Fresh from Valentine and Chinese New Year celebrations in Manila, EVA Charity Foundation geared up for another trip to a TOE2S (Traditional Origins Ethnic Education School), this time further north – in Abucay, Bataan where our founder and volunteers visited the Dap Aetas Primary School in Bangkal Resettlement area and the Tanner Trust Aeta Livelihood Opportunity Training Center.

New volunteers

It is heartwarming that more people are joining our trips and volunteering their time and resources to the foundation’s noteworthy causes.  Jenny Hennessy and Linda Wolfe (who’ve only been in the Philippines for a few weeks) and Randolf Tuazon joined our founder Jenny Wallum, volunteers Janet Kennedy and Jonathan Mok.  Ms. Hennessy who is just about to formally sign up into EVA even volunteered her vehicle and driver.

Meeting point was the Holy Trinity Church, bright and sunny at 7am (everyone was early or right on time).  After a short stopover at a petrol station along the North Luzon Expressway, the group headed to San Fernando, Pampanga to pick up National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Region III coordinator Dr. Catherine Ramos and load school supplies generously donated by the British Chamber and Elks Club.

We then proceeded north along the dusty Olongapo-Gapan Highway, turned right and went up winding roads until we reached the Dap Aetas School where we were met by the school’s teachers Analyn Custodio, Elizabeth Olubia, Rosemarie Inocencio, Marifi Francisco and Grace Landayan and their bubbly tribal affairs officer Rebecca ( Reyes)Decino.

Good news

We were enthusiastically greeted  “Welcome visitors! Mabuhay!” by the children, all with bright cheery faces and beautiful smiles.

After donations of school supplies were given to the IP children and gardening supplies to the teachers, a site inspection of the school and livelihood center was also done.  We also saw the Banana Peel flipflops donated by Pinoy Big Brother to the children last December. 

Tribal affairs officer Rebecca shared  two bits of great news.  24 Aeta children were in Baguio that day to audition for Pilipinas Got Talent.  Let’s pray that they make the cut and represent Bataan and the Aeta Tribe Magkbikin with their tribal songs and dances!

Rebecca also shared that her daughter Rosalie Joy, an EVACF scholar recently graduated from Tomas Del Rosario College in Balanga, Bataan with a degree in elementary education and was rated very positively by her teachers. This means she is the very FIRST Aeta qualified and licensed teacher in Bataan province.  Good work Rosalie!

We then proceeded to the Aeta Livelihood Opportunity Training Center where we met Rebecca’s husband Nestor Decino and tribal chieftain Rosito Sison who updated us with the status of the activities done and the training materials donated.  We were also treated to freshly cooked corn and taro planted in the mountainside.These vegetables are part of an EVACF-NCIP Livelihood Loanfund loan project.

Sneaky

We were all shocked to see that painted on the wall and roof of the school was wording “A project of provincial school board Gov. Tet Garcia Chairman” when in fact the school was funded by the Australian Embassy in Manila in 2004 and by EVACF coordinated by NCIP.  Only a small signed document displayed inside the classroom accurately mentioned the true patrons of the school.

It was also a similar case in TOE2S Maganday Nabokah, jointly erected by the British School Manila ,British Women's Association,and schoolchildren in Morpeth, England, but was painted with words claiming that it was “upgraded” by another group!!

We advised the school staff that people or groups who falsely claim credit for other’s work should not be tolerated and these individuals should be truthful and claim credit ONLY  for what they  actually contribute.

Tourist time

Lunch was at the roadside restaurant in Balanga, Bataan followed by a short stopover at the San Guillermo Parish Church in Bacolor (already part of our regular itinerary if there are new volunteers).  This historic church, originally built by Augustinian friars in 1576, was devastated by the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption but miraculously resurrected from the ashes by the determination of the Capampangans and other supporters.

The group split up in Bacolor – Jenny Wallum returning to San Fernando to bring back Dr. Ramos to NCIP and Jenny Hennessy’s group headed to Manila with a stopover at Nathaniel’s for nibbles to bring back to loved ones in Manila.

Report by Angelo Songco, 16th February 2010.