Focus Group
Among The Aetas In Nabuclod
    INTRODUCTION

    The Focus Group was facilitated by the Founder together with the members    and
    officers of the Nabuclod Negrito (Aeta) Community Executive Advisory Committee
    (NNCEAC), Chevalier School Chapter in Angeles City, on August 9, 2003, and was
    the highlight of the initial phase of involvement of the Calantas Young Dreamers
    Foundation, Inc.

    Prior to the trip in the mountain community, the group was given a brief in-service
    related to the dissertation materials of the Founder that he conducted  in the 70's to
    give them a historical perspective of what was going on then in Nabuclod and
    hopefully, to be able to situate themselves into proper perspective; and this same
    perspective could probably trigger in them a quest for knowledge and a thirst to
    develop their own intellectual framework as to how they could effectively respond
    and work among the Aetas in Nabuclod. The Foundation has the responsibility to orient individuals/participants on some of the
    Aeta issues and concerns for which they could use to evaluate their own perceptions as they go through the process of
    experiencing their own exposure with the Aetas in Nabuclod. If you,  as a reader of this website, finds more interest on issues
    affecting the Nabuclod Aetas,  you are invited to go to the AUF Graduate School Library in Angeles City and read the Founder's
    dissertation on Community Organization and Development among the Aetas in Nabuclod, or you may visit AUF at its website:
    http://www.auf.edu.ph

    Working among the Aetas is a challenging one because you need to understand for "who they are that they have the
    potential to become the best of what they are capable of being". One has to have the virtue of patience and endearing
    attitude to be able to survive the test of time in working among them. One has to believe in the beauty of "what you are doing
    and should be able to transcend the meaning of why you get yourself involved among them". One has to find a reason
    why you need to do what you are doing. There has to be a reason and why you believe in that reason! For one, the Founder
    believes that "each person is worth stopping for; that each person has a dignity as a human being; that each person is
    created in the Image and Likeness of God". And each person is created with Intellect to be able to understand how much
    God has loved us that He sent His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life and that each person
    is created with Freewill to welcome His Love in our hearts. It is for this reason that each person is blessed with the capacity to
    love and to be loved, making his life loveable and able to transcend the meaning of his life, making use of his God-given talent to
    share it with those who need it most and in the service of others.

    Attempting to address Community Growth and Development among the Aetas in Nabuclod as a goal could be tricky one
    especially if you tend to bring your own agenda without having first listened and addressed their own issues and concerns by
    assessing their needs: Needs Assessment. One venue to assess their issues is through a Focus Group.

    The Focus Group conducted on August 9, 2003, was an attempt to understand the pulse of unarticulated needs of the Aetas,
    for this brought up some clarification and validation of what they see as "theirs" against those of what "we, as outsiders"
    perceive them (issues) to be. Their "feedback" should be the basis for developing a program design with a methodology
    sensitive and responsive to the identified needs of the Aetas.

    Many in the past, including the group of yours truly in the 70's, produced a doubtful outcome because the methodology was
    more influenced "from without", a dole-out type of development approach rather than "from within", that is: listening first
    to the issues and concerns of the Aetas through Needs Assessment in a Focus Group which could be the basis for developing
    project designs, in response.

    NABUCLOD AETA PARTICIPANTS
    There were 10 men and 22 women who came to participate in the Focus Group, inlcuding most of the Nabuclod Barangay
    Officers from among the 1,300 members of the community but, also, registered voters. Their dialect is called by the Pampango
    lowlanders. Most of them speak the Pampango language, too. And some could also speak Pilipino, the national language. Their
    maun source of livelihood is kaingin (clearing of forest land without regard for reforestation) farming but for some, with
    evidence of having acquired a lowland traditional farming. Nabuclod is now easily accessible by land transportation, the road
    being well-paved within its boundary. Heavy rain was pouring hard during the time of Focus Group and members/officers of
    the Calantas Young Dreamers Foundation, Inc.had to decide to leave an hour early for the river water migth become impassable.
    The total time for the Focus Group lasted for four (4)  hours. Aetas were vibrant and dynamic during the activity.

    OBJECTIVE
    At the outset, the Aetas were made aware that the Foundation (CYDFI) was primarily established to provide Scholarship
    Program to indigent but deserving talented youth of Bo. Calantas and Nabuclod Aeta Community, especially to those
    who graduated from the 6th grade with honors. It was briefly explained to them that CYDFI Scholarship Program will
    eventually have implications not only to personal but community growth and development, as well. In addition to the CYDFI
    Scholarship Program, it was also made clear to them that the NNCEAC Group came to explore a feasibility to participate in the
    process of their community growth and development by assessing their needs through a Focus Group.


    SOME ISSUES ON IMPLEMENTATION
    OF CYDFI SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IN NABUCLOD
    Since Nabuclod has only Primary School (1st to 3rd grade level), the Foundation may have to explore some options in its
    methodology to be able to carry out its mission of providing Scholarship Program among the Aeta youth.
Nabuclod School Children with Rey Manlulu, having the potential to become the best of what they are capable being and becoming.
    FIRST OPTION
    Keep track of those 6th grade pupils enrolled in other schools by the Barangay Officers. But, this option may only be practical
    and effective to implement on a longitudinal term basis. Per feedback from the Nabuclod School Head Teacher, Corazon Alviz-
    Manuel, when Nabuclod pupils finish their primary education, they move on to nearby barrios to continue their elementary
    education. Apparently, there is no educational system to absorb the Aeta youth when they finish their primary school education
    in Nabuclod. "Let alone, let live and die", as the saying goes. It is just, too, pathetic that there is no educational support system
    for the Nabuclod Aeta youth to be able to continue their educational pursuit. Aeta parents complained during the Focus Group
    that their children have to wake up early and walk for at least an hour to catch up for their morning class sessions. And since
    barely they have enough food to eat, children have to bear the pain of sometimes going to school hungry, or eat some
    sweet potatoes (kamote) for their breakfast and bring the same food item for their lunchtime. Some of them feeling
    embarrassed of what they eat for lunch (sweet potatoes) in the presence of their lowland children classmates, they
    would rather not eat their lunch, afterwhich they go home in the afternoon by having to walk another hour, trailing the
    mountain road back home, again. This is their typical daily school routine. Many of them hardly survive and quit
    schooling.

    Some Aeta parents, however, would be luckier to find a foster parent/family in the lowland and have their children
    work as domestic helpers and go to school at the same time. Few parents would be lucky if they could find this kind of
    arrangement and accommodation.


    ASSUMPTIONS OF FIRST OPTION

    1st Assumption:
    On the assumption that some Nabuclod Aeta youth survive the test of time and able to finish their elementary education in
    whatever unstructured venue available to them with the help coming from other concerned citizens, the Foundation will find it
    hard to implement the CYDFI Scholarship Program in an effective and comprehensive manner EXCEPT to try to make it work
    with the following steps:
  1. Coordinate with the Barangay Officers of the Nabuclod Aeta Community.
  2. Inform all parents/children who are able to finish their elementary education to submit their final grades when they  
    graduate from the 6thy grade.
  3. Those 6th grade pupils who graduated and whose final grades belong to the first top three from among those who
    graduated in the 6th grade will initially qualify for the CYDFI Scholarship Program.
  4. All qualified applicants will be subjected to the Criteria for Maintaining Scholarship in the CYDFI Scholarship Program
    (CYDFI Handbook, Art. 3, s2., p.12), that reads: PLEASE CLICK HERE...

    2nd Assumption:
    On the assumption that the CYDFI Scholarship Program is made feasible, the Foundation has to find some willing benefactors
    to provide temporary shelters (i.e., board and lodging) in the community where the Aeta youth is going to continue his high
    school education. Or, if the Foundation has financial resources that it will have to pay for the Aeta's board and lodging.
    Currently, the Foundation is hardly financially prepared BUT if magnanimous sponsors are found, this is feasible.


    SECOND OPTION
    Explore an alternative approach in the implementation of the CYDFI Scholarship Program in Nabuclod. An Advocacy towards
    the elevation of the Nabuclod School to become a regular elementary school will, in all probability, be the solution on a
    longitudinal basis. Aeta school children can then finish their education in the elementary without having to go through the
    same pain as they do now. Having a complete elementary school education in Nabuclod will prove to be beneficial to all the
    school children in the community and could be a big factor for hastening community growth and development. It can't be
    contested that when a person becomes enlightened through education, that it will insire him to aspire to improve his life for the
    better. For the Foundation believes that "the future belongs to the youth and the youth holds the light of the future with ardent
    passion to make a difference and to effect change in his life for the better and those around him". This serves as a stimulus for
    the Aeta youth to intellectually become a better person and will empower him to become the best person he can become and
    what he is capable of being. This is his future and dream to become a better person. Just like any of us, this belongs to his
    search for meaning in life, a life filled with meaning with a sense of purpose and hope to excell and one day, he may be able
    to share his life experience among his people (the Aetas).


    FOCUS GROUP SESSION
    The Focus Group was the initial official activity of the Calantas Young Dreamers Foundation, Inc. among the Nabuclod Aetas to
    assess their NEEDS and from which an integral approach in its methodology could be designed to effectively respond to their
    identified needs. This was also an opportunity for the Officers and Members of the CYDFI-NNCEAC to have an initial exposure
    of the "down-to-earth" life situation of the Aetas. Per Foundation's mandate and structure, NNCEAC under the guidance of the
    Founder is delegated with a responsibility "to provide support and guidance in the efforts of the CYDFI to empower and
    enhance the self-esteem of the Nabuclod Aeta Youth through the CYDFI Scholarship Program Model (SWREM Theory
    In Action), designed to help them help themselves so they can help incoming scholars leading to breaking the cycle of
    poverty among them with implications, not only personal but community growth and development, as they learn to
    become socially responsible".
Very Engaged, Vibrant, Dynamic and Intelligent Participants in the Focus Group. These are the Aetas in Nabuclod.
There is a lot of emotion coming out from their hearts because they feel "hurt" being looked down as second rate
citizens, whose dignity as a "human being" is lost on how other people interact with them. This had been an excellent
opportunity for Cherry Ann, the 1st Awardee of the CYDFI Scholarship Program from Calantas. Through this
exposure and other community services, the CYDFI Scholars are empowered to think of others in-need in a very
socially responsible way. For if youth of today are shown the way, they will do it!
    The NNCEAC Officers and Members are made aware that their involvement is voluntary and that should they find their
    participation fulfilling and worth pursuing, they could design their own response as they appropriately see it reflective of the
    contents and process of the Focus Group discussion.

    The mood during the Focus Group was serious with some doubts in the hearts of the Aetas but passionate in articulating their
    issues and concerns; something that our Group in the 70's hardly experienced due to the fact that we brought our own agenda
    that produced a doubtful outcome because the Aetas saw us more as employees of the programs being introduced rather than
    they, as co-partners in community growth and development. There was no meeting of the mind, so they say. At one point in the
    middle of the session, one of the Aetas verbalized her pain against those who were coming, making promises to provide support
    but unable to deliver, that made her feel to hope against hope, despondent and a forgotten race! And posing a challenge to the
    NNCEAC Group "that should  we are unable to deliver, we better not start promising anything. Apparently, what has been
    verbalized is a typical example of those who are coming with their own agenda claiming to provide support but unable to deliver.
    This is exactly what the Founder would like to avoid from happening. It has to be articulated what the Foundation can do and
    able to do on the basis of what has been processed in the Focus Group. So, the CYDFI methodology on community growth
    and development should be sensitive and responsive to the identified needs of the Aetas in the Focus Group.


    FOCUS GROUP GUIDE QUESTIONS
    There are 8 guide questions designed to assess the NEEDS of the Aetas in Nabuclod from which a meaningful discussion and
    response could be generated from them for Plan of Action by the Foundation. The following are the guide questions:
  1. What do you think are your needs in the community?
  2. If you rank their importance from first to three, how would uou rank them?
  3. Why? (Reasons of why you consider them 1st, 2nd and 3rd?)
  4. How do you plan to provide solutions to these needs?
  5. If resources are available, how are you going to use them to address your needs in the community?
  6. What do you think are the resources you need to help you solve your needs in the community?
  7. What kind of resources you have in the community to help you solve your needs in the community?
  8. How can these resources on item #7 be used to help address your needs in the community?

    SUMMARY OF FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION
    After four hours of vibrant interaction among the Aeta participants, they were able to identify through a consensus process as
    their top three identified needs and these same identified needs would be considered as the initial phase for Calantas Young
    Dreamers Foundation, Inc. to formulate program design to enhance community growth and development, in addition to the
    envisioned CYDFI Scholarship Program for their children, the Aeta youth. Discussion of response is intentionally omitted in this
    section but would, instead, present a summary of the Focus Group in terms of the top three items that they identified as their
    community's needs: (a) electricity  (b) water and, (c) elevation of Nabuclod School into Elementary School.with additional
    teachers.
  • Nabuclod Community Electrification Project. Initial response from the community ranked electricity as their top   
    priority of needs in the community which, apparently, was influenced on the thought that the barrio (village) next to
    Nabuclod already enjoys the benefits of having electricity in the community. However, Rey Manlulu made them aware   
    that as a process and him, as a Council Member of the Municipality of Floridablanca, Pampanga, had at one point a
    deliberation in the Town Hall to extend electricity to Nabuclod. One major concern of the Electric Company in town is     
    the ability of Aetas to pay for their electric bill since their source of income is not as stable and most of them are  
    dependent on what they could farm in the forest. While it is true that electricity is vital and needed, but as far as the
    Nabuclod community is concerned, it may still at this point: a WANT and not a NEED. Meaning, the Aetas in Nabuclod   
    can still do without electricity in their community. This is about economics! If electricity will be extended to Nabuclod,
    there has to be a responsible party to guarantee payment of their consumed electricity. Otherwise, the electric company  
    will end up putting up the electric bill for the Aetas. And this is not in consonance with the principle of empowerment
    where the Aetas because of their inability to pay for their electric bill will be dependent on payment of their own bill from
    the electric company that could only write off as a loss from their business account. In this case, Aetas will not learn to
    stand on their own but be dependent on resources that would encourage them to become more dependent. If this situation
    will be tolerated, the principle of empowerment will loose its significance and hardly had an impact on community growth
    and development in Nabuclod that the Calantas Young Dreamers Foundation, Inc. espouses and advocates for.
Focus Group Session: All Eyes and Ears Glued at the Height of the Session
Atty. Billy Buan, Jun Pusung, and Barangay Captain (Mr. Serrano) and Other Officers
  • Water. In Nabuclod, potable water remains a problem especially to those lowlanders who are not used to having less       
    in an environment where personal comfort and hygiene is very important. For the Aetas, this may not be the case! But     
    as they become more exposed and educated, their sense of self-awareness on hygiene and sanitation is, in no doubt,
    increasing. Although water was initially ranked as a 2nd priority of needs due to their "getting-used-to" to the situation
    where they are in, most of them acknowledged that potable water really needs to be addressed frist because of their
    increasing self-awareness on personal comfort and hygiene. The Aetas in Nabuclod usually get their water supply from    
    the creek at the foot of the mountain where their community is located at. The water from the creek flows from the
    "spring" located few kilometers (3.6 km) away from the community and it the flow of the water is redirected, it could
    benefit the residents of Nabuclod. The lack of potable water supply affects a lot of things in the day-to-day life activities    
    of the residents and to those who work there as teachers, farmers, traders and visitors, to name a few. You don't need to
    think any further about the adverse effects of the lack of potable water supply to one's own hygiene and comfort. It is not
    surprising to notice then that to some extent, even the school teachers' ability to teach, is nuisancely affected because they
    have to attend to their personal comfort and hygiene. They have no choice but to bring, at some point, their own potable
    water supply in bottled containers to neutralize their personal discomfort. Noticeably, the Aeta school children's personal
    hygiene is very much to be desired, too. A good supply of potable water could help them well to become neat, clean and
    hygienic at all times in their life. In this captured moment, the Founder together with some officers/members of the
    NNCEAC, Chrisanta deAusen-Mangalindan (CYDFI President/CEO) and Cherry Ann G. Estrada (the First CYDFI
    Scholarship Recipient from Calantas Elem. School), gave some pep-talk to Aeta school children about personal health
    and hygiene. "They look like little stars ready to shine in the middle of the night as they sprinkle the water of
    life in the heavenly sky". These Aeta youth are the future of Nabuclod where the Calantas Young Dreamers Foundation,
    Inc. is dedicated to explore some ways on how to effectively empower them to become the best of what they are capable
    of being and becoming. After all these years, sad to say, none of those coming to provide services hardly ever listened to
    the pulse of the Aetas unarticulated needs for potable water supply and would have responded effectively by redirecting the
    "spring water" to the community. A project proposal to address the construction of water pipeline to bring the spring
    water closer to community is drafted.
  • Elevation of Nabuclod Primary to Elementary School with additional Teachers. This is the 3rd priority of needs that
    the Aetas identified during the Focus Group. Looking back at the discussion on "Some Issues of Implementation of the
    CYDFI Scholarship Program Model" in Nabuclod, this identified need by the community is well said and articulated for it
    is in consonance with the Foundation's search to become sensitive and responsive to the needs of the Aetas. Only in being
    able to identify with utmost sensitivity the needs of the community that the Foundation could respond effectively and
    appropriately, and able to maximize the use of its limited resources in the service of the Aetas in Nabuclod.
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