Aetas feel care
ROXAS CITY – About 300 indigenous people (IP) of Barangay Tamulalod expressed their appreciation for the attention of the government on their plight during the recently concluded 2nd Ati cultural festival dubbed “Hirinugyaw Ke Meme Ati” at Mt. Tag-ao in Tamulalod, Dumarao, Capiz.
Ati is a Hiligaynon term for an indigenous people (IP) group in Panay Island.
During the festival, the IP representatives who managed the flow of the program particularly thanked Capiz Gov. Victor A. Tanco, Sr. and Tourism Officer Alphonsus Tesoro of the provincial government.
The same appreciation was also accorded by the aetas to the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) for its assistance in facilitating the minorities’ claim for ancestral domain of a particular area.
President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo has directed the NCIP to undertake the delineation and titling of the ancestral domain nationwide and the provision of socio-economic programs to uplift the living standards of the indigenous peoples in the country.
Recently, President Arroyo has distributed Certificates of Ancestral Domain Titles (CADTs) to 454 Aeta families in Floridablanca, Pampanga and 147 Aeta families in Hermosa, Bataan covering a total of 11,800 hectares.
The CADT distribution was complemented by a PGMA Caravan with its medical & dental workers who attended to the needs of around 1,000 Aetas. (PIA/A.Lumaque)