350 Dumagats get aid from

ANTIPOLO City, Rizal --- Some 350 families belonging to a cultural minority group, got surprise visitors from Taipei.

The visitors, who are members of the Rotary Club of Taipeh Capital District 3520, had to make a trek all the way to the upland villages in Barangay Calawis where a community plays host to some 2,000 Dumagats and Remontados. Assisting the Chinese Rotarians were their fellow Rotarians from Makati City.

During the visit, the civic leaders turned over muti-facetted grants designed to “alleviate poverty among what remains of Dumagat and Remontado tribes.

Part of the grant are training programs on organic farming, reforestation, expanding crop options, leadership, entrepreneurship, literacy, health and nutrition. Funds, which would be used as sustaining capital for livelihood programs, were also made available for the upland people to start with.

Dubbed as 3-H (Health, Hunger and Humanity), the visiting Chinese Rotarians, headed by one Marie Ma, said that the program is primarily designed to provide international development projects and programs which would help improve health, alleviate hunger and enhance human and social development for marginalized sectors in places where poverty is at its peak.

Likewise, the program takes on an agenda for an improved quality of life through an increased competence which would translate to higher level of self-reliance.