Village-Schooled


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December 3rd 2010
Published: December 3rd 2010
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Little Aeta SmilesLittle Aeta SmilesLittle Aeta Smiles

An Aeta boy shyly smiles as kids jostle for position in front of the camera.
Rolf Dunder’s stories about the Aetas started in his van, cruising through the relatively new Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX). Dawn rains had just poured in Metro Manila and there was apprehension that foul weather might dampen what would be a long hike to the Aetas’ village in a mountain in Tarlac. But the sun was nicely shining as soon as we left the capital and the general ambiance inside the vehicle – Rolf, Pri, Björn Borchers, his wife Ute, and me – was pure excitement. We were on this trip with the Rotary Clubs in Paco and Capas, Tarlac, for the second annual visit to Peter Borchers School in Bilad village up in the mountains near Mt. Pinatubo. Peter was Björn's cousin and Rolf’s friend. Together with Rolf, Peter dreamed up the school to provide education for the Aetas, but he tragically died in a plane crash in January 2005, a month before he saw their project open. The school was then named after him.

"Good morning, this is your tour guide speaking," Rolf, via cell phone, jokingly told the other van, where three of our hiking companions, including the driver, were. "On your right is Mt. Arayat. On your left
Curious OnlookersCurious OnlookersCurious Onlookers

An Aeta family looks out their window to see the village visitors.
is the Zambales mountain range. There, the one covered in clouds, is Mt. Pinatubo."

Central Luzon is a familiar place to Rolf, a German national who has now spent several years immersing himself with the Aetas and helping them gain access to good education while assisting in promoting their culture. He told us that the school in Bilad was originally intended to be built through funding from the Rotary Club Peter was a member of but after Peter’s untimely demise, the club dissolved and there was a problem with the financing. Fortunately Rolf found the Paco chapter, which agreed to take the project under its wing, enabling the Rotary Club in Cumbernauld, Scotland, to sponsor it.

The two vans were already in Capas, where a memorial for the Bataan Death March was located. Rolf wasted no opportunity impressing us with his vast knowledge of Philippine history to tell us a little backgrounder on the infamous second World War event. After General Douglas MacArthur fled to Australia, the remaining American forces in Bataan fell to the Japanese and, along with Filipino troops fighting for the American side, were forced to walk for 100 km without rest or food.
Traditional DanceTraditional DanceTraditional Dance

Young girls doing a native dance

...

We stopped at a McDonald’s in Capas to meet with the rest of the group – the two Rotary Clubs and another group of mountaineers. Moments and a breakfast later, we were on our way to the base of the hike, a small village a couple of kilometers from Capas. The place is inside a Philippine Air Force territory so we have to pass through a checkpoint and show our permits.

Rolf said the school was the product of a thorough interview with the locals. He and Peter asked the Aetas what exact infrastructure they wanted for their village and the Aetas unequivocally answered, "a school!" They wanted their youngsters to learn how to read, write, and count, since many lowlanders take advantage of their naivety in the trading business. Besides, many Aeta children are reluctant to go to regular schools, where they are subjected to bullying and other forms of racial discrimination. The school, which teaches the promotion of Aeta culture aside from the usual Philippine curriculum, is in the process of getting an accreditation from the Department of Education.

There were around 25 of us in all. The hike to the village took us
Today's Lesson: Welcome VisitorsToday's Lesson: Welcome VisitorsToday's Lesson: Welcome Visitors

Inside the Peter Borchers School
to magnificent views of rice fields and narrow trails, where we shared the paths with carabaos regularly plodding by while pulling carts with various loads behind. Mercifully the sun wasn’t too hot and while the clouds looked too ominous for our own good, it didn’t rain. We reached the site after almost two hours.

Since Rolf first visited the village – a charming group of nipa huts set against a majestic view of the mountain ranges – he said life has changed for the locals. Of course, the obvious is now they have a school. But now they also have a basketball court, as well as a few other livelihood means. Björn and Ute also donated a carabao to help in transporting of commodities to and from the villages down the mountain.

Upon reaching the village we were greeted by a line of kids giving us necklaces made of beans and an arch welcoming us and reminding us that the next day was fiesta day. Curious mothers stared outside their windows, an elderly woman stood proud on top of a mound looking at us, carabaos sit lazily under the trees, geese walked by a little too close, and
Bonding TimeBonding TimeBonding Time

Björn and Ute Borchers spend time with some kids
aside from us visitors and the humble sound system, everything looked so refreshingly fundamental.

We watched a few performances by the children, who looked so happy seeing Rolf back and ecstatic seeing their faces on the LCD display of my DSLR. During lunch, Pri and I had a chat with one of the teachers in the village. Her daughter is now on her final year as an Education major, while her son is pursuing civil engineering.

The school building is around 60 square meters big (I'm not sure; I just guessed it was about thrice the size of my bedrrom) and consists of two classrooms – one for the prepararory levels and another for the first- to third-graders. Lack of facilities force the students to share classrooms in the meantime. "Don’t they get confused with this kind of set-up?" I asked the teacher.

"No," she said.

But what was actually surprising was that all kids go to school from 7am to 5pm! Despite a two-hour break for lunch, the children are going to school earlier and coming home later than the average employee. "The children actually prefer it that way," the teacher said, reassuring us. "We
Pri Gets MobbedPri Gets MobbedPri Gets Mobbed

Pri shows a photo of her Labrador and pulls way more kids than she can handle.
once tried to make every class a half-day but the kids also liked to go to school in the afternoon." In fact, the students like school so much, several of them, when we asked, would like to be teachers someday.

Aside from the usual classroom lectures, the children are taught rice planting by having them join their parents in the fields every Friday with the teachers acting as supervisors. The skill is so valuable to the Aetas that the teachers have written a book on the art of planting rice, detailing everything from cleaning the rice fields to harvesting them every yearend.

...

Just before sunset we were back on our vans, chucking down colas, Gatorade and – for the three Germans – San Miguel beer. There was no time for a shower so I just put on a new shirt as we made our way to a restaurant for the day’s final meal.

"Did you have fun?" Rolf asked.

"Of course," I said. It has only been half a day but the sincerity of the Aetas and their remarkable resolve have had a gravity on my pneuma. It certainly wasn’t my first time trekking
In Behalf of the Village, Thanks!In Behalf of the Village, Thanks!In Behalf of the Village, Thanks!

A village elder poses for the camera shortly before we make our way down the mountain.
and visiting a village (I had to visit an Ifugao tribe three years ago as part of a midterm project in Creative Photography) but this was the first time I felt I was doing something truly rewarding. It was a grueling climb through steep rocks and my shoulders hurt from the load, but I felt great. As Pri put it, it’s nice to have a change in pace once in a while. And it’s actually a win-win situation: we made a village happy, and a village opened us to a culture and inspired us to live life. No wonder Rolf regularly endures the hike for such visits.

As we made our way back to the city the Aetas were probably already moving on from the day’s visit and looking forward to their village fiesta. Life goes on for them, and so it is for the school. The Rotary’s future plans, if resources permit, include adding a fourth-grade level to accommodate those who are about to finish primary education. There will be more students and, for this, the teacher hopes her daughter would return home someday.



Additional photos below
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17th March 2011

hannah.batua@yahoo.com
hi. we are planning to conduct an immersion and we think that this place is a perfect one. is this the Bilad Aeta Village?
18th March 2011

Yes it is.
You might want to get in touch with the Rotary Club (particularly Mr. Rolf Dunder) which conducts regular visits to the village.
20th June 2011

oh thanks... do you have his contact details? it would be a great help for us. looks like you had a great time with all the people of the village:)
20th June 2011

Unfortunately, no
You could try contacting the Rotary Club in Paco (http://rotaryclubofpaco-manila.webs.com) or Capas, Tarlac.
21st June 2011

wow,thanks:))

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