Because of this massive displacement and unemployment, the Philippine government needed to find ways to provide immediate and long-term livelihood and employment opportunities (de Guzman 11). The destruction of farmland, forest lands, and watersheds also left massive damage on the environment, which, according to de Guzman, “required careful physical land use re-planning of the region” (de Guzman 12). The resettlement of the thousands of people previously living in the areas surrounding Mount Pinatubo also needed to be addressed. Two major populations, the indigenous Aeta people and those who had been living in the lowlands of Mount Pinatubo, had lost their places of residence due to destruction and damage of property or unsafe areas following the eruption. The resettlement proceedings needed to be handled carefully, as there are socio-cultural differences between the Aeta and the lowlanders and their socio-economic activities (de …show more content…
According to the Office for Northern Cultural Communities of the Philippines, 7,840 families evacuated were of the Aeta. According to the Department of Health, the mortality rate of Aeta children was especially high following the aftermath, and the death rate for Aetas “reached as high as 26 per 10,000” (de Guzman 11). Diseases such as acute respiratory infections, diarrhea, and measles spreading through evacuation centers were responsible for increasing mortality rates among evacuees. Twenty years later, the Aeta still struggle from the effects of the eruption, dwelling in poorly maintained houses around Mount Pinatubo (Agustin 1). According to an article in GMA News written by Jon Agustin, the Aeta are in need of a resettlement area, food, medical assistance, livelihood, and stronger shelters. The Foundation of Our Lady of Peace Mission Inc. (FOLPMI), headed by surgeon-nun Sister Eva Maamo, worked jointly with the Aeta Tribal Council “to build a resettlement area in Sitio Gala, Subic, Zambales, where the Aetas can see their ‘Apo’” (Agustin 1). Located in the hills of Subic, this 72-hectare area of land has been called the Aeta Resettlement and Rehabilitation Center and can house around 100 families or 700 Aetas. FOLPMI also has plans to replace the Aetas’ flimsy bamboo house with concrete ones, creating safer, sturdier housing for the indigenous group, and the charitable