Ati tribe stories

An Ati woman uses the new water spigot in Malay, Aklan, Philippines.
By / November 11, 2024

This page is special to us. Especially since the Ati tribal chieftain was killed in a horrible boat crash near Boracay Island in the Philippines in 2023.

This page starts with an overview of of the projects we Earth Vagabonds did for the indigenous Ati tribe in mainland Malay, on Panay Island. Next, we cover details of on the death of the Chief. And finally, every blog post about our work with the Ati from our years in the Philippines during the pandemic is linked from this page.

Overview: Ati projects for Kurong Village

We met our Ati friends by chance, luck, fate — whatever you want to call it — at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis.

When we learned they had a village without water and electricity, we decided to help. The Chief most wanted easier access to drinking water for his marginalized tribe. We determined that first we had to bring electricity to the village so that we could install a water pump in their water source at the bottom of a small mountain.

We also did a lot more for our Ati friends.

Ati projects by Earth Vagabonds & donors

  1. Drinking water
  2. Electricity
  3. Henhouse to provide/sell eggs
  4. Gardens to grow food
  5. Fruit trees for food and landslide prevention
  6. Fishing boats and gear
  7. Footbridge for easier village access
  8. Community center rebuilt typhoon shelter
  9. Hoop, swings, sunset seating
    • *Salaries paid to Ati for all projects

Where did we get all this money to help these people? Some of our 2k per month budget was unused during the pandemic, since we were not traveling. Also, we had wonderful and generous overseas donors.

We keep in touch with our mainland Ati friends, and we grieve the loss of Chieftain Ernesto Coching along with our Ati brothers and sisters.

Ati Chieftain Ernesto Coching killed in boat crash

Ellen and Ati Chief Ernesto Coching.

Theo wrote about the horrible boat crash that killed him, and that post is here.

Death update – March 2024

The Chief’s family has an attorney. They are trying to sue Shangri-La for damages.

But the Philippine court system is incredibly slow and there is no timeline on if their case might reach a settlement, or when their case might be heard.

Ati blog entries from our time in the Philippines

Below you will find every post we ever wrote involving our projects and our friends. The list starts with Theo’s return to the Philippines in 2024 (Ellen went to the USA the summer). The last post on this list goes to the beginning: the story of how we met this beautiful indigenous tribe.

We are forever changed.

An Ati woman uses the new water spigot in Malay, Aklan, Philippines.
Grandma and child at the early Christmas delivery for the Ati tribe in Malay, Philippines.
Santa with Ati children
Mom Diane hikes Ati hills.
tedly at new ati henhouse site
Ati men haul up supplies to the upper village in Cogon, Malay, Philippines in 2020.
Ellen smiles inside the rebuilt Ati henhouse on mainland Malay in the Philippines.
Theo looks amazed by the Ati engineered footbridge
tedly and workers on payday with Ati donations
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