IPs in the age of IT

MANILA, Philippines – Indigenous peoples (IPs) are commonly regarded as disadvantaged when it comes to surviving in the modern world. However, an IP community in Barangay Sapang Uwak, Porac, in the province of Pampanga is out to prove otherwise.

They are a group of around 800 Aetas who comprise the remaining diaspora in this area, with others located in nearby provinces such as Tarlac, Zambales and Bataan, displaced by the historic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991.

While relatively small in number today, they are gaining strength as a model representative of the progress of IPs amid the fast-paced world of the Internet and mobile communication – thanks to valuable multi-sectoral support from government agencies as well as socio-civic and private entities.   

Starting in the field of education, non-profit organization Don Bosco’s Tuloy Foundation Inc (TFI), headed by its founder and president Fr. Rocky Evangelista, has spearheaded a computer literacy program that aims to provide members of the community with the most updated and relevant IT skills, in order to increase their opportunities in livelihood and employment.

A 40-foot container van was transformed into a mobile computer classroom with 25 work stations, more than enough to train not only adults but school children as well. The project was carried out together with partners such as the Philippine Army, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, the Turkish Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Advance Resources and Creative Solutions School Inc., Rotary Club of Metropolitan Pateros and real estate developer Leonio Land. 

Reading being an integral part of learning is also an important aspect of assistance being extended to the indigenous Aeta community, through a mobile library that benefits Sapang Uwak elementary school children and out-of-school youth. Taking the cue from similar efforts by the Teach Peace Build Peace Movement, Leonio Land gathers books and toys from benefactors and supporters from Metro Manila. 

Assumption College San Lorenzo, under its Concrete Acts for Social Transformation (CAST) program, visits the Sapang Uwak community often and volunteers in various activities such as teaching and learning sessions with Aeta school children. These opportunities are valuable in opening up a mutual dialogue and exposure between indigenous people and city folk. 

Aetas are also contributing to the great potential of Filipinos in sports, such as football. The idea sprang from the watchful tutelage of Fr. Evangelista of TFI, whose advocacy also includes physical activity and wellness as an important developmental aspect of children.

Once a week, Aeta boys and girls take time out to practice and hone their skills in football under the guidance of coaches and experts. In the future, it may come as no surprise to see a professional team of indigenous Aeta youth that will bring honor and prestige to the country in competitions around the world. 

The Aetas of Sapang Uwak are proving that slowly but surely, indigenous Filipino people can ride the waves of change – taking the best that modern living has to offer, while at the same time being proud of their roots and the important aspects of their culture and identity.