Calantas Young Dreamers Foundation, Inc. (CYDFI Philippines) CYDF USA, (Inc): A Sister Foundation of CYDFI Philippines Calantas, Floridablanca, Pampanga, Philippines 2007 936 Vienna Street, San Francisco, CA 94112 Attn: Chrisanta A. Mangalindan, President/CEO (01163920) 880-6988 www.cydf821philippines.com * [email protected] Calantas Young Dreamers Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization registered in the Philippines for its main-based operation and later in the USA for the much-needed support primarily from the Filipino-American community and other supporters. The Handbook serves as the main document of the Foundation where its principles and procedures are set forth to eventually effect community growth and development in Bo. Calantas and Nabuclod Negrito (Aetas) Community through the establishment of a scholarship program. Qualified beneficiaries come from the 6th grade graduating first top five (5) honor students recognized each year from the Calantas Elementary School and the first top three (3) graduating honor students of Nabuclod School. CYDFI Scholarship Program will be guided by the principles of SWREM Theory and when applied to program design can have a predictable positive outcome and can become a self-sustaining program as it grows and develops into full maturity. SWREM is an acronym for “spiral with ripple effect motion.” To the Children and Friends of Barrio Calantas and the Nabuclod Negrito Community and to those who believe in the Cause of the Foundation in the Philippines... If you share a common vision with us of having a desire to extend a helping hand to the poor but deserving youth of Calantas Elem. School and Nabuclod School through your time, expertise or even the much-needed material resources, especially to those 6th grade first honor students who after graduation can’t move on to pursue education because of the lack of financial and material resources, consider this an invitation for you. A Call to Respond... The effort of wanting to do something for the good of one’s own community is in itself challenging and rewarding. However, the only reward that is rewarding enough is not to expect anything in return but to feel good about knowing that you, as a child and friend of Bo. Calantas and Nabuclod Negrito Community, are sharing something you believe could contribute to the growth and development of every young mind that touches your magnanimity. In today’s society, as we engulf ourselves with the fruits of success in life, a little something that you share to someone in need could translate into making that young person to see his future with a sense of hope and a faith to excel and thus one day, when the right moment comes, this same young person would himself become a magnanimous person by sharing something back to the community a part of his success. This is the dream that we hope to shape the future of our community in Calantas and that of the Nabuclod Negrito Community as we, who believe in the ideals and aspirations of the Calantas Young Dreamers Foundation, Inc., strive hard to help make this dream a reality. Let it not be said then that we didn’t do to respond to the call of those poor but talented young minds to help them to be at their very best self, for... TABLE OF CONTENTS The Future Belongs To The Youth………………………………………………. 2 Preface…………………………………………………………………………… 4 A Bridge of Renewed Commitment……………………………………………... 6 Focus Group On Needs Assessment (9 August 2002) ………………………… 9 Introduction, Nabuclod Aeta Participants, Objective CYDFI Scholarship Program: Some Issues of Implementation…………………10 First Option (1st Assumption, 2nd Assumption) Second Option (Alternative) FOCUS GROUP SESSION…………………………………………………….. 12 Guide Questions on Focus Group Discussion Summary of Focus Group Discussion (Electrification, Water, School/Teachers) CYDFI Response: A Methodology……………………………………………... 17 Participants Signatures/Attendance……………………………………………...19 LOOKING BACK OF YESTERYEARS: NABUCLOD AETA COMMUNITY GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT Portrait of Nabuclod Negrito (Aeta) Community in the 70’s……………………21 The First Four Negrito Scholars (1976-1981)………………………………….. 24 Abelardo Palo and Benjamin Tolentino, Fernando Sibal and Romeo Sibal Community Organization and Development Among The Negritoes In Pampanga, Using a Down-To-Earth Experiential Pedagogy (DEEP Approach): An Abstract…………………………………………………27 Subject & Setting, Methodology, Summary of Findings, Conclusion and Recommendations Important Features of the Aeta Language Useful to Community Organization and Development………………………………………………….36 Glossary of Common Words Among the Aetas In Pampanga…………………...52 Glossary of Common Expressions Among the Aetas In Pampanga……………..54 Aeta Dialect Dictionary (Pampango-Aeta-Pilipino-English)……………………56 CYDFI Scholarship Program In Nabuclod……………………………………..140 Note: Baluga is a Pampango term for Aetas (a.k.a. Negritoes). It shall be noted that Aetas are offended when “Baluga term” is used especially when in direct contact with them. Aetas as a term to refer to “people” is more respectable and appropriate to use. Most educated Aetas resent being called “Baluga/s” by Pampanguenos because it has a negative connotation of being looked down as a second class citizen 003 The Journal chronicles the on-going process of “what and how” the Foundation attempts to address its mission of empowering indigent but deserving talented youth of Calantas and Nabuclod through its Scholarship Program Model. Interesting insights could be observed, generated from the Essay Contest conducted during the “historical formation” of the Foundation, wherein students from Calantas Elementary School participated in the development of a topic entitled: “Ang Pangarap Ko Sa Buhay”. This activity was initiated to trigger a glimpse of hope that their dream could come true, as they were being admonished by the Foundation to “believe in themselves and study hard to make their dream come true”. CYDFI is where dream meets reality! And to sustain this glimpse of hope, the Foundation has established an annual CASH Awards for those top three students in each class from grades 1-6, given during commencement exercises. Nabuclod Aeta Community is in the heart of Calantas Young Dreamers Foundation, Inc. and the present effort of the Foundation is an articulated commitment of the Founder to continue working among the Aetas in Nabuclod which culminated in the writing of his doctoral dissertation in the 80’s on “Community Organization and Development Among the Aetas in Pampanga, Using A Down-to-Earth Experiential Pedagogy (DEEP Approach)”.. In addition to Scholarship Program for the Aeta youth, the Foundation initiated the formation of NNCEAC (Nabuclod Negrito Community Executive Advisory Committee) to provide support and guidance to the Foundation as they empower and enhance the self-esteem of the Aeta youth. It conducted a “Needs Assessment Focus Group” on August 9, 2003, among the Aetas and concluded with the following identified community needs: (1) water, (2) elevation of Primary School to Elementary School with additional teachers, and (3) electrification of the community. These identified needs will serve as a basis for the CYDFI to design community programs to impact directly community growth and development in Nabuclod. Water is the first project that CYDFI will have to address as a response to the needs articulated by the Aetas during the Focus Group. The NNCEAC is encouraged to formulate and execute a plan of action, as a response. The Founder has documented the Aeta dialect capturing it in a dictionary format which could help individuals/groups to facilitate communication with them. The Aeta dialect is given significance of attention here on the assumption that “in order to be effective as an agent of change in community work, one has to have a working knowledge of the language of the people he intends to work with”, thus, not only that the agent of change has now a language tool to communicate with the Aetas but this also serves to culturally preserve and protect the probable extinction of their dialect because of their “slowly-taking-place” of acculturation and assimilation into the mainstream society. Antonio M. Mendoza, Ph.D. CYDF Founder 004 Some youth and parents of Nabuclod Aeta Community came down in Bo. Calantas to attend the Launching of CYDFI Scholarship Program Model on August 10, 2002, as a Bridge of Renewed Effort by the Founder is taking shape to reconnect himself again on Community Growth and Development among the indigenous people which he started in the mid-70’s. 006 Nini and Niko together with assistance from cousins, other relatives and the youth of Nabuclod Negrito Community planted 40 Mango Trees around the perimeter of Niniko Village on the 17th of August, 2002. CYDFI Compound is within this perimeter where its future main office building will be built. 007 These faces, “Teknik, Bagsik, Bangkok, Ojie and Makmak” who were hired as temporary Farm-A workers by the Management, rekindled the Founder’s dying ember of a “response-to-a-call” spirit; thus, found himself again engaged in continuing the work of empowerment and enhancement of the Nabuclod Negrito Youth’s Self-Esteem. These Nabuclod youth brought forth apparently the message to ”reconnect the past efforts of the Founder on community growth and development to the present thru the CYDFISP.” The Founder believes that “The future belongs to the youth and the youth holds the light of the future with ardent passion to make a difference and to effect change in his life for the better and those around him as he learns to become more socially responsible”. Photo taken on: 10 Aug. 02 NNCEAC OBJECTIVE: 1. To provide support and guidance in our efforts to empower and enhance the self-esteem of the Nabuclod Aeta Youth through the Scholarship Program Model of the Foundation as they learn to become socially responsible. The First Chapter of the “Nabuclod Negrito Community Executive Advisory Committee (NNCEAC)” was organized on 19 August 2002 with (L-R) Rey Galvan (Chair), Dhory Pineda-David (Secretary/Treasurer), Fe S.