August 11, 2025,
marked our last school visit to UNWAS.
United Nations Women and Aetas School
Location: San Marcelino, Zambales
Students: 57
Aetas: 100%
Grades: 1-6
We set off from Dinalupihan, Bataan, at 9:00 AM with our entire village in tow – 15 adults and 6 youth volunteers. Our convoy consisted of a 15-seater van, a four-by-four truck, and 5 Habal Habals (small, motorized bikes).
As we navigated through the treacherous lahar roads of San Marcelino, Zambales, we passed by the iconic "Mt. Baggang," aptly translated to "molar" due to its tooth-like summit. However, the rain that day made the lahar sand soft, causing the van and Habal Habals to get stuck. The habal-habal drivers had to abort their mission, and we transferred the school supplies from the van to the four-by-four truck.
Some of us hitched a ride on a tricycle manned by the Aeta tribe, while the youth rode in the bed of the four-by-four truck with the supplies. Meanwhile, water buffalos with caritons (traditional wooden carts) were waiting for us further along the route for another hour of Cariton Ride. Most adults walked the treacherous terrains for an hour.
Despite the challenges, we persevered and continued on our journey, determined to reach our destination and make a difference in the lives of the students at UNWAS.
After the outreach around 2:00pm, we were in a hurry to catch our next flight to Davao, Jollybox Global team met the Chieftain and was grateful for the blessings his tribe received. I remember him speaking softly, kind of shy... Humbly requesting for the kids in his community and he softly uttered, a basketball.
