SSE 202 Production of Instructional Materials in Social Studies

Activity 3. Reflection on the Virtual Lecture on

Indigenous Knowledge and Practices of the Aytas of Central Luzon

Resource Person: Ms. Melody I. Austria

Member, Ayta Community
Date of the Activity: March 19, 2022

Instruction. Fill in the chart with the required information based on the attended
lecture. ( 50)
1. Write a short narrative on the lecture. (8 )
 The Virtual lecture resource person shares all about indigenuos knowledge
system and practices of the Ayta Community. It provides the learners a
clearer and deeper understanding regarding the knowledge such as
methods, skills, theories, and values of the Aytas and practices or simply
their culture and traditions as one of the many cultures in the Philippines.

2. What significant knowledge did you learn from the Ayta culture in terms of
the following?
 The Ayta community wants and prefers to be called Ayta’s not Baluga
because Baluga is a word that makes Ayta’s insulted. I also learned from
the resource speaker about the significance of treating people in a fair
manner, not to hurt their feelings but to treat them with dignity and with
a good reputation. Ayta’s are relatable because they have the same
practices here in Bukidnon like dances, thanksgiving, and marriage laws.

a. Clothing and body ornaments ( 5) b. Farming ( 5)

 The Aetas clothing is very plain,
where the young women wear wrap-
around skirts. Elder women wear
bark cloth, while older men wear
loincloths (bahag). The old women of
the Agta wear a bark cloth strip
which passes between the legs, and
is attached to a string around the
waist.
 They are indigenous people
who hunt and gather, but they
always plant rice using their
different farming tools such
as ehaw, hampad, kutsoy,
taluruh, and panabas. In
planting, they do have
theories, norms or beliefs in
order to have a good harvest.
They believed that land
preparation should be during
 summer and planting should be
done during rainy seasons.
They also prefer to plant rice
grains and plant seeds in the
morning and vegetables should
be planted in the afternoon.

c. System of Writing ( 5) d. Justice System ( 5)

 Not discussed by the speaker
 Filipino and English
 The Ayta community justice
system is done through the
use of customary laws such as
a defined proper behavior
which provide protection and
which empowers the elders
and the barangay captain in
deciding how to resolve the
conflicts and in passing
judgment on the guilty in
order to maintain laws and
order in their community.

e. Beliefs
 According to Aetas, there are foods that don’t go well together, for
example, shrimp, chili, and tomatoes, another one is the jackfruit and chili.
 They believe in spirits that live in the trees and the cravings of a pregnant
mother should not be disregarded.
 The dowry, which is a gift from man to a woman he loves. Which means
that what the parents of the woman wants the man to give should be given
to them when he truly loves her woman.
 They strictly follow the fixed marriage whether the man and woman like it
or not.
 The Aeta community has the law of a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an
eye.
 In terms of farming, they believed that land preparation should be during
summer and planting should be done during rainy seasons and Aytas prefer
to plant rice grains and plant seeds in the morning and vegetables should
be planted in the afternoon.

f. Preservation of Cultural Heritage especially on the Ayta language and

literature
( 5)
 Since the Aeta tribes live in the forest, preserving their cultural identity
is an important part of their vision and values. The eatatribes.org offer
guidance to preserve and restore traditional knowledge like ceremonial
dances and the use of plants or animals for medicine. They promise to
reconnect with other Aeta villages and build a self-identity that will move
the communities towards self-worth and a belief that their culture is
unique, special, and worth saving. The goal is to teach the children in order
to understand who they are and they must learn how to straddle life in two
very different worlds and to let them stay as true indigenuos as possible.
They have the main vision of respecting their rich indigenous heritage, and
celebrate it year after year as a way of preserving the special and unique
culture of Pampanga ( in the Philippines) .

3.What are the threats that the Ayta community faces today ? Give 2 and
explain. ( 5)
 They face the fear of getting vaccines due to its side effects. However,
according to Ms. Austria (resource speaker) there are also a lot of Aetas
who got vaccinated.
 Because Aytas choose to live a simpler way of living, they are directly
affected by disasters that affect their livelihood. The farming income of
the indigenous peoples has become highly seasonal and vulnerable to
typhoons, prolonged drought, and excessive rains.

4. Give 3 insights that you learned from the lecture . ( 10)

 Land is life, the land is alive, it becomes the source of everything to
survive in life. That reminds everyone of us, regardless of the culture, that
we can survive in a simple way of living and without any influence of the
new generation like the technology which is very rampant as of now
especially during this period of the pandemic.
 Ayta’s beliefs in their theories for example is when healing sickness
(botbot and pag-aanito) they offer chickens, etc. and perform silent rituals
to heal the patients .
 The Ayta community is important for the unity of the people ( pagkakaisa
ng magkakapatid).

5. Give one question that you would like to ask about the Aytas. ( 2)
 Is there a time that the young men and women can refuse and go away
 from the fixed marriage?
 What does people from the foriegn countries think about the Aytas
culture? What do they usually think of?

6. As a teacher, what did the resource person do for the learners to be engaged
in their learning. Explain briefly. ( 10)
 The resource speaker shares some videos which are proof of their
practices and for the purpose of capturing the attention of the learners.
During the classes of Aetas student/pupil the teachers indigenized the
teaching. This teaching approach assists in the knowing, learning, teaching,
instructing and training which ensures that students and teachers,
whether indigenous or non-indigenous, are able to benefit from education
in a culturally-sensitive manner that utilizes, promotes, and enhances
awareness of indigenous traditions.

7. Attach screenshots, if applicable.

References:
https://www.aetatribes.org/december-2017.html