Work With the Poor

Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro

St. Rafael Parish

 

Locally known as “katutubo”, the Mangyans are the natives or aborigines of the island of Mindoro. They are the original inhabitants of the island who became victims of exploitation and injustices by immigrants from other places in our country. From their original abode in the lowland, they were driven out by the migrants into the wilderness of the mountains or upland. Up there, for centuries, they lived a primitive and miserable life with the tamaraws and other wild animals. In short, they lived for hundreds of years from generation to generation, untouched by civilization.

 

However, coached by the different religious organizations led by protestant and catholic missionaries, and encouraged by  the government and private agencies, some of the Mangyan tribes were enticed to come down from the mountains to live with the lowlanders.  And because they are handicapped due to lack of education and skills, they were unable to cope up with the standard of living in the modern society, hence, they again fell prey to new exploitation and injustices, and forced to live in isolated places.  One of them is an Iraya Mangyan Tribe which settled in a village at Sitio Atipan, Municipality of Abra de Ilog, Province of Occidental Mindoro.

 

THE IRAYA TRIBE AT ATIPAN AND ITS PRESENT CONDITIONS

 

Sitio Atipan is a hilly place situated along Abra de Ilog main river.   To reach the place, one has to cross the river through a small paddled boat.  The tribe, with members numbering fifty (50) families, or about two hundred fifty (250) individuals, are comprised mostly of illiterates, about 90%, who do not know how to write their  names, much less, read a written word.  And having no regular income, they are presently living way below poverty line.  For most of them, their shelter  are made of “barong-barong” (nipa huts).  Their houses had no potable drinking water  nor proper sanitation.  They are practically living a life devoid of the basic needs and essentials and defaced of human dignity.

 

However, undaunted by this miserable existence, they strive to uplift and improve their way of living.  And in their hearts, they nurture a ray of hope that someday, somehow, God will deliver them from illiteracy, poverty, and other inadequacies.  In fact, seven (7) couples and two (2) singles among them, have recently finished the Christian Life Seminar (CLS)  at Abra de Ilog town proper, while the rest expressed their desire to be evangelized too.

 

Meanwhile, the first encounter between the Mangyan tribe and the CFCFFL group composed of a segment of CFCFFL from Batangas City, and members of the Abra de Ilog chapter, took place on the day we visited  their village, to distribute some relief goods to their members.  It was also an opportunity to invite them to undergo our scheduled CLS.   It was  at this time that we saw with our own eyes, the sad plight of our Mangyan brethren, particularly, the members of this tribe.

 

THE MISSION.

 

Prodded by the Holy Spirit through discernment, and inspired by the essence of our community’s expressed mission of working with the poor, our group decided to embark on a mission, together with the St. Rafael Parish of Abra de Ilog,  of fully evangelizing the “katutubo”, and extended to them a helping hand in building their tribe  to become an ideal Christian community, centered on Jesus Christ and enjoying a life of peace and dignity.   To fulfill this mission, these people must be set free from the oppressive climate of deprivation and helplessness.  Through God’s providence, their village will become a CFCFFL Restoration Village.

 

As an RV, the following  are the projects planned for them:

 

1. Built a chapel for their place of worship (blessed Dec.20,2008)
2. Build a school building for non formal education with an assigned resident teacher.  Budget to operate is at P250,000/yr.
3. Provide a water system which will be a source of potable drinking water and for irrigation purposes.
4. Open a cooperative store where they can procure basic household and farm needs.
5. Start a livelihood project, like vegetable farming.
6. Provide communal toilets.
7. Provide a foot bridge to safely cross the river that isolates the community from the town proper.
8. Construct or renovate house for 50 families at P80,000 each.

 

The Mission Team is confronted with meager resources to fulfill the mission.  And in all humility, the team realizes that it cannot operate on its own.  It needs divine intervention to touch the hearts of kind-hearted brothers and sisters in the community, who are most willing to support this very noble and worthy endeavor.  Any amount shared in the spirit of true Christian brotherhood will make a big difference in attaining the mission that we have started for this Mangyan Tribe.

 

 

For those who want to help, contact persons are the following:

 

Bro. Danny Bagon, CFCFFL District Head, Occ. Mindoro (tel.6343 3002237)

 

Bro. Bert De Ocampo, RV Team Leader

 

Church Leaders:

 

Fr. Vicente Cisneros SVD, St. Rafael Parish Priest.

 

      

 

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