ANGELES CITY — Some 420 Aeta families from Barangay Sapangbato here on October 14, 2022 received ₱2,000 kabuhayan assistance, food packages, and seedlings from the city government.
Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. personally started this program in 2019.
This is also in line with the city’s celebration of Indigenous People’s Month.
Mina Cabiles, Gender and Development Head said that among the beneficiaries are 158 families in Sitio Babo; 93 in Sitio Bliss; and 169 in Sitio Target.
Coinciding with the assistance distribution is the conduct of operation tuli and tree planting activity at the Angeles City Watershed.
“Prayoridad po ni Mayor Lazatin na mahatiran ng tulong ang mga kababayan nating IP, at mapangalagaan ang kanilang kalusugan,” Cabiles said.
Mayor Lazatin recognizes the significant contribution of IPs in the development of the society, particularly in preserving the watershed.
Among the 31 stewards serving as caretakers of the watershed are members of the Aeta tribe from Sitio Babo, Target, and Bliss.
They are receiving ₱3,000 monthly honoraria from the city government for the after-care monitoring of the seedlings planted.
This is not the first time that the Lazatin administration gave assistance to the IPs. Since 2019, they have been among the beneficiaries of the livelihood programs being undertaken by Mayor Lazatin.
