The social media flak I got (from a few people) on my previous article, “Disparaging the Darling Sass Sasot,” and its residual effects, on the bright side, prove people are still reading. I was taken aback by the attacks. I was intrigued by the onslaught.

I knew it would touch a nerve but not the one I intended, especially not one beyond those hiding behind the nom de guerre. The level of the reaction and the mobilization of “actors” against me on social media after the publication of my article on line, and a glimpse of the breadth and extent of influence backed by the financial resources available to them to wage this battle was impressive—and quite telling of who was really feeling alluded to by my article. 

I appreciate the protective zeal for my kin and acknowledge I had become a casualty amid the heat of the war of information and disinformation between pro-administration actors and critics of PBBM’s administration on social media, when it had become difficult to discern friend from foe. I am neither friend nor foe but family, and this could have added another layer to the difficulty.

I half-jokingly blamed my prima Michael Acebedo Lopez, who first drew my attention to the heated exchange between the established blogger and PBBM administration critic Sass Sassot and the newbie blogger, who claims to be a loyalist. In his defense, he pointed out, “Eliza, I said, ‘Are you following Sass? She is on a warpath,’ not ‘Are you following Sass? She is on a warpath. Write an article!’” 

Well, this experience with friendly fire will surely get a lot of mileage in future family gatherings with more than a few ribbings and jabs tinged with chagrin, “You fed me to the wolves, you bunch of creep-osaurous!” Which would be met with sheepish laughter. But all is fair in love and war. And all this brouhaha was happening as I continued unfazed with work, digitizing and cataloging materials salvaged the past two years to make proper documentation of the legacy of my uncle, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, and his wife Imelda. Never a dull moment, indeed.

I spent last Saturday visiting the community of Lubos na Alyansa ng mga Katutubong Ayta Sambales or LAKAS in Botolan, Zambales with members of the Advocates for Heritage Preservation (AHP). The community is led by their chieftain Ka Tubag Jugatan. The Aytas of Botolan used to hunt and gather in the forests of Botolan before the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. Relocated, they ended up in Barangay Villar. 

With relocation, the Ayta lost not only their ancestral lands and the right to live off the land, but also saw their indigenous culture threatened by discrimination, ignorance, and, to some extent, neglect by the local government. Ka Tubag explained that they would want the local government to look at the Aytas as equal members of society and the public to appreciate and respect their unique and ancient culture. This is what we learned as we spent time with the community.

For centuries, the Aytas, Negritos as they were called then, used to be found across Zambales, Bataan, the western part of Pangasinan, and parts of the eastern coast of Luzon stretching across the provinces of Cagayan and Quezon and some parts of the Bicol region. 

Recognizing traditional communities like the Aytas affected by natural events is imperative for their culture to survive. Studies show that when an entire community is “hit by a hazardous natural phenomenon, resistance to cultural changes looks unlikely, especially because of the absence of communities that are able to play the role of guardian of pre-event traditions.”

In his paper, “Natural Hazards and Cultural Change Among Traditional Philippine Communities: An Alternative Framework of Analysis,” Jean-Chirtophe Gaillard wrote: “The 1991 Pinatubo eruptions did not spare any Aeta community. All the Aetas experienced the evacuation and resettlement centers. The absence of any intact village, which could have maintained Aeta traditions, did not allow a retreat toward a preserved socio-cultural environment.” 

Ka Tubag is fighting against this by reinforcing Ayta traditional values and culture via song, music, dance, and games within his community, especially among the youth. On our visit we were treated to one of 15 traditional dances of the Aytas, the courtship dance or lapinding, the main purpose of which is to look for a love partner.

In the paper, “Indigenous Dances of Aetas” by Raymond L. Patterson et al, the lapinding is described as a dance ritual performed by a male Aeta searching for a partner and a female Aeta who is single. “Throughout the ritual the female Aeta express their beautiful movement in dance so that they will be selected by the male Aeta. After the show of movements by the female dancers, the male Aeta will select one female to be his partner in life.”

The members of the AHP were also lucky to witness the Ayta’s version of basketball called “Kamatan i-syut sa Lubon.” There are two teams and the game is played within a circle court. Each team has a player carrying a basket on his back. The ball is made of rattan similar to that used in the game of sepak takraw. The object is to shoot the ball into the basket to score a point while its bearer tries to get out of range.

What the Aytas of the LAKAS community is fighting for today is cultural preservation. Elders within the Ayta community are exploring ways to maintain their traditional culture while simultaneously adapting to fit within the culture of the general population, which is key to their economic survival and to the future generations of Aytas to come.