CDC trains Aetas for eco-tourism, security

CLARK FREEPORT, Philippines – Clark Development Corp. president Benigno Ricafort envisions a brighter future for Aetas at the Clark Freeport Zone, and he’s making sure they are trained for it. 

The state-owned firm has spearheaded the training of 18 Aetas on eco-tourism as part of the development of the Next Frontier in the Sacobia Valley, a vast area with huge potential for investments, tourism and economic expansion.

Ricafort said the Aetas were brought to the JEST Camp at the Subic Freeport and underwent a one-day training in eco-tourism.

He said the participants also took a crash course on survival training and capped the activity with a trek to the JEST Camp’s mountainous area.

He said the Aeta participants comprised the same group that had successfully completed a course on tour guiding. They are now employed at the Clark Museum as tour guides.

Ricafort said part of their training was a tour to various national museums “to benchmark and observe” the work of curators and guides.

He said the 18 Aetas were selected as tour guides after an extensive training spearheaded by the CDC, in cooperation with the Department of Tourism-Region 3 office last June 15-19.

Last August, more than 100 Aetas and residents of Sacobia Valley applied for the security force for the Next Frontier.

Ricafort said the hiring of Aeta security personnel is one of the CDC’s measures to provide livelihood programs for indigenous people in the area.

Dubbed as the Special Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit Active Auxiliary, the project is a recruitment of Ayta Security Detail for the Next Frontier, Ricafort said.