1. WORKSHOPS@IBAPA CHARITIES, INC. First Toilet Construction ProjectSitio Karahume, Brgy. San Isidro,San Jose del Monte, BulacanJanuary 29, 2012 February 5, 2012

2. Brief Background on the Dumagats The Dumagat people are of the Agta Negrito groupsfound in Luzon. In the past, many Dumagats livedalong the coastal areas of Aurora and Quezonprovinces; hence, the name Dumagat, from the worddagat [sea]. With the coming of the colonizers and immigrants intothe Agta area, the Dumagats were pushed into themountains, and were dispersed into small groups, asearly as the 1930s. Dumagats are semi-nomadic. They move from placeto place in search of better habitation. Recently, theyhave learned to live in permanent settlements. 3. Who are the Remontados? The Remontados are members of the Negritoethnolinguistic group. They are of mixedblood, having a combination of Negrito andlowland Filipino features. They derived theirname from the Spanish word remontar, meaningto flee to the hills, to frighten away, or to goback to the mountains. Also referred to as Dumagats, they prefer to callthemselvestaga-bundok[fromthemountains], or magkakaingin [one who practicesslash-and-burn agriculture]. 4. The Dumagat Remontados in Sitio Karahume Since the Commonwealth Period under President Manuel L. Quezon,the Dumagats have settled in the forests, as one of the indigenoustribes in Central Luzon and the Southern Tagalog region, thriving onslash-and-burn agriculture. For many years, they moved from one forest to another in order tosurvive, but had always returned to Karahume and the nearby villagesfor their home. Everything changed when the late businessman Vicente Puyat of ManilaBrickworks Inc. came and set up business in Karahume. In no time, redbrick structures of the Puyat ranch replaced the thick forest cover. Theranch was set up to raise cattle. Mango trees that grew beside everyhut were bulldozed. Armed men who were hired by Manila BrickworksInc. guarded the ranch and patrolled the Karahume area. Many of the indigenous settlers who refused to pay 700 pesos for every3 hectares of land were driven away. Thus, nearly half of the Dumagatsin Karahume were forced to move to the hills near the Puyat property. Eventually, the cattle ranch that displaced the Dumagat tribe sufferedlosses, driving the Puyat family to venture into pineapple farming and 5. The CADT [Certificateof Ancestral DomainTitle], dated February18, 2004, and signed byChair Reuben A.Lingating of the NationalCommission onIndigenousPeoples, granted theDumagats inSitioKarahume theirancestral domain titlecovering 1,817 6. Sitio Karahume OutpostThe ancestral domain ofthe Dumagats in SitioKarahume sits at thefoothills of the SierraMadreMountainRange, between theprovinces of Bulacan andRizal. 7. Trekking the roads ofSitio Karahume 8. A view of MountBalagbag, SierraMadre 9. ACommunity Center is Thetoilet project oflocated at Area 4 of Sitio Workshops@IbaPaKarahume. This Charities, Inc. is primarily formultipurpose center is where the use of the Dumagatoutreach, livelihood, educatio Remontadosof Sitional, and environmental Karahume and the pureprograms of various NGOs Dumagats of Sitio Inuman.and POs are held. It shall likewise be for the Moreover, it is used as ause of the many volunteershelter home for the pureworkers who, in the spirit ofDumagats of Sitio Inuman compassion and bayanihan,who live deeper into the selflessly share their time,Sierra Madre forests, andeffort, kindness, and love inwho often come down from deliveringbasic socialthe mountains and stay atservices to the indigenousKarahume for a certain peoples of Bulacan theperiod of time.Dumagats, in particular. It has also been used as atemporary shelterforvolunteer workers set formissions at Sitio Karahume. 10. Layout for thefoundation of the toiletstructure started onJanuary 29, 2012 11. Excavation done forthe improvised septicsystem 12. A huge water containerdonatedby DLSUstudents almost threeyears ago has been leftunused.Workshops@IbaPa, upon the consent ofDumagat representativeFidel San Jose, initiateda move to provide minorrepairs on the watercontainer to make itfunctional as a waterreservoir, connecting tothe toilet. 13. Dumagat Fidel San Jose at work 14. Side and back viewsof the finished toiletproject 15. The toiletconstruction project ofWorkshops@IbaPawas finished onFebruary 5, 2012. Itwas a bayanihanactivity that lasted for6 working days. 16. Turning over of toiletkeys to Fidel SanJose on February 11,2012 17. The turning over of thetoilet structure to theDumagat Remontadosin SitioKarahumecoincided with theirfiesta [a celebration oftheir victorious strugglein reclaiming their rightsto ancestral domain inKarahume]. 18. Workshops@IbaPashared yummy donutsfor the Dumagat kids. 19. On the day of theturnover of the toilet, agroup of 5th Year UEDentistrystudentsvisited Sitio Karahumeto conduct a surveyrelevant to their 3-daydentalmission[February 17 to 19,2012]. The group ofstudents stayed atKarahume for threedays and two nights. 20. We are responsible for each other, as God commands us to do so. 21. The team of Workshops@IbaPa is deeplygrateful to all the generous benefactors fromDoha, Qatar; and to all the kind donors andsupporters; to friends and families; and to themembers of the Dumagat tribe in Sitio Karahume.All forms of assistance and support are much-appreciated, for they had contributed immenselyto the completion of this project. The Bayanihan spirit lives on...At the heart ofFaith, Compassion, and Hope. The grace of God be with us all.Amen.