Back in their tribal community, 15-year-old Lea Dela Cruz, a Dumagat, is expected to have married and bear children already.
All these years, this is what most Dumagat teenage girls have to go through as this tradition has started from several generations back.
However, Lea chooses to break this tradition, and she is proud and glad of her decision.
Being in school and enjoying her youth instead of starting a family of her own make her see a better future, not only for herself but for the rest of her tribe.
Breaking a tradition
At a young age, Lea, a resident of Brgy. Sta. Ines in Tanay, Rizal Province, has understood the value of having a dream and making a way of chasing it.
“Nakikita ko dito sa amin, maraming nagkakasakit o namamatay dahil sa panganganak nang maaga. Mahirap ang buhay dahil napakalayo n gaming lugar. Masakit din sa damdamin na lagi kaming kinukutya dahil sa pagiging katutubo namin,” shared Lea.
Seeing this, Lea became determined to do something to escape this kind of fate.
“Ngayon, nagsisikap talaga ako na mag-aral nang mabuti. Ayaw ko pang mag-asawa,” said Lea, who is glad that her parents Guillermo and Soledad support her dreams.
Currently, Lea is in Grade 8.
For Lea and the rest of the indigenous peoples in their community in Sitio Kinabuan, what taught them, especially the adults, to welcome such change in their tradition are the interventions provided to them by the government.
Lea’s family is one of the 14 family-beneficiaries of the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) program for Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. In Rizal Province, there are 356 families who are beneficiaries of this program.
The MCCT for IPs is a modification of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development that is designed to reach out families who are not covered by the regular Pantawid Pamilya program because of their being excluded from the Listahanan database of poor households based on the assessment conducted in 2009.
With the MCCT, the beneficiaries are helped to improve access to basic social services including health, nutrition, sanitation and formal or non-formal education.
“Binibigyan kami ng programa ng tulong, lalo na sa pagsuporta sa aming pag-aaral,” shared Lea.
Roberto Dela Cruz, a beneficiary of the MCCT from Brgy. Sta. Ines, shared how the program teaches them about improving their family.
“Tinuturuan kami nang maayos na pagpapamilya sa mga buwanang pagpupulong (referring to Family Development Sessions). Kami dito, hanggang tinutulungan pa kami, magpupundar at magsisikap kami sa aming hanapbuhay para mas mapaunlad ang buhay namin,” Roberto shared.
The Family Development Session (FDS) is a gathering of parent grantees of the program that teaches various topics on IP’s rights, children’s rights and strengthening family relationships among others.
Chasing dreams
For young Lea, who have experienced how hard life is in their far-flung community, she sees education as her only escape.
“Nakikita ko na sa pagsisikap ko sa pag-aaral ko, magiging maginhawa ang buhay namin,” she said.
Further, she embraces education because it gives her the chance to deal with other children and prove to them their tribe’s worth.
“Kahit kami ay mga katutubo, may mga pangarap din kami. Hindi kami dapat kutyain dahil pantay-pantay lahat kami. Patuloy kaming magsisikap para makamit ang mga pangarap namin,” she said with conviction.
Lea promises to work hard in school and become a doctor in the future. And when she finally becomes one, she wants to serve her tribal community and contribute towards improving their living condition.
Today, she starts with her dreams for herself and her community through valuing her education. More importantly, she encourages children like her to do the same.
“Hinihikayat ko sila na pagsumikapan ang aming pag-aaral para hindi na kahirapan ang aming maranasan,” shared Lea.
Looking forward, Lea is confident that with breaking some of their practices, she can also break their long-time problem of poverty in their community.#