Subic ‘back to school’ outreach grooms Aeta pupils | SubicNewsLink

18 June 2012

Subic ‘back to school’ outreach grooms Aeta pupils

A total of 155 pupils at the public elementary school in the remote village of Kanawan in Morong, Bataan, learned how to look best in school during a lecture on proper grooming and proper hygiene undertaken by volunteers from this free port.

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority-Public Relations Department (SBMA-PRD) facilitated the Kanawan outreach project, which was undertaken by the team-up of the Lighthouse Marina Resort in Subic Freeport and international personal products manufacturer Johnson & Johnson.

The school children, most of whom belong to the Aeta tribe, were taught proper bathing, grooming and wellness through an audio- visual presentation by Johnson & Johnson. The firm also provided grooming products so that the children could apply what they have learned in the lecture.

Aside from the hygiene products, the children also received books, umbrellas, slippers, medicine and other personal items that the children would need for school.

In return, the Kanawan youngsters expressed their appreciation for the gifts by doing traditional Aeta song and dance numbers.

After the gift-giving activity, the adults also took time for a tree-planting activity at the back of the schoolhouse where they planted hardwood tree species like Lauan in the rich soil of the area.

Rolando Lazo, Johnson & Johnson supply chain director for Southeast Asia, remarked that not even the rainy weather could stop the Subic groups from undertaking the project. “Our visit here seeks to improve the lives of others with our products,” he said.

Sitio Kanawan is inhabited predominantly by members of the indigenous Aeta tribe, who have built their homes on the grassy plateaus and mountain slopes.

The community is located about eight kilometers from the Morong town proper and can be reached only by crossing a 30-meter long hanging bridge which spans the Batalan River. (RFD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Employees of Johnson & Johnson’s Supply Chain Division distribute hygiene products to around 150 Aeta students during a joint outreach program with the Lighthouse Marina Resort and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority at SitioKanawan in Morong, Bataan.

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