“I could use a tree right now,” I muttered to myself as I felt the sun’s rays piercing my skin in the middle of the beautiful but barren landscape of San Felipe, Zambales. While patches of greens were starting to regrow—in between flowing streams—still, much of the lowlands and the rolling hills appeared denuded. What was once fertile ground as far as the eye could see was changed forever by Mount Pinatubo’s eruption.
Tribes and Treks Zambales: Seeding Hope
Coming on the heels of that massive nature shake-up was the displacement of many Aetas who rightfully claim much of Zambales’ countryside as their ancestral domain. Their self-sustainable way of living became fraught with uncertainties brought upon by the vastly transformed, infertile land surrounding them.
Rebuilding a Forest
After managing to rebuild their communities, the Aetas once again found solid footing in far-flung villages tucked into the waving hills of Zambales. Their way of life slowly found a semblance of normalcy. Despite these small victories, their survival is still threatened by an unmissable adversary: three thousand hectares of lahar-speckled land.
Before he founded the Tribes and Treks tour of MAD Travel, Raf Dionisio went on a hiking trip on this same lahar-strewn land of San Felipe, Zambales. "I met an Aeta father, and I asked him if he could guide me to the farthest village. In their village, I saw how the community struggles to bring resources from the market in the town center back to their community. When in the old days, everything they needed—vegetables and fruits—was just right in their backyard."
Seeing how the community had already taken the initiative to regrow their lost forest, Dionisio thought about a way of contributing to the reforestation effort of the Aeta community—while, at the same time, also helping their local economy. Enter Tribes and Treks.
MAD Travel’s Tribes and Treks
A side project of MAD Travel (Make a Difference Travel), Tribes and Treks offers a day-long immersion trip to the Aeta Village of Yangil in San Felipe. Part of this jaunt includes a tree-planting endeavor in an area of land where fertile soil still abounds. They call this "Yangil’s Tree Nursery."
Despite being in its infancy stages, the tree nursery is showing signs of improvement. A noticeable patch of green composed of assorted trees and plants widespread in the old forests of Zambales—such as cashew, rambutan, calamansi, ipil-ipil, and potatoes, just to name a few—were now in various stages of growth. With the help of the Aeta people, who know the landscape by heart, Tribes and Treks are still trying to distinguish more plant species that can survive the dry soil of Zambales.
Every day, a few members from the community tended to the tree nursery. In the mostly weekly tours of Tribes and Treks, traveler guests not only brought a new set of seedlings but also helped in the seed planting sessions.
A Purposeful Trek and Inspiring Tribe
Our trek started a little past seven in the morning coming from Liwliwa, Zambales, where we all met up at The Circle Hostel. The hike to the tree nursery took more than an hour at a brisk pace over the dried lahar terrain. After a couple of hours packing soil into pots, we proceeded to Yangil Village to mingle with the rest of the Aeta community in San Felipe.
At the village, the chieftain took us on a tour around, showing us various plants they use for herbal medicines. Afterward, they let our group try out archery using their handmade bows and arrows crafted from tree branches. The community mothers also showcased their bamboo straws, which they sell in bunches to visitors to help support their livelihood.
A lunch prepared by the community was followed by a short cultural performance where a group of kids sang a poignant song about how leaving Mother Nature unperturbed is akin to achieving personal freedom: "Pag-ibig tulad ng batis, tulad ng diwa ko. Payapa tulad ng dagat, diwa ko. Malaya tulad ng ibon, tulad ng ibon diwa ko."
As the sky rapidly turned into shades of red—signaling the golden hour—I realized we had already spent the whole afternoon in the Aeta village. The experience of this day left me with heaps of inspiration and an abundance of hope that, one day, I shall see the barren ancestral domain of our Aeta brothers and sisters becoming fertile once again.
Join Tribes and Treks
Activities include: Hiking, tree planting, an introduction to Aeta culture, native archery, cultural performances, a herbal medicine garden tour, carabao rides, snacks, and lunch with the Aeta tribe.
