IBMI-NGO Christmas Reach out to Indigenous Aeta in Tarlac (An IBMI-NGO Christmas Reach out)
December 12, 2025
CAPAS, TARLAC — While some Philippine tribes welcomed integration with mainstream society, others opted to strictly preserve their culture and traditions. For them, their ancestral domain will always remain their sanctuary. Their comfort zone.
Despite civilization, the indigenous aeta in Capas, Tarlac still practice traditional hunting and gathering of food. They still rely heavily on their ancestral lands for survival, maintaining a connection to the forest and rivers.
“Ang lagi po naming kinakain ay nilagang kamote, gabi, saging. Ang mga asawa po namin ay namumuso (nanghuhuli ng isda). Lagyan lang namin ng asin at betsin yun, ulam na namin,” narrated by the multiple aeta elders.
[We usually eat boiled sweet potatoes, taro and banana. Our husbands catch fish in the river. We just boil it, add salt and seasoning, and that’s our dish.]
The Reaching Out
On December 12, IBMI-NGO continued its Christmas Reach out leg to Capas, Tarlac. Visited the secluded haven of the indigenous aetas in Dorongaowan, Sta. Juliana.
Aboard the two military trucks with our media partner, BMUI, we carried 1,000 sacks of 5kg rice. It was spearheaded by Apple Meneses, Executive Director of IBMI-NGO.
“Initially the number given to us was 270 families. But as we traverse the lahar-covered military air base through Dorongaowan, we were surprised because the number of aetas waiting for us is 900 heads of the families,” Meneses explained.
From the Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base (CERAB), IBMI-NGO and BMUI traveled 45 minutes through the mountainous area where the aeta families convened.
“Maraming salamat po sa inyo. Minsan minsan lang po kami makakain ng bigas. Kaya espesyal na po ito sa amin. Ginto sa amin ang bigas” says Lolita Manalo.
[“Thank you very much. We only get to eat rice once in a while. That’s why this is special to us. Rice is gold to us.]
Co-existing challenges between military operations and ancestral domains
Before heading to Dorongawan, IBMI-NGO volunteer and advocate Ben BITAG met with Lt. Col. Alexander Ilagan, Deputy Group Commander of the Philippine Air Force 790th Air Base Group at the CERAB Air Base.
They discussed the issues concerning the welfare of the indigenous people (IP) living inside the airbase.
From the CERAB Air base conference room, you can see the acres of land used by the aetas for ranching and raising their livestocks. This is the same place primarily used by the military for aerial combat training, live fire exercises, and ground unit maneuvers.
According to Col. Ilagan, livestock grazing inside the military base is illegal ranching and the carabao, goats, horses and cattle are considered informal ranchers.
‘There are co-existing challenges between the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Department of National Defense (DND) that need to be addressed. We are inclined to dig deeper on this soon,” says Ben BITAG.
Ben BITAG is known for standing up for the indigenous people. The IPs have been part of his advocacy for years.