The Aeta and the nun
“Look up to the ancient people, not down. On the surface, they seem uneducated and ignorant. But they have an instinctive wisdom we do not know about.
Sister Gilda had to hike north the whole day to reach another town from
Baler, Quezon to help a priest in Lenten rituals. It was an arduous trek along the narrow strip of coastline. To the left or west was the towering inaccessible Sierra Madre mountain range with its dense rainforest. To the right or east was the mighty Pacific Ocean. She had to hike alone in a remote place with no villages around. She was happy to offer the trip as a Lenten sacrifice.
She decided to get an Aeta guide. Aetas are aborigines, small dark-skinned nomads with kinky hair, whose ancestors arrived thousands of years before the Spaniards came on foot, no boats, through “land bridges,” the result of the lowering of sea levels due to growing polar ice caps, creating one landmass out of most of the Philippine archipelago. They were the first known settlers here. As nomads, Aetas are mainly unassimilated and are extremely hard to understand, as reported by many anthropologists. They are regarded by Christians as “backward,” yet they have ancient wisdom. As a missionary for 15 years, Sr. Gilda spoke the Aeta dialect.
Her 15-year-old guide, Pitong (his Christian name given by the mission), came in a g-string, no shirt, no shoes. He said there was no need to bring food, so they could travel light, as food was available from the nearby forest. After hiking the entire morning, Sr. Gilda said she was tired and hungry. Pitong, without a word, left. He came back with four wild giant bananas, the red variety with big seeds, and fresh spring water in a small empty mineral bottle he had.
(Dialogue reconstructed)
Sr. Gilda: (After eating) Even with a rusty bolo, you got us some food. These are delicious. I have never eaten wild forest bananas before. Maybe you should get some more for the road. It’s a long way to our destination.
Pitong: There is no need, Sister. We get fresh ones when we get hungry. Besides, they are heavy.
Sr. Gilda: I insist. You are strong enough. You never know if there are more bananas where we stop to rest.
Pitong: There is plenty everywhere, Sister.
Sr. Gilda: (Raising her voice) You are only a guide. You should obey me. Go and get some.
Pitong: In Aeta culture, Sister, we are not allowed to take more than what we can eat. We leave some for others. It is an unwritten law. If we violate it, the spirits can give us bad luck.
Sr. Gilda: I am not an Aeta.
Pitong: So, get it yourself. For five minutes, they sit in silence. Sr. Gilda is almost in tears. Then she realizes her arrogance and insensitivity.
Sr. Gilda: I am sorry. Yes, you are right, I should respect Aeta laws.
Pitong: It’s okay, Sister. Our ancestors have better rules about Nature and the Earth than
Christians who have destroyed the forests.
At mid-afternoon, they had to eat again. So, off Pitong went to the forest. This time he got some avocados and wild mangoes.
Pitong: Sister, the avocados are not wild. They were planted by Aetas perhaps 10 years ago.
Sr. Gilda: (Upon reaching their destination, speaking to the priest) Father, I did something terrible. I pounced on Pitong.
Priest: You can atone for your offense by offering a Lenten sacrifice.
Sr. Gilda:
How, father?
Priest: I don’t know. It’s up to you.
Sr. Gilda:
Thank you, father. Lesson learned — never violate Aeta
Nature laws.
Priest: Yes, uneducated nomads are wiser than us in many ways.
They have a primordial respect for Nature. They are more environment-conscious than us. Lesson two. Look up to the ancient people, not down. On the surface, they seem uneducated and ignorant. But they have an instinctive wisdom we do not know about.
Sr. Gilda bought a brand-new bolo at the market for Pitong, as her Lenten offering. Pitong was all smiles, and gave Sister a purse made from tiny beads, made by his wife, which took her two weeks to make. Sr. Gilda was in tears.
“As nomads, Aetas are mainly unassimilated and are extremely hard to understand, as reported by many anthropologists. They are regarded by Christians as ‘backward.’