To this day, Indigenous peoples (IPs) continue to be subjected to discrimination from lowlanders. The misconceptions that surround IPs, such as the idea that they are impoverished and ignorant, are among the leading causes of social exclusion and inequality toward them. Lowlanders' ongoing discrimination has also caused them to become insecure about their physical appearance and have low self-esteem. Furthermore, Kara David has worked with various Indigenous groups in the Philippines through research, articles, and documentaries. Through her investigative journalism, she has always taken advantage of mass media to spread awareness about marginalized groups on the other side of discrimination and deepen the public’s empathy for the oppressed (Project Malasakit, 2020). Kara David’s research on Indigenous people portrays the detrimental consequences of society's poisonous standards, which have long opposed inclusivity. Her study about the experiences of the Ayta community highlights stereotypes, colorism, and racism against said group, which strongly coincides with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduced Inequalities, which aims to promote the significance of reducing inequalities among marginalized groups.

       The discrimination against IPs remarkably exhibits the prevalence and persistence of colorism and racism in Philippine society. Both of which portray oppression based on ethnicity, race, and skin color. In line with this, the Ayta Mag-Indi’s mindset regarding curly hair and skin color is negatively impacted due to prolonged exposure and interactions with people outside their community—lowlanders. Such an occurrence would be one of their practices called pangangamuhan. The children of the Ayta Mag-Indi of Porac and Floridablanca, Pampanga, partake in pangangamuhan for years, where they help wealthy Kapampangan families (without pay) with household and farm work such as tending to farm animals and cleaning the house, all in exchange for education, lodging, and food. Some Ayta Mag-Indi who have undergone this practice say that their amo (master) does not force them to change their appearance. However, the interaction between them and the unat (refers to the straight hair of lowlanders) changes their concept of beauty. The result is that the women get their hair straightened or rebonded while the men shave their heads to rid themselves of the curly hair. One participant in the research even mentioned that she believes she would not be discriminated against and looked down upon as much if she had lighter skin, so she prefers it and uses skin-whitening products. However, this occurrence also causes conflicts within their community as elderly Ayta Mag-Indi believe it is a disgrace to their heritage and encourages more degradation instead of seeing it as social mobility (David, 2021).

       Furthermore, in going to school, one of the main issues faced by Aeta is verbal bullying from fellow students and even teachers. They are often ridiculed and called derogatory names due to their physical appearance, deteriorating the motivation of Aeta students to go to school early in their schooling. There are also instances of physical violence inflicted upon them by their classmate, even in the presence of a teacher; an Aeta research participant mentioned that one time, they were getting dismissed as class was over, and as she stood up to leave, her classmate hit her with a book. Moreover, despite having secured equal education rights as established by policies globally and nationally, they continue to face racial injustices and oppression by not being able to thoroughly practice their rights as non-indigenous people would (Mendoza & Supan, 2023).

       Colorism and its association with beauty have long been part of Philippine culture. Correspondingly, skin whitening has become a cultural phenomenon  and a commercially valuable asset. Seeing that Spain, Japan, and America prefer a fair-skinned complexion, the culture of associating beauty, wealth, and status has been believed to have stemmed from the colonizers that have previously set foot upon the country. Consequently, Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines included, admire a fair complexion. Darker skin color also signifies inferiority and people with such color remain to be set aside in society as colorism favors light-skinned people more. The discrimination’s frequency and intensity will also depend on skin tone—how dark an individual is  (Lopez, 2024). Moreover, the critical race theory (CRT) suggests that the world has developed and is centered on a Eurocentric perspective which reinforces the notion that white people are superior in society. That the standards of beauty, perspectives, knowledge for every member of society are set by being white, “a superior way of living.” This implies that those who have physical traits similar to those of white people typically have more privileges than those who do not as darker complexion is often linked to lack of intelligence, unattractiveness, increased aggression, and low socioeconomic status (Rodriguez, 2019).

       From this, it can be seen that colorism is rampant in the Philippines. Understanding that darker skin color denotes negative notions while light skin color equates to positive ideologies and associating these concepts to the Aeta’s dark complexion, curly hair, and non-Western appearance it greatly parallels the white’s fair complexion and straight to wavy hair. Based solely on what is stated, the Aeta are bound to get discriminated against for their physical characteristics given the kind of mindset that Filipinos harbor with regards to colorism. This provides a clear picture that society’s discrimination is deeply rooted on historical influence left by colonizers that were propagated into the concept of colorism and has become part of Philippine culture. 

       The prejudices surrounding the Aeta is also a manifestation of racism. Going back to the concept of colorism and CRT, light colored skin depicts high social status because it signifies that they have not worked for long periods of time under the sun to have gained a dark complexion. Although, CRT does not necessarily pertain to Filipinos and the manifestations of colorism in the country, a good number of points can be effectively applied. The foundations of CRT coincide with the mistreatment of marginalized groups and the superiority of one race for all, in this case fair-skinned over dark-skinned; lowlanders over Aeta. Furthermore, because the "unat" have consistently discriminated against them, seeing that lowlanders have high regard for their education, the Aeta have placed a great value on formal education as  well as a means of eradicating these prejudices (Balbas et al., 2022). IPs also understand that because of their lack of education, they are not able to secure jobs which result in cyclical poverty and lack of education. 

       They are even labeled as people of low intellect due to their illiteracy but it is not due to their disapproval of studying, the Mt. Pinatubo eruption led to Aeta’s relocation in resettlement homes which are far from schools, livelihood opportunities, and markets, that limit Aeta’s developmental progress. Due to the distance from institutions, they remain illiterate and have no access to proper education and livelihood. NGOs have reached out to help with their problems, however the seminars held to discuss with and educate farmers have limited impact on their community because of the issues with illiteracy (Coderes et al., 2022). In relation to this, some hindrances for the Ayta’s path to success, include: financial problems, language barrier, bullying, discrimination, distance from educational facilities, and social injustices (terrorists and COVID-19 pandemic). The parents also encourage their children to attend school as they did not get to have their tertiary education (Dalisay, 2023). Moreover, these stereotypes generalize the Aeta as a whole, disregarding the efforts others have put into attaining and finishing their education despite discrimination and hardships that they faced even from fellow Aeta. The Ayta Mag-Indi now have some members of the community that have attained college-level education (Revilla, 2022). 

       Through her works, Kara David acts as a bridge for social awareness on discrimination against Aeta. Kara David is an award-winning Filipino journalist known for her various works such as hosting TV shows, research articles, and documentaries. Some of her documentaries feature the Aeta, like “Kawayang Alkansya” in 2019, where Arthur, an Aeta, who has been brought to Manila to ask for alms back when he was seven years old, changes his ways and opts to sell two hundred bamboo money banks. Which inspired Kara David through their determination and persistence (GMA News Online, 2019). The documentary also shows the journey of Arthur and his family walking for more or less an hour down the mountain and catching a bus at the terminal to travel to Bulacan for almost 5 hours, all that during Christmas eve to sell their alkansyang kawayan. It is an inspiring film that promotes social awareness and shows the lives of indigenous peoples their perseverance to make their lives better in a dignified way. It also portrays the hardships that IPs go through to earn a living due to their lack of education, which greatly emphasizes the need for social change. 

       Utilizing journalism as a platform, Kara David’s works contribute to the UN SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities. Firstly, through her works that expose the oppression that Aeta endured. A study should focus on the uniqueness of a culture to understand and develop empathy towards their people, like with the Aeta. Through this, the viewers will be able to identify the reasons behind the disparities and how they were able to adapt from such experiences similar to mistreatment and oppression brought by lowlanders (Anicas, 2021). Secondly, Kara David provides opportunities for Aeta through her passion project, Project Malasakit and she also supports the people that she has featured in her works. Moreover, she helps children go to school through Project Malasakit and one of her scholars since the 4th grade is a proud and beautiful Aeta from Pampanga named Bimiana Capuno. She graduated from senior high school and was congratulated by David (Quieta, n.d). Kara David makes full use of her resources to spread awareness and does not just end the day packing up from the research site, instead she exerts effort into helping others alleviate their situation in her own way.

       Amidst the persistent injustices toward the indigenous peoples in the Philippines, the urgent need for systemic change and societal recognition of their right also grows. As they continue to experience discrimination, efforts to challenge these injustices must also intensify. Kara David’s storytelling serves as a catalyst for awareness, policy change, and social inclusion, making a significant impact in the fight against discrimination. Through her work, she not only amplifies the voices of marginalized communities but also inspires action toward a more just and equitable society.