Driven Collaborative Training and Skills Development of Aeta ...

CLIENT-DRIVEN COLLABORATIVE

TRAINING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

OF AETA COMMUNITIES

IN MID-BAYTAN

Jo A. Espiritu, Joshua S. Atienza, Mark Kevin M. Gagasa,

Lawrence A. Raguine, Norma L. Raguine

and Guillermo Andres

CLIENT-DRIVEN COLLABORATIVE TRAINING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT OF AETA COMMUNITIES IN MID-BAYTAN

BACKGROUND

➢ An offshoot of the study “Livelihood Resources, Practices and

Values of Aetas in Mid-Baytan—Implications to Education and

Community Development”.

➢ Agriculture is their major means of livelihood with root crops as their

major enterprise.

➢ They till their swidden farms in valleys and elevated flat lands on the

mountains two to 10 kilometers from home.

➢ They have limited farm tools and equipment; very few bagon

(carabao-drawn cart) and kolong-kolong (motor-driven cart) which are

the main transport in moving products from their place to the market.

➢ The market is 27 kilometers from home.


BACKGROUND

➢ 45 Aeta people are the regular participants who have settled with their

families in three barangays—Burgos, Maguisguis and Nacolcol, Mid-

Baytan, Botolan, Zambales.

➢ Organized as Samahan ng mga Katutubo sa Gitnang Baytan.

➢ The number of attendees to seminar-workshops often increase when non-

Aeta residents responded to a general invitation to the community.

➢ Students in the subject TLE (Crop Production) in the secondary level were

also invited during seminars on agricultural technologies.


BACKGROUND

➢ This project has a three-year duration starting January 2018 and

ending March 2020.

➢ The project is a convergence effort of nine (9) agencies:

PRMSU;

DA-ATI III;

Office of the Governor-Zambales;

Office of the Vice- Governor- Zambales;

Office of the Provincial Agriculturist;

PENRO;

Castillejos Skills and Training Institute

as witnessed by the NCIP.


OBJECTIVES:

1) Improve the awareness of the community folks on their social and

environmental/natural resources, sustainable uses of local resources,

practices and technologies for increased income and community

development;

2) Improve the level of adoption/ adaptation of learned practices and

technologies to enhance productivity; and

3) Assess the impact of the project on the livelihood and community

development processes of the participants at the end of three years.


CHALLENGES

1) Low level of literacy

2) Poverty

3) Distance to and among the communities

4) Climate (Environmental, Family and Political)

5) Traditions

6) Physical absence of leaders in the community

7) Low level of cooperation


PROCEDURE

1. Formation of a Convergence Project.

➢ Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in December 28, 2018

➢ The pooled fund amounted to P1,398,420.00.

2. Information and Technology Dissemination

➢ Covered topics:

✓ sustainable agricultural technology,

✓ home technologies (food processing and preservation, record

keeping) and

✓ community development skills (leadership, marketing and

cooperatives)

3. Field Days

4. Monitoring and Documentation for Impact Assessment


Table 1. Information and Technology Dissemination Methods Used

Methods Frequency Ave. No. of

Participants/

Recipients

1. Seminar-Workshops 11 35.45

2. Instructional Materials

Fact Sheets

Visual Aids

12

4

45

-

3. Return Demonstrations 2 2 groups

4. Group Meetings 5 15

5. Home and Farm Visits 7 farm visits

6 home visits

3 farms and 15

homes/ visit

6. Demonstration Gasak/Home

gardens

10 gasak/ 4 home

gardens

7. Common Kitchen 3 Ongoing

construction


Findings, Observation and Generalization

A. Participants’ Awareness of Introduced Concepts and Practices

1. Average Attendance per session: 71.47%

2. Class participation

2.1Answering questions. The participants, openly and gleefully answered

questions even when they are unsure sometimes.

2.2 Doing activities. They eagerly finish their class tasks while some would

take time to think about their work before submitting worksheets to the

instructor.

2.3 Sharing ideas and practices. After the worksheet or demonstration, the

group would easily discuss their experiences share it with others. This

usually requires some time because of the differing beliefs and experiences

as well as their need for explanation.

Generalization: The participants are aware of the topics discussed and

connected them in their own indigenous knowledge and experiences.

ACCOMPLISHMENT



B. Adoption and Adaptation- Related Traits

Acceptance of Seminar Topics

➢ Participants raised questions but were appreciative of the shared knowledge.

2. Home management practices.

➢ Wives are the nurses and nutritionist of their homes.

➢ Toddlers are left to play on the ground and get dirty until sundown, for the reason

that they have more chores to accomplish before the day is over.

3. Agri-technology and practices

➢ resource-intensive crops are taboo but farmers would take time to roam the town

market for good seeds (like squash and ampalaya) no matter how expensive.

➢ They seldom weed their crops and fertilizer application is minimal.

Generalization:

➢ Due to poverty and low funds, the participants are hesitant to adopt resource-

intensive technologies. They are content with raising crops with what they have and,

hence, content with the fruit of their labor.

➢ Participants are slowly adopting agricultural technologies they have learned like

multiple cropping and they are beginning to validate concepts that they learned like

planting crops side by side with legumes.



B. Adoption and Adaptation- Related Traits

4. Common illnesses among residents

➢ Colds, UTI, fever among children and flue among adults are common in all three

communities.

➢ The participants are always grateful for the medicines and attention given to them by

nurse volunteers but they always have alternatives for common illnesses in the family

in case mainstream medicine are not available.



C. Improvement of livelihood and community processes

1. Members are vocal during meetings that they could easily settle their differences but

would not care to make decisions when their elected or recognized leader is not

present.

2. Instead of ‘bayanihan’, the participants hire hands to work for them during planting and

harvesting season. Collaborative work is observed to be difficult as the participants

need the time to provide food for their family.

3. The three barangays have a sense of orderly arrangement of lots in their settlement

areas yet domestic animals are pegged any side of the house for safety. Backyards are

mostly unfenced when the family have swidden farms far from the barangay. They often

stay longer in their gasak during the week.

Generalization: The participants are largely dependent on their leaders for directions on

community projects. They consider it a priority to procure food for the family rather than

working on community projects that they feel does not directly benefit them.


RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Better instructional technology, i.e. television, electronically projected IMs, need

to be used and the establishment of community library is due;

2. A visit to all farms is recommended to provide a better assessment of the level of

adoption/ adaptation of learned technologies;

3. A community development plan must be established in all the barangays.

4. More extension workers need to be on field among the indigenous people

spending more weeks of immersion at one time;

5. The participation of non-Aeta residents in the communities is encouraged as they

are the first contact of the Aeta residents to what mainstream communities could

be;

6. While the indigenous communities may be assessed to need more investment and

technical assistance to be at pace with the mainstream communities, caution must

be observed as to the interest and willingness of the IP community to participate

in putting up and maintaining such projects;

Client- Driven Collaborative

Training and Skills Development of

Aeta Communities in Mid-baytan

(Pictures)

Mode of transportation

Inception Meeting conducted last October 04, 2018 at College of Law,

PRMSU,Iba Campus attended by linking agencies and pertinent

organization.

Seminar Workshops re: Family & Leadership, Cooperatives and Book/Record

Keeping , GAD, and Health & Sanitation etc.

Livelihood and home management training and workshop on bukayo , banana chips making and food

preservation.

Group

meetings

Farm

Vis

its

Identified

Demonstration

Farms

Farm tools & Construction

Materials from Agricultural

Training Institute III

Construction of Common Kitchens

Distribution of Farm and

Kitchen Tools from ATI

M

o

n

i

t

o

r

i

n

g

Backyard gardening practices

Planting rice in the lahar

laden area.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The efforts and contributions of the following agencies who collaborated for the

implementation of this project is hereby gratefully acknowledged:

❖ PRESIDENT RAMON MAGSAYSAY STATE UNIVERSITY

❖ DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE –AGRICULTURAL TRAINING INSTITUTE, REGION

III (DA-ATI III)

❖ OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR-ZAMBALES AND OFFICE OF THE PROVINICIAL

AGRICULTURIST

❖ OFFICE OF THE MAYOR- BOTOLAN, ZAMBALES

❖ CASTILLEJOS SKILLS TRAINING INSTITUTE

❖ PROVINCIAL ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES OFFICE

❖ NATIONAL COMMISSION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

❖ MAGUISGUIS INTEGRATED SCHOOL

❖ BURGOS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

❖ NACOLCOL INTEGRATED SCHOOL

❖ FACULTY, STUDENTS AND FRIENDS WHO HAVE GENEROUSLY SHARED FOOD AND

CLOTHING FOR OUTREACH BARANGAYS ON DIRE TIMES.

Mabuhay!

Driven Collaborative Training and Skills Development of Aeta ...

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