'Back to school' outreach grooms Aeta pupils

MORONG, Bataan, Philippines — A total of 155 pupils at the public elementary school in the remote village of Kanawan in this town learned how to look best in school during a lecture on proper grooming and proper hygiene undertaken by volunteers from private sectors recently.

The Kanawan outreach project was undertaken by the team-up of Lighthouse Marina Resort in Subic Bay Freeport zone and international personal products manufacturer Johnson & Johnson.

The school children, most of whom belong to the Aeta tribe, were taught proper bathing, grooming and wellness through an audio-visual presentation by Johnson & Johnson. The firm also provided grooming products so that the children could apply what they have learned in the lecture.

Aside from hygiene products, the children also received books, umbrellas, slippers, medicine and other personal items that they would need for their schooling.

In return, the Kanawan youngsters expressed their appreciation for the gifts by rendering traditional Aeta song and dance numbers.

After the gift-giving, the adults also took time for a tree-planting activity at the back of the schoolhouse where they planted hardwood tree species like Lauan in the rich soil of the area.

Rolando Lazo, Johnson & Johnson supply chain director for Southeast Asia, remarked that not even the rainy weather could stop the Subic groups from undertaking the project. “Our visit here seeks to improve the lives of others with our products,” he said.

Sitio Kanawan is inhabited predominantly by members of the indigenous Aeta tribe, who have built their homes on the grassy plateaus and mountain slopes.

The community is located about eight kilometers from the Morong town proper and can be reached only by crossing a 30-meter-long hanging bridge which spans the Batalan River.