Child in a Banca

This child was sitting in a banca in their community. Banca is a small boat can be found in Pacific waters especially in the Philippines. This kid is part of the indigenious community called "Ati" can be found in Boracay island located in the Philippines. Atis are said to be the first people to live in Boracay. Before the tourism grew on the island, Atis can freely roam to hunt for animals and gather plants in the said island. But today they are situated in a 2.1 hectare of land in one of the barangay in the island. The Ati community are said to be struggle from their rights over their ancestral land as well as the children are discriminated and experience bullying when they go to school to study. One story tells from an Ati woman said that most of the children did not continue to study in school because of the bullying they've experience in school. But one woman from Ati thank President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for the rehabilitation that happened in Boracay for the governments effort to preserve the island in its beauty. President Duterte also personally distributed Certificates of Land Ownership to the Ati community on November 8, 2019 and encouraged them to till the land and make it productive. The bancas plays a significant roles in their lives, not just only they use it for living. But also a representation of their lives as when the banca sail in the sea. It ebb and it flows. Just like the life of every Atis their are highs and lows.