax and cut them down.

It will take them years before they will bear fruit or 2 years for a trunk that will be as wide as a human fist.

It will take years before they grow but will only take an hour to cut and remove them. It will take hundred years to have a forest but it will take only 3 months to clear it to give way for golf courses, hotels and buildings.

How sad but it is the truth. No trees will be left for the future if we do not teach our present to take care of their future. The air we breathe is dependent on the number of trees that can excrete oxygen and yet we do not see to understand the role they play in our existence.

If you want scientific discussion on trees just look for botanist, environmentalist and the like. What I have is common sense of being a HUMANIST. A humanist that believe that we must co-exist with every and all living things that surrounds us.

Have we not learn anything from the movie SIMBA? It’s a circle of life. HAKUNA MATATA is not something to sing about when the Amazon is being torn apart by corporations whose greed is influencing us to disregard life.

Exploring La Union, Local Style

 

First Stop : Gidday, San Vicente, La Union

La Union Aksyon Kalikasan Chapter is still in its inception and I was fortunate enough to be invited as one of the pilot participant for their intended program.

I prefer advocacy based tourism rather than commercial tourism. My time is so valuable that I prefer to do it with small contribution to the community or society I am visiting.

Sad to say, areas who have been secret gems of the locals once discovered by commercial tourist becomes exploited. There should be responsible tourism and the LGU’s should take active participation in protecting their local environment. Tourism should generate fund but it should also protect the wildlife, trees and faunas that are indigenous to the area.

One particular place that I really like is located in San Vicente, La Union and locals call it GIDDAY. It has the combination of plants and faunas, birds, corals, the foreshore is very rich in animal inhabitants.

I love Mother Nature but I am not a forester so recognizing each plant and animals in their scientific name does not apply to me.LOL

From what I can understand, GIDDAY meant sloping area but it is a well forested and very accessible from the main road. We were informed that it was about 55hectares, and one local said that the place might be owned by Senator Gringo Honasan. It will be a hearsay until the leaders of the chapter is able to get in touch with him. There is so much biodiversity in such an area that it must be protected.

As far as I know, a paper (study) was written proposing that these area be made into a Marine Protected Area (MPA) and rightly so.

Campers and visitors are the major contributors of trash in the area. Sad to say most tourist or visitors does not apply the principle of “ leave no trash behind”. It’s really basic when you get to think of it. You do not visit somebody’s house and leave your trash there.

But these are my personal rants, if your really do care for the environment help in ways that you can actually do and be one of the movers of the green movement. Everything starts from within. Changing your lifestyle is included. Be true to yourself and not just for a show.

As these is my personal repository of rants and personal views, not necessary informative in nature, you can just enjoy snippets of videos and pictures, hopefully you will enjoy them as much as I enjoy sharing them in the vast online verse.

Till next blubbers