Invitation for Class 2019 to be one of us

 Being one of us is a way of life. When I mentor children, I do not teach them the rudiments of what they need to do but what they need to be. My approach to teaching is more on application. I let them see and feel each community they visit. I let them experience the life of others. I made my students take part and be future advocates. They have to understand the role we play towards the environment and the humankind. My students are expected to plant 10 trees by the end of the school year. This way they realize the importance of the trees in our lives. They are expected to enjoy cleaning after themselves and should refrain from being commercial tourist when they visit any community.

The PATHFINDERS class of 2018

Celebration of Humanity

How do we celebrate humanity? Do we wait for June 21^st  of every year just to be human? Every day should be humanist day. However in our case, we just want to celebrate it as grandly as we can. And that is how we did it here in Central Luzon, Philippines.  We decided to have it on June 12, 2019 which coincides with Philippines 121^st Independence Day. We have enough collections and donations to cover the celebration. We really wanted it to coincide with our national holiday and independence day at that because we are making a statement that as we celebrate World humanist day we also would want to be free from poverty & illiteracy. Free from corrupt ideology that hampers the growth of the indigenous people.

As tradition would have it, any Independence Day celebration we have, we start it by feeding the group of children and adults who were with us from the time we started the program. It is also the time when we can share and give out the collected school supplies needed for the academic year. It is a work in progress. Usually, as June starts we would collate the school supplies we needed for the academic year and collect some more for other needs. My students are like rainbow as we accept pre-loved uniforms of other children from other schools and we wear them proudly in the mountain. See, lowlanders sees these uniforms as useless but in our community we see them as brand-new and something the kids would really look forward to. They are always excited to see if I did bring new donated uniforms and bags.

We did pretty good this year as we were sponsored to have a good set of sandwiches and drinks to start the day.

 “True generosity never expects a reward”. Pete Nelson 

The Medicine of Modern Life

 

I have been adopted and have adapted the way of life of the Haduan Negrito.  They have been integral part of WHO I am now and why I have been advocating for education exclusively for the area of Mount Haduan. Education is not just about teaching how to read and write, but teaching them the ways of the city dwellers, their actions that will affect the indigenous people’s rights and their whole being.  The years have not been easy to their culture and their land. Changes are bound to happen but their land is slowly being degraded, their person discriminated and sadly the new generation is adapting too fast of how the Clark City is transforming.

Common Diseases abound in the community area when they are visited by the commercial tourist. Strains of simple flu get to have an impact on little children. It maybe 2019 but the isolation of the community to certain strain of diseases affect them once they were in contact with tourist.

This is the reason why I am also advocating that tourist should not travel to the community when they are experiencing common cold. It does transmit. Tribal elders would say that runny nose and fever before is non-existent in the area, it just started after Mount Pinatubo erupted. They are assuming and I am presuming that these diseases were brought about by the contact they had with lowlanders because they are needed to be evacuated and take shelter in the municipal basketball courts.

There is still the absence of a healthcare system in the mountain. The nearest hospital is about 5 hours walk from the mountain exit to the nearest main road. Health workers are almost non-existent as well. Department of Social Welfare and Development would come twice a year. To help combat common diseases, my team of young Aeta’s would let me know what we need from our makeshift health center and it would be my job to ask for medicine from common cold, cough syrup, paracetamol, and most importantly vitamins for ages 0months to 6 years old. We make do with what we are given.

I have always been asked when I seek donation for medicine, school supplies and agricultural products for livelihood of the indigenous people, why do I have to beg  when there are government agencies who are supposed to provide them. And I would say, if it has been provided for, would I be seeking help? For me being HUMANIST is not about what the government agencies can do for you, it is about what you can contribute and do to HUMANITY.

Volunteer work is not about how good you will look on the picture, or how grandiose you would seem to be, it is the ACTION that you take to better the lives of others.