Christmas in July Indigenous Children's Charities

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CJICC

CJICC is the social development arm of Backpacker Planet and is tasked with providing much need social and livelihood assistance to the Aeta families of Zambales and Tarlac.

Christmas in July

July is the best time of year...not too close to Christmas and not too far either. Everyone should give the whole year round and not just among friends but to the needy especially the children.

Christmas in July was established out of the need to provide help for the needy children of the various cultural minorities in Zambales and the Cordillera's. Support may come in the form of medical missions, educational sponsorship programs, livelihood training or even in donations of clothing or school supplies and books.

Christmas in July does not need your money but needs your help in other ways. You can donate used clothes or clothing you have never worn; you can share children's books; medicines; blankets & towels; and other items. You can also donate your time and expertise in livelihood training that the parents of these children would have a better means of living.

Once a month each month we head out to the Zambales mountains and visit the Aeta tribes and conduct medical missions. And in some of these missions we were fortunate to have the likes of Dra. Luz of the PCMC in Quezon City and Dr. Philip Cruz of Save A Life (and his fellow doctors) joining us.

We owe our thanks to Bristol-Myers Squibb, Wyeth and Unilab for the support you continue to give us.

We thank the many un-named persons who generously shared time and material.

I thank Dale for all your love, patience and generosity - not to mention coming up with the name; "Christmas in July"; My nephew Josh for his sweet generosity and love for others.

We continue to ask for your generous support in any way but please do not send cash. we would not know what to do with it.

God bless you all!

Maui O. Bennett

Founder

The Warriors of Isla Pilipinas

Led by Dra Luz of PCMC in QC, Nurse MaryAnne and good friend Liza Camus, the warriors challenge of the day: "providing as much help as we could with what we had." I will always be thankful to Dra. Luz and everyone else who helped us that day. Thank you!

Warriors at work

Dra Luz provides the medical help while Nurse MaryAnne lists down the name and case file of the patient in Sitio Tarucan, Crow Valley, Tarlac near Mt. Pinatubo.

Liza Camus

Although she didn't want her name mentioned, I still think Liza deserves all the credit for the work done in Sitio Tarucan. She took the time and effort to go around and gather all the necessary medicines and milk needed for the mission. CONGRATULATIONS, Dear Warrior!

Sitio Tarucan

Siotio Tarucan is home to at least 400 Aeta families. They have ben living in this site for hundreds of years fed and provided for by the rich forests. Mt. Pinatubo's eruption in 1991 changed all that and all but wiped out the village. Today, the villagers have returned with the help of groups like ours and help from donors like you.

GOD BLESS YOU! THANK YOU!

A NEW THREAT...

Although tourism development in and around Mt. Pinatubo is a good step towards helping our Aeta communities as well as other communities nearby, it should not come at the expense of the environment. For the past two years various corporations have made it their mission to alter, nay, destroy what nature has prepared. Treks to the crater lake used to take two hours and now it takes a mere 40-minutes (no) thanks to an enterprising U.S. car company that drove their "pick-up" all the way to the top and next to the crater lake.

This was followed in less than a year by boats of all kinds (pedal boats, kayaks,etc) used within the crater lake itself. To add insult to injury, there are also horses that ferry trekkers to the top for a fee. Needless to say, the environment was altered dramatically, forcibly and with haste to get these profit-oriented groups up and running.

Groups like ours worked hard with the Department of Tourism in 2001 (the DoT bagged the Eco-Tourism Award for the Pacific Asia Travel Association in 2001) to preserve the area that many more may enjoy and experience Mt. Pinatubo. We worked hard with other concerned NGO's to keep the area clean, train guides, preserve and protect the bird habitats and preserve the terrain that only nature could and should alter. What happened?!

Is it, profit first and damn the environment?

Islas Pilipinas has led in bringing in trekkers to the famous volcano since 1998 and for the record, Islas Pilipinas has stopped offering trips/treks to Mt.Pinatubo since 2003 to PROTEST the ongoing destruction and commercialism of the most sacred grounds of the Aeta tribes, Apo Namalyari or better known as Mt. Pinatubo.

Just as we PROTEST the government's full and blanket support of the foreign mining firms that continue to alter and DESTROY our eco-system. Profit thru investments at the expense of the environment.

Maui of the Aetas

Maui has been returning to the Aeta village of Tarucan since 1998 and has not tired of the effort. he has vowed to continue helping the Aetas of Zambales and Tarlac for generations to come. To him, we say goodluck and godspeed! We need more of your kind!

BRAVO!