zambales outreach update (the journey) pls read

[petiksmode]

last saturday dated Aug 2, i headed for zambales to do the community blind survey..i headed alone since the 2 companions that i supposed to be with got sick..so with nervousness and all the rain and impending storm i grab a ticket and on i went...

i knew noone and the place is a total stranegr all i have is the description of the place though i dont know if the place really exist..4 hours later i came to San Marcelino Zambales and walk my way to talk with the people there asking for Sitio Lupang Pangako..Sadly nobody can tell me where the place is, but they showed me where to ride a jeepney to go to outskirts of the city to find aeta communities..

i came to meet a person and i told her where i am heading, since nobody knows Lupang Pangako, i just described the place, and gladly she knows a place that match to my description with the name of sitio Lumibao...

She also told me that it was the last trip going to the mountains and the next will be tomorrow @7am she also mentioned that since it is rainign it might be impossible for me to reach Lumibao since i need to cross a lake for 1/2 hour to be there..Convinced that i will not back off, i accepted her offer for me to stay with her family for the weekend and go down on monday morning...

We travel 1 1/2 hour to go up and when we came in there sure enough it was impossible for me to reach the place.

i settle to stay there and make my way tomorrow, i investigate the place and realized that there are already existing organizations that are helping the aetas in sitio lumibao so i spent hours investigating on the possible sitio that we could extend our help..they made an honest suggestion on where to go and i am convinced that i need to check Sitio Tikes this time...

Though they have discussed with me how hard the route there i still pursue since this time i dont need a vehicle to tranport me in the lake, it is all walk, hike and walk all through out..

true enough it takes us almost 2 hours to reach the remote area in Sitio Tikes. we cross small river and a swamp, climb peaks, cross dried river, walk walk and walk until finally we reached the place..

we discovered 10 families residing there with 6-8 children a piece..they have no rice only "kamoteng kahoy" that they share everyday...i had a taste of those myself, though it is pretty yummy i think eating those everyday is sickening...after staying there for almost 1 hour talking to the villagers i convinced that i have found what i am looking for and off we go and prepared to start another almost 2 hours journey going down..

just soon as we reached the place where i am staying, i washed my feet and sleep..my legs are numb and aching all over...the aching continue even today..i went back to manila monday @ 6am and went staright to my place in pasig..the aching continue and feels like my legs are swollen and i wasnt able to come for work not until today..

[petiksmode]

zambales outreach update (report)

Place: Sitio Tikes, San Marcelino Zambales

number of families: 7-10 with 6-8 children/family

occupation: puso ng saging harvest
-200php/sack
-twice a week transaction

community: no school
no clinic
no store

needs: clothing
foods
other source of living

others; when i asked them how they get along if someone is sick since the travel is really hard..they say that if the sick is an adult or very old to travel they do the herbal med and only hope for the best but it things get worse they just wait there until miracles knocks or the other knock came in..if this is a kid one symptom alone they will start packing and head there way to pampanga which is 3 5hours with vehicles and God known how long when they have it on feet..

they have small lands that they can plant veggies on but they dont have money to buy seedings


plans: September 6, 2008 - visit to Sitio Tikes and gice them some seedings to work on..

till the next update..