CDC President Benigno N. Ricafort said the state-owned corporation is planning to forge partnerships with government agencies like the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Bureau of Food and Drugs for the implementation of livelihood programs for Aetas in the Next Frontier area which is located in Clark’s Sacobia Valley.

Ricafort said the Next Frontier project is in consonance with the Joint Management Agreement (JMA) signed in December 6, 2007 by CDC, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and leaders of the Tribung Ayta, who have inherent rights over certain areas of the Sacobia Valley under the Ancestral Domain Claims.

“CDC will be pursuing programs and projects that are geared toward capacity-building, entrepreneurship, and cooperativism. These endeavors are aimed at building self-sufficiency among members of Tribung Ayta,” Ricafort said.

Ricafort said: “Foremost in the implementation of livelihood programs will be CDC’s assistance in packaging and marketing of various existing products that Aetas are known for like cultural crafts and root crops.”

The CDC president also said the state-run corporation will ask the assistance of BFAD for the processing of the Aeta farm produce or plants into food, soaps, and other similar products.

“We are making it a point that our activities and projects for the Next Frontier will nurture Aetas into entrepreneurship, and the building of cooperatives to make them self-sufficient, Ricafort said.”

Ricafort also said the CDC also aims to establish common service facilities for Aetas in their respective residential clusters that will be built in the Sacobia Valley.

“These facilities will serve as venues for training, orientation, and even as showcase for their various products,” Ricafort said.

Earlier, Ricafort announced that the CDC is optimistic on the speedy completion of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the JMA.

Ricafort cited the JMA as the prime ingredient of the Next Frontier project that aims to develop more than 2,000 hectares of forested area in the Sacobia Valley – the northern portion of this Freeport.

“The most important role of the JMA is that it ensures the recognition and promotion of the overall welfare of the Aeta tribes in the area aside from enabling the CDC to generate investment potentials in tourism, housing, commercial, institutional and light industry projects in the Sacobia Valley through the Next Frontier project,” Ricafort said.

Also, Ricafort reported that the CDC has trained 21 Aetas, 18 of which have been selected as tour guides after an extensive training spearheaded by the state-run corporation, in cooperation with the Department of Tourism (DOT) Region III office last June 15 to 19, 2009.

The Aeta tour guides are now employed at the Clark Museum, Ricafort said, adding that during their training they were brought to various national museums “to benchmark and observe” the work of curators and guides.

Ricafort added that more than 100 Aetas and residents of the Sacobia Valley here have applied for security force for the Next Frontier.

Dubbed “Special Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit Active Auxiliary” (SCAA), the project is a recruitment of Ayta Security Detail for the Next Frontier that seeks more ways to provide livelihood programs for indigenous people in the area.

Aeta students from the Pastolan and Kanawan villages in Bataan proudly pose for their class photo during the graduation rites for a professional housekeeping course at the Subic Bay Arts Center.

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — Their renowned jungle survival instincts made them masters of Subic Bay’s virgin forests. But realizing that the “outside” world is much bigger than their forest homes, Subic Bay’s indigenous people are now pursuing technical skills training to enable them to survive in the lowlands.

Supported by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and various organizations, the Subic natives are seeking opportunities for training and employment, intent as they are in establishing their presence in this bustling free port, said SBMA deputy administrator for corporate communications Knette Fernando.

Last Thursday, Fernando lauded the efforts of 36 Aeta students from the remote areas of Pastolan and Kanawan in Bataan, who finished a professional housekeeping course — the first batch to do so at the GP Corporate Personality Enhancement Center in this free port.

Aside from Fernando, those who cheered on the new graduates at the Subic Bay Arts Center commencement rites were Bataan representative Herminia Roman, Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce president Danny Piano, SBMA PRO manager Armie Llamas, GP Center director Gina Prohorrov, and relatives of the graduates.

Prohorrov said the 36 hardworking graduates underwent weekend trainings for four months, covering the aspects of cleaning standards, computer operation, conversational English, work value and etiquette, and customer service.

Among the Aeta students in this batch, 14 took and passed the assessment test of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), earning for them the NC2 certification that qualifies them for employment overseas, Prohorrov added.

“That translates to a 100% passing rate. The rest of the 36 were equally capable but, unfortunately, were not able to make it during the application for the exam because of heavy rains that day,” said Prohorrov.

However, while waiting for the next examinations, the graduates can apply for local employment, she added.

Rep. Roman, meanwhile, thanked the SBMA and Prohorrov “for giving my constituents the opportunity to rise above their present conditions,” adding that she approved of this SBMA-GP project that emphasized self-reliance by way of the “teach-a-man-how-to-fish” approach.

Roman said that she was so moved by the graduates’ testimonials that she vowed to construct and repair roads and bridges in the Pastolan-Kanawan area to improve logistics, and boost economic activities in the remote villages.

She also thanked the “good heart” of Prohorrov, whose GP Center shouldered all the graduates’ expenses in uniform, teambuilding activities, and educational materials.

In the same event, SBMA’s Fernando urged other organizations based in the Subic free port to emulate the example of GP Center.

She added that the SBMA needs more partners for its livelihood and community development programs for indigenous people in the Subic Bay area.