Gloria Dominguez   Bronx, NY -- 2007-01-23

God Bless You for taking a photo that represents the presence of people who are cleary of African Descent in the Phillipines. All human beings are beautiful in the eyes of God, but people of African descent all over the world are usually underepresented and hidden if at all possible. Thank You for displaying these beautiful images!

Jim   Rodriguez -- 2007-04-13

But there not African Decendants. They are the indigenous people of the Phillipines, their ancestors came to the Phillipines for thousands and thousands of years ago. They are unique people, and are very different from African people culturally and physically. They often put in a separate race away from Negro, Mongoloid, and other races. They are related to people in the Andaman islands, parts of Thailand, Indonesia. They differ in size compared to other races. And many Filipino Aeta often mix with the general population. They are unique and beautiful people

Yasmeen   Raleigh,NC -- 2007-06-15

Mr.Rodriguez, you mentioned that these people migrated to the Phillipines thousands of years ago.
Ask your self, Where did they migrate from? It is no secret that civilization began in Africa and the physical evidence of this is clear in such people as the Aeta as well as the Orissa Tribe in India and the Australian Aboriginees. No, they are not Africans but the Aeta were actually included in the group termed "Negrito" during Spanish colonial rule. These beautiful Negroid features are still prevelent in some of the Aeta people as well as the Orissa tribal people of India,Australian Aboriginals and the Pacific Island people of Vanuatu who migrated thousands of years ago, without the involvement of slavery but are a people who are physically identical to black/african people.Yes I do agree that all people including these are very beautiful, but I know that in our racist world, the acceptance of human migration coming from Africa is hard for most people to accept.
If the Aeta people looked more European than anything else, our society would not hesitate to classify them as caucasoid/white
(which is also beautiful). Sadly to say, their living conditions would probably be much better if they looked and could be classified as caucasoid and not negroid. Think about it. Peace!

Tony Montanona   Manila -- 2007-08-13

It is through evolution that the Aetas are darker than your average Filipino. It is through evolution that the people from Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Palau islands, Melanesia are of a darker skin pigment. If their melatonin didn't evolve to suit their living environment then they would not have existed to this day. They are not Africans, far from it, Archaeological data can prove this and cultural traits can prove this. Aetas are physically and culturally Asian. They are the modern day descendants of the original people that inhabited the Philippines during the last ice age that connected Asia to the Philippine archipelago of today.

Angel   -- 2007-08-14

WHAT GREAT PHOTOS! They do have dark features, but we're all of one race in the world anyway, so it doesn't matter.

Linda   Reading,PA -- 2007-08-29

Wow! Look at page 3 picture #5994:"Sister Like Aeta Girls" and
Page 4 picture # 4197: "Aeta Children in Pampanga". These kids in these pictures do look black. Even though they are asian,I can certainly see why their is a question of origin. It's much more than having dark skin. They have beautiful afro's/woolly hair and what most people(with 20/20 vision) would consider to be african features (I'm refering to the kids in the pictures mentioned above) Anyone can have dark skin, but this hair texture and these features are specific to african origin. I love all the pictures of all the people and commend the photographer for showing everyone the diversity and living conditions of the Aeta. Where do we go to donate money to help them? Is their a website or phone mumber to contact to give donations?

George   Myrtle Beach, SC -- 2007-08-29

Beautiful people. They may not be Africans, but through human migration from Africa (in which applies to all people, including Europeans) you can clearly see the strong negroid/african features as well as asian features.Based on looks alone, (hair texture,facial features etc.)some of the Aeta can't be told apart from Africans. Their is a biological reason for this which includes human migration. Regardless of when we think the migration may have occured (ie.during the ice age etc.)these features are still present in these people. ALL of them are beautiful regardless of who they may resemble, though anyone with eyes could easily mistake some of these people for Africans if they weren't told differently. I agree with Yasmeen. Some people look down on anyone of African descent and the very notion of relating more people to the origin of Africa is considered a bad thing. No matter how we may rationalize it, our eyes don't lie. These beautiful Negroid facial features and hair texture have always originated from Africa before and after the "ice age". No, they are not Africans but anyone with eyes can see the obvious connections. If you gave some of these people a DNA test, I'm sure a significant percentage of sub-saharan african would show. We are all one race, but I can't help but wonder why the idea of acknowledging any ties with African origin seems to be such a problem for some people. I don't think we will truly see each other as one, until our society stops all racism and classism of any kind. The obvious tone of our society is that black or african and any of its derivitaves (such as negroid features and hair)is bad and White/European is good.
Any people in a culture that resemble or originate from Africa are discriminated against and hidden like these people. This is clear to me, and I'm White. Maybe our society should learn to admitt this so that people like the Aeta and other indigeanous groups and people of color can have equal rights all over the world. That may eliminate poverty and the need to donate money to people who would be very successful if it weren't for a racist cast system imposed on ALL OF THE WORLD! Great Pictures! Keep up the good work!

Natalie   -- 2008-02-21

George what do u mean by eyes shape. Research on the Khoi Khoi's they have the same eyeshape and they from africa. How difference face image is it of the aetas compare to the khoi khoi? they all the same to me. first of all. this is not about africa or asia or europe. africa is a made up word by the english...got it from the arab word faraqi meaning "to seperate" ...asia means "area" in arabic. so the truth is that. before a history called africa/europe/asia etc. it was people like the aetas people like the ones u see in africa. was the original birthright for all nations. now european people need to love it or like it. that is the true fact. if it wasn't for us. no other race would be found today.

Natalie   -- 2008-02-21

THEY ARE OF AFRICAN DESCENDANT. LOOK AT THE GUY IN THE RAPTORS SHIRT AND YOU TELL ME HOW MILLIONS OF THE SAME FACE U SEE IN THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA. ALSO FOR THOSE WHO KEEP SAYING THEY AREN'T. I SURE KNOW WHY U SAY THAT IS BECAUSE U AIN'T OF AFRICAN DESCENT. YOU ARE WHITE!

Justin   Harrisburg, PA -- 2008-03-25

I am from the philippines and i know how these eatas are. You guys are right the aetas immigrated thousands of years ago from africa. But what you guys dont know is that these people are more likely asians than african. Despite of their kinky hair, their face look more like dark skin asians from indonesia, thailand and some from the philippines. And one more thing the people of the philippines do not treat these aetas differently from them. These aetas chose to live the same way as their ancestors did. But some chose to live like others in the philippines.. Most aetas today live in an area where the gov't of the philippines gave them just like the American indian in the US. Because most of these aetas wanna live just like their ancestors. These people are beautiful and very unique. Very different from other indegenous people in the world. God bless these people.