ABUCAY, Bataan — An Aeta elder on Tuesday called on government to provide natives of Bangkal, mountain village here, livelihood projects coupled with education to spring out the Aetas from extreme poverty.
Born-Again pastor Rogelio Malunik, 76, said there are more than 115 families of Aetas who are into cutting of boho, hunting of wild animals and farm work as their sources of livelihood in the village at the foot of Mount Natib.
“Kahirapan ang pinakamalaking problema ng mga katutubo. Ang nakikita kong solusyon, kailangan ma-educate ang mga katutubo plus mabigyan ng financial na tulong,” he said.
Malunik said the livelihood projects should depend on the available raw materials in the area.
“Basket-making pinakamaganda pati pagtatanim ng iba’t ibang uri ng halaman. Budget plus education ang makakatulong sa mga katutubo.”
The pastor also made mention of a problem in the area where some Aetas sold their Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) to “Tagalogs” as the natives call lowlanders.
“Ipinagbabawal ng batas ng NCIP na ibenta, ipahingi ang lupa ng mga katutubo,” Malunik said.
He also called on President Rodrigo Duterte to help him get a commissioner post of the NCIP in Region 3.
“Mahal na Presidente, naghahangad po akong maging commissioner ng NCIP sa Region 3 upang sa nalalabi kong buhay ay maibahagi ko ang kaunti kong kaalaman para sa ikabubuti ng mga katutubo at magkaroon ng magandang kahulugan ang tinatawag na Aborigine of the Phillippines,” the Aeta pastor said.
He said there used to be 336 hectares of ancestral domain in Bangkal but 50 hectares were transferred to the nearby Bataan National Agricultural School.
Malunik assisted in the distribution of relief goods to 150 Aeta families in Bangkal. Joselito Gabriel, chairman of the Farmers Center of Bataan, said the relief goods for victims of Typhoon Karding came from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Kilusang Pagbabago.
Couple Val and Luisa Medina of the Bangkal United Methodist Church assisted in the distribution of the relief goods inside the church.
