The problem
Sitio Dampay, Brgy. Salaza, PalauigZambales is a community of about 650 residents, including some of our Aeta brothers and sisters.
By car, the place is more than an hour away from the nearest city and requires about an hour of trekking. The nearest health facility- Palauig Health Center- has not been operational since early 2000s and is 16km away from the sitio.
This situation has allowed for communicable diseases and simple public health concerns to be left untreated and unchecked. The community lists diarrhea, malnutrition, and acute respiratory infections as their main health problems even though these conditions are relatively easier to treat and manage.
The effort
ABOT-KAMAY sa KATUTUBO is a benefit gig organized by NEXT Outdoor Tribe (NEXT) and Organization of Health Artists of the Philippines (OHAP) for Sitio Dampay. The collective aims to help the community learn how to help themselves in addressing their current health problems.
The goal is to provide longer-lasting medical assistance than the usual medical missions we see to maximize what we can do during our time there. We will be bringing healthcare professionals with us in the climb to care for members of the Aeta community. Aside from the usual clinical assessment, we will provide health education mini-lectures on waste management, spotting the ‘danger signs’/symptoms of serious health conditions, first aid, information on health services and facilities they are eligible for, hygiene, and nutrition. We have also visited Sitio Dampay and the offices of the local government unit (LGU), rural health unit (RHU), and other concerned local agencies before the scheduled mission to know what else does the community need/want to receive in terms of health and to get their permissions and support for this activity and the general welfare of the sitio community.
How we can help
Join us for a night of music, spoken word, good food, and art for the benefit of this short-term high-impact public health and clinical outreach climb for our Aeta brothers and sisters in Sitio Dampay, Zambales. Tickets are at 300 pesos, 100 pesos consumable. You can buy your tickets through Facebook Event Page “Abot-Kamay sa Katutubo,” look for Mita Santiago. Program starts at 6pm.
You may also drop off cash, first aid supplies or medicine donations at the venue entrance.These will be used on the day of the climb itself and hopefully to leave a surplus for future use of the community.
