The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has distributed hygiene kits to 11 Aeta communities in the municipality of Hamtic in this province.

Milagrosa V. Crespo, head of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) in Antique and Aklan provinces, said in an interview Monday that the hygiene kits were distributed to 512 Aetas, from August 19 to 20, in coordination with the DSWD.

Each beneficiary from 11 barangays received one hygiene kit containing shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, bathing and laundry soap, nail cutter, and shaver.

“Each of the hygiene kit placed on a pail cost about PHP1,090,” she said.

Aside from the Aetas in Hamtic, they will also distribute the kits to 107 Aetas in Anini-y and 252 Aetas in Tobias Fornier, Crespo added.

“We have already requested the local government units (LGUs) of Anini-y and Tobias Fornier if they could provide us transportation to get the kits from the DSWD warehouse in Molo, Iloilo City,” she said.

NCIP has recorded 9,378 Aetas who reside in the different municipalities of the province.

She said that so far they have not monitored any Aeta who had been sick of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

“The livelihood of these Aetas, however, was affected by the Covid-19 especially during the lockdown because they were not able to work in the farms,” she said. (PNA)