“KANTAHANAN”: A Concert for the Aeta College Students

Aeta in College?  Yes, College is for Aetas too because 39courageous aeta youth are pursuing a degree in the tertiary education.  Soon we will have a new breed of Aetas, that of professional aetas. 

In the past, we only see the Aetas in the uplands working in the mountain and raising their family.  During Holiday Seasons like Christmas and New Year, they go down to the lowlands asking for money or clothes and begging for food.  These are the only things that they do in life.

Today, the Aetas have seen the importance of education to uplift their lives and to make their dreams come true.  True indeed, many of these young Aetas also have their dreams and aspirations.  Theybelieve that education can help themchange their plight in lives. Yes, some of their children are in college. 

Many organizations and institutions are helping the Aetas.  One of these is the Volunteers for Catholic Action (VoCA), which is a network of Catholic schools in Pampanga, an organization convened by the Social Action Center of Pampanga (SACOP) that helps the Archdiocese of San Fernando in the education of the Aeta Students. 

To address their need for a convenient place to stay while they are studying, VoCA has thought of “KANTAHANAN”,a concert that aims to provide financial assistance  for the construction of the “Aetahanan”,  a dormitory designed for the Aeta Scholars whom we fondly call “Kapatads”.  This event was staged last October 11, 2013 @ 6:30PM in the Sports and Cultural Center in Angeles University Foundation, Angeles City. The fund raising campaign is in line with the project of the Volunteers for Catholic Action (VoCA), which intends to help the Archdiocese of San Fernando in providing tertiary education to the Indigenous Peoples. 

The concert’s name “KANTAHAN actually came from Rev. Fr. Francis, F. Dizon, SACOP Executive Director and VoCAConvenor during one of  the VoCA meetings.   Fr. Dizon said, “puedeng kanta para sa tahanan ng mga Kapatad Scholars...KANTAHANAN”, puede!” and with this, a unanimous decision was made by VoCA to have it as the concert’s name.

Rev. Fr. Regnel Fuertez said, “ King KANTAHANAN apakit tamu ing malasakit tamu kareng katutubo.  Malambat ng panahon na ali la mididinan pansin, so at least, ining KANTAHANAN metung yang paralan to recognize them, na biasa la namang mangarap king bie da, at hoepefully maging instrument tamu. 

Salamat kareng pari, madre, kareng eskwelang sinuporta, ampon kareng teachers-in-chare kening KANTAHANAN a ini, uli na nini maragul yang saup ban kanita matupad ya ing kekatamung parangarap karela na dagul ya ing disenting tuknangan (boarding house) da reng kekatamung Aeta college students.”

Mrs. Edna Manlapaz, Director of the Center for Christian Formation (CCF ) said,  “ AUF is spearheading the initial concert with the support of the people from VoCA and from the people of Angeles University.  I am so passionate and I am really very supportive because I believe that this is our way of really extending financial support to our “Kapatad”.  To me, what is more important is the instrumentality. We are happy because we believe that this is only a small way of extending ourselves to our “Kapatad”.  We are happy that we are given an opportunity to be of help.”

Ms. Melody Austria, a BSEEd First Year of Mary the Queen College (Pampanga), Inc. on behalf of the Aeta students, mentioned that she is happy and sincerely grateful to all the people behind the “Kantahanan.”.  “Ako po, sampu ng aking mga kasamang Aeta students ay buong pusong nagpapasalamat sa lahat ng mga taong tumutulong na maabot ang aming pangarap.”

Indeed, the concert is for a noble cause because it aims to address their need for a decent, comfortable place to stay that is accessible to their schools here in the lowlands. With the new boarding house, which is nearer and a decent place for them to live, the gap of time and space that hinders them to take an active part in the development and progress of our society is made possible. In addition, “Aetahanan” would greatly help them perform better academically and be more available to join school activities because they will not go home daily anymore to the uplands.  

After knowing the situation of the Aeta Students, I was deeply moved because a challenge was posted on me to answer the call to help them. But I know  that there are many people with kind and generous hearts who are more than willing to help and support them.  With this, in my heart is HOPE, hope that someday some of them, because of their determination to finish their education, will have a better life.  At the moment they can only wish for their dreams to come true, but for as long as there are people who are willing to share their blessings, for as long as there are people who are moved to HELP and MAKE A DIFFERENCE in their lives, their dreams and aspirations are not fat-fetched, for with the GRACE of God, NOTHING is IMPOSSIBLE.