pinatubo

"Pinatubo", means "to make something grow". It's also the name of an active volcano here in the Philippines. It erupted almost two decades ago, July 1991. I remember it was raining and we were watching the news. We looked out the window and everything was covered in ash. We thought it was snow.

About 800 people were killed and thousands more lost their home & livelihood. I think the ones most affected are the Aetas, an indigenous tribe living in the mountains. Up there, they had their own world, standing still and unchanging-- unaffected by what's happening in the country. They've never been under Spanish or American rule. I'm not even sure if they participated in the war. According to WikiPilipinas, "They have adjusted to social, economic, cultural and political pressures by creating systems and structures within their culture to buffer the impact of change."

When the volcano erupted, they were uprooted and forced to come down, relocated to government-organized resettlement areas. Living here is hard, they were given small portions of land but it's not ideal for growing crops. Some found work as farmhands, some as beggars. Most of them are illiterate and uncivilized. Marginalized and discriminated, it's almost impossible to go back to their original way of life.

Today, several support groups, like the EVACF, are helping the Aetas. They teach them entrepreneurship, provide loan assistance and scholarship. You can also help out, click here. Last year, President Arroyo handed out CADTs (Certificates of Ancestral Domain Titles) to 601 Aeta families. Another NGO, Foundation of Our Lady Peace Mission, has another interesting project: the Indigenous Peoples Community Health Workers Development Program, where they train "barefoot doctors" (chosen members of a tribe) on things like proper health education, diagnosis and treatment of common illnesses, parenthood and family planning. These barefoot doctors go back, and serve their community, as well as spread the knowledge to the rest.

Then, last February 2009, a series of children storybooks, written and illustrated by the Aetas and Mangyans (another indigenous tribe) was published.  It tells stories about their past, and their Gods.  They've waited for a very very long time and they still have a long way to go but I think slowly, the Aetas are moving on with life.

No matter how much we resist, change really is inevitable. It will come, whether we're prepared or not. And when it does, it will take something away-- something we love, our belongings, our beliefs or maybe even our way of life. But it doesn't mean we'll be left with nothing, because with change comes the chance to grow. I went to Pinatubo last weekend with some friends and I was amazed at how beautiful it is now-- calm blue water, happy tourists, clear skies with scattered clouds, small plants and trees already covering the mountains and the warm sun shining on us. It's like being inside a painting.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Pinatubo
http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Aeta
http://www.evacf.org/livelihood.html
http://www.evacf.org/Help.htm
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090608-209288/100-tribal-healers-gather-for-summit
http://www.indigenousportal.com/Education/Mangyan-Aeta-folk-write-own-storybooks.html