BROKEN DREAMS
Many indigenous peoples live in the Philippines, including the Aeta tribe in the north.
They are slowly losing their culture and heritage because of the demands of the modern world and due to land-grabbing, displacement, lack of livelihood, social neglect and over-materialism and consumerism and developments by private and public players.
On April 22, 2019, tragedy fell upon the indigenous peoples of the province of Pampanga in Northern Philippines. A 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit Zambales province, northwest of capital Manila, but neighboring provinces such as Pampanga also suffered devastation. The quake left 18 dead, 3 missing and 256 injured. Although not the epicenter of the quake, Pampanga was the most affected with dozens of establishments and houses destroyed and a significant number of casualties.
One of the affected indigenous peoples in Pampanga was the Aeta Tribe. Although they were among the most affected, their voices are often unheard during calamities. Their houses were destroyed. Three of their tribe members died. Almost all of their houses and community-shared infrastructure were left in ruins or sustained damage from the earthquake.
In the aftermath of the earthquake, they left their houses and moved to evacuation sites where they lived in tents for almost a month. In all the three evacuation centers, they had to endure the cold during rainy days, with many of their children becoming sick. A tribe leader alleged that the lack of support and resources diverted towards their community was due to the timing of the earthquake, which happened during a mid-term election period when political leaders focused on their mass campaigning. Marginalized sectors like the indigenous peoples often only gain media spotlight during momentous occasions marking celebrations such as the Indigenous Peoples' Day.