GK Hope Village School Appeal

I’ve now been back in Australia 6 weeks. It was quite surreal and joyous at first after having been away for 16 months. It was so nice catching up with family and friends, reacquainting myself with my country and culture and … earning a wage again! But I have also started feeling the effects of reverse culture shock – Australia seems so quiet, clean and orderly, and despite our relative material wealth, we seem to find plenty to complain about. I find my thoughts often drifting back to the Philippines – fond memories of the families who were so happy to receive their own home for the first time in their lives and the dedicated full time GK volunteers who made it happen. It’s not something I can easily forget, nor want to.

Since I’ve been back, I’ve heard that GK Hope Village really want a school, and in fact, when I was there I had thought to myself several times “what this village really needs now is a school” but there had been no funding for it. So, I have decided to make a commitment, along with a Canadian volunteer, to raise the money to build a 2 classroom school for the Village. Those who have been following my blog might remember references to GK Hope Village. It houses approximately 100 families and is situated in the foothills on the outskirts of Talisay – the municipality just north of Bacolod. Most of the families were poor squatters ‘relocated’ to this site from the city when the government ordered them to leave their shanties prior to the government destroying them for an alternate use for the land. The families were expected to rebuild their lives and their homes with whatever materials they can find on the relocation site. This is where GK came in to help these relocated families build a village.

It is one of the first villages I visited in my first few weeks and was chaperoned around by Josephine, the delightful mother of 3, who insisted on shading my white skin from the sun with her umbrella. Many of the houses have been funded by Anna Balcells and family. Anna made the very inspiring speech during the handover of a batch of houses in the village that I included in blog post 16. When my Mum and Aunt visited last December, we held a Christmas party for the children of GK Hope Village and were overwhelmed by the fun that was possible from a simple packet of balloons and amazed by the Christmas trees they’d made from waste materials. As yet, the village has no school. At present, the nearest school is over 5km away. This is too far for children to walk every day, and most parents cannot afford the transport to send their children to school. My experience in the Philippines confirmed my firm belief in education as vital in breaking the cycle of poverty.

The School will cost PHP 500,000, the equivalent of approx. AU$12,000. My commitment is to raise half of that (i.e. $6,000). Thanks to the generosity of family and work colleagues, I have so far raised close to $3,000. I am now appealing for donations to raise the remaining $3,000. All donations are tax deductible and you can rest assured it will be going directly where it is needed. Perhaps you’re stuck for what to get that hard-to-buy-for friend or family member for Christmas … why not make a donation to the GK Hope Village School fund in their name? (And to my family and friends … if you don’t know what to get me for Christmas – a donation for the school would be a fantastic present that will keep on giving!)

If you would like to help me reach the $6,000 target, please contact me.

Stay tuned for updates on progress.

32 – Reflections – 4 months on ...

It’s now 4 months since I left Philippines. I’ve been reflecting recently on my experiences and adventures, while doing further travel in Asia and Europe and also anticipating what it’s going to be like finally returning home to Australia in late October.

Looking back at what drove me to do it:

First and foremost a simple and pure desire to help a developing country. Rather than a short term trip that I could squeeze into my annual leave or offering to do pro-bono work from home in my spare time, I preferred the idea of immersion, full time for a year or so in the hope that this would allow a deeper understanding of the country and culture giving a better chance to offer assistance that was more realistic and sustainable. There was also, of course, a sense of adventure burning within me eager for a personal challenge and to discover exotic places.

It was a pretty simple (perhaps naïve) desire, because one of the things I soon discovered was that international development/aid work is a complex beast – how should it be offered, on who’s terms, what’s our motivation for offering it, is it going where its needed etc etc. When I came across this poem, I found it amusing but also disturbing given the truths, from my observations in the world of international development, that lie behind the humour.

The Development Set

Excuse me, friends, I must catch my jet –
I’m off to join the Development Set;
My bags are packed, and I’ve had all my shots,
I have travellers’ cheques and pills for the trots.

The Development Set is bright and noble,
Our thoughts are deep and our vision global;
Although we move with the better classes,
Our thoughts are always with the masses.

In Sheraton hotels in scattered nations,
We damn multinational corporations;
Injustice seems so easy to protest,
In such seething hotbeds of social rest.

We discuss malnutrition over steaks
And plan hunger talks during coffee breaks.
Whether Asian floods or African drought,
We face each issue with an open mouth.

We bring in consultants whose circumlocution
Raises difficulties for every solution –
Thus guaranteeing continued good eating
By showing the need for another meeting.

The language of the Development Set,
Stretches the English alphabet;
We use swell words like ‘epigenetic’,
‘Micro’, ‘Macro’, and ‘logarithmetic’.

Development Set homes are extremely chic,
Full of carvings, curios and draped with batik.
Eye-level photographs subtly assure
That your host is at home with the rich and the poor.

Enough of these verses – on with the mission!
Our task is as broad as the human condition!
Just pray to God the biblical promise is true:
The poor ye shall always have with you.

By Ross Coggins

No matter how much I thought of Bacolod as home, for the time that I was there, I was always and would always be seen as a foreigner who could only be passing through. There was always the constant offers of taxi’s or tricycads to the airport or seaport. And I must be an American. One day I was on a jeepney and a stranger tried to strike up a conversation with me by asking “What state are you from?”. When I said “New South Wales” he gave me a very puzzled look. “Australia” I added. “Oh, you’re Australian” he said “I thought you were from the States”. My flatmate and fellow AYAD Rachel who arrived a few months before I left, was asked whether she was a Mormon, a missionary or a mountaineer?!

Personally, I felt very strongly about not wanting to be seen as a missionary, but for many Filipino’s, it was an easier concept to grasp than ‘volunteer’ because it was what they were used to and could accept. For me, the term “missionary” is associated with colonialism and forcing change on a community, rather than helping a community to achieve their own goals on their own terms. Filipino national hero, Jose Rizal, a man before his time, recognised the evils of colonialism at the time and wrote about “those who come to shape our destinies” in the novel (Noli Me Tangere) that ultimately got him hung by the Spanish:

“…let us not ask for concern with what is good for the country of him who comes as a stranger to make his own fortune and leave afterwards. What does it matter to him to earn the gratitude or the curses of a people he does not know, in a country where he does not have his roots, where he has no memories to cherish or loves to keep? For glory to be palatable and agreeable it is necessary that it resound in the ears of our loved ones, in the atmosphere of our home or the Motherland which will hold our ashes. We want glory to crown us in our graves, to warm the cold of death with its rays, to keep us from being reduced to nothingness, and instead to leave something of ourselves. Nothing of this sort can we promise those who come to shape our destinies. And the worst in all of this is that they leave when they start to realize their duties.”

The short term nature of overseas aid work or development is often cited as huge hindrance to its sustainability. Even after my 10 months I was only just feeling like I knew what I was doing when it was time to leave. So I can understand why the emphasis of the AYAD program is on building capacity of the locals so that the work can continue after you’ve left, more or less the same sentiments of this poem from PRRM (Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement):

Building capacities for sustainability

Go to the people
Live among them
Learn from them
Plan with them
Work with them
Start with what they know
Build on what they have
Teach by showing
Learn by doing
Not a showcase but a pattern
Not odds and ends but a system
Not piecemeal but integrated approach
Not to conform but transform
Not relief but release

This poem really strikes a chord with me. It pretty much sums up the AYAD approach and what I was striving to do. But strangely, it’s not as easy as it sounds. The cultural differences when it comes to decision making or problem solving is a good illustration of one of the many challenges. On several occasions a local would ask me what I wanted to do (for example, this might be in a work situation regarding whether I want to attend a meeting or maybe in a travel situation regarding where I want to go on the tour), which I defer back to them “what are the options, you’re the local experts, what do you recommend?”. This is not always taken positively. It would seem that unfortunately, the ingrained colonial mentality dictates that the Westerner must know what he/she wants and/or what is best. The local may see it as a weakness, ie the Westerner is allowing themselves to loose face, by openly asking for more information. Yet the Westerner is conditioned to approach decision making by gathering all information, assessing the options and coming up with the best possible solution. (e.g. What is the meeting about? Do you think it would be beneficial if I attend? Is that a priority for the organisation over what I’m working on now?) The Filipino way, however, is to go with gut feeling. Therefore, the local may not only be embarrassed but may be also confused as to why the Westerner is asking so many questions. In this situation, to retain harmony, the answer given will often be what the local thinks the Westerner wants to hear, rather than the true answer, because the ultimate aim is to keep the Westerner happy (even if only in the short term) … and make them stop asking so many questions! In such situations it is easy for the westerner to fall into the role of ‘colonial master’ because this sense of the superiority of the Westerner is reinforced by the locals. It was really important and also really challenging to avoid falling into that trap especially when such situations made for some rather frustrating work and travel experiences!

I think that I have changed as a result of my experiences, that is inevitable. Things that would normally stress me don’t phase me as much now. I’ve learned to go-with-the-flow a bit more. But at the same time, I have a new appreciation for ‘systems and procedures’ in a workplace. We often whinge about workplace bureaucracy back home, but it’s a lot more challenging trying to work in a place where they either don’t exist, are unclear, contradictory or not communicated.

I’m now starting to look forward to the familiarities of home, but also cognicent of what’s known as “The re-entries”. I know I will have to be prepared for mixed reactions from people. Some may consider that I’ve just been on a holiday sponsored by the Australian government. Others may not understand why I would want to spend a year in a hot dirty place. Still others may see it as putting my career ‘on hold’ for a year rather than career development. And there will be those who will think that I must have done it to feel good about myself.

Overall, its been one of the best things I’ve ever done. My only regret perhaps was not making more of an effort to learn the language. As I’ve said before, most Filipino’s speak English (well, a Filipinised American English with splashes of Spanish). Some of the educated older generation can still speak Spanish but the main legacy of the Spanish was Catholocism while it was the Americans who brought the education system. Schools are taught in English and the national language Tagalog (which is the language spoken in Manila, subsequently made the national language much to the displeasure of the rest of the country who all have their own regional languages). For foreigners, there is a distinct lack of written resources for learning the regional languages outside of Manila. The language spoken in Bacolod is Ilonggo, known for its sing song intonation, which is very easy on the ear. People sound happy even when their being angry!

Although I didn’t pick up a lot of the spoken language, I found I did pick up many of the gestures or body language which I instinctively kept using in Vietnam to puzzled looks! Here’s some examples:

• An open mouth with a slight forward tilt of the head = “pardon, I didn’t hear you, can you repeat that”
• A single nod (on the up direction first accompanied by a raise of the eyebrows) = “yes” / “OK” or acknowledging someone you know
• A wave with the palm facing downwards = “come here” e.g. when hailing a jeepney
• Pursed lips and a backward throw of the head = “over there” (in the direction of the pursed pointing lips!)

Before leaving the Philippines I had one final beach weekend with fellow AYAD’s in Boracay. I couldn’t leave the Philippines without seeing the place everybody raves about. It is without a doubt the most famous and most popular tourist destination in the country. Sure, it has soft white sand, palm trees and clear water, but it’s so different to anywhere else I’ve been in the Philippines: it’s organised, it’s clean, it’s highly developed and there are set prices for things! This is the only part of the Philippines that many tourists see, and as a result would get a very warped view of what the country is like. But while it’s not the authentic Pinoy experience, it’s the perfect destination for a beach party weekend, which is what we were there for!

One thing that struck me about the Philippines was the common desire of many Filipinos to have white skin instead of brown leading to a proliferation of whitening soaps and whitening moisturisers in the pharmacies and supermarkets. It was at times difficult to find a soap that didn’t have whitening agent in it. Again, I’m guessing this is a hangover from colonialism where white skin indicated nobility and they were wealthy enough not to have to do manual labour in the fields under the beating sun. Ironically, for white westerners, a tan can indicate that you’re wealthy enough to afford holidays in tropical locations!

There is another common desire by many Filippinos to leave the Philippines and work overseas. My final memory of the Philippines is the driver who took me to the airport. He was a nice guy, we chatted a bit, and then as we were pulling up to departures he produced a neatly bound resume complete with covering letter, heavy machinery licence and passport photo. He asked me to take the folder and help him find a job in Australia. Overseas Filipino workers are the countries largest export. There is even a special line for them at passport control in Manila airport. Just about everyone I met had a sister or a cousin or someone they knew working as maids in Hong Kong or Singapore or drivers in Dubai or janitors in America, sending money home to their families.

It made me think back to our farewell party before leaving Australia over a year ago now. We had decorated one wall of the little apartment we rented in Newcastle with several travel related quotes. One in particular stands out to me now and makes more sense than ever:

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” Miriam Beard

31 – Bye Bye Bacolod

My last week in Bacolod I spent re-visiting all the GK villages I’d been involved with to say goodbye. It was an interesting experience to go alone, unannounced and taking public transport. It gave me an appreciation of how far some of them are from sources of employment. But, beggars can’t be choosers as they say, and when you rely on people donating land for the purpose of building a GK village, you can’t always choose where that land is. Or can you? I think GK is becoming a little more discerning now about their negotiations over land donations.

In one of the villages I organised a rummage sale. The idea came about from Jo mentioning she had some clothing she no longer wanted and wondered if she could donate it to GK, as there is no real equivalent in the Philippines of the “Op Shops” we have in Australia. I spread the word and asked more people to donate unwanted clothing and toys so we would have a critical mass. It was a good way for me to offload some excess baggage before leaving as well! Rather than a handout, we sold the clothes such that the beneficiaries would value the items, yet kept the prices low so they could afford them. The village had prepared a long table for us to lay out all the items like an outdoor Op Shop! It was so rewarding seeing the joy on their faces in finding some new clothes and to know that our clothes were going where they were needed. We raised P4,000 (AU$130)! Half of this money went towards an additional water pump for the village, the other half to a community member in need of dialysis.

As a way of thanking GK for hosting me these past 10 months and to say goodbye to my colleagues and friends I threw a Despedida (farewell party) in GK ERH village. I’ve been in the Philippines long enough to know that I needed to put together an entertainment program for the evening, but that got thrown out the window when my friends took over with various activities they’d planned which I had no idea about!

According to Rachael there were two things I still had to do before leaving the Philippines: ride on the back of a Karabaw (Water Bufalo) and eat Balut! Before the party got underway, Rachael disappeared and came back with a man from the village leading a fat brown Karabaw. I awkwardly hoisted myself up and was lead around the village concentrating on keeping my balance with nothing to hold on to! It was so much fun.

The second challenge was not quite as fun! Balut is an embryonic duck egg – a delicacy in the Philippines. I’d managed to avoid it thus far, but I couldn’t get out of it now. In front of an audience of around 40 guests and probably half the village cheering me on, I somehow ate the whole thing! I had to concentrate very hard on not looking at the grimacing faces of my fellow volunteers nor think about what it actually was I was eating! And the verdict? Well, chewy, fairly bland tasting … I’m not sure what all the fuss is about!

After dinner, the children of the village performed a couple of dance numbers and the GK song, which always brings a tear to my eye, and this time was no exception.

The grand finale was a 36 minute documentary my friends had made complete with footage of my favourite places in Bacolod, GK villages and messages from colleagues and friends! I was so overwhelmed!

In my farewell speech I thanked my colleagues and friends for an amazing 10 months and talked about my experiences as a volunteer with GK. Here’s what I said:

I wanted to throw this despedida tonight to say THANK YOU to GK for an amazing 10 months! And what better place to do it than right here in this wonderful GK village ERH. Every time I’ve eaten here, the food has got better and better. It’s now better than eating in any restaurant in Bacolod!


As I said, I have had an amazing 10 months. I came here because I wanted to dedicate a decent amount of time while I am still young offering my skills to help a developing country, and in the process gain an understanding of another culture, meet inspiring people, challenge myself and see some amazing places. And I think I have done all of these things!


10 months ago, when I was boarding the plane in Sydney airport, I didn’t know much at all about the Philippines. And I didn’t know anything about GK. It was all a new exciting adventure I was about to have.


Over the past 10 months – the more I have learned about GK the more I have grown to love it and believe in the GK model of community development. I love it because:

• it is holistic – it’s not just about building houses but about all the programs that go together to build successful communities;


• it dares to dream big with its vision for a squatter free, slum free Philippines;


• it brings together rich and poor, government and corporate enterprise, locals and international volunteers to work together for the same cause
  

I hope that through my volunteer work with GK these past 10 months, I have demonstrated that you don’t have to be Catholic, or religious at all, to have the heart to want to help the poor. I have really appreciated the opportunity to learn about the CFC family ministries through my work with GK and through attending the CLP. As I said to my fellow participants and facilitators at the dedication last Saturday night, I hope they have also learned from me. They assured me they had and not only that, they had been inspired as well, and I was really touched. There are many different religions in the world and maybe one day some of you will also have the opportunity to travel to other countries, if you haven’t already, and learn about other religions as I have had this opportunity to come here and learn about yours.


The best thing about GK is that it is about helping people, no matter what religion or even if you’re not religious at all. This was demonstrated at the Bayani Challenge recently in Mindanao where Christians and Muslims put aside their religious differences to build a GK village in a week. All those who went said it was a fantastic experience. Unfortunately I couldn’t participate, as my government won’t allow me to go to Mindanao, but perhaps I’ll come back for the Bayani Challenge next year in Palawan!


So what have I actually been doing these past 10 months?


My first 5 months, I spent most of my time with Tito Butch attending meetings, visiting sites, and trying to learn and absorb everything about GK, about Filipino architecture, about the climate, about the type of building materials that are available, about the methods of construction used here, about how people live, (cook, eat, wash and sleep) – because all of these things impact on design. Also during this time:

• I helped Louie for GK1MB in promoting the work of GK at the colleges in Bacolod,


• I went to Manila to help out with the preparation for the GK expo


• I helped out with the groups of international visitors who came for builds


• I launched the Designer Village Challenge to the Architecture students of LCC


• I also helped Butch design the site development plans for some new villages. One of these villages was GK Hua Ming in Handumanan that I have had the privilege to see through from conception to completion of all 50 houses.
  

During the second 5 months I have been more office based as I worked at implementing what I had learned during the first 5 months. The two main tasks

I was asked to complete were:

• A new design for the standard GK house based on ecologically sustainable principles.


• A Guidebook for Project Directors which we called the “CIP Roadmap”
  

The GK Eco-house concept design:


During my visits to GK villages throughout the province and talking to beneficiaries, I noticed 3 main things with the current house design. They are hot, they don’t have kitchens, and they have to carry water to the house from the well. So I tried to address these in my new design:

• The main living and sleeping space is constructed of light weight materials and elevated off the ground for ventilation and protection from flooding. This should keep the house cooler.


• A separate outhouse is constructed for the kitchen and CR, as a duplex so a wall is shared.


• The rain water tanks collect the rainwater from both roofs and is piped into the kitchen and CR
  

Tito Butch has given his approval for this new design and it will be trialled on the first GK eco-village for Negros Occidental, to be built in Nordson, Victorias!


I really hope this will result in a cooler more comfortable home for the beneficiaries.


The CIP Roadmap:


My other main task was to write a guidebook for the teams on site on how to build a GK village. Earlier this year we held a workshop with all the PD’s and CIP coordinators and brainstormed what should be included in this book. Based on this workshop and some theory of project management, I wrote the draft which was then reviewed by all the full-time GK workers. The final document is now being translated into Ilonggo.


I hope this Roadmap will help all the extremely dedicated teams on all the existing and new sites throughout the province as they build their GK villages from start to finish.


Of course, I have had my challenges along the way:


There have been all the challenges associated with being away from my family and friends plus living and working in a different culture – but at the same time, I wanted to challenge myself in this way, and I believe I have learned a lot from the experience.

A challenge that I did not expect occurred 3 weeks ago. I received the news that my Grandmother died suddenly in her sleep. I was supposed to be going to visit her after I finished my time in the Philippines. I considered leaving straight away for her funeral but I didn’t want to leave the Philippines without saying goodbye and without completing the work that I had started. I knew that she would want me to do that, so I decided to stay.


Then, that same week, I was the victim of a hold-up, here in Bacolod. My handbag was stolen at knife point. I wasn’t worried about the items I lost, I was just thankful that I wasn’t harmed. I found out later that many of the sugar cane cutters had been in town for the Labour Day protests. Apparently, as the harvest ended in March, they haven’t been paid for 2 months. So not only would these men have been fired up from the protest march, but they were also desperate for cash to feed their families. I hope what they got from us helped them. Many people told me afterwards that this is the reality of the Philippines, it happens all the time, and I had now experienced the all sides of the culture! Crimes like this happen in all countries, but this is the first time I had experienced anything like this, so I was quite shocked and just needed someone to comfort me and ask me if I was alright.


But despite the setbacks, my 10 months in the Philippines has been an incredibly rewarding experience.

• I have learned a lot about the Philippines, but also about myself.


• I have met amazingly inspiring people and made strong friendships that I’m sure will endure a lifetime.


• And the most moving and rewarding of all is seeing the joy and gratitude on the face of a beneficiary when they are handed the keys to their first ever home and to know I played a part in that.

And I have also had my funny moments. One that springs to mind was during the GK expo in Manila. I was wearing my expo t-shirt with the slogan “Walang Iwanan” (No one is left behind). I was supposed to be getting a ride home with someone, but they didn’t know this and they went ahead. I turned to Tito Butch and Tito Ricky and we laughed: “Walang Iwanan except for the Australian girl!”
This past week I’ve been re-visiting all the GK sites I’ve been involved with to say my goodbyes. I’d like to share with you the stories of 2 friends of mine.


· Josephine at GK Hope Talisay –
On my very first visit to GK Hope, Josephine came out to welcome us and insisted on chaperoning me around the site shielding my white skin from the sun with her umbrella. I was so touched. Don’t forget me, she said as I left. How could I forget her?! Whenever I went back to GK Hope, I would look for her and say hello and have a chat. She has 3 children and her husband has been looking for work for several months. They had to take their daughter out of 2nd Grade recently because they could no longer afford to send her to the local school in Concepcion. But despite this, she insisted on giving me a fresh buko (coconut) from her plantation to drink when I visited her this week. And then when she realised the reason for my visit – that I had come to say goodbye, she broke down into tears. I held myself together, but I have to admit, I shed a few tears on the jeepney coming home.


· Lorraine at GK Hua Ming, Handumanan -
Lorraine became a GK beneficiary recently when Hua Ming village was completed. She is a mother of 3, separated from her husband. She is actually college educated and her English is perfect. But she can’t work because she has to look after her 3 children. She has a small sari sari store in her house in order to get by. She would be a perfect candidate for Sibol teacher, and in fact, she’d love to start teaching the sibol kids commencing this school year using the vacant house next door to hers until such time as the construction of the sibol school is finished.


I think it is stories like these, real people like these, that inspire us to keep going with the work of GK. It is such important work and I feel privileged to have been a part of it.


While this is goodbye for now, I don’t believe this will be the end of my connection with GK.


Thank you to each and every one of you for making my experience of the Philippines so unforgettable!


The common response from colleagues to my imminent departure was “Thank you for the short time you’ve spent with us”. Ten months a short time? I thought to myself! Well, in the history of life on earth I suppose it is a mere drop in the ocean, all things are relative. And for those who have dedicated their lives to serve GK, I guess it would seem like I have breezed in and breezed out again. But a lot can happen in 10 months, and a lot has. I’m sure what I’ve learned and how I’ve changed will become more apparent as I reflect on my AYAD Philippines experience in the weeks and months ahead.

30 – Highs and Lows

Within the space of a week I’ve had my highest and my lowest points of my time in the Philippines.

I was so happy when I received some really positive feedback on the work I’d been doing. Our In-Country Manager, Jonas, came for his final monitoring visit which was an opportunity for me to present to him and the rest of the GK team my design for the eco-house prototype and also the “Roadmap” booklet which I’ve now finished, and is currently being translated into the local dialect. Everyone seemed really impressed and loved my design.

The eco-house design will be implemented on a new site in Victorias which will be the first GK eco-village of the Province. It’s a beautiful site - a natural amphitheatre around a series of rice fields leading down to a river. The owner of the site is a successful business man in Manila who originates from this province. He is in the process of retiring and winding up his business activities in Manila. He is donating part of his property for the purpose of building the GK eco-village and funding the construction. The village will be his lasting legacy for his farm workers and poor families of the area. He is also a champion of eco design and the native Filipino style. The guest house on his property is a light weight structure constructed of bamboo with a large verandah and elevated off the ground to allow the air flow underneath. So when he saw my design for the GK eco-house, which is also based on these principles, he loved it! He loved it so much he invited us for lunch in his guest house and gave us the money to proceed with the first 30 houses!

Giving feedback, whether positive or negative, is not a very common thing in Filipino culture. To give negative feedback is confrontational so it is more often disguised in a joke. And people are often too embarrassed to give positive feedback when someone has done a good job. So, I was very touched when an anonymous note appeared on my desk. It read:

Hi Jen. I went over your work a few times and I think you did a wonderful effort to improve and define what we have in GK. This will surely come in more handy and helpful to all workers.
Although we may not have had the time to know more of each other, the moment you came to our province, I knew in my heart that God was answering a “need” in our present set up, and He was using you.
Thank you so much for putting so much time, effort and talent into this work, the essence of GK.

When I asked if anyone knew who it was from or recognised the handwriting, mysteriously nobody knew but were soon joking that I had a secret admirer! So Filipino!

The day after Jonas’ visit, the 23rd of April, 3 days before my Mum’s birthday, she called me to tell me that my Grandma had died suddenly in her sleep. She lived in the U.K. and I had planned to visit her later this year after my AYAD assignment. It was quite a blow. My Mum and Aunt were making preparations to go to England to arrange the funeral and I had to decide whether to go also. Mum assured me that they would be fine. I decided to stay and see through my AYAD assignment but write a poem to be read out at the funeral. But perhaps I would have decided otherwise if I had known what was about to happen in the coming days, but it is easy to say this with the benefit of hindsight.

A few days later I made the mistake of taking sides in office politics which made it a very difficult and emotional day for a co-worker and I.

That evening, a bit shaken from the experience, we decided to try and relax by going out for a beer and a bite to eat. I suggested an authentic Filipino restaurant rather than the mainstream westernised places on the main road that we’d tended to stick to. I wanted to get my fill of Filipino food in my remaining weeks! The restaurant was set back a bit off the main road. The road was a bit dark but we could see the place up ahead. Perhaps, if we’d had our wits about us, we’d have had second thoughts about walking there but our minds were still preoccupied with our bad experience that afternoon. All of a sudden a man appeared out of nowhere, brandishing a machete - the type they use to harvest the sugar cane. He thrust the massive blade in my direction and grabbed my handbag and that of my friends. Remembering our Pre-Departure training in Canberra, I let go straight away and stepped back. He grabbed both bags and jumped onto his friends waiting motorbike and they took off. It all happened so quickly.

In a nearby café we called the police who came shortly afterwards and took us back to the station to make a report. We were ushered in to the station. They invited us to sit on the bench which was positioned in front of the TV where a horror movie was showing and asked us to wait as it was currently the police officers’ dinner break! After about an hour and a half at the police station, the officer had finally typed out the report on an ancient type writer. I don’t hold out much hope of them catching the perpetrators, but at least we did the right thing and made a report.

We found out later that many of the sugar cane cutters had been in town for the Labour Day protests. Apparently, as the harvest ended in March, they haven’t been paid for 2 months. So not only would these men have been fired up from the protest march, but they are also desperate for cash to feed their families. I hope what they got from us helped. That’s the problem with a mono-crop economy! Sugar cane has been both a blessing and a curse for this island.

Luckily, I was only carrying the minimal amount of items in my bag – my wallet, key and phone. I wasn’t worried about loosing these items – sure, it’s an inconvenience, but they are all replaceable. I was just thankful we hadn’t been harmed. But we were quite traumatised by the experience of having a massive blade thrust at us.

When it rains it pours as they say. But they also say things come in three’s so I hope that’s it for now!

Speaking of rain, it seems the wet season has come earlier than usual. It’s not due to start until the end of May but already in April we were having regular downpours. Everyone says this is unusual - climate change in action. This has been my first experience of living in the tropics. Basically it’s hot all year round but from May to October its hot and wet (on average it rains heavily for a few hours every other day, sometimes accompanied by thunder). Around Christmas it is quite pleasant – warm and dry. It then gradually gets hotter and more humid as it builds up to April/May which they call summer. The intense heat and humidity of the summer is finally broken by the rains in May (or in the case this year, April).

Each time I hear the heavy rain beat down on our roof as I lay in bed I think of all those poor people living in their shanties, crowded on the edge of pavements or along river banks. The rain would be turning their floor into a river of mud and streaming in through the holes in their makeshift roofs.

In countries that experience severe winters I’ve heard of SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder. In the tropics, people seem to get slightly crazy with the intense build up of heat and humidity at this time of year. Crime goes up and tensions are high. I seem to be permanently wet with perspiration. I can understand why everyone carries little sweat towels with them everywhere - sometimes tucked in the back of the neck, sometimes on top of the head and tucked behind the ears.

The early rains also affected the Bayani Challenge, held the week after Holy Week. The Bayani Challenge is an annual GK event where GK volunteer from all over the Philippines and the world converge in one place to build a whole village in 5 days. This year it was held in Mindanao so unfortunately I couldn’t participate because we are not allowed to go to Mindanao for safety reasons. This is the domain of The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), an armed group formed in the 60’s who are fighting against the government for the oppression and suppression the Muslim population has suffered since the Philippines gained independence from the USA in 1946. They often target foreigners, kidnapping them and demanding large ransoms. Three volunteers from the Red Cross were abducted in January (2 Europeans and a Filipina) in Sulu, the same place the Bayani Challenge was held.

For the week of the Bayani Challenge, Christians and Muslims set aside their differences and were building alongside one another living out the theme: “the more we sweat for peace, the less we bleed in war”.

Interestingly, since the Bayani Challenge, CFC and GK have decided to split their governance structures as the work of GK is getting bigger and is poised to expand into non-Christian countries.

Next year the Bayani Challenge will be held in Palawan, my favorite place in the Philippines! No MILF danger there, just maybe malaria! Perhaps I’ll have to come back for it next year – and perhaps you’d like to come too!?

Dear Grandma

I was coming to visit you in August,
But hadn’t told you yet,
To introduce you to Jordi,
You’d spoken but never met.

We were coming to visit you in August,
Summer in your place,
We’d sit in the conservatory,
Sip tea and eat cakes.

We were coming to visit you in Summer,
When birds in your garden would sing,
But little did we know,
That you wouldn’t make it through Spring.

I grew up in a distant land,
But many letters we’d send,
Developing my love of words,
You were my longest pen-friend.

Friends you had many,
Both near and far,
“Cherish your friends” you’d tell me,
And your No. 1 was Grandpa.

During your courtship you endured separation,
Married at the end of the war,
Sixty two years happily married,
Now you’ve joined Grandpa once more.

I was going to visit you in August,
But instead you came to me,
In my dream as I slept,
On the night you were set free.

Goodbye, Dear Grandma,
May you rest in peace,
I’ll sign off as you always did,
SWALK (Sealed With A Loving Kiss).


Today, Tuesday 5th May, is my Grandma's funeral. She passed away suddenly in her sleep on 23rd April.

29 – Mangoes and Mountain Biking

The Holy Week (Easter) break in the Philippines begins on Holy Thursday and finishes Easter Sunday. Rachael, Alison and I headed to the nearby island of Guimaras for a mountain biking / beach trip. Guimaras is a small island between Negros and Panay known for its mangoes. We had better luck with the ferry this time (no fires, just a bit of sea sickness)!

Guimaras is a fabulous island for mountain biking. Our guides from Panay Adventure Tours fitted us with decent bikes and took us off the beaten track through mango plantations and coconut palm groves, along mountain ridges and down to tiny fishing villages. We also visited one of the well known pilgrimage sites of the Philippines which was preparing for an influx of visitors on Good Friday. Hundreds walk up the mountain to see a re-enactment of Christ’s Crucifixion. Apparently they really do nail the actor/volunteer to the cross during the re-enactment.

It was incredibly hot on our ride but we had regular stops to eat the deliciously sweet mangoes or drink the refreshing juice straight from a coconut. We learned the proper way to eat a mango – hold the fat end, peel the skin off in a spiral direction then bite into it, and if you don’t have juice dripping off your elbows you’re not doing it right! J Guimaras is where most of the Philippines export mangoes are grown. Did I already say how delicious they are?

Our guides were possibly a bit too ambitious on our behalf though for our second day of riding. We began at 8am and were still several km’s from our destination when the sun went down. Without any bike lights or street lights we had to call for back up and get a truck to take us back to the resort! We were staying at Valle Verde Mountain Resort on the ridge. It had a great view, nice little nipa huts, and a lovely pool that was great after a whole day of riding.

We recommended the mountain biking to a couple of Aruna’s friends who were visiting from Australia and they headed there to do the same thing the following week. We felt pretty bad though when one of them had an accident on a steep down hill section ending up needing surgery!

By the end of the 3 days we had covered over 100km. We’d enjoyed the challenge but were rather saddle sore and ready for our relaxing couple of nights at Baras Beach Resort. This is a tucked away little place in a quiet cove towards the south of the island. The native style huts nestle amongst the trees around the cove. We whiled away our time reading in the hammocks or taking a row boat out into the cove.

Unfortunately, on our last night I had an unwelcome visitor in my bed – a red ant! These things inflict a nasty bite for such a small creature. And this particular one bit me 9 times, of all places, on my bum!

That wasn’t the last time I was going to suffer the wrath of red ants. Once back in Bacolod I was out on site at the GK village in Handumanan. This is the village I helped with the site development plan in my first few months. All 50 houses are now finished and occupied. The current task is construction of the Neighbourhood Association Office and the drainage channels. As it is school holidays at the moment, the Filipino/Chinese School who had funded this project (St Johns Institute) contacted all the other Filipino/Chinese schools in the Philippines inviting students to come to Bacolod for 3 days of team building activities, including volunteering at our GK village in Handumanan. I went to help supervise the students in the construction. The chosen site for the building happened to be right next to a red ant nest. Despite having sprayed my feet and legs liberally with bushmans, I still got bitten several times on my left foot. By the next day, my foot had swollen like a football. Long story short, it turned out it was infected. So I’m on antibiotics. I was one month off making the full 10 months without needing to see a doctor! (Yep, only 1 month to go!)

While on site at Handumanan, Rachael and I were invited into home of one of the beneficiaries. It happened to be the same house I had eaten lunch in on the day of paint a home contest and handover ceremony back in January. The resident is a widow who used to be a squatter in the centre of Bacolod. She invited us to sit and told us her story. What I found difficult was that part way through our discussion she apologised to us for the house being very hot saying she can’t afford a fan yet! I thought to myself how back-to-front this was. We should be the ones apologising to her for giving her a hot concrete box with a tin roof. At least from an environmental point of view we can be thankful that most of the energy in the Philippines is generated from renewable geothermal power plants but from an economic/poverty point of view we’re forcing the poor to pay higher electricity bills to cool their houses for something that could have been designed for better natural ventilation. I really hope that the design for the eco house prototype gets off the ground.

28 - On Religion

Religion has been such a significant part of my experience of the Philippines that I felt I really have to write about it. And now seems an appropriate time with the Easter celebrations having just come to a close.

Before embarking on my assignment here in the Philippines, I was quite ignorant as to the extent to which faith drives everything GK does. The ‘work’ is an expression of faith in God, that is to say, it is not really considered ‘work’ but rather ‘service’ to God. I respect peoples’ right to practice their religion, and also expect respect in return. I am honest and open in telling people that I didn’t come to do this volunteer work for faith reasons. My GK co-workers/beneficiaries/friends respect my view but for them they believe that God sent me to them. My experience has certainly given me the opportunity to re-evaluate my own beliefs and position on religion.

I guess I would call myself a non-practicing Christian. I was baptised and brought up Church of England. I attended church regularly where I sang in the choir until the age of 17. I attended a Roman Catholic high school where I took religious studies for the Higher School Certificate and was quite interested to learn about other world religions. I haven’t been to church in years but I maintain certain Christian beliefs and values, as a personal thing, not something I readily express.

In my opinion, there are 3 reasons (maybe more) why people pursue aid work. Some for religious reasons, ie “missionaries”, some as an avenue to pursue a career in development, and others simply to do their bit to help a community less fortunate than their own. I fall into the latter category. I simply wanted to spend a decent amount of time, while I am still young, offering my skills to help a developing country, and in the process gain an understanding of another culture, meet inspiring people, challenge myself and see some amazing places.

I wasn’t prepared for the extent of religious expression in the workplace. But it must be said that this is not necessarily the experience in all Filipino workplaces. I’ve come from a Government department in a secular country to a faith based NGO in a majority Catholic country, so the contrast for me is quite stark.

The expression of the Catholic faith outside the workplace (ie in everyday life) is also more overt than I was anticipating. For example, a lot of buses and jeepneys carry religious messages such as “God Bless Our Trip” and there was a time I was shopping in the supermarket when all of a sudden everybody had stopped dead in the aisles and I realised the Hail Mary was being broadcast across the PA system.

In Australia, religious expression tends to be confined to the privacy of people’s homes and places of worship. With such a multicultural society, there are many different religions – one reason why state and religion are separated. I recall the public uproar at the time of World Youth Day in Sydney (the weekend I left Australia for the Philippines) that tax payers’ money was being used for a religious event. But due to the nature of Australia being a multi-religious society, this also means Australians are exposed to alternative views and therefore, in my experience, generally seem to have a greater level of understanding about different religions than Filipino society. For example I was asked recently if Protestants also have the Bible. And Aruna has mentioned she has experienced a healthy amount curiosity and mystification from friends and workmates about Hinduism.

GK is a faith based organisation because it was started by Couples for Christ (CFC) – a charismatic Catholic organisation. It has a huge following in the Philippines, where it was founded, and has now spread throughout the world. It also extended to include Kids for Christ (KFC), Youth for Christ(YFC), Singles for Christ(SFC), Handmaids of the Lord (for widows) and Servants of the Lord (for widowers) – collectively known as the CFC Family Ministries or locally as “the community”. It is a community that is structured around weekly evening prayer meetings in members’ homes known as “households”. The style of worship is based on praying aloud as a group and singing and clapping. Back in November I attended the 21st Anniversary celebrations of CFC where thousands came from all over the province to attend the celebration Mass in the sports stadium in Bacolod. On previous travels to foreign countries when I say I’m from Australia I’m used to the “Oh, Kangaroos!” response. Here, its “Oh, Hillsong!”. The music of this Sydney based evangelical Christian church is a big hit here with CFC.

GK was essentially started as the ‘action arm’ of CFC so to speak – ie “ok, we pray for the poor but what are we actually doing about poverty?”. The office where I work is really the CFC office which the GK full-time workers have been given a corner of. I believe one of the main reasons for the amazing success of GK so far is that it had this ready made network of people to draw on – the CFC Community. Local CFC members in each town are asked to step forward and volunteer when a new site for a GK village is donated in their area. Their role, as ‘caretaker team’, is to guide and direct the establishment of that GK community. In this province at least, all caretaker teams are still 100% CFC members (although GK management makes it clear that CFC membership is not a requirement for volunteering on a GK caretaker team). For these incredibly dedicated people, it’s about faith first and working for the poor as an expression of that faith – being an instrument of God. I have heard it said that you can work for the poor all you like but if you’re not doing it for God it’s a waste of time.

I believe in the work of GK, without necessarily doing it for God. In my opinion, the GK model of Community Development is very sound. My Mum, as a social worker, attested to this based on what she learned about GK on her brief visit here over Christmas. But I now understand, from the perspective of my co-workers, this is seen as using my head and not my heart.

As I have said previously, the Filipino’s are a very happy people. I think my friend was right in her observation that often times this happiness is attributed to their relationship with God. Therefore, it is likely that they think I’m missing out on something that makes them very happy and as a result feel sad for me. Isn’t it true that from time to time we all want others to experience what we’re passionate about?

I am currently part way through the 13 week course known as the “Christian Life Program” (CLP) which is the pre-requisite to becoming a member of CFC or SFC etc. I decided to participate, partly out of curiosity, partly to better understand the people I work with and partly as an opportunity to reassess where I currently stand on my own beliefs. It is very well run by the local SFC group and I’ve found it a very interesting experience. I agree with some aspects and disagree with others. And I think some of my fellow participants have found it interesting learning about my views. They have also said that it has inspired them to volunteer more with GK when they see that I have come all the way from Australia to dedicate 10 months with the organisation.

Coming from a secular workplace, though, it took me some time to get used to working in an organisation based around faith. This manifests itself in various ways. For example, emails, business meeting minutes and text messages signed with ‘God Bless’ and prayers at the start of meetings. In fact, these were relatively easy to get used to. A greater challenge was finding out information on upcoming meetings/events. The communication structure is based on the household meetings and as a non-member of the CFC Community, I don’t attend household meetings. (I subsequently initiated an events calendar on a whiteboard in the office to try and address this.). Another challenge came when helping a colleague with a powerpoint presentation. I suggested more graphics to emphasise the points, rather than slides of block text. I didn’t anticipate the response: "Jesus didn't use graphics, he told stories. I'll tell stories”. I went on to suggest we have a practice run through. "I’d prefer not”, he said “I usually pray before the workshop that God will guide me in delivering the presentation and that the participants will be open and receptive. That’s enough.” Sufficed to say, he knew the cultural context and it worked fine on the day! As I understand it, this concept known as “Bahala na” or “leaving things in the hand of God” is quite a strong concept in Filipino culture not just in GK e.g. “Whatever will be, will be. We’ll pray for it”. But this idea of ‘letting go’ or ‘giving it up to the universe’ is not just Filipino and not just Christian. Elizabeth Gilbert talks a lot about this concept in Hinduism and Buddhism in her fabulous book “Eat, Pray, Love” which tracks her personal journey in search of God through Italy, India and Indonesia. (Fabulous book – highly recommend it!)

I think it is important at this point to make the distinction between the living out of personal faith/beliefs and the Church as an ‘institution’ with influence. It is the influence of the ‘institution’ of the Catholic Church on Filipino society that Dr. Joze Rizal was reacting against when he wrote “Noli me Tangere” (Touch me Not) and the sequel “El Filibusterismo” (The Reign of Greed) back in 1887 and 1891. I finally got my hands on an English translation and they are fascinating pieces of historical fiction with a strong nationalist message. In the Noli, he writes: ‘… here one has to bow one’s head or lose it.”, which is highly ironic, or perhaps prophetic, as Rizal was executed in 1896 at age 35 for inciting rebellion (through his writings) against the Spanish colonialists (who Christianised the Philippines). His execution only served to help his cause, the subsequent revolution succeeded (to some extent – it got the Spanish out but then the Americans took over). Jose Rizal became a national hero. His face features on the 1 peso coin and just about every town and city in the Philippines has a Rizal street, Rizal monument, a Rizal park etc.

“… the government itself does not see, or hear or judge beyond what it is allowed to see by the priest, or by the Father Provincial. It has decided that it rests on them alone; that it stands because they support it; that it lives because they allow it to live; and that the day they are gone it will collapse like a broken mannequin which has lost its legs.”

This is what Rizal wrote in 1887. I wonder if much has changed if you remember an earlier blog post, Power and the Passion? It was the Bishop who was the one mediating between the City Government and the Electricity provider here in Bacolod over the issue of the power being cut to the City Hall.

I would also say it is the ‘institution’ of the Church that impacts on the delivery of some aspects of the Health Program in the GK villages. Health volunteers are advised to teach the natural method of family planning and not to give any information on modern family planning (the use of contraception). A GK Health worker talks to people in the villages about health problems and uses the “Bakit, Bakit” or “Why, Why” game. The purpose of the questioning is to get to the root cause of the problem, so that effective solutions can be found rather than ‘bandaid’ solutions. She told me about a recent Bakit, Bakit game in one of the villages which produced a very interesting result:

The problem raised was:
“We have a problem with kids getting water borne diseases”
So then the questioning began:
“Why are the kids getting water borne diseases?”
“Because we have poor sanitation”
“Why do you have poor sanitation?”
“Because families aren’t cleaning their surroundings properly”
“Why aren’t families cleaning their surroundings properly?”
“Because they have no time”
“Why do they have no time?”
“Because we have so many children to look after”
“Why do you have so many children to look after?”
“Because we don’t use/aren’t knowledgeable about family planning”

The issue of religion and contraception is a complex topic*, which I don’t intend to go into here. Right at this moment, it is also the topic that is dividing the Filipinos, as the controversial Reproductive Health Bill goes before congress. The bill proposes to channel funding into the provision of information on and access to both natural and modern family planning methods, which are medically safe and legally permissible, on a national scale. This is a departure from the present setup in which the provision for reproductive health services is devolved to local government units, For further info, take a look at the Daily Inquirer article explaining the content of the bill, followed a week later by a series of rebuttals giving a snapshot of the catholic perspective on the bill.

Australia went through the same process in the 1950’s and 1960’s**.

In essence, the Philippines has one of highest birth rates in the world. I think the average number of children per woman is something like 5. While the rapid population growth is not the only factor contributing to the high rate of poverty, it is a significant one (Asian Development Bank, 2004). Many traditional Catholics I speak with deny the link between poverty and large families, citing government corruption as the problem.

I’ve always come from the camp that believes that all the information about family planning – modern or traditional, should be presented, and individuals, based on their personal faith or not, can decide for themselves. (An opinion that got me into trouble at my Catholic High School). I feel this is also particularly important given that there is no pre-requisite for GK beneficiaries to be Catholic or become members of CFC, although they are given the opportunity to attend the CLP.

Culturally, family is such a strong unit of Filipino society. I’ve found that, more often than not, the easiest conversation starter is to ask someone about their family. They love to tell me about their brothers/sisters, their children, their grandchildren. They express an immense sadness when they hear I have no brothers or sisters and no cousins either. There is a great sense of pride in family. But yet, there are so many families split due to a parent or a daughter or son working as nurses or maids in foreign countries in order to send money home to their families. Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW’s) are the Philippines’ biggest export. (There is even a special line for OFW’s at the airports). On the home front, due to the massive population, labour is cheap, so industries such as agriculture are still very manually based. There is no point in mechanizing as there are so many who need the jobs and the land owner can pay them very little for the hot back breaking work. After seeing what I’ve seen, I can’t help but wonder how life-at-all-cost can have priority over quality of life.

I pray that little Dave Angelo will enjoy a good quality of life. Last month I became his Ninang (Godmother). He is the nephew of my friend Marj. I felt somewhat underqualified to become a Godmother, but in Filipino baptisms, there are multiple Godparents so I didn’t feel too bad. Dave Angelo was welcomed into the Christian world early Saturday afternoon in a hospital chapel. The ceremony was over relatively quickly but the Godparents, family and friends continued the festivities into the early evening at a restaurant down the road. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Filipino celebration without a whole roast pig and karaoke! Little Dave Angelo slept soundly throughout the entire proceedings!

This year has raised more questions for me than answers … about religion … about life … about my life. In the words of Reverend Tom Honey: “The only thing I can say for sure is, I don’t know. And that might just be the most profoundly religious statement of all”.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/tom_honey_on_god_and_the_tsunami.html


*Contraception and Religion - website which looks at the attitudes of various religions towards contraception.

** Compass – Pregnant Pause - Australian National Film and Sound Archive website giving an overview of the attitudes and events regarding contraception in Australia in the 1960’s.

27 – Work, Play, Eat

Work

Work since the New Year has been more office based than usual. I adopted some Filipino resourcefulness by stacking the plastic chairs 3 high to alleviate a worsening sore back. I now have a new appreciation of ergonomically designed workstations! Sufficed to say, it’s been a good excuse to get more frequent massages at Bacolod Spa, and at $10 an hour who wouldn’t!

In January we launched the Designer Village Competition. This is a design competition open to teams of Architecture and design students across the Philippines. The competition is to design a new eco-GK Village and the chosen site for the Visayas region is just south of Bacolod. The major sponsor, Metrobank, will fund the construction of the winning teams design.

Meanwhile I’ve been working on the design of a new showcase eco-village for a site in the north of the province. The concept is based on separation of the living/sleeping space (which is a lightweight structure, elevated off the ground for ventilation, like the traditional nipa huts) from the washing/cooking space (a concrete block, slab on ground outhouse). The living/sleeping space is stand alone while the washing/cooking structure shares a party wall with its neighbour. I presented the concept design to the Project Director of the site a couple of weeks ago and he expressed enthusiasm about progressing the project.

More recently I have begun work on a “roadmap” document for the province to assist the on-site Project Directors in the planning and building of the GK villages. Before we jumped in with what we thought they needed, we gathered as many existing Project Directors as we could and facilitated a workshop. Through various group activities we tried to extract the knowledge they’ve gained from their experience to date. I’m now trying to logically sequence their input backed up with some project management theory to create the roadmap.

Then, in my spare time, I’ve been writing a couple of proposals for future volunteers from Australia – another building designer for the “Shelter Program”, or as it’s now known, the “Community Infrastructure Program” and a teacher trainer for the “Child and Youth Development Program”. It’s good to know that their experience of hosting me as their first Aussie volunteer hasn’t put them off hosting more in the future!

Play

I feel I’ve got into a really good groove with my barkada (my group of friends). We get together often to exercise, go out for dinner or have a karaoke session at home with my newly purchased Magic Sing!

With the slightly cooler weather either side of Christmas it became bearable to exercise outdoors (as long as it was at 6am though!). We started going to the lagoon a couple of mornings a week which is quite a cultural experience. Many locals go there to walk or jog (all going in an anti-clockwise direction around the lagoon). At about 6.15 the aerobics/dance session begins in front of the lagoon. Songs such as the Macarena and My Sharona blare from the loud speakers while 3 or 4 instructors lead the exercise routines from their position on the podium under the flagpole. The gathered crowd come in all shapes and sizes, all ages and abilities. The lead male instructor is quite good looking and obviously has several fans in the audience who heckle from the back! When it’s all over at about 7am, the national anthem is played while, hands on heart, everyone faces the flag being hoisted up the flagpole. That done, it’s time to disperse and get on with the day! It’s been going now for 4 years and they recently had t-shirts printed for the 4th year anniversary.

Over the last few weeks it’s become very hot, and it’s only going to get hotter until the respite rains arrive in May. Schools have just finished for the summer break and its graduation fever everywhere. Unlike Australia where Christmas heralds the start of the Summer holidays, here Easter (called Holy Week) is the start of the Summer break with schools going back late May. All the talk at the moment is “Where are you going for Holy Week?”. I’ve planned a few days on the neighbouring island of Guimaras, known for its mangoes and mountain biking.

In another attempt to stay cool while exercising, a few of us go swimming on weekends. The subdivision owned by my supervisor has an outdoor 25m pool which, for a small fee, we can use to do some laps.

Some of us also started playing badminton, which is possibly the next most popular sport in the Philippines after basketball, and it’s so much fun. There’s an indoor badminton court complex within walking distance of our place, which, again, for a small fee we can hire racquets and play for as long as we like.

Eat

I’m really quite enjoying Filipino food. In fact, each Tuesday my friend Marj has started teaching me my favourite dishes. I buy the ingredients, she teaches me how to cook it and then we eat together. One of my favourite dishes is Sinigang na Isda – a sour soup with chunks of tuna in it. I’ve included the recipe below.

To sum up my experience of Filipino food: a lot of pork, chicken and fish, rice with every meal and lots of sweets. Despite all the rice terraces I saw in the north of the country, the Philippines still has to import rice to keep up with demand.

Common methods of cooking include BBQing, grilling, boiling as soups, cooking in coconut milk or marinading in vinegar. Vegetables seem to be a bit of an after thought but having said that, there are some delicious vegetable dishes. Often the ‘vegetarian’ dishes still contain small pieces of meat. It has been amusing on the rare occasions when I’ve taken a salad to work for lunch the funny looks I get. I offer some to my colleagues to try. They peer into the box and ask “just vegetables? No thanks”.

In Filipino houses and Filipino restaurants the ‘sharing sharing’ concept is the norm when it comes to eating, ie buffet style. I love this way of eating as it gives you the opportunity to try everything and then go back for more of the dishes you really liked!

Most dishes are served only luke warm not hot, but that’s fine in the hot weather.

Eating is done with a fork and spoon (no knife) but you rarely need a knife anyway as the ingredients of most dishes are cut into bite sized pieces.

A typical Pinoy breakfast is rice with a fried egg and another meat item (eg fish, bacon, sausage or pork). Coffee varies from instant “3 in 1” to good quality espresso depending where you are. A long black is known as an Americano.

I really love the tropical fruits – my preferred breakfast. Cheap, sweet mangoes all year round have been fantastic. And I never knew there were so many different varieties of banana!

There are many regional specialities in the cuisine. Bacolod is known for its bbq chicken (chicken inasal) and of course, its sweets – to keep the local sugar industry in business!. The piece of bbq chicken is served on a skewer with a serving of rice and then you mix your own sauce using calamansi (a small green citrus fruit), vinegar and soy sauce. And if you’re a true Ilonggo, you eat it with your fingers!

The typical national dessert or merienda (snack) is “Halo halo” or literally “Mix mix”. This is a bowl of milky crushed ice topped with all sorts of sweet delights: fruit preserves, cubes of jelly, corn, coconut, beans, corn flakes, purple yam paste, a slice of crème caramel and a scoop of ice-cream!

A special occasion isn’t complete without a whole roast pig (Lechon Baboy) and another popular dish for special occasions is pansit – a stirfried rice noodle dish. The long strands signify long life, but these days may be substituted with spaghetti with a very sweet tomato sauce.

We like to shop at the markets when we can for fresh produce which comes down from the mountains regularly. Aruna’s workmate helped her establish some suki’s (vendors who will give a good price for being loyal).

The Philippines has its fair share of fast food. There are the usual international chains but also local chains such as Jollibee (a home grown version of Macdonalds where burgers are served with rice).

There is also plenty of street food to try. Parts of the chicken I never knew it was possible to eat can be found on skewers cooking on street side bbq’s. The quintessential Filipino street food item is Balut which I have not as yet been game enough to try. It is a duck egg that has developed into an embryo. It is cooked and eaten with vinegar. I’m told it’s delicious. You can hear the street vendors calling out “Baluuuuuuut” each morning and evening.

One street food I have tried though is Taho. Sometimes after my morning aerobics at the lagoon I buy one from the man who is usually by the gate to the park. It’s soy bean curd in a cup. Here in Negros it’s topped with a sugary mollases. When we bought one in Baguio, in the mountains north of Manila, it was topped with strawberries which Baguio is famous for.

Recipe: Sinigang na Isda

Ingredients:

Tuna steak (cut into large chunks)
Chinese petchay
Unions
Garlic
Tomatoes
Salt
Oil
Ginger
Lemon grass
Fresh tamarind
Green chillies


Method:

1. Chop the garlic, onions, tomatoes, ginger & chinese petchay.
2. Saute garlic, then add onions, then add tomatoes, then add ginger, and finally add the fish.
3. Put in 4 -5 cups water and bring to the boil. Add salt to taste.
4. Add chinese petchay stalks, then add tamarinds (whole but score the tops), then add green chillies (whole), then add the lemon grass (whole), and finally add the chinese petchay leaves.
5. Simmer for a couple of minutes.

Serve hot (or luke warm ;-) with rice. Enjoy.

26 – Smoke on the Water

The PNVSCA is the organisation that oversees all volunteers in the Philippines. Each year they organise a gathering of volunteers as an opportunity to network and share experiences. The Volunteer sharing session for the Visayas was held in Cebu last week. Due to the Global Financial Crisis, the AYAD budget wouldn’t stretch to fly us all there so we were asked to get there by bus and ferry. We were actually quite excited by the prospect of a road trip and seeing a bit more of the landscape …. but we didn’t expect we would end up seeing so much!

We got a bus 3 hours over the mountains to San Carlos where the bus drives onto the ferry for the trip across the water to the island of Cebu. We were all aboard the ferry and had made our way to the upper deck when all of a sudden a crewman came running across the deck shouting something in Cebuano (the language is different on the other side of the island). Then he saw us and repeated it in English: “Fire!” … and then almost as an afterthought “But don’t panic!”. We were just thankful that the ferry had not yet left the port and everyone swiftly evacuated the burning ferry. The irony was … it was a liferaft that had been positioned close to the exhaust that had caught alight. We looked on from the wharf as the fire brigade extinguished the flames and cleaned up. The crew thought it would still be fine to make the trip but the coast guard wouldn’t give the clearance. There were no more ferrys that day.

The three of us looked at one another wondering what we were going to do. Then a friendly middle aged tyre salesman, who had translated for us what was going on, said we could go with him. He was planning on driving to the next port (4 hours south), getting a “Roro” (a car ferry) and then driving a further 4 hours to Cebu city. We quickly assessed the situation: 3 of us one of him and we’d just learned that our new flatmate Rachael is quite adept at castrating bulls from her days as a Jillaroo on a cattle station in the Northern Territory! We’d be fine! By this time however, the sun was already setting. We wouldn’t get to Cebu until 1am. So on second thoughts our new friend decided we’d be better off staying overnight in San Carlos and getting the first ferry the following morning. We thought this was a good idea. Until … we went to get the ferry the following morning and the ferry was still not cleared to do the trip. So it was back to plan A. We were much more comfortable getting a lift with “Boy” after getting to know him a bit over dinner and a few beers the night before. He was on his way home to Cebu after a business trip around the islands of Negros and Panay.

Yet again we experienced the incredible hospitality of the Filipino. When we said we wanted to offer him something for helping us he said “when you’re back in your country, one day you might come across a Filipino who needs your help”.

But luck was just not on our side. Part way into the journey we got stuck behind a cane truck that had broken down in the middle of a 1 lane bridge! Long story short, we eventually reached Cebu just as the volunteer sharing session was coming to a close!

At least we made it in time for the social part of the program which was, of course, an evening of Karaoke! The “Tim Tam Trio” from Bacolod (The Downunder Duo has morphed into the Tim Tam Trio with the addition of new flatmate Rachael!) made their debut with a rendition of “Smoke on the Water”.

We were quite amused when we later discovered this month is National Fire Prevention month! And a further irony is that when we received our travel allowance, it would have been enough to fly us there and back after all! But we had an adventure and a story to tell!

The majority of volunteers in the Philippines are U.S. Peace Corp which is similar in some ways to the AYAD program. They are usually here for longer and have an intensive language training at the beginning, but the down side is they don’t have much choice in the type of work they do. There are a fair number of Korean and Japanese volunteers, the odd European and a handful of internal Filipino volunteers. It was nice to discover that there are actually 3 U.S. Peace Corp volunteers based in Bacolod that we didn’t know about.

So basically, we found ourselves at the beginning of the weekend, no need to be back in Bacolod until Sunday night and on an island we hadn’t explored yet … we headed for the beach at Malapascua. Funnily enough, we never seem to tire of palm fringed white sand beaches, clear blue water full of fish and delicious fresh mango shakes! The highlight this time was snorkelling over a wrecked Japanese warship and seeing a 2m long black and white stripped sea snake.

25 – Rice Terraces and Whale Sharks

The latest batch of AYAD’s arrived the first week of March and, as in-country AYADs, we went to Manila to participate in their orientation week. Aruna and I decided to take the opportunity and go up a week early to explore the mountainous area north of Manila. Then before heading back to Bacolod after the orientation, we took a weekend side trip to Donsol to go snorkelling with the Whale Sharks. I would say this was my 2nd best trip in the Philippines after Palawan.

It was the most diverse group of people I think I’ve ever travelled with, which made for some very interesting conversations during the course of the trip.

Aruna – my fellow AYAD and trusty flatmate who has become a close friend. Aruna invited her friend from Germany … Quyen – a just married Vietnamese/German who was 3 when they fled the Vietnam war seeking asylum in Germany. Quyen brought her friend …
Stephan –from Berlin (east side) who was aged 12 when the wall came down, now IT consultant in Munich.
Me – ... what can I say, i felt pretty boring compared to my travel buddies! I invited my friend from Manila….
Imelda – the life of the party, marketing guru and very generous person who was 6 when Marcos declared Martial law. Imelda brought 2 friends …
Cookie – the hilariously funny, very camp, fashion designer from Manila.
Shirley – the very sophisticated fashion designer from Manila.
Patrick – another AYAD who heard about the trip and tagged along for part of it. He’s the long haired walking encyclopaedia and heavy metal fan from Surry Hills.

So we had a Hindu, a budhist, an athiest, a protestant, a catholic ... and we also picked up Jeff along the way - a Mormon from Utah and well travelled motivational speaker who was very proud of his Obama belt he’d picked up in China for a US$1! As Imelda liked to joke - we were the United Nations!

Our first stop, after an overnight bus from Manila, was the city of Baguio. Here we met up with other AYADs who showed us around their ‘home town’ and introduced us to their favourite eatery’s. The café by the ruins was so good we went back twice in the same day!

Baguio is known for its beautiful woven fabrics. We visited a couple of weaving cooperatives and some purchases were made.

From Baguio, it was an incredibly scenic bus trip through the steep mountain passes – mostly dirt roads barely 1 lane wide with a steep cliff rising on one side and a steep drop off on the other. Some 2000 years ago many of the slopes had been terraced by the local tribes to facilitate the agriculture of crops, predominantly rice. It reminded me of cutting out cardboard contours at Uni for architectural scale models … but this was at 1:1 and had all been achieved without any mechanical assistance!

The attraction of Sagada (apart from the yoghurt house!) is it’s caves. I had my first experience of spelunking and loved it. This involved descending into the cave, squeezing through small holes, sliding down slippery rocks, wading through freezing cold chest high water, scaling limestone walls with the aid of a rope and of course, marvelling at the beautiful limestone formations. After 3 hours, we emerged again into the daylight at a completely different location to where we went in. It was quite challenging on the upper body, but so much fun! We definitely needed a massage after that!

Also famous in Sagada is the hanging coffins. In the past (and still practiced although not much anymore) is the practice of hanging the dead in their coffins at the entrance to caves rather than burying them.

Banaue was our next stop – the heart of the rice terrace area, which features on the 1000 peso note. On our way we stoped in Bontoc to see the excellent ethnographic museum to get a better understanding of the many tribes of the mountain area. Due to its geography, this part of the Philippines was relatively inaccessible by the Spanish and American colonisers, so the tribal culture and languages have remained relatively intact.

From Banaue we hiked to Batad – a village that only got electricity last year and is nestled in the most magnificent stone wall rice terraces. It was planting season, so the terraces looked lush and green. With our guide leading the way, we hiked through the rice terraces, visiting villages along the way and taking a swim in Tappia waterfall.

At this point the group split – some stayed for more hiking, others had to go back to work in Manila, meanwhile Imelda and I had arranged to go further north as I was very keen to see the architecture of Vigan – the only Spanish colonial town that remains relatively intact.

I was yet again overwhelmed by the Filipino hospitality. We stayed with friends of Imelda’s who gave us a car and a driver and kept us incredibly well fed! While I enjoyed Vigan, it wasn’t as extensive or as well preserved as I was expecting. It was essentially only one main cobblestone street and the buildings along it converted into kitsch souvenir shops. We took and Calesa (horse and carriage) ride around the town and also visited the Padre Burgos museum, dedicated to one of 3 Filipino priests who where falsely convicted and publicly garrotted by the Spanish in 1872.

This area is also where ex President Ferdinand Marcos’s family comes from and is still held in high esteem by the locals despite the years of martial law and embezzlement. We visited the Marcos Museum where Ferdinand himself is laid out embalmed in a glass box.

Then it was back to Manila for the In-Country Orientation. There were 9 new AYADs destined for various places in the Philippines and one, Rachael, will be in Bacolod and also working for GK. She’s a livestock farmer from rural NSW and will be working on the Productivity team assisting in improving the farms in the GK villages. As usual ICO consisted of plenty of Karaoke & San Miguel beers. But a new addition to the activities was the Pinoy Amazing Race - an initiative to introduce the new AYAD’s to aspects of Filipino life while also getting out and about in downtown Antipolo. Us experienced AYAD’s were stationed at various places such as a food store, a health clinic, a transport hub etc while the newbies, in pairs had to follow clues to find us and get from us a briefing on that particular aspect of life in the Philippines. They all finished up at the market where they were assigned certain foods to purchase and that night cooked up a Pinoy BBQ for everyone. The following night it was our turn to cook up a BBQ Aussie style! There were a few goodbyes also as AYAD’s Dan, Ash & Patrick finished their assignments and were heading back to Australia. It brought it home for me that I’m now on my last leg with only 10 weeks to go. That thought inevitably brings mixed feeling of excitement at the prospect of seeing Jordi, family & friends again soon and the comforts and familiarity of home yet the sadness of leaving behind the friends I’ve made here and the certain aspects of the lifestyle and culture I’ve become accustomed to. But, no time to dwell on that just now! I still have 10 weeks after all!

Before heading back to our respective cities, 5 AYADs and our 2 German friends took a detour to Donsol, in Bicol Province, South East of Manila. This is the time of year when the Whale Sharks come to this area for feeding. With the perfect cone of Mayon volcano as our backdrop, we headed off shore in search of these majestic creatures that range from 4 to 18m in length! One crewman stands on the mast of the boat – he’s the spotter. The boat peacefully glides up and down the bay and all the while he’s got a keen eye on the water. Somehow he detects the slight shadows under the surface of the water that indicates the presence of a Whale Shark surfacing to feed. And then it’s all on! The boat speeds up, the crew get animated, we race to put on our snorkels and fins and perch on the side of the boat waiting for the guides signal to jump! In the water it’s a frenzy of eager yet nervous bodies trying to follow the guide. And then it appears suddenly out of nowhere, it’s characteristic broad flat head, wide mouth and white spots on it’s blue-grey skin. For a few seconds we stare in awe as it swims past before our brains snap back into action and we power up our arms and legs to swim along side it until it’s had enough and dives back down into the depths. This sequence was repeated 5 or 6 times before we headed back to shore for lunch. A truly amazing experience! The video I made tries to capture it, but if you can't make it out, you'll just have to try it for yourself some day :-)

24 - Frequently Asked Questions

1) How long does it take to build a GK village?

Like any construction project, the program will be affected by local conditions such as site location, cooperation of the local utility providers, experience of the Project Director, availability of materials, rain etc. The aim is to complete construction of a single detatched home in 14 to 18 days. A GK village should have a minimum of 30 homes. They usually average 50.

A GK village is not just houses but also includes site development such as water supply (usually artesian wells in the rural areas), drainage channels, waste water treatment (usually septic tanks). It also includes community facilities such as a multi-purpose hall, a pre-school, an office for the neighbourhood association (Kapitbahayan), a model house for visitors and a basketball court. A more established village with a good source of funding may also build a health clinic, a training centre, a youth centre etc.

A rough rule of thumb is 3ha for every 100 families. In the provinces, there is generally a 70/30 split between area for built structures and productivity area (the farm for food security).

2) How much does a GK house cost to build?

The current budget per house is 85,000 Philippino Pesos which at the current exchange rate is about AUD$2,800. This of course is materials only and GK negotiates with suppliers for discounts. The labour is free as the houses are constructed by the beneficiaries and volunteers from the community working together.

3) Who funds the construction?

All the funding for the projects relies on donations. These come from GK’s many and varied partnerships locally and internationally, e.g. corporations, schools, government, overseas Filipino workers, family donations etc.

4) How big is a GK house?

The standard size of a GK house is 24m2. While the designs vary from province to province, it is generally a single room with a toilet/wash cubicle in one corner and an outdoor or semi enclosed space for cooking. The internal partitioning, furniture and decoration is left up to the beneficiary family who will move in. The floor plan is designed such that partitions can be erected to create 2 bedrooms and a living space.

5) How are the beneficiaries selected?

The beneficiaries are usually selected in conjunction with the Local Government Unit (LGU) who have the records of the poorest of the poor in the particular area. In some cases (e.g. GK Hua Ming, Handumanan), it is a relocation project where a community of squatters already exists and is relocated from the land they are squatting on to the GK village. In other cases (e.g. GK Paraiso village, Banago), the GK village is built on the same land where the squatters have been living for decades.

6) Do the beneficiaries have to pay back the cost of their house?

No. But they do have to abide by certain rules to become and remain a GK beneficiary. The main 3 rules are:
· There is no drinking of alcohol in public within the village. They are allowed to drink privately in their homes.
· There is no gambling at all in the village.
· There is no prostitution at all in the village.
The beneficiaries also have to participate in 250 hours of “sweat equity” (working to build the houses) to qualify to become a beneficiary.

7) Do the beneficiaries own the house and land once they move in?

Not immediately. The first big hurdle is security of land tenure. Land is usually aquired in one of two ways. a) Private land is donated to the Local Government Unit for the purpose of establishing a GK village b) land that is already Government owned is appropriated for a GK village. Then a usufruct agreement is drawn up between the LGU and GK which is usually 50 years, renewable. The idea is that this will evolve towards individual ownership by the beneficiaries.

8) Is there a limit to the number of people who can live in one house?

The rule is 1 family 1 house. This is generally a mother, father and their 5 or so children. The accommodation of an extended family within one house is discouraged.

9) Can a beneficiary sell their house?

No. If the beneficiary decides to move out, the house will be returned to the neighbourhood association (Kapitbahayan) who will consult the waiting list and choose a new beneficiary for that house. The Kapitbahayan is comprised of residents and they are assisted by the caretaker team which are the local team of volunteers usually from Couples for Christ.

If the primary beneficiary passes away, the house can be inherited by his/her next of kin.

10) Are the houses all the same?

The construction material and design varies according to location however some standards have evolved based on efficiency of construction by unskilled hands and cost effectiveness. In Manila the houses tend to be row houses and multi-storey developments. In the provinces, the houses are more rural scale and there are standard designs for a single detached house and also a duplex.

All the houses in the same village will usually be the same design to eliminate any tendency for jealousy if one family has a ‘better’ house than their neighbour but also to maximise efficiency of construction through repetition of a standard design. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule such as the proposed eco-village for Nordson, Victorias. It will have a standard house design for the local poor as well as a larger house design for employees of the land owner.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, the houses are more often than not constructed from concrete hollow blocks with steel reinforcing bars, infill cement floor and corrugated metal sheet roof. In many locations this remains the most economical, durable and practical in terms of construction by unskilled hands. However, in areas prone to flooding post and beam construction with fibre cement cladding has been used, and in areas with a prevalence of lime in the soil, compressed earth blocks have been made on site and used like bricks. Eventhough elevated post and beam construction and light weight materials might be the more appropriate response to the tropical climate, it is very challenging to overcome the cultural connotations of such materials – ie. “this is what we had in the slums, we deserve better than that in GK”. Better meaning concrete.