Bulacan officials give Christmas treat to Dumagat tribesmen
MALOLOS CITY, Bulacan, Dec. 30 (PNA) –- A heartwarming event took place at the Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium here on Friday as provincial officials headed by Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado and Vice Governor Daniel Fernando played “Santa Claus” to some 800 Dumagat tribesmen, the aboriginal dwellers of the mountains of eastern Bulacan.
Alvarado and Fernando, assisted by the green-clad elvish-like staff of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office led by Rowena Tiongson, hosted a special Christmas party for the Dumagats in the “Taunang Pagtitipon at Konsultasyon sa mga Katutubong Dumagat”.
“We have deputized the Dumagat tribesmen as our environment watchmen to guard the rainforest, particularly along the Angat and Ipo dams watershed areas. They are our eyes and ears there and they regularly reports to us,” he said.
“This Christmas, we want them to feel that they are part of the team and are playing an important role in the protection of our mountains, which are natural barriers against strong typhoons coming from the Pacific ocean,” Alvarado added.
Fernando said that aside from Christmas gifts, the provincial government and PSWD also distributed wheelchairs, nebulizers, blood pressure apparatus and salter scales to different Dumagat tribal leaders for use in their communities at the mountain.
Dumagat Governor Salvador Cruz thanked the province’s top two officials for giving their people a wonderful Christmas time. (PNA)
LAP/ZST/EGGAMOS
