UNC HS faculty club holds community extension service
By Ricardo E. Perez
If there is one good thing that the “Oyango Odyssey” series has accomplished for the tribal people of Mt. Asog, in Iriga City, it would be the increased awareness of the community to the difficult life the tribal people has to face economically, as they go about their day to day lives.
It is a rewarding experience for this writer, to have been approached personally,
contacted by e-mail, and even by phone, by people who have expressed interest to support our advocacy of helping the indigenous peoples in our midst, in their own little ways.
Such was the case of the University of Nueva Caceres High School Faculty Club, through its president, Mr. Julio C. Ortiz Jr., who early last month, came by the office and brought along bags of used clothing which he and the other members of the faculty club have managed
to collect and put together for the Oyango Tribal Community.
“July” requested for a schedule and itinerary for a group as they plan to bring their collected supplies personally to Sta. Teresita, Iriga City. Twenty one members of batch 21 of the Caregiver class in UNC, under the tutelage of spouses Antonio G. Ecal, to which Mr. Ortiz is also enrolled, also expressed interest to join the “Expedition”, after a briefing I conducted, at their invitation. Twelve high school
teachers led by Julio C. Ortiz., together with six third year high school students of 3-Andromeda also joined the trip.
On the appointed date, last March 31, 2009, we boarded two rented public utility jeeps with our bags of used clothing and food aid packages, including a small box of medicine from PHILUSA CORP, Naga Branch. The food packages were individually packed for each Agta family, based on the information I have provided.
The communities having been
informed ahead of our coming were waiting for us. After a brief courtesy call to Mr. Pedro Sentillas, the tribal chieftain, the members of the tribe gathered inside a chapel which is also the main assembly area for the community. Individual food packs were distributed first to all households. Afterwards, the bags and boxes of used clothing were then given to the beneficiaries, starting with the children and later, the adults in each family.
A short entertainment program
hosted by Ms. Cherry Paa, one of the members of the University High School Faculty provided a welcome break to the occasion, as July Ortiz, in his own inimitable style wowed the audience in attendance, with his dancing prowess, to the amusement of both children and adults, some of whom were encouraged to join in the received additional gifts.
An excursion for our lunch break was held beside Waras River, just a stone’s throw away from the settlement. The
whole group enjoyed the experience. What was worth the effort however was the expression of gratefulness and joy mirrored in the collective faces of the recipients, when they received their surprise packages, as they were simply told to expect some visitors.
The UNC HS Faculty Club, encouraged by this turn of events, has decided to come up with another project. This time, to put up a mini-library for the tribe, having been informed of the condition of young
Agta children, and their problems of going to school and finishing even one full term.
The food aid and clothing may not be much, but to the Agta, they are indeed gifts of love which can help tide them over for yet a few additional days, as they go about their fight for survival. The UNC HS Faculty Club has earlier visited another Agta tribal settlement in Ocampo, Camarines Sur, for the same humanitarian purpose. It is the hope
of this writer that such acts of kindness and generosity, will yet be replicated in other tribal communities all across the region. For now, UNC has taken the first bold step, far from its comfort zone, to show what can be accomplished, when the heart is in the right direction.