Changes in the Community






Aeta Children

Although the Aetas were among the first inhabitants of The Philippines, natural disasters and exploitation of their land for natural resources have acted over the years to displace many of them. However, The Philippino government has recently paid more attention and respect to their heritage and way of life through organizations such as The Indigenous People Development Plan. As recently as February 2nd, 2001 the Aetas in these pictures were granted Ancestral Domain Title to their land. The official certificate reads that this title was granted in virtue of their "having continuously occupied, possessed and utilized [the land] since time immimorial." Interestingly, it is written neither in Aeta Ambala, their tribal language (for which a writing system was developed only in the second half of the 20th Century, and which few Aetas speak any more), nor in Tagalog, the most widely spoken Philippino language, rather it is written in English.











Mount Pinatubo erupting

Another cause of change for the Aeta People was the eruption of Mount Pinatubo. The Aeta people was the hardest hit by the eruption. After the areas surrounding the volcano was declared safe, most of the villagers returned to their olf villages and continued in their daily lives.



Some other changes in the Aeta community is the increasing tourist attraction to Mount Pinatubo. This has caused massive problems to the community like entering the area where the Aeta people live.

Mining, deforestation, illegal logging, and slash-and-burn farming has caused the Aeta people in all parts of Luzon to steadily decrease to the point where they number in the thousands today. The Philippines affords them no protection. In addition, the Aeta have become extremely nomadic due to social and economic strain on their culture and way of life that had previously remained unchanged for thousands of years. The Aeta have no sense of money or land ownership and sometimes can be seen camping out in city parks or panhandling.