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 theDumagats The Dumagat people are of the Agta Negritogroups found in Luzon. In the past, manyDumagats lived along the coastal areas of Auroraand Quezon provinces; hence, the nameDumagat, from the word dagat [sea]. With the coming of the colonizers and immigrantsinto the Agta area, the Dumagats were pushedinto the mountains, and were dispersed into smallgroups, as early as the 1930s. Dumagats are semi-nomadic. They move fromplace to place in search of better habitation.Recently, they have learned to live in permanentsettlements. 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 SitioKarahume Since the Commonwealth Period under President Manuel L.Quezon, the Dumagats have settled in the forests, as one of theindigenous tribes in Central Luzon and the Southern Tagalogregion, thriving on slash-and-burn agriculture. For many years, they moved from one forest to another in orderto survive, but had always returned to Karahume and the nearbyvillages for their home. Everything changed when the late businessman Vicente Puyat ofManila Brickworks Inc. came and set up business in Karahume.In no time, red brick structures of the Puyat ranch replaced thethick forest cover. The ranch was set up to raise cattle. Mangotrees that grew beside every hut were bulldozed. Armed menwho were hired by Manila Brickworks Inc. guarded the ranch andpatrolled the Karahume area. Many of the indigenous settlers who refused to pay 700 pesosfor every 3 hectares of land were driven away. Thus, nearly halfof the Dumagats in Karahume were forced to move to the hillsnear the Puyat property. Eventually, the cattle ranch that displaced the Dumagat tribesuffered losses, driving the Puyat family to venture into 5. TheCADT[CertificateofAncestral DomainTitle], dated February18, 2004, and signedby Chair Reuben A.Lingatingof theNational Commissionon IndigenousPeoples, granted theDumagats in SitioKarahume theirancestral domain titlecovering1,817 6. Sitio Karahume OutpostThe ancestral domainof the Dumagats inSitio Karahume sits atthe foothills of theSierra Madre MountainRange, between theprovinces of Bulacanand Rizal. 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 Remontados ofSitional, 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 compassionandwho live deeper into the bayanihan, selflessly shareSierra Madre forests, andtheirwho often come down from time, effort, kindness, andthe mountains and stay atlove in delivering basic socialKarahume for a certain services to the indigenousperiod of time.peoples of Bulacan the It has also been used as a Dumagats, in particular.temporary 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 containerdonatedbyDLSUstudents almost threeyears ago has been leftunused.Workshops@IbaPa, uponthe consent of Dumagatrepresentative Fidel SanJose, initiated a move toprovide minor repairs onthe water container tomake it functional as awaterreservoir, connecting to 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 February11, 2012 17. The turning over ofthe toilet structure tothe DumagatRemontados in SitioKarahume coincidedwith their fiesta [acelebration of theirvictorious struggle inreclaiming their rightsto ancestral domain inKarahume]. 18. Workshops@IbaPashared yummy donutsfor the Dumagat kids. 19. On the day of theturnover of thetoilet, a group of 5thYear UE Dentistrystudents visited SitioKarahume to conducta survey relevant totheir 3-day dentalmission [February 17to 19, 2012]. Thegroup of studentsstayed at Karahumefor three days and two 20. We are responsible for oneanother, as God commands us to do so.The team of Workshops@IbaPa Charities, Inc. isdeeply grateful to all generous benefactors fromDoha,Qatar,to all kinddonors, supporters, friends, and relatives, and to themembers of the Dumagat tribe in Sitio Karahumewhosevery valuable and much-appreciatedassistance had contributed immensely to thecompletion of this project.The Bayanihan spirit lives on. ..at the heart ofFaith, Compassion, and Hope.The grace of God be with us all.Amen.