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“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean, but that ocean would be less because of that missing drop” ~Mother Teresa
The Mission
The
immersion for the Aeta Community of Tarlac
has always been one of the SSpS sisters mission in extending themselves for the
betterment of those who are in poverty for many years. Teachers, students, and
some alumni of the SHS Community volunteered for the experience last June 2-4,
2014.
We
journeyed unto the unknown with giant back packs on our backs, boxes of goods
in our hands, and load full of smiles, excitement, and new found friendship.
The
mission in reality has always been for the betterment of the Aeta Community but
none of us who joined knew that it will make us better individuals for ourselves
and for society.
The Journey
A
group of eleven students, nine teachers, two alumni, together with Sr. Evelia
(SSpS), left the school grounds at exactly 5:45AM on the 2nd of June
2014, riding a school bus shuttle all the way to Solid North Bus Lines in
Cubao.
The
bus left at exactly 7:00AM bound for Capas,
Tarlac. It took two hours to reach our destination and we had to eat
breakfast inside the bus where Solid North bus conductors were nice enough and helped
us out in ordering our food.
The jeepney that took us to the convent of
the SSpS in Patling, Tarlac waited at
the drop off in Petron gas station at Capas.
Before going to the convent, our group decided to pass by the city market to do
some final shopping for the things we need atop the mountain.
It
was a 30-minute ride from the city market to reach the home of the SSpS sisters.
Sr. Maria Virgo, Sr. Sarah, and Sr. Flora together with two 4WD jeepneys with cargo carts were waiting
for us in Patling,Tarlac ready to
bring us at the foot of the mountain of Sitio
Yangka. It was a 45-minute rough road ride through the vastness of volcano
ash.
 |
| Cargo 4WDs waiting at SSpS Home in Patling, TarlacPhoto by Maika Anthoni |
Truly,
God is the best artist in the world.
 |
| Road less traveled by the SSpS sisters through rough terrainPhoto by Maika Anthoni |
The unknown will always be there to push us to the test, from the foot of
the mountain everybody was in for a surprise. It was drizzling when we got to
the foot of the mountain of Sitio Yangka and
everyone was thankful for this because of the task ahead.
We
were all unprepared to do some mountain climbing through a 90-degree
steep
path where we re-learned that we have arms and feet that can work
together.
We were quadruped individuals all over again, where we had to feel
each
step with our feet and hold on to soft-crumbling soil for our dear lives.
In
that journey we all manage to trust again and have faith that every step
of the
way will be unraveled to us and that we will eventually reach our
final
destination.
 |
| Resting through like a boss. Photo by Nina Gonzales |
It
was also amazing to see how well adapted our brothers and sisters were through
this terrain where it seemed like they were just walking on pavement with
three to four bags hanging on their backs, heads, and arms. Kids were also
amazing that the climb seemed like a giant playground for them; where
they were just enjoying themselves and having the time of their lives, still
laughing and teasing each other. It was in fact a sight to see, all the pain from
our legs through the climb seemed to have vanished because of awe
from our brothers and
sisters.
Partly dehydrated, with hearts
pounding, and with still enough positivity we were finally able to reach Sitio Yangka. It was around 12:30NN and
when we got to the top of the mountain a line of boys and girls in their
costumes with their ethnic instruments were already waiting, smiling, and
congratulating us for reaching their community.
 |
| Welcoming the rookies of the mountain Photo by Nina Gonzales |
A ceremonial
bonfire was lighted and each of us was instructed to do a short dance
around the fire. This has been tradition for our Aeta brothers and sisters,
so that the smoke will bless us and guide us in our missionfor their
community. It was another wonderful sight to see and all the pain and
dehydration from the climb seemed to just all go away and we wanted to
immerse ourselves already unto this unknown path.
Settling
Once
our group was able to set foot at Sitio
Yangka we were sent to their “Stop House” to rest for a while. Sr. Sarah,
the head of the SSpS for the Aeta mission, did not waste time in assigning us
to our designated families. The group was divided by pairs and each pair was
assigned to their respective families to whom they extended themselves and had
a temporary home for the two-day immersion.
We
all had the chance to get to know our family members before grabbing lunch and
before doing our mission. While waiting for some of our luggage to get to us, we
had the chance to share stories with our families; stories about their
community and about our lives in Manila. We listened and learned new things; there
was language barrier for some of our brothers and sisters but despite the
differences, the non-verbal cues were enough to suffice what we all wanted to
come across with.
The fear of the unknown somewhat
turned into love and nothing was there but just the reassuring feeling that
everything will be alright and He knows that you were able to reach
that peak for a purpose.
2-Day Experience
On
the first day of the immersion the students of SHSQC asked some of the children
of the community to play games in their mini-school at the side of the mountain.
The teacher who used to teach in their school left to get married in Mindoro. It
is a sad fact that there are willing minds to learn but we lack capable and
willing minds to teach. This may be caused by better opportunities down the
mountain and/or abroad.
 |
| Hide & seek among the crops. Photo by Nina Gonzales |
Gasak in their language is a farm of bananas
and mango trees all rooted awkwardly
at the edge of a mountain; together with the abundant trees they
have rows and rows of root crops and other vegetables and fruits planted
for their personal use and their business below the mountain.
We
spent half an hour trekking this beautiful mountain pass where children of
the community kept playing hide and seek with us and they made the rough
terrain once again into a giant playground. Kids hung from trees jumped
up and down them, ran through the trail barefooted, laughed and teased,
asked to have their pictures taken---just plain enjoyment in their
smiles. Once we got to the gasak it
was another arduous trek for
us to see the good view of the mountain.
Some
of the members of the community shared with us that most days they
spend in the gasak doing work. Doing
heavy work that is, plowing the
soil and planting new seeds is hard work more than we could imagine.
It gave a sense of realization that the bananas we usually have
in our kitchens have been rooted and planted somewhere by someone who spent
days doing so.
It
took us a shorter time to get back from the gasak
because the trail was already familiar to us; when we got back the sisters
of the SSpS: Sr. Sara, Sr. Flora, Sr. Evelia, Sr. Ma. Virgo, and Eva (Lay
Missionary from Slovakia) had a feeding program readied for the community. They
prepared rice and noodle soup for the whole community to eat and share with
each other. After the feeding, the volunteer students of SHSQC had the chance
to teach the children the basics of reading, writing, speaking, and coloring. They
sang songs, laughed and enjoyed their remaining day with the children.
While
the students were busy teaching, the teachers on the other hand were back in
their own houses preparing macaroni and sausage soup for the feeding program in
the afternoon. Preparing three giant pots of macaroni soup for everyone to
share was a tiring task because of all the preparations but it was all worth
it, because in our hearts we knew that we will make a lot of people full and
happy.
 |
| Innocence. Photo by Nina Gonzales |
The
last night was spent beautifully by the whole community. They have prepared a
simple song and dance number for us while we also did some performances of our
own. We spent the second night forming a group circle in front of a giant
bonfire by the clearing of the mountain.
Everyone
had the chance to introduce themselves, their families, and some memorable
experiences they’ve had in Sitio Yangka.
Students and teachers of SHSQC played some songs accompanied with a guitar. The
night ended with a ceremonial dance around the bonfire while they played their
own music using the guitar. The dances seemed easy to do but it wasn’t! The
dances were a series of standing to squat positions suddenly dropping to the
beat of the music and a whole lot of foot work!
Everything
was perfect and Sr. Sarah ended the night with a speech and told us that, “Being
in Sitio Yangka is not an accident;
God has a plan and purpose for us being here. The climb was the hardest part
but the lessons we’ve learned will remain with us forever.” She said that she
was thankful for the volunteers who found it in their hearts to make time for
our brothers and sisters in Sitio Yangka.
It
was truly a night to remember, where direct silence was needed to hear everyone
because no technology was available to project our voices, where singing and
dancing with the guitar is the best thing in the world and that no one is there
to judge if you were a lousy dancer or not.
Life
as we know it rolled back and we are finally united once again; as one
community we shared love through singing, dancing, and smiles.
Learnings
Learnings
The
hardship of toiling in the farm for bananas, root crops, and mangoes, picking
dried woods from the mountains for cooking, making their own houses are one of
the many tasks that our brothers and sisters were doing in the mountain.
Everyone
has a purpose in the community and what one has is to be shared to everyone
else. We were all back in time where ownership and envy were non-existent,
where cooking using three flat stones as our gas range was the only available
tool for eating, where electricity is non-existent and water is limited.
The
sudden fast paced life of Manila was gone for a while and life went back to the
very basic where time is none of everyone’s concern and that night and day are
the only measure of new endings and beginnings. Life as we’ve gotten used to down
the mountain is too different up there. Everyone in the community made us feel
very welcomed, very well understood, and very loved.
It
was also amazing to know that a lot of the members of the community have no
idea what their ages are; how long have they been existing is none of their
concerns. A sixty-year old man can still carry a sack full of bananas going down
from a mountain with no sweat or a fifty-year old woman can still take care of
her babies like it was her first time to nurture them.
 |
| All smiles at the edge of the mountain Photo by Nina Gonzales |
Stories
and cups of coffee by the fire were the only available entertainment we had.
Our brothers and sisters of the Aeta community were too fond of drinking coffee
while smoking their dried tobacco (men and women alike). It was culture unraveling
beautifully in front of our eyes.
A
place where facebook and all other social media went down the drain and
everyone was back to talking again, to sharing old memories, understanding each
experiences, without judgment, only ears to hear and hearts to listen.
We
might have taught them how to read, write, and speak but what they don’t know is
that we have learned more from them more than they have from us. It was an
experience that cannot only be drawn or written on paper but something
worthwhile to be experienced firsthand.