SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—The first Aeta who graduated with a four-year degree from the University of the Philippines was honored by the province during a simple ceremony held here recently.
Roman King, a certified native Aeta born in this province, graduated with a degree in Behavioral Science from UP Manila during the university’s 108th Commencement Exercises.
King received his diploma wearing his traditional ancestral attire called “Bahag” was accompanied by his families and members of their tribe.
The UP website describes King’s course “as an interdisciplinary and trans disciplinary approach integrating the field of psychology, anthropology, and sociology to equip the students with the knowledge and skills to understand the dynamic of human behavior related to Filipino psyche, society, and culture.”
King told Gov. Lilia Pineda that he wants to take up Law Degree in the future. “If I will have another chance, “I want to pursue my studies further,”’ King said.
According King, his personal educational accomplishment serves as inspiration to other members of tribe as color, size and cultural background are not hindrances to succeed.
The Aetas are ingenious people living scattered, isolated in the mountain ranges of Central Luzon specially in provinces of Pampanga, Zambales, Tarlac, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, and parts of Northern Luzon.
After the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1990, the Aetas were displaced and seriously affected, forcing them to beg for alms in the streets of urban areas for foods and money.
There are some who remain in the urban areas still begging specially during holiday’s season while others are working as helpers mostly from the farm of rich people in the area.
They are thought to be among the earliest inhabitants of the country proceeding the Austronesian migrations as history books show.