1

Community Needs Assessment of the Ati Indigenous Peoples

in the City of Naga, Cebu, Philippines

Edilyn Gutierez Lopez

http://orcid.org 0000-0002-9402-9781
[email protected]
University of Cebu

Judy Ann Ong Ferrater-Gimena

http://orcid.org 0000-001-5352-8253
[email protected]
University of Cebu

ABSTRACT

Indigenous peoples remain the poorest and most disadvantaged groups. They make
up one-third of the world's poorest group of people, suffer disproportionately in health,
education, human rights, and regularly face systemic discrimination and exclusion. This
is also true in the Philippines, which calls for more proactive action on the part of the
people in the society to extend assistance in alleviating inequality in the society. This
investigation intends to determine the profile and the community needs of the Ati
Indigenous Peoples in the City of Naga, Cebu, Philippines.
This study utilized the descriptive-survey research design using the modified
community profiling and assessment tool from the University of Cebu Research Center as
the primary data gathering tool. Using the purposive sampling technique, there were fifty-
six (56) family representatives from the Ati Indigenous Peoples who served as the study
participants. Before the study's conduct, permission was secured primarily from the
National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP), the tribal leader, and the local
government unit (LGU) of the City of Naga, Cebu. Participation in the study was made
clear to the participants that it was purely voluntary, and only those who signified their
participation were asked to sign the consent form. Further, there were no immediate
benefits towards the participants, yet utmost confidentiality was observed in the keeping
the data and information collected. The statistical tools used in analyzing the data were
frequency, simple percentage, and ranking.
The results show that most of the research participants resided in the City of Naga
for 16-20 years now, with a typical or nuclear family structure and more of them had six
(6) members in the family. They further responded that they needed community
organization in the form of cooperatives; family planning needs such as pills, pre-natal
check-ups (high-blood pressure, CBC test, and Tetanus Toxoid vaccine); physical
pediatric check-up and child care information needs for proper child nutrition; medical
mission that will provide free medicines (for fever, relieving pain, diarrhea, cough
headache and toothache); livelihood needs (backyard gardening of vegetables and fruits);
employment needs (preferably in the government, manufacturing and trading sectors);
entrepreneurial and livelihood needs (selling of bread and pastry products); need for help
in cleaning the environment and knowledge on the proper method of cleaning the
environment (appropriate segregation of garbage and recycling); education and literacy
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needs (programs in teaching the children how to read and write); security and protection
needs (training in defense tactics and self-defense); barangay service delivery needs
(community tax certificate and barangay clearance); community service needs (feeding,
gift-giving, clean-up drive, literacy programs, and etc.). While, the research participants'
environmental and sanitation practices involved using pipes as a source for drinking
water, jar and faucet for water storage, throwing off garbage in the trash can, and had a
closed drainage system. It can be noted that many of them did not have toilet facilities of
their own, and those how have their own toilet facility it was water sealed with septic
tank.
Further, within the Ati Indigenous People, the research participants had programs in
preserving the local culture, however they need to have a museum. They further shared
that their culture involved performing Ati rituals (tutho, pagbata, pagpangayam,
hambabaylan, paghalad, etc.). Lastly, they divulged that they encountered problems for
sustainable living since they did not have work or source of livelihood. Therefore, it is
concluded that the Ati Indigenous People in the City of Naga has social, economic,
health, environment, security, education/literacy, sanitation, and cultural needs.

Keywords: Community needs assessment, indigenous people, descriptive-survey, City of

Naga, Cebu, Philippines

INTRODUCTION

Native people make up 5% of the world’s population, with approximately 370

million people belonging to 5,000 different groups in 90 countries. Indigenous people
have distinct populations and unique cultures. Many still observe traditions and use
languages influenced by their ancestral homelands. While most indigenous peoples
worldwide still live in rural areas, they are increasingly migrating to urban areas, both
voluntarily and involuntarily. Indigenous peoples that migrate to urban areas face
challenges, most prominently unemployment, limited access to services, and inadequate
housing. Besides, indigenous peoples in urban areas experience discrimination and have
difficulties sustaining their language, identity, and culture and educating future
generations, resulting in loss of indigenous heritage and values (United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2015).
In Africa, indigenous peoples face many challenges ranging from marginalization,
non-recognition from governments, and other ethnic groups to poverty, AIDS/HIV, and
illiteracy. At the same time, indigenous people have made remarkable achievements in
the last ten years, especially in South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Morocco, Central Africa,
Nigeria, and other eastern and central African communities. The indigenous people in
Africa can be classified into two major groups; livestock pastoralists, and hunter-gathers.
Some communities also exist, known as the black smithery and potters. The past decade
has been full of challenges caused by the conflict in the political arena, lack of food
security, and globalization-particularly the structural adjustment programs that are
creating a global market economy that is leaving indigenous communities in problematic
situation (Sakuda, 2004).
In 2016, the Indigenous Peoples’ International Center for Policy Research and
Education reported the situation of Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines in terms of
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disaggregated data, mining and militarization, land rights, economic development,

Mindanao peace process, health, education, and culture. These continue to be a severe
lack of data on the number and distribution of indigenous peoples in the Philippines.
Preliminary data presented by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) show the
indigenous population of 8 million, which constitutes a drastic and unrealistic reduction
of 6 million from the population estimate of 14 million by the National Commission on
Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), an agency of the national government mandated to protect
and promote the interest and well-being of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) with due regard
to their beliefs, customs, traditions, and institutions. The report showed that the medium
and large-scale corporate mining and conflicting laws governing natural resources
continue to be major problems that indigenous peoples face in their communities;
ancestral domain titling remains a burdensome process that has not undergone any review
to simplify and streamline the process wherein at present, none of the Ancestral Domain
Sustainable Development and Protection Plans (ADSDPP) formulated have been
incorporated into the barangay (village) development plans, resulting in conflicts in
development priorities between the local government unit and the indigenous peoples’
communities; the IPs often caught in the crossfire between the government armed forces
and the Muslim rebels and became victims of conflict that is not theirs; there is lack of
essential social services and inaccessibility of health centers for remote indigenous
communities; IPs are the least served in terms of access to education, mainly due to the
remoteness of their ancestral domains, as well as poverty and the prohibitive cost of
sending indigenous children to school, and the discrimination experienced by indigenous
children; also there is demand from IPs for increased and sustained support for schools of
living traditions.
The Ati Indigenous People's ancestors were the first indigenous people to settle in
the Philippines thousands of years ago, but like sandcastles that crumble when hit by
seawater, Naga's unique Ati culture is said to be slowly fading away through time. They
are originally from Antique then moved down to Barotac Viejo in Iloilo and northern
Negros sugar haciendas before settling in Naga, Cebu. Being hunter-gatherers and
Swidden agriculturists, they gradually shifted to wage work; men adapted to working in
construction sites and women selling essential forest products like charcoal and medicinal
herbs.
The Ati Indigenous People's chieftain, has personally witnessed how rarely their
language is spoken. Their rituals were no longer practiced, and their color is slowly
paling as the younger generation intermarries with the non-Ati. Reality cannot be denied.
A lot may have changed since they left their native town: men were no longer wearing
the traditional loincloth and women discarding their tapis for modern clothing, and most
of them were converted into Christianity from Animism, their original religion. However,
some traditions have to be kept to save the Ati culture. The adults have long since given
up their Ati names.
To preserve the Ati Indigenous People’s culture amid modernity and the rapid
change of time, the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) provided the Ati
community with income-generating opportunities like pedicabs (trisikad) and hogs to be
raised. It helped the male Ati to get jobs in the government of Naga. However, the
livelihood projects did not work out for most of the Ati families since they live near the
sea; the bicycle with side car (trisikad) units were easily eaten by rust and became
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useless. Raising hogs also did not progress as most of those who availed the program
could not afford to buy feeds for the animals. They are used to seeing dried fish or
bagoong in their table, but they admitted missing real meat like that of monitor lizards
and turtles, which they used to hunt abundantly in Antique. They were surprised to learn
that it is illegal to hunt and eat these animals when they could freely do it where they
originated came from. Since they could not freely hunt in Cebu, except for the flying
lizards they caught in the upland areas, their little income goes straight to food allocation.
But poverty is the least of all of their problems, and that they have long been used to
being poor. Although the chieftain said she still hopes that the adults could get stable jobs
despite their lack of education, they could send their children to college, especially that
the highest education that their co- Indigenous People have attained so far is high school.
But then again, it may no longer be an impossible dream to the Ati Indigenous People
members now that the city, in which the adults are registered voters, offers college
scholarships. What concerns the tribal head is their culture slowly slipping out of their
midst.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) gave all universities a directive to
extend their educational and civic services to the indigenous communities. With the
conditions of indigenous people, particularly the Ati Indigenous People of Cebu, along
with the expertise of the university on research and the directive from CHEd, this
investigation aims to determine the community needs of the Ati Indigenous People in the
City of Naga, Cebu to be able to craft various community outreach activities that seeks to
address the real needs of the indigenous people.

FRAMEWORK

This study is anchored on the Theory of Justice of John Rawls, which provides a
contract of the principles of social justice in terms of the 'basic structure of society, or [in
other words] how the major social institutions distribute fundamental rights and duties to
determine the division of advantages from social cooperation. Two fundamental
principles underpin the distributive justice proposed by Rawls. The first principle, which
is prioritized over the second, is that people's liberties should be preserved in distribution.
To arrive at a just system of social distribution that is also fair and in which everyone
cooperates with each other and is assumed to act justly, one must first remove all biases
to come to a common consensus on the good of society. The second principle is the idea
that any permitted inequality should only be permitted because it benefits the least
favoured in society (Premchand, n.d.).
Economics is concerned with the fair distribution of goods and services and the
efficient use of available scarce resources. The reason is to obtain both optimum and
maximum benefits for the satisfaction of all members of society. Such a fundamental role
of economics has been focused on the attainment of the following objectives: economic
growth, full employment, price stability, financial freedom, equitable distribution of
wealth and income, and economic security. It is common knowledge that most countries
have been able to achieve objectives. The rich countries are becoming richer while the
developing countries are becoming poorer. The same is true with the members of the
society of a developing country. The few rich families are getting richer, while many
low-income families are poorer. There is something wrong with the allocation and use of
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available resources. The great poor masses did not own productive resources, so they
have remained poor, just like their great ancestors. It is evident that the principal goals of
economics have not yet touched or reached the poorest of the poor, and it has always
been the goal of the governments of the developing countries to emancipate the poor
from economic slavery. But until now, most of them have not experienced a dignified
existence. Social justice has remained a dream for most of the poor (Fajardo, 1995).
Case et al. (2009), further explained that any society bound by such a contract
would allow for inequality, but only if that inequality had the effect of improving a lot of
the very poor. If inequality provides an incentive for people to work hard and innovate,
those inequalities should be tolerated as long as some of the benefits go to those at the
bottom.
In Natural Law and Natural Rights, there are seven "basic goods" natural to man:
life, knowledge, play, aesthetic experience, sociability (friendship), practical
reasonableness, and religion (transcendence). Anyone with sufficient reason and
experience recognizes these needs or deep human desires, and thus cannot be eliminated
from humanity, which is why they are "natural." These "basic" goods generate "natural
rights" and correlative "natural duties." According to human experience, these are
"natural inclinations" and thus are empirical, not metaphysical, concepts. This is what is
meant by saying that natural rights are "self-evident" and "non-derogable" (Tabucanon,
2011). Besides, these seven essential goods are other goods, either the combination,
product, or realization of the vital goods. The satisfaction of these goods is ideal for
integral human fulfilment, both as individuals and as a community (Bernardo, 2014).
Moreover, the Drive Reduction Theory of Clark Hull (1943) differentiates primary
and secondary drives. Primary drives are directly related to survival and include the need
for food, water, and oxygen. Secondary or acquired drives are those that are culturally
determined or learned, such as the drive to obtain money, intimacy, or social approval.
Drive refers to increased arousal and internal motivation to reach a particular goal. The
Drive theory holds that these drives motivate people to reduce desires by choosing
responses that will most effectively do so. For instance, when a person feels hunger, he or
she is motivated to reduce that drive by eating; when there is a task at hand, the person is
motivated to complete it. Drive theory combines motivation, learning, reinforcement, and
habit formation to explain and predict human behavior. It describes where drives come
from, what behaviors result from these drives, and how these behaviors are sustained.
According to Hull, human motivation arises from these biological needs and drives to
satisfy them. The needs and drives are internal states of tension that have to be reduced.
Furthermore, in order to reduce the existing state of tension in organisms, the
physiological need has to be satisfied so that the organism can continue to maintain its
internal balance (Coon, 2003).
At the root of needs, assessment lays the very notion of need. The need is neither
the baseline nor the future situation, but rather the gap between them. In analyzing the
gap, organizations can begin to identify problems, opportunities, strengths, challenges,
and possible new directions. The needs assessment provides a systematic set of
procedures to set priorities and make decisions about program improvement and
allocation of resources (Henderson & Bialeschki, 2010). Besides, the goal of a needs
assessment is to identify a community's assets and determine potential concerns that it
faces. A straightforward way to estimate a community's needs is to ask residents their
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opinions about the community's development, their satisfaction with services, and what
particular services are needed (Sharma et al., 2000).
The United Nations' Department of Economic and Social Affairs for Indigenous
Peoples (2020) discussed that indigenous peoples (IPs) are inheritors and practitioners of
unique cultures and ways of relating to people and the environment. They have retained
social, cultural, economic, and political characteristics distinct from those of the
dominant societies in which they live. Despite their cultural differences, indigenous
peoples worldwide share common problems related to the protection of their rights as
distinct peoples. IPs have sought recognition of their identities, way of life, and their right
to traditional lands, territories, and natural resources for years. Yet, throughout history,
their rights have always been violated. Indigenous peoples today are arguably among the
most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of people in the world. The international
community now recognizes that special measures are required to protect their rights and
maintain their distinct cultures and way of life.
The Philippines is a culturally diverse country with an estimated 14-17 million
Indigenous peoples (IPs) belonging to 110 ethnolinguistic groups. They are mainly
concentrated in Northern Luzon (Cordillera Administrative Region, 33%) and Mindanao
(61%), with some groups in the Visayas area. In recognition of this diversity and under
the framework of national unity and development, the Philippine Constitution mandates
state recognition, protection, promotion, and fulfilment of the rights of indigenous
peoples. Further, the Republic Act 8371, also known as the "Indigenous Peoples Rights
Act of 2007," recognized the right of IPs to manage their ancestral domains; it has
become the cornerstone of current national policy on IPs (United Nations Development
Programme, 2013).
According to Asian Development Bank (2002), indigenous peoples' significant
characteristics are as follows: they are known for their maintenance of cultural identities
and social, economic, cultural, and political institutions separate from mainstream or
dominant societies and cultures. In some cases, over recent centuries, tribal groups or
cultural minorities have migrated into areas to which they are not indigenous but have
established a presence and continue to maintain a definite and separate social and cultural
identity and related social institutions. In terms of family structure, indigenous people's
traditional family structures live within a nuclear family unit and value an extended
family system, which often includes distant relatives.
The intersection between the international legal framework of indigenous peoples'
rights and the principles that guide cooperatives opens up new avenues for collaboration
to reinforce each other. Cooperatives can play a vital role in securing and protecting
indigenous peoples' rights while integrating decent work opportunities for a sustainable
and inclusive development process for indigenous peoples. Cooperatives are founded on
and committed to self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and
solidarity. These values enable young people and women and those who are often
marginalized to participate meaningfully in decision-making processes, receive training,
and adequately benefit from socio-economic processes (International Labour
Organization, 2020).
To be able to deeply discuss needs of the people belonging to the ethnic or
indigenous people, the family structure was included as primordial aspect. Moreover, the
American Academy of Pediatrics (2015) shared that the nuclear family refers to a family
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group made up of only a father, mother, and children. However, most of the people tend
to think that this particular family structure has always been the dominant one, which is
not the case. The nuclear family is a relatively recent phenomenon, becoming common
only within the last century. Before then, the "traditional" family was multigenerational,
with grandparents often living with their children on farms and in urban environments,
typically with other relatives living nearby. The nuclear family has evolved in response to
a number of factors such as: better health and longer lives, economic development,
industrialization, urbanization, geographic mobility, and migration to the suburbs. These
changes have resulted in physical separation of extended-family members and in
progressive fragmentation of the family.
The first aspect included in this study is the social development aspect of the
people. The Social Protection of Human Rights (2015) emphasized that indigenous
peoples often face difficulties in accessing social protection benefits, usually as a result of
discrimination, economic and social disadvantages; often as an after effect to historical
injustices such as colonization and dispossession of their lands, territories, and resources.
In many cases, there is also a causal link between exclusion from social protection and
inequities between urban and rural areas due to geographical inaccessibility, language,
and culture. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
adopted by the General Assembly (2007), states that indigenous peoples have the right,
without discrimination, to improve their economic and social conditions. For instance,
these include access to education, employment, vocational training and retraining,
housing, sanitation, health, and social security. Moreover, states shall take effective
measures and, where appropriate, special measures to ensure continuous economic and
social conditions.
Another aspect of this study relates to the maternal and child health care needs of
the community, where international studies show that indigenous women and children
have worse health indicators than nonindigenous children in almost every context. They
have higher rates of infant mortality and higher rates of illness, including respiratory and
diarrheal disease. While health problems are common across the world, the scale of the
health problems and inequities between indigenous and nonindigenous groups varies
widely between countries. Indigenous children often suffer malnutrition and childhood
diseases at rates higher than nonindigenous children. Pregnancy can be an incredibly
tricky time: most countries' official health system is not based on cultural sensitivity
towards indigenous women, and they are often treated with disrespect and prohibited
from following their traditional birth practices. Consequently, indigenous women in
many settings do not access the formal health system or access it only in emergencies,
often too late (Crivelli et al., 2013).
Likewise, family health and planning are also of paramount consideration in this
investigation. In 2014, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) through the
Indigenous Peoples Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and Nutrition (IP-MNCHN)
conducted a study, which revealed that the majority of IP women were in favor of family
planning to ensure that they are better able to take care of their children. The UNFPA
also conducted a parallel study and affirmed the IP's acceptance of family planning.
Besides, the World Health Organization (2008) stated that in the case of the indigenous
population living with high rates of chronic disease, access to healthcare services is
crucial. Even in developed countries, the number of indigenous peoples dying from
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cardiovascular disease is 1.5 times that of their non-indigenous counterparts. Despite this,
indigenous peoples are often prevented from accessing these services due to a range of
barriers, including the high cost of health care, experiences of discrimination and racism,
and poor communication with health care professionals. Evidence suggests that access to
primary health care can be improved when services are tailored to the needs of their own
and managed by indigenous communities themselves. This is because indigenous health
care services are more likely to be free of racism and are generally more culturally
appropriate than mainstream services. They also tend to employ indigenous staff who can
speak the local language and are often known by people accessing the service.
In the report of the United Nations (2013), they revealed that the indigenous
peoples' health status is severely affected by their living conditions, income levels,
employment rates, access to safe water, sanitation, health services, and food availability.
Indigenous peoples also experienced significant structural barriers to access health care,
which include geographical isolation and poverty, resulting in not having the means to
pay the high cost of transport or treatment. This is further compounded by discrimination,
racism, and a lack of cultural understanding and sensitivity. Many health systems do not
reflect the social and cultural practices and beliefs of indigenous peoples. Thus, medical
and healthcare services are still two of the significant challenges of indigenous peoples.
They are waiting to obtain adequate access to and utilization of quality health care
services.
Another component in the study relates to the livelihood or source of income that
includes livestock, gardening, employment, and entrepreneurship. Yap (2018) shared that
in a national nutrition survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of
the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST), it was found out that
vegetables only comprised 12.8 percent of total household consumption, and only 3.9
percent of this represents the consumption of green leafy and yellow vegetables. The
Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos of the FNRI recommend eating a variety of foods
every day and the eating of more vegetables and fruits daily so that Filipinos can get the
essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber needed for the regulation of body processes. Using
indigenous vegetables in supplementary feeding programs also decreases costs and
allows for disseminating proper information, ensuring the continuous consumption of
healthy food among school-aged children. There are also initiatives like the world
Vegetable Center’s (AVRDC) Vegetables genetic Resources and Slow Food
International’s Ark of Taste are working on cataloguing indigenous species of fruits and
vegetables all over the world. Therefore, it is the right time to look back and reserve a
place for indigenous vegetables on the dining tables for health and well-being.
However, Kalafatic (2004) further shared that indigenous peoples have unique
relationships with the countries in which they live, centered on their desire to exercise
their right of self-determination. They pursue self-determination not to undermine state
sovereignty but as a means to co-exist with others who live within those states and, at the
same time, determine their pathways for economic, social, and cultural development.
Industrial cash-crop plantations have replaced small-scale farms that produce food mainly
for subsistence and local markets. This has led to the massive dislocation of people who
migrate to cities and often wind up jobless and homeless. He also added that many
obstacles limit or prevent indigenous peoples' access to and control over livelihood
"assets," their lands, territories, and natural and other resources, and are the root causes of
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their poverty. Forces such as trade liberalization and climate change intensify the
environmental, socio-cultural, and economic pressures that indigenous people face,
further degrading and depleting the natural resources they depend upon for their
livelihoods.
When it comes to livelihood, the opportunity to run their own business-not merely
be handed dole-outs-is vital to marginalized communities looking to rise above poverty.
This was one of the critical things discovered by the people behind Zero Extreme Poverty
2030 (ZEP2030), a coalition of civil society organizations that aims to reduce extreme
poverty in the country by 2030 by at least one million families. Kring Sumalinab,
ZEP2030 program coordinator, shared a stigma that the extreme poor are not capable of
attaining sustainable livelihood. With the partnership between ZEP2030 and IP LeD, they
are not only breaking this stigma, but they are also fostering self-sufficiency and
confidence within IP communities and are paving the way for their products to be
available in the mainstream market ( Tayao-Juego, 2018).
Also, another vital component of the study pertains to environmental sanitation.
Basic sanitation facilities are defined as being used by only one household and may
empty on-site or are connected to a sewer system that may or may not be followed by
treatment. Globally, 946 million people still open defecate (9 out of 10 live in rural
areas), 2.4 billion people lack access to basic sanitation (7 out of 10 in rural areas), 663
million lack access to basic water sources. Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death
in children under five, much of which is preventable by clean water and sanitation.
Sanitation is one of the most critical aspects of community well-being because it protects
human health, extends life spans, and is documented to benefit the economy. Sanitation
(e.g., toilets, lavatories, mechanized wastewater treatment) is currently deployed to
contain and treat human excreta (and grey water) to protect human health. The
environment, including water bodies, are sources of drinking water. Examples of
unimproved sanitation are pit latrines without a slab and bucket or hanging latrines.
Although sanitation infrastructure can be expensive, the return on investment and job
creation is documented as being much more significant. The lack of sanitation is also
known to impart high costs and job losses to the industrial, health, agricultural, and
tourism sectors (World Health Organization, 2017).
Further, this investigation focused also on education and literacy, since education is
increasingly recognized as one of the best long-term financial and social investments
countries can make. Appropriate education enables indigenous children and adult learners
to exercise and enjoy economic, social, and cultural rights. It also strengthens their ability
to exercise their civil rights to influence political policy processes for enhanced
protection of their human rights. Education is, therefore, a vital means for the enjoyment,
maintenance, and transmission of indigenous cultures, languages, traditions, and
traditional knowledge, as well as a vehicle for individual empowerment and agency. The
education systems, policies, and curricula are rarely developed with indigenous peoples'
participation or consent. As a result, they have mostly failed indigenous children and
stripped them from vital life opportunities and cultural security. The right to education is
a universal human right, essential to bridge gaps in social well-being, equity, and
opportunity (Cosentino, 2016).
In terms of security and protection, the International Labor Organization (2017)
disclosed that the lack of access to adequate social protection is a reality for millions of
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men, women and children belonging to indigenous people, who needs to be understood
against the context of their common experience of historic injustices, including
colonization and dispossession of their lands, territories and resources. For many
indigenous people, the lack of official registration at birth and identity documents also
remains a considerable obstacle to their access to social protection and social services.
Sepúlveda and Nyst (2012) added that most indigenous men and women are
engaged in various traditional occupations and informal economic activities in rural and
urban areas for which social security coverage is limited or unavailable. Indigenous
people are also among those who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Everyone's rights to social security are enshrined in the Universal Declaration on Human
Rights (Art. 22) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights
(article 9). The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has emphasized
that states should take particular care in which indigenous people who are not excluded
from social security systems through direct or indirect discrimination, mainly through the
imposition of unreasonable eligibility conditions or inadequate access to information.
In the context of the delivery of barangay services, Oosterom (2007) opined that
public sector leaders worldwide face a standard set of challenges if their services meet the
increased expectations of their 'customers,' both citizens and businesses. However, many
experiences show that while the challenges may be consistent, how they are being
confronted, and their results vary considerably. While the public sector does not choose
its customers, it is required to service them, and their diverse requirements are another
factor driving the need for new service delivery strategies. For the public sector, the
provision of customer-centered services is no simple task. A number of significant
challenges need to overcome. Services must be delivered on a wideer scale. Customer
journeys often interface with several different public sector agencies. Diversity issues
must be addressed to take into account the unique attributes and channel preferences of
individual customers and a detailed understanding of the costs involved in providing
these services. Customer-centricity will often also need to take account of internal
customers, the public sector agencies that have to be integrated as part of the drive
towards enhanced service delivery.
Another significant aspect of the study relates to culture. The speakers of United
Nations (UN) (2019) stressed in the eighteenth (18th) session on indigenous issues that
traditional knowledge is at the core of indigenous identity like culture, languages,
heritage and livelihoods, and its transmission from one generation to the next must be
protected, preserved and encouraged. They also emphasized that they need to ensure that
the educational practices, languages, environmental conservation, and management are
acknowledged and respected globally, not only by governments but also by all people.
Traditional knowledge is transmitted between generations through stories, songs, dances,
carvings, paintings, and performances. However, global histories of colonialism,
exploitation, and dispossession continue to undermine and undervalue these aspects. In
many countries, indigenous children and youth are not taught in their native languages.
Calling for financial and technical support from the member states and the United Nation
(UN), everyone is encouraged to ensure that all children and youth are connected to their
indigenous community and their culture, which is inextricably linked to their lands,
territories, and natural resources. The world is becoming increasingly diverse and
includes people of many religions, languages, economic groups, and other cultural
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groups. It is becoming clear that to build communities that are successful at improving
conditions and resolving problems. There is a need to understand and appreciate many
cultures, establish relationships with people from cultures other than their own, and build
strong alliances with different cultural groups.
The last component covered in this endeavour pertains to the community services,
considering that it is part of the focal functions of the university such as instruction,
research, and production. Students who participate in high-quality community-based
service-learning enjoy several benefits, both in their personal and professional life,
according to numerous studies carried out in the K-12 and Higher Education programs.
Researchers also found that community service enhanced students' problem-solving
skills, improved their ability to work within a team, and enabled them to plan more
effectively. Another benefit of service-learning is that young people are far more likely to
remain engaged when seeing that their participation affects change. This helps them
realize that they can make useful contributions to society through service and social
action. It also allows students to cultivate connections between various organizations,
schools, and community groups, proving to be very useful later on in life (Stenger, 2013).
The community service should have a basis, and one of the ground is community
problems. Families have family issues, and communities have community problems.
Communities must come together to solve their problems, just like families. When
organizations try to solve problems, they start just like individuals do. They must reflect
and analyze the issue to help come to a solution. But, before discussing solutions,
questions must be identified. Community problems can arise in any part of a community
and come from any aspect of community life. There's a long list of community problems,
and examples are adolescent pregnancy, access to sanitation, child abuse and neglect,
crime, domestic violence, drug use, pollution, mismanagement of resources, lack of
funding for schools and services, ethnic conflict, health disparities, hunger, inadequate
emergency services, inequality, jobs, poverty, and transportation (Community Tool Box,
2020).
Moreover, this study incorporated myriad of related researches relevant to the
community needs assessment involving particularly indigenous people.
A study conducted by Burnette et al. (2018), entitled: Living off the Land: How
Subsistence Promotes Well-Being and Resilience among Indigenous Peoples of the
Southeastern United States showed that indigenous people of the United States tend to
experience the most severe social, behavioral, and physical health disparities of any
ethnic minority. Thematic analysis of data from 436 participants across two southeastern
indigenous peoples reveal three overarching themes: fostering fond memories and family
bonding through "living off the land;" enabling experiential intergenerational teaching
and learning; and promoting resourcefulness offsetting economic marginalization.
Further, the results indicate that subsistence is a critical avenue to promote sustainable
and organic approaches to health and well-being within indigenous communities by
facilitating positive nutrition and diet, exercise, and subjective well-being. The
participants described how elders instilled in them the value of being self-sufficient.
Indigenous people were able to nourish their families and meet their basic needs through
subsistence living, which was particularly crucial given the constrained economic and
educational opportunities imposed by their contextual circumstances. Subsistence may
have enabled survival in cases in which indigenous peoples were pushed out of or
 12

excluded from upward mobility opportunities in social, economic, and educational

domains. For researchers, more bridges in research are needed to facilitate a balanced
perspective, taking into account the devastating effects of historical oppression while
acknowledging the variability across indigenous peoples and the resilience and
transcendence demonstrated by indigenous peoples.
Another study conducted by Hirai (2015) entitled: Indigenous Communities in the
Philippines: A Situation Analysis, focused on describing indigenous people's conditions
in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in the Philippines predisposing factors and revealed
that the issues faced by the indigenous communities of the Philippines were poverty and
low levels of education, which had been a standard features in their lives; poverty is
higher among the IPs who do not dwell in ancestral domains and/or who do not have land
titles and land security; most of the communities have low of access to formal health
services or medicines; access to safe water sources is incredibly limited in some areas;
many of the IPs do not have water-sealed toilets and some do not own toilets at all; early
and arranged marriages are shared among the women in some communities; a large
number of out-of-school children and youth is evident among the IPs; IP children and
youth are frequent victims of discrimination and bullying at schools where IPs and non-
IP students co-exist; more serious attention should be paid to out-of school youth in IP
communities; non-admission of involvement in armed conflicts is due to the fear of
consequences; indigenous children in certain areas have been possibly recruited as house
helpers by brokers, but are eventually forced to be sex workers; the IP children whose
community lacks land security engage in more arduous works; and early and arranged
marriages are shared among the mothers' generation. The researcher's recommendations
included mainstreaming the indigenous peoples' concerns in the delivery of essential
services, strict implementation of existing legislation on IP's participation in governance,
the formation of Tribal Council to address matters pertaining to the IPs, and coordination
between NCIP and LGUs.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This investigation intends to determine the community profile and needs of the
people belonging to the Ati Indigenous People in the City of Naga, Cebu, with the end
view of crafting community outreach projects and programs that can be initiated and
implemented by the students, teachers, and non-teaching personnel of the University of
Cebu-Banilad to the community. Specifically, this study seeks to assess the informant's
profile in terms of number of years lived in the City of Naga, family structure and the
number of family members. Further, it determines the needs of the people in the
community in the aspects of social, maternal, and child health care, family health and
planning, livelihood or source income, environmental sanitation, education and literacy,
security and protection, delivery of barangay services, and culture, problems encountered
by the people in the barangay as well as how the internal stakeholders of the school can
help the issues of the people and the community in general. Moreover, the investigation
includes questions to assess the community services conducted by the organizations,
students, teaching, and non-teaching staff of the University of Cebu-Banilad and their
overall impression of the community services.
 13

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design
To determine the profile and the community needs of the Ati Indigenous People of
the City of Naga, Cebu, this study used the descriptive-survey research design using the
modified community profiling and assessment tool of the University of Cebu Research
Center as the primary tool of data collection.

Research Environment
The investigation was conducted at Sitio Buyo, South Poblacion of the City of
Naga, Cebu. This Ati Indigenous People originally lived in the mountain area of Barotac
Viejo, Iloilo province. Their ancestors were the first indigenous people to settle in the
Philippines thousands of years ago. Due to poverty and specific ground rules set by the
government in Barotac Viejo that prevented them from using the land for farming, they
were forced to leave their native land to survive. The Ati Indigenous People kept moving
from one place to another in the islands of Negros, until fate brought them to the upland
area of Naga, Cebu in 2000. In 2002, Naga's local government, relocated
the Ati community to Barangay South Poblacion, where they were allowed to build
houses and chapel. The present administration has also assured that the Ati community
will not be evicted from Naga but may be relocated to a safer place since South
Poblacion's coastal area is considered a hazard zone.

Research Participants
In Cebu, the Ati Indigenous People is part of the 1,468 identified households of
indigenous people as of the 2015 record of NCIP development management officer.
There were around two hundred two (202) members of the Ati Indigenous People from
sixty-eight (68) identified families, living in Sitio Buyo, South Poblacion, City of Naga,
Cebu, for about twenty (20) years now. Using the purposive sampling technique, there
were fifty-six (56) family representatives of the Ati Indigenous People who participated
in this study.

Research Instrument
This study utilized the modified community profiling and assessment tool from the
University of Cebu Research Center. The device consisted of six sections. The first
section pertains to the informant's profile in terms of length of stay in the
community/barangay and family structure. The second section relates to each member of
the informant's household information in terms of gender, age, highest educational
attainment, civil status, employment status, occupation, monthly income, and religion.
The third section focuses on the needs of the community's people in the aspects of social,
maternal, and child health care, family health and planning, livelihood or source of
income, environmental sanitation, education and literacy, security and protection,
delivery of barangay services, and culture. The fourth section contains questions relating
to the problems encountered by the people in the barangay and how the students,
 14

teaching, and non-teaching staff can help the people and the community's issues in
general. The fifth section is about the community services conducted by various
organizations in the Ati community. The last part pertains to the community's overall
impression of the community services rendered by students, teaching and non-teaching
staff of the University of Cebu-Banilad.

Dry Run Procedures

The dry run was conducted at Central Apas, Cebu City, with only thirty (30)
identified households as respondents to test the instrument's reliability. The University of
Cebu-Banilad CARES student-volunteers, together with the barangay officials,
distributed the survey instruments. The purpose and content of the study were discussed
first to the respondents and they were given enough time to answer all questions. The
accomplished questionnaires were retrieved, tallied and tabulated after they finished
answering it. The incidence of non-response on every item and the trend of responses
were also noted in the revision and finalization. Since the standard deviation (persons) is
zero, the Alpha value cannot be calculated, so the Standard Error of Measurement (SEM)
using conventional formula was used. Standard error gives the accuracy of a sample
mean by measuring the sample-to-sample variability of the sample means. The SEM
value of 1.612 describes how precise the mean of the sample as an estimate of the true
mean of the population.

Research Procedure
The University of Cebu-Banilad first asked permission from the National
Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) and the tribal chieftain to conduct a
community needs assessment among the Ati community members. Permission was also
sought from the local government unit (LGU) of the City of Naga, Cebu. After the
approval, the principal investigator and field interviewers interviewed the identified study
participants using the modified community profiling and assessment tool of the
University of Cebu Research Center. The University of Cebu-Banilad CARES student-
volunteers served as the field interviewers who visited the community and conducted the
interview with the household representative, mostly the head of the family. The field
investigators read the questions aloud to the respondents who were given enough time to
answer the questions and they were given the option to refuse in answering those
questions that they find comfortable. During the proceedings of the interview, the field
investigators adequately documented all the answers by writing the responses or in the
questionnaire.

Statistical Treatment
After gathering all the needed data, all responses from the respondents were noted
and the items were grouped according to the categories. The data were tallied, tabulated,
analyzed, and interpreted. Frequency, simple percentage, and ranking were the statistical
tools used to analyze the data.

Ethical Considerations
This study was able to obtain the approval from the Research Ethics Committee
(Academic Panel) of the University of Cebu, who reviewed the research protocol's ethical
 15

soundness. In this investigation, it was made clear to the participants that their
participation was voluntary, and there were no immediate benefits given to them and their
families. Still, this study's output intends to help in the long-term plan for the community
outreach projects and programs with the end view of enhancing the quality of life of
the Ati Indigenous People. There were minimal risks in the study's participants like
sharing their personal information and the opinion, and they were given the option to stop
or continue their involvement in the research at their own decision. During the gathering
of data, the field researchers thoroughly explained the objectives and the contents of the
study. After acknowledging their participation in the study, the principal and field
researchers ensured the privacy of the data that they gave. As part of the adherence to the
provisions of Data Privacy Act, the raw data gathered would not be shared with anybody
or any organization and only the final results of the study will be shared to other parties.
The data from the individual interviews and the specific information of the respondents
would not be allowed to be shared. Additionally, the study's findings will be shared only
with the tribal leaders, which they can also share among the Ati Indigenous People
members, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and the University.
The results that may be shared with the Local Government Unit of the City of Naga,
Cebu, would be only limited to the aggregated data and final results. If published for
interested organizations or individuals, the researcher will ask first permission from the
tribal leaders, NCIP, and the University.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

This part presents the results on the survey relating to the community needs of the
people belonging to the Ati Indigenous People at the City of Naga, Cebu, Philippines.

Table 1. Family Structure of Ati Indigenous People (n=56)

Frequency Percent
Family Structure
(f) (%)
Nuclear/Normal 31 55.36
Extended 21 37.50
Single Parent 1 1.79
Live-in 2 3.57
Alone 1 1.79

The data contained in table 1 shows that there were thirty-one (31) or 55.36% of the
research participants who had nuclear or an ordinary family. At the same time, there was
only one (1) participant who was a single parent and another one (1) who lived alone at
the time of the study. This result indicates that most of the research participants
composed of mother, father, and children, which can be described as a conjugal family
arrangement.
This result connects to the United Nations’ Department of Economic and Social
Affairs for Indigenous Peoples (2020) pronouncement that indigenous peoples (IPs) are
inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and have retained social, cultural,
economic, and political characteristics of the structure of the family. Moreover, the
American Academy of Pedriatics (2015) also added that the nuclear family is generally
 16

defined as a family group made up of only a father, mother, and children. The nuclear
family is a relatively recent phenomenon, becoming common only within the last century.
The nuclear family has evolved in response to many factors such as better health and
longer lives, economic development, industrialization, urbanization, geographic mobility,
and migration to the suburbs. These changes have resulted in the physical separation of
extended-family members and the progressive fragmentation of the family.

Table 2. Household Information (n=56)

No. of Members in the Frequency Percent
Family (f) (%)
1 1 1.79
2 5 8.93
3 10 17.86
4 14 25.00
5 10 17.86
6 16 28.57
Table 2 displays the data on the number of family members in the participants’
households. Of the fifty-six (56) participants, there were sixteen (16), comprising of
28.57% who had six (6) members of the family, while there was only one (1) participant
(1.79%) who divulged that he or she was the only one in the household. This result
indicates that more of the Ati Indigenous People members at the City of Naga, Cebu had
many members who lived in the same house. This relates to the fact that this group of
people was still practicing the traditional living method, and usually do not adhere to
family planning since they were not much educated about it and its benefits of having a
comfortable life standard. Also, it had been their tradition, that the grandparents are part
of the normal family unit.
In terms of family structure, the indigenous people live within a nuclear family unit
and value an extended family system, which often includes distant relatives. They are
part of those known for their maintenance of cultural identities and social, economic,
cultural, and political institutions separate from mainstream or dominant societies and
cultures. In some cases, over recent centuries, tribal groups or cultural minorities have
migrated into areas to which they are not indigenous but have established a presence and
continue to maintain a definite and separate social and cultural identity and related social
institutions (Asian Development Bank, 2002).

Table 3. Number Years the Ati Indigenous People Lived in Naga City, Cebu
(n=56)
Number of Year Frequency (f) Percent (%)
1-5 years 10 17.86
6-10 years 11 19.64
11-15 years 2 3.57
16-20 years 30 53.57
21-25 years 3 5.36
 17

The data contained in table 3 shows the number of years that the members of the
Ati Indigenous People from Antique had lived in the City of Naga, Cebu, Philippines.
There were thirty (30) families or 53.57% of the Ati members were residing in the City of
Naga, Cebu within 16-20 years now. Only two families or 3.57% of the Ati members
lived in the City of Naga, Cebu for 11-15 years now. This means that majority of the
families lived in the City of Naga, Cebu for two decades now after they decided to leave
their lands in Antique due to poverty.
Ati Indigenous People is part of the Philippines’ 14-17 million Indigenous peoples
(IPs) in the Visayas area according to United Nations Development Programme (2013).
Unfortunately, they were one of the tribal groups or cultural minorities that migrated into
areas to which they are not indigenous but have established a presence and continue to
maintain a definite and separate social and cultural identity and related social institutions
as reported by Asian Development Bank (2002).

Table 4. Social Needs of the Community (n=56)

Frequency Percent
Need for Community Organization
(f) (%)
Yes (Needed) 50 89.29
No (Not Needed) 6 10.71
Type of Community Organization
Needed f (%)
Cooperative 38 62.30
Civic Organization 8 13.11
Political Organization 7 11.48
Religious Organization 8 13.11
* Multiple response

There were fifty (50) participants, consisting of 89.29% who answered that they
needed community organization in the Ati Indigenous People, while only six (6),
comprised of 10.71% of the participants who answered that there was no need at all. Of
those who recognized the need for organization in their community, thirty-eight (38) or
equivalent to 62.30% said that they needed to organize a cooperative. Among the types of
social organizations, the cooperative had been proven to have afforded community
transformation to those groups of people belonging to the traditional society.
The intersection between the international legal framework of indigenous peoples’
rights and the principles that guide cooperatives opens up new avenues for collaboration
to reinforce each other. Cooperatives can play a vital role in securing and protecting
indigenous peoples’ rights while integrating decent work opportunities for a sustainable
and inclusive development process for indigenous peoples. Cooperatives are founded on
and committed to self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and
solidarity. These values enable young people and women as well as those who are often
marginalized to participate meaningfully in decision-making processes, receive training,
and adequately benefit from socio-economic processes (International Labour
Organization, 2020).
 18

Table 5. Family and Maternal Health Needs (n=56)

Frequency Percent
Family Planning Needs
(f) (%)
Yes (Needed) 50 89.29
No (Not Needed 4 7.14
No Response 2 3.57
Prenatal Check-up Needs f (%)
Yes (Needed) 49 87.50
No (Not Needed) 5 8.93
No Response 2 3.57
Type of Pre-natal Service Needs f Rank
High Blood Pressure 47 1.5
Urine Test 40 3
CBC 47 1.5
Glucose Test 33 4
*Multiple Response
Tetanus Toxoid Vaccine Needs f (%)
Yes (Needed) 54 96.43
No (Not Needed 2 3.57

The data contained in table 5 reveals the family and maternal health needs of the
research participants. Fifty (50) research participants (89.29%) indicated that they have
family planning needs, while the two (2), comprising of 3.57% of the participants did not
respond since they tend to be undecided during the study. This result denotes that the
majority of the members of the Ati Indigenous People in the City of Naga recognized that
they need to be taught and provided assistance so that they can practice the appropriate
family planning methods accorded to them. In this manner, they can also control the
number of members in the family and reduce the probability of living in poverty.
Further, forty-nine (49), comprising of 87.50% of the participants said that they
needed pre-natal check-up, while only two (2), or equivalent to 3.57% refused to give
their responses to this item in the survey questionnaire. This result indicates that they had
various needs in their community for the pregnant women. In this connection, there were
forty-seven (47) participants who said that the types of pre-natal services that they needed
were high blood pressure test and complete blood count (CBC) (ranked 1.5th,
respectively), forty of them shared that need to undergo urine test (Ranked 3 rd); while
only thirty-three (33) participants divulged that they needed glucose test (ranked 4th).
Likewise, there were fifty-four (54), comprised of 96.43% of the participants who said
that they needed Tetanus Toxoid vaccine, and only two (2), consisting of 3.57% shared
that they did not need it. These data can be inferred that the respondents have various
medical needs to ensure that the expectant mothers in their community will be healthy
when they deliver their offspring.

Table 6. Family Planning Information Needs

Family Planning Information Needs F Rank
Pills 28 1
IUD 24 2
 19

Condom 10 3.5
Vasectomy 2 7
Injection 6 5
Bilateral Tubal 3 6
Others 10 3.5

As to the family planning information needs, twenty-eight (28) participants said that
they needed to know about usage of pills (ranked 1st); twenty-four (24) shared that they
needed to learn about IUDs (ranked 2nd); ten (10) said they needed to know on the
application of condoms and another ten (10) needed information on other means
contraceptives (ranked 1.5th , respectively), six (6) shared wanted to know about injection
(ranked 5th). The results showed that the Ati Indigenous People members have maternal
health and family planning needs and should be given access to maternal health and
family planning services provided by the Local government Unit (LGU) of the City of
Naga, from civic groups, non-governmental organization, as well from the medical
missions conducted by the educational institutions. This data further indicates that the
current members of the indigenous people showed eagerness in learning about the
different methods of contraceptives, which is a primordial component of family planning
and control.
International studies show that indigenous women and children have worse health
indicators than non-indigenous children in almost every context. They have higher rates
of infant mortality and higher illness rates, including respiratory and diarrheal disease.
While health problems are common worldwide, the scale of the health problems and
inequities between indigenous and non-indigenous groups varies widely between
countries. Indigenous children often suffer malnutrition and childhood diseases at rates
higher than non-indigenous children. Pregnancy can be an incredibly difficult time in
which most countries' official health system is not based on cultural sensitivity towards
indigenous women, and they are often treated with disrespect and prohibited from
following their traditional birth practices. Consequently, indigenous women in many
settings do have not access to the formal health system or access it only in emergencies,
often too late (Crivelli et al., 2013).

Table 7. Family Health and Planning Needs (n=56)

Percent
Pediatric Check-up Needs Frequency (f)
(%)
Yes (Needed) 56 100.0
*Multiple Response
Kinds of Pediatric Check-up Needs f Rank
Physical 56 1
Dental 43 2
*Multiple Response
Child Care Information Needs f Rank
Proper child nutrition 53 1
Personal grooming and sanitation 48 2
Signs of symptoms of common
39 3
illnesses and diseases of children
 20

First Aid for children in case of

38 4
emergency
*Multiple Response

Table 7 showed the family health and family planning needs of the research
participants, in which all of the fifty-six (56) participants said that they needed pediatric
check-up (ranked 1st). As to pediatric check-up needs, all of them (56) or 100% said they
needed physical check-up while only forty-three (43) said that they needed dental check-
up (ranked 2nd). These data denote that the participants discoursed that they needed both
medical services of a physician and services of a dentist to address and threat their
concerns with their teeth.
In terms of child care information needs, fifty-three (53) discoursed that they needed
information on proper child nutrition (ranked 1st), forty-eight (48) shared that they
needed to learn on personal grooming and sanitation (ranked 2nd); thirty-nine (39) said
that they needed to know more about signs of common illnesses and diseases of children
(ranked 3rd), while only thirty-eight (38) participants said that they needed information on
first aid for children in case of emergency (ranked 4th). This result showed that the
members of the Ati Indigenous People needed health education on the proper care of their
children to mitigate infant and young child incidence of death, malnutrition and
uncomfortable living condition.
These results connect to the results of the study undertaken by United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA) (2014) through the Indigenous Peoples Maternal, Newborn
and Child Health and Nutrition (IP-MNCHN), which revealed that the majority of IP
women were in favor of family planning to ensure that they are better able to take care of
their children. Also, in a parallel study still conducted by UNFPA (2014) affirmed the
IP’s acceptance of family planning. The World Health Organization (2008) also stated
that in the case of the indigenous population living with high rates of chronic disease,
access to healthcare services is crucial. Even in developed countries, the number of
indigenous peoples dying from cardiovascular disease is 1.5 times that of their non-
indigenous counterparts. Despite this situation, indigenous peoples are often prevented
from accessing these services due to a range of barriers, including the high cost of health
care, experiences of discrimination and racism, and poor communication with health care
professionals.

Table 8. Medical Needs (n=56)

Percent
Need for Medical Mission Frequency (f)
(%)
Yes (Needed) 54 96.43
No (Not Needed) 2 3.57
Needs for Free Medicines f (%)
Yes (Needed) 54 96.43
No (Not Needed) 1 1.78
No Response 1 1.78
Type of Medicines Needs f Rank
Medicine for fever 56 1
Pain Reliever 46 6
 21

Medicine for diarrhea 48 5

Medicines for headache 49 3.5
Medicine for toothache 49 3.5
Medicines for cough 54 2
*Multiple Response

The data contained in table 8 shows the medical needs of the research participants.
Fifty-four (54) or 96.43% of the research participants said they needed medical mission
to be undertaken in their community, and only two (2) or 3.57% shared that there is no
need for this activity. Since this community belonged to the poverty threshold, most of
them cannot afford to pay the services of the private doctors when they become sick.
Hence, medical mission would be of great help to them so that their medical needs will
be taken cared if public medical services cannot accommodate them.
Further, fifty-four (54) or 96.43% of the research participants revealed that they
needed free medicine, while only one (1) or 1.78% of the research participants shared that
they did not need medicines to be given to them, and another 1.78% also did not respond
to this item in the survey tool. In terms of the types of medicines that they needed the
following: medicine for fever (ranked 1st), medicines for cough (ranked 2nd), medicine for
headache and toothache (ranked 3.5st, respectively), medicine for diarrhea (ranked 5th),
and medicine for pain reliever (ranked 6th). The data specifies that the members of the Ati
Indigenous People were in dire need for medical supplies to treat common sickness and
illnesses.
United Nations reported (2013) that the Ati Indigenous People has medical needs
considering that the indigenous peoples’ health status is severely affected by their living
conditions, income levels, employment rates, access to safe water, sanitation, health
services, and food availability. Indigenous peoples also experienced significant structural
barriers in accessing health care. These include geographical isolation and poverty, which
results in not having the means to pay the high cost of transportation or treatment. This is
further compounded by discrimination, racism, and a lack of cultural understanding and
sensitivity. Many health systems did not reflect the social and cultural practices and
beliefs of indigenous peoples. Thus, medical and healthcare services are still two of the
major challenges of indigenous peoples. They are waiting to obtain adequate access to
and utilization of quality health care services.

Table 9. Livelihood Needs (n=56)

Frequency Percent
Need for Backyard Gardening (f) (%)
Yes Needed) 48 85.71
No (Not Needed) 8 14.29
Type of Plants f Rank
Vegetables and Fruits 36 1
Vegetables only 12 3
Fruits only 9 4
Ornamental Plants 19 2
*Multiple Response
 22

Table 9 shows the livelihood needs of research participants. Forty-eight (48),

comprising of 85.71% of research participants said they needed backyard garden as a
source of livelihood, and only eight (8) or equivalent to 14.29% said that they did not
need a backyard garden due to the lack of enough of land space. In addition, there were
thirty-six (36) research participants who said that the types of plants they wanted to plant
in the backyard garden were vegetables and fruits (ranked 1st), nineteen (19) shared that
they preferred ornamental plants (ranked 2nd), twelve (12) revealed that they liked
vegetables (ranked 3rd), and only nine (9) participants liked fruits (ranked 4th). This result
reveals that the members of the Ati Indigenous People considered planting as their means
of livelihood since they are used to agriculture. In this connection, they needed space for
them cultivate so that they can plant vegetables, fruits and other kinds of plants for their
own domestic consumption and for selling to be able to earn income to cover the daily
household needs.
Yap (2018) shared that in a national nutrition survey conducted by the Food and
Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-
DOST), it was found out that vegetables only comprised 12.8 percent of total household
consumption, and only 3.9 percent of this represents the consumption of green leafy and
yellow vegetables. The Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos of the FNRI recommended
eating a variety of foods every day and the eating of more vegetables and fruits daily so
that Filipinos can get the essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber needed for the regulation
of body processes. Using indigenous vegetables in supplementary feeding programs also
decreased costs and allows for disseminating proper information, ensuring the continuous
consumption of healthy food.

Table 10. Employment Needs (n=56)

Frequency Percent
Employment Needs
(f) (%)
Yes (Needed) 45 80.36
No (Not Needed) 11 19.64
Industry Where People Wanted to
f Rank
Work
BPO (Business Process Outsourcing 9 5
Government 14 2
Academe 3 6
Manufacturing 13 3
Trading (e.g. malls, department store,
small store, buy&sell business etc.) 15 1
Service(e.g.hotel,restaurant,parlor,etc.) 10 4
*Multiple Response

Table 10 shows the employment needs of research participants, wherein forty-five

(45) or 80.36% said that they needed jobs while only eleven (11), consisting of 19.64%
said that they did not have employment needs. To those who signified that they needed
work, there were fifteen (15) who said that they wanted to work in the trading industry
like in malls, department stores, small stores, buy & seller business, etc. (ranked 1st);
fourteen (14) said that they preferred to work in the government (ranked 2nd); thirteen
 23

(13) shared that they would like to work in the manufacturing sector (ranked 3rd); ten (10)
expressed their willingness to work in the service sector (ranked 4 th); nine (9) would like
to work in the BPO industry (ranked 5th); and three (3) wanted to work in the academe
(ranked 6th). This result indicate that the Ati Indigenous People would be willing to work
in various industries and sectors if they will be given the chance considering that this
indigenous people were not originally from the City of Naga but were just migrants and
that they did not have much access to working opportunities in the local economy.
Kalafatic (2004) conversed that indigenous peoples have unique relationships with
the countries in which they live, centered on their desire to exercise their right of self-
determination. They pursue self-determination not to undermine state sovereignty but as a
means to co-exist with others who live within those states and, at the same time,
determine their pathways for economic, social, and cultural development. Indigenous
people suffer disproportionately from the impacts of globalization and trade liberalization
through environmental degradation, destruction of biological and cultural diversity, and
militarization and violence that often accompany large-scale development. This has led to
the massive dislocation of people who migrate to cities and often wind up jobless and
homeless.

Table 11. Entrepreneurial and Livelihood Needs (n=56)

Frequency Percent
Needs for Small Business
(f) (%)
Yes (Needed) 54 96.43
No (Not Needed) 1 1.78
No Response 1 1.78
Preferred Type of Business f Rank
Selling/Trading (sari-sari store,
dealership,
networking) 42 1
Parlor 4 7
Dress Shop & Tailoring 7 5
Small Eatery/ Carenderia/Food
Stall/Mobile Cart 14 2
Pastry Shop/Bakeshop 10 3
Small-scale manufacturing 6 6
Food Processing (fruit jam, sardines
making, peanut butter making) 9 4
*Multiple Response
Livelihood Training Needed f Rank
Bread and pastry production 21 1
Commercial Cooking 11 4
Food and Beverage Services 20 2
Bartending 2 13
Food Processing 12 3
Cosmetology/Beauty Care Services 6
(e.g. nail care, make-up, hair 8.5
dressing)
 24

Dressmaking and tailoring 8 5.5

Bookkeeping 1 15.5
Electronics Product Assembly 5 10.5
2D Animation 1 15.5
Computer Systems Services 5 10.5
Health Services 7 7
Caregiving 3 12
Travel Services 1 15.5
Events Management 1 15.5
Performing Arts (e.g.dancing, singing,
acting, & etc.) 8 5.5
Others 6 8.5
*Multiple Response

The data contained in table 11 shows the entrepreneurial and livelihood needs of the
research participants. Fifty-four (54) participants, comprising of 96.43% said that they
wanted to establish small businesses to earn a living, while one (1) of them said that they
did not need any small business at all, and another one (1) participant did not give any
response to this item. Of these figures, forty-two (42) preferred selling or trading like
sari-sari store, dealership, and networking type of business activity (ranked 1st), fourteen
(14) would like to have a small cart to be able to sell variety of commodities (ranked 2nd);
ten (10) would like to have a pastry shop or bakeshop (ranked 3 rd); nine (9) intended to
have food processing business like making fruit jam, sardines, and peanut butter (ranked
4th); seven (7) would like to have dress shop or tailor shop (ranked 5 th); six (6) would like
to engage in small-scale manufacturing (ranked 6th); and only four (4) shared that they
preferred to have parlor as a business (ranked 7th). These data shows that they would like
to engage in various types of business activities to earn income to cover their daily
household consumption needs for their family.
To be able to engage in small business training is very important so that the owner
will be able learn competence and technical skills to be able to run their chosen business
endeavour properly and that insolvency will be minimized or avoided. The top five (5)
types of trainings that the respondents needed were: bread and pastry production (ranked
1st); food and beverage services (ranked 2nd); food processing (ranked 3rd); commercial
cooking (ranked 4th); dressmaking and performing arts (ranked 5.5th, respectively). These
data display that the members of the Ati Indigenous People manifested willingness to be
trained in various skills to be able to work and engage in certain business activity at their
preference to earn a living for their respective family.
Kalafatic's (2004) explained that there were many obstacles that limit or prevent
indigenous peoples’ access to and control livelihood “assets” like their lands, territories,
natural, and other resources and are the root causes of their poverty. Forces such as trade
liberalization and climate change intensify the environmental, socio-cultural, and
economic pressures indigenous people face, further degrading and depleting of the
natural resources they depend upon for their livelihoods.

Table 12. Environmental Sanitation Need (n=56)

Source of Drinking Water Frequency Percent
 25

(f) (%)
Piped (Gripo) 37 66.07
Artesian well (Poso) 2 3.57
Artesian style (Tabay) 1 1.78
Others 16 28.57
Type of Waterworks System f (%)
Piped (naay tubo) 43 76.79
Artesian well (Poso) 6 10.71
Asterian style (tabay) 1 1.78
Others 5 8.93
No Response 1 1.78
Current Practice of Drinking Water (%)
Storage Rank
Jar with faucet 28 1
Jar without faucet 7 4
Pail with dipper 8 3
Pail without dipper 2 6
Refrigerated (Gisulod sa refrigerator) 6 5
Others 11 2
*Multiple Response
Garbage Disposal Practices f Rank
Burning 4 3.5
Plastic 11 2
Trash can (not segregated) 3 5
Trash can (segregated) 39 1
Others 4 3.5
*Multiple Response
Toilet Facility f Rank
None 22 1
Owned toilet 21 2
Communal 13 3
*Multiple Response
Type of Toilet Facility Used f Rank
Water sealed with septic tank 30 1
Flush but not water sealed 7 2.5
Antipolo style (not flushed) 6 4
Plastic (ballot system) 7 2.5
*Multiple Response
Type of Drainage System f Rank
Closed drainage 24 1
Open drainage 12 3
None 17 2
*Multiple Response
Needs for Help in Cleaning the
f
Environment (%)
 26

Yes 48 85.71
No 8 14.29
Need for Knowledge on the Proper
Method of Cleaning the Environment f Rank
Yes (Needed) 53 1
None (Not Need) 3 2
*Multiple Response
Type of Knowledge Needed in Taking
Care of the Environment f Rank
Proper segregation of garbage 46 1
Proper way of recycling (reduce,
reuse, recycle system) 45 2
Know-how for Material Recovery
Facility (MRF) 20 4
Waste water treatment 24 3
Usage of environmental-friendly
products and materials 19 5
*Multiple Response

The data contained in table 12 shows the environmental sanitation practices of the
research participants. Thirty-seven (37) or equivalent to 66.07% of the participants said
that their source of drinking water is piped, and only one (1), comprising of 1.78% of the
participants used the artesian style or locally known as tabay as a source of drinking
water. This result indicates that the Ati community had access to the waterworks system
of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of the City of Naga, Cebu, which is monitored by
the City Health for regular sanitation.
Additionally, there were forty-three (43), consisting of 76.79% of the participants
who used a piped type of waterworks system. In contrast, one (1) or equivalent to 1.78%
of the participants used an artesian type of waterworks system, and another one (1)
participant did not respond to this concern. This further indicates that the source of water
of the Ati community in the City of Naga can be considered as cleaner since it flows in
the pipes compared to other sources of water like artesian. Also, since they lived in the
South Poblacion, where there is access of water through the municipal waterworks
system, then the it undergone check-up from health authorities to monitor contamination
and bacteria that might cause sickness to the people.
As to their means of drinking water storage, they practiced the following: jar with a
faucet (ranked 1st); different means of storing the drinking water (ranked 2nd); pail and
dipper (ranked 3rd); jar without faucet (ranked 4th); refrigerator (ranked 5th); and pail
without dipper (ranked 6th). This result goes to show that the research participants used
containers with faucet as their convenient means of storing the water for drinking
considering that any unsanitary ways of water storage might lead contamination with
bacteria may cause diseases and sickness like diarrhea, stomache, and others.
In terms of their garbage disposal practices, the participants revealed that they
segregate their trash in separate bins or cans (ranked 1st); placed their garbage in a plastic
(ranked 2nd); burned their garbage and other means of disposal (ranked 3.5th,
respectively); and used trash can but did not segregate their garbage (ranked 5 th). This
 27

data shows that the Ati people commonly complies with the Solid Waste Management
Law imposed by the government by segregating their trash produced in their respective
households. This practice relates to the local government unit’s requirement of properly
keeping apart the different garbage so that the garbage collectors in the barangay will
collect it.
In terms of toilet facility, twenty-two (22) of them did not own toilet in their
respective households (ranked 1st); twenty-one (21) had their owned toilet (ranked 2nd);
and thirteen (13) participants were using the communal bathroom (ranked 3rd). This
situation calls for more action on the part of the City Government of Naga in providing
assistance to the members of the Ati Indigenous People so that each family would be
given their own toilet facility to mitigate the possibility of spreading diseases and
contamination of the source of water in the community due to improper disposal of
human wastes.
For the type of toilet facility used by the people (not necessarily their own) thirty
(30) participants were using water sealed with a septic tank (ranked 1st); seven (7) had
flush but not water sealed toilet and use plastic or ballot system kind of toilet in their
home (ranked 2.5th, respectively); and six (6) participants used the antipolo style and not
flushed (ranked 4th). In the relation to the abovementioned findings, this clearly divulged
that there are members of the Ati Indigenous People who had proper and efficient toilet
facility that ensures that their wastes were properly disposed and lessen the propensity
diseases and illnesses that affect health of people or in the neighborhood.
For the drainage system, twenty-four (24) participants had closed types of drainage
system (ranked 1st), seventeen (17) had open drainage (ranked 2nd), and only twelve (12)
had an open kind of drainage system (ranked 3rd). This result indicates that the
community covered their drainage to avoid breeding of mosquitoes that might result to
dengue fever among the people in the community.
Furthermore, there were forty-eight (48) participants or 85.71% who said that they
needed help in cleaning their environment, and only eight (8) or 14.29% responded that
they did not need help related to cleaning their environment. In connection to this data,
there were fifty-three (53) participants who said that they needed knowledge pertaining to
the proper cleaning method of the surroundings (ranked 1st) and only three (3)
participants said that they did not need any information about adequate cleaning the
environment (ranked 2nd). In terms of the type of knowledge required in taking care of the
environment, forty-six (46) participants shared that they needed to be educated
specifically relating to the proper segregation of garbage (ranked 1st); proper way of
recycling like reduce, reuse, recycle (ranked 2 nd); waste water treatment (ranked 3rd);
material recovery facility or MRF (ranked 4th); and usage of environmental-friendly
products and materials (ranked 5th). This data denotes that the Ati Indigenous People as a
community of people shows intention to learn on the appropriate keeping and cleaning
their environment, despite their lack of higher educational attainment.
This result relates to the report of the World Health Organization (2017) that
disclosed that globally, 946 million people still open defecate (9 out of 10 live in rural
areas), 2.4 billion people lack access to basic sanitation (7 out of 10 in rural areas), 663
million lack access to basic water sources. Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death
in children under five, much of which is preventable by clean water and sanitation.
Sanitation is one of the most critical aspects of community well-being because it protects
 28

human health, extends life spans, and is documented to benefit the economy. Sanitation is
currently deployed to contain and treat human excreta (and grey water) to protect human
health and the environment, including water body sources for drinking water. Necessary
sanitation facilities are defined as being used by only one household and may empty on-
site or are connected to a sewer system that may or may not be followed by treatment.
Although sanitation infrastructure can be expensive, the return on investment and job
creation is documented as being much greater. The lack of sanitation is also known to
impart high costs and job losses to the industrial, health, agricultural, and tourism sectors

Table 13. Education and Literacy Needs (n=56)

Frequency
Children Attending school Percent (%)
(f)
Yes 42 75.00
No 13 23.21
Non Response 1 1.78
Programs Needed in Teaching (%)
Children f
Yes 52 92.86
No 3 5.35
Non-Response 1 1.78
Type of Literacy Education f Rank
Reading 51 1.5
Writing 51 1.5

Table 13 presents the data relating to education and literacy needs of the community
of the research participants, wherein there were forty-two (42) of the participants,
comprising of 75% who responded that had children who were attending school, and only
one (1) participant did not respond to this concern. Just like other parents or guardians,
they have seen the value of education, this data indicates that the new generation of the
Ati Indigenous People in the City of Naga, Cebu showed importance towards education
by sending their children to formal school since basic education is now accessible to them
considering that they live in an urbanized community. In relation to this aspect, there
were fifty-two (52) participants who believed that their children need educational
programs, and only one (1) participant did not respond to this question. In terms of the
type literacy education that they needed, fifty-one (51) participants shared that they had
their children needed to be taught about reading and writing. Hence, it can be inferred
that the members of the Ati Indigenous People would be willing to learn on how to read
and write.
According to Cosentino (2016), education is increasingly recognized as one of the
best long-term financial and social investments countries can make. Appropriate
education enables indigenous children and adult learners to exercise and enjoy economic,
social, and cultural rights. It also strengthens their ability to exercise their civil rights to
influence political policy processes for enhanced protection of their human rights.
Education is, therefore, a vital means for the enjoyment, maintenance, and transmission
of indigenous cultures, languages, traditions, and traditional knowledge, as well as a
vehicle for individual empowerment and agency. Although the education systems,
 29

policies, and curricula are rarely developed with indigenous peoples’ participation or
consent, they have mostly failed indigenous children and stripped them from vital life
opportunities and cultural security. The right to education is a universal human right,
essential to bridge gaps in social well-being, equity, and opportunity.

Table 14. Security and Protection Needs (n=56)

Frequency Percent
Training Need for Defense Tactics
(f) (%)
Yes (Needed) 50 90.91
No (Not Needed) 5 9.09
Non Response 1 1.78
Type of Trainings Needed f Rank
Self-defense 38 1
Martial Arts 6 4
Traffic Management 7 3
Disaster Risks Reduction
Management 27 2

Table 14 reveals the security and protection needs of the community of the research
participants. Fifty (50) participants, consisting of 90.91% said they needed training on
defense tactics, while one (1) participant, comprising of 1.78% of the participants did not
respond on this question in the survey tool. In terms of the types of activities that they
needed, the participants said they needed training on the following: self-defense (ranked
1st), disaster risks reduction management (ranked 2nd), traffic management (ranked 3rd)
and martial arts (ranked 4th). This results show that the Ati Indigenous People required the
movement to secure and protect their families and the community, just like other
indigenous peoples, as reported by the International Labor Organization (2017). It was
disclosed in the report that the lack of access to adequate social protection is a reality for
millions of men, women, and children belonging to indigenous people, who needs to be
understood against the context of their common experience of historic injustices,
including colonization and dispossession of their lands, territories and resources.
In addition, Sepúlveda and Nyst (2012), opined that the large majority of indigenous
men and women are engaged in various traditional occupations and informal economic
activities in rural and urban areas for which social security coverage is limited or
unavailable. Everyone's rights to social security are enshrined in the Universal
Declaration on Human Rights (Art. 22) and the International Covenant on Economic,
Social, and Cultural Rights (article 9). The UN Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights has emphasized also that states should take particular care in which
indigenous people are not excluded from social security systems through direct or
indirect discrimination, particularly through the imposition of unreasonable eligibility
conditions or inadequate access to information.

Table 15. Barangay Service Delivery Needs (n=56)

Frequency Percentage
Automated System Needs
(f) (%)
Yes (Needed) 52 92.86
 30

No (Not Needed) 4 7.14

Types of Documents f Rank
Types of documents usually secured at
the barangay hall/office
Cedula/ Community Tax Certificate 48 2
Barangay Clearance 51 1
Barangay Certification (e.g.business,
indigency,etc.) 41 3
Others 5 4

The data in table 15 shows the barangay service delivery needs of the community of
the research participants, wherein fifty-two (52), comprising of 92.86% said that they
needed an automated system in their community and four (4) participants, consisting of
7.14% who said that they did not need any computerized system in the government. The
types of documents that they usually secured at the barangay hall were the following:
barangay clearance (ranked 1st), cedula or community tax certificate (ranked 2nd),
barangay certification like for business permit requirement, indigency, and etc. (ranked
3rd); and others.
The results concur with Oosterom’s (2007) idea that public sector leaders
worldwide face a standard set of challenges if their services meet the increased
expectations of their ‘customers,’ both citizens and businesses. However, many
experiences show that while the challenges may be consistent, how they are being
confronted, and the results being achieved, vary considerably. While the public sector
does not choose its customers, it is required to service them and their diverse
requirements are another factor driving the need for new service delivery strategies. For
the public sector, the provision of customer-centric services is no simple task. A number
of significant challenges need to overcome. Services must be delivered on a wide scale.
Customer journeys often interface with several different public sector agencies.
Customer-centricity will often also need to take account of internal customers, the public
sector agencies that have to be integrated as part of the drive towards enhanced service
delivery.
Table 16. Needs for Cultural Preservation (n=56)
Existence of Programs in Preserving Culture of Frequency Percent
the Local Ati Indigenous People (f) (%)
Yes 51 91.07
No 5 8.93
Need for Museum F (%)
Yes (Needed) 50 89.29
No (Not Needed) 6 10.71
*Multiple Response
Ati Indigenous Peoples’ Culture (f) (%)
Unity 9 8
Obedience 1 18.5
IP month celebration 9 8
Being hardworking 7 12
Performing Ati rituals (tutho, pagbata, 30 1
 31

pagpangayam,hambabaylan,paghalad, etc.)
Ati wedding (kasal sa bundo) 12 6
Selling/using herbal medicine (bulung) 20 3
Ati farming 1 18.5
Traditional dance (Ati-atihan) 16 4
Inati language 12 5
Family oriented 2 14.5
Ati prayer (pangamuyo) 1 18.5
Ati hilot/massage 2 14.5
Use of bahag and tapis 8 11
Ati games (pitiw, tubigay, & etc.) 8 11
Ritual for the dead (Didididi) 8 11
Ati song (Iloilo Banua, etc.) 9 8
Hunting 5 13
Physical appearance 1 18.5
Ati food (Ituk/haw, dapli) 23 2
Transfer to places 1 18.5
Anting-anting 1 18.5
Friendly 1 18.5
Multiple Response

Table 16 presents the data pertaining to the need of the Ati Indigenous People to
preserve their cultural heritage. Fifty-one (51) participants or equivalent to 91.07%
shared that they have existing programs in preserving the local culture of Ati t Indigenous
People, while the remaining five (5), consisting of 8.93% participants said that they did
not have any existing programs at all. Out of that number, there were fifty (50)
participants who respondent that they needed to set up a museum where they can display
and preserve the things of the past while six (6) participants said that they did not need
any museum at all. The top five (5) commonly practiced cultural tradition of the Atis
were the following: Ati rituals like tutho, pagbata, pagpangayam, hambabaylan,
paghalad, and etc. (ranked 1st ), Ati food like Ituk or haw and dapli (ranked 2nd), Ati hilot
or massage (ranked 3rd), traditional dance or Ati-atihan (ranked 4th), and Inati language
(ranked 5th). The results show that they had existing cultural programs and still perform
Ati traditional practices as a manifestation of their true culture. Therefore, they really
need of a museum to showcase the things of their ancestors so that they can also pass this
rich heritage to the next generations
Traditional knowledge is at the core of indigenous identity like culture, languages,
heritage and livelihoods, and its transmission from one generation to the next, which
must be protected, preserved and encouraged. Also, the traditional knowledge is
transmitted between generations through stories, songs, dances, carvings, paintings and
performances. However, global histories of colonialism, exploitation and dispossession
continue to undermine and undervalue these aspects. In many countries, indigenous
children and youth are not taught in their native languages. Calling for financial and
technical support and everyone are encouraged to ensure that all children and youth are
connected to their indigenous community and their culture, which is inextricably linked
to their lands, territories and natural resources (United Nations, 2019).
 32

Table 17. Community Service Needs

Frequency Percentage
Indicators
(f) (%)
Community Services Conducted
Yes 55 98.21
None 1 1.79
Type of Community Services
(f) Rank
Rendered
Feeding (Pagpakaon) 51 1
Gift giving (Panghatag ug 48
gasa/regalo) 2
Clean-up drive (Pagpanglimpyo) 34 3
Literacy Programs (Nagtudlo ug
suwat ug basa) 26 6
Livelihood seminars and training
(Training sa panginabuhi) 27 5
Health Education (Kasayuran sa
maayong panglawas) 32 4
Others 1 7
*Multiple Response
Overall Impression of
(f) (%)
Community Services
Not good (Dili maayo) 2 3.57
Fair (Dili kaayo maayo) 7 12.50
Moderately Good (Maayo sa 9
kasagarang aspeto) 16.07
Very Good (Maayo kayo) 37 66.07
Non Response 1 1.78

The data contained in table 17 shows the community service needs as perceived by
the research participants. Fifty-five (55), comprised of 98.21% of the participants shared
that there were services conducted in their community, and only one (1), consisted of
1.79% who said that there was none. Further, the top five services undertaken in the
community of the Ati Indigenous People were the following: feeding (ranked 1st); gift
giving (ranked 2nd); clean-up drive (ranked 3rd); health education (ranked 4th); and
livelihood seminars and trainings (ranked 5th). In terms of community services' overall
impression, thirty-seven (37) participants, comprising of 66.07% rated those services
conducted by the internal stakeholders of the University of Cebu-Banilad as very good. In
contrast, there was only one (1), consisting of 1.78% did not rate nor respond to this
question in the questionnaire. This result of the study showed that the majority of the
participants find the various community extension services and program done by the
faculty members, non-teaching personnel and students to be very satisfactory, which
denotes a high degree of satisfaction on their part, being the primary beneficiaries.
Community service is part of the focal functions of the higher education institution,
along with instruction, research, and production. Students who participate in high-quality
 33

community-based service-learning enjoy a number of benefits, both in their personal and

professional life, according to numerous studies carried out in the K-12 and Higher
Education programs. Researchers also found out that community service enhanced
students' problem-solving skills, improved their ability to work within a team, and
enabled them to plan more effectively. Another benefit of service-learning is that young
people are far more likely to remain engaged when seeing that their participation is
producing change in the society where they are part of. This helps them realize that they
can make useful contributions towards the society through service and social action. It
also helps them cultivate connections between various organizations, schools, and
community groups, proving to be very useful later on in their life (Stenger, 2013).

Table 18. Problems Encountered of the Ati Indigenous People’s Members

Frequency
Community Problem Indicators Rank
(f)
No live birth civil registration 11 8
No baptismal and other documents 12 6
No work or source of living 30 1
Lack of educational assistance 19 2
No food 12 6
No permanent house/lot title 17 3
Bullying 4 14.5
Discrimination 6 10.5
Low literacy rate 1 22
Financial literacy 3 17
Sanitation 5 13
Electricity 9 9
Poverty 5 13
No sustainable livelihood programs 6 10.5
No comfort rooms (own and public) 13 4
Low water supply 12 6
Far from medical clinic and hospital 2 19.5
Road going to our sitio is not concrete 3 17
No basketball courts and other recreational
facilities 1 22
No cooperation among residents 4 14.5
No discipline 3 17
Not using our Ati language 1 22
No access to healthcare services 5 13
Daycare center for Ati 2 19.5
*Multiple Response

Table 18 presents the data on the problems encountered by the research participants
in their community. The top five (5) problems that concerned the members of the Ati
Indigenous People included: no source of livelihood (ranked 1st); lack of educational
 34

assistance (ranked 2nd); no permanent house or lot title (ranked 3rd); no comfort rooms of
their own and even publicly-owned (ranked 4th); and no baptismal and other documents,
no food and low water supply (ranked 6th, respectively). The result shows that the
problems faced by the majority of the Ati Indigenous People were on the lack of
infrastructural support, government services, and social mechanisms that would make
them entitled to the land where they build their dwellings. On top of these issued, it is
apparent that this vulnerable people were living in poverty since they divulged that at
time they do not have food to eat for the members of the community. It can be observed
that they did not have enough amount of water that enabled them to practice cleanliness
and sanitation in their own household and the surroundings to avoid the spread of
diseases.
Families have family issues, and communities have community problems.
Communities must come together to solve their problems, just like families. When
communities try to solve problems, they start just like individuals do. They must reflect
and analyze the issue to help come to a solution. But, before discussing solutions,
problems must be identified. Community problems can arise in any part of a community
and come from any aspect of community life. There is a long list of community problems
and examples are adolescent pregnancy, access to sanitation, child abuse and neglect,
crime, domestic violence, drug use, pollution, mismanagement of resources, lack of
funding for schools and services, ethnic conflict, health disparities, hunger, inadequate
emergency services, inequality, jobs, poverty, and transportation (Community Tool Box,
2020).

Table 19. Ways in which Internal Stakeholders of UC

Can Help the Ati Community
Frequency
Indicators Rank
(f)
Conduct medical check-up 7 13
Give free medicine 7 13
Help address current problems 6 14
Educational scholarship 19 2
Provide job opportunities 20 1
Give food 10 11
Provide sustainable livelihood
programs 18 3
Literacy programs 7 13
Help sell Ati products (nito and
herbal) 13 7
Area for gardening 1 19.5
School supplies 6 14
School uniform and shoes 2 16
Sports equipment for youth 1 20.5
Help process documents of children
(live birth, baptismal, etc.) 15 5
Help to have permanent house/lot title 13 7
Electric lines 11 9
 35

Water supply 13 7
Inform NCIP of our needs 1 20.5
Provide comfort rooms 9 10
Gift-giving 1 20.5
Information drive about IPs 2 16
Sanitation Seminar 1 20.5
Road construction 2 16
Volleyball court construction 1 20.5
Ati Day or cultural programs
*Multiple Response 16 4

Table 19 shows the data relating to the various ways in in which the University of
Cebu-Banilad students, teaching staff, and non-teaching personnel can help in addressing
the problems encountered by the people within the Ati Indigenous People community.
The top five (5) ways in which the internal stakeholders of the University of Cebu (UC)
Banilad can truly help the members of the Ati Indigenous People were on the foregoing:
provide job opportunities (ranked 1st); educational scholarship (ranked 2nd); provide
sustainable livelihood programs (ranked 3rd); Ati Day or cultural programs (ranked 4th );
and help in processing the documents of the children like live birth, baptismal certificate,
and etc. (ranked 5th). The results show that there are different ways in which the
University of Cebu-Banilad students, teachers, and office-based employees can help in
addressing the problems experienced by the members of Ati Indigenous People living in
South Poblacion, Naga City, Cebu through the community extension programs and
activities that the Higher Education Institutions will undertake there.
Hence, the universities are expected to reach out to the communities in different
ways. But the community programs of the university should be based on the needs. The
need is neither the baseline nor the future situation, but rather the gap between them. In
analyzing the gap, organizations begin with identifying the problems, opportunities,
strengths, challenges, and possible new directions. The needs assessment provides a
systematic set of procedures undertaken to set priorities and make decisions about
program improvement and allocation of resources (Henderson & Bialeschki, 2010).

CONCLUSIONS

In the light of the findings of this investigation, it is concluded that the members of
the Ati Indigenous People living in the City of Naga, Cebu, Philippines have myriad of
needs in social, economic, health, environmental sanitation, security, education/literacy,
as well as needs to preserve the cultural heritage that they can pass on to the next
generation. Also, these needs should be addressed to ensure that their true identity would
not be lost with the passage of time and in the midst of modernization and globalization
in the society where they co-exist. The existence of these community needs stemmed
from the fact that the majority of them were not highly educated and they lack the
opportunity to work or own a sustainable means of livelihood that enabled them to live a
comfortable and justifiable standard of living just like other Filipinos in this country.
Therefore, this calls for the tribal leaders, with the help of barangay officials, Local
Government Unit (LGU) of the City of Naga, and National Commission on Indigenous
 36

Peoples, along with the partner institution like the University of Cebu-Banilad, would
forge collaborative actions to address many problems encountered by this vulnerable
groups of the society and helped in ensuring that the Filipino origin would be preserved
and protected.

TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH

With the findings at hand, there is a need to craft sustainable community outreach
and extension programs initiated by the University of Cebu-Banilad along with a strong
collaboration with the tribal leaders, barangay officials, Local Government Unit (LGU)
of the City of Naga, and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). The
sustainable community programs can be divided into certain number of programs with
specific colleges who will spearhead the community programs based on their field of
expertise. The social needs including the organization building, security, education, and
delivery of services will be addressed through the sustainable programs of the following
colleges: School of Law, College of Criminology, College of Computer Studies, and
College of Education. The sustainable programs addressing the Ati Indigenous People's
economic needs will be initiated by the College of Business and Accountancy and Senior
High School Department. The sustainable programs to address the health, sanitation, and
environmental needs of the Ati Indigenous People will be initiated by the College of
Medical Technology and College of Nursing and Midwifery, and College of Engineering.
And the sustainable programs addressing the Ati Indigenous People's cultural needs will
be led by the College of Tourism and College of Hospitality Management. Non-teaching
staff and department heads will assist the colleges in the programs where they can
support best.

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