If anyone out there has a computer or just a monitor or CPU or printer sitting around gathering dust and becoming more obsolete by the millisecond, please consider sending it to the Philippines with my brother when he heads this way at the end of the month. I could easily find it a gracious owner here.
Here's a recap of another crazy set of days.
I went to Tagbilaran to meet with the Peace Corps Washington Inspector General representative. (But before our meeting, I went to the foot reflexologist, ate some organic jackfruit, had a short meeting with Feed the Children, and bought a domestic plane ticket for my brother.) Every few years, an inspector comes around to He make sure everything is running smoothly in-country, and that the volunteers ain't up to no monkey business. He came bearing bittersweet gifts (Tootsie Pops and a Time Magazine with the headline "4 More Years." We had a great conversation, and I twisted his arm enough that he stuck around for dinner. Mama Ramos prepared quite a feast, and Papa seemed thrilled to be eating dinner with the anti-monkey-business guy.
Then we went to get a beer at Bohol Tropics (the place Jimmy Carter stayed when he was in town on a Habitat for Humanity mission a few years ago) where I got to quiz the IG about his job and hear a bit about his life story since his time as a 1960's era Peace Corps volunteer in Panama. However, the IG had to call it a night rather early, as he'd been on a 5am to 9pm schedule for the past two weeks. Trying to visit forty volunteers in a country where you might need to take five forms of transport per volunteer is not an easy task. But somebody's gotta do it.
Next day: Casey had spent the night, and we got up mad early to meet Pete in town, and headed for Bohol Divers. The dive was probably the most boring I've been on. I'd rate it an eight. Maybe that's too generous, but I'm thankful Pete's weightbelt didn't clunk me on the head when it fell off. My ears and nose congested, so I stayed on-board while the rest went for the second dive, which they all considered awesome. We waited forever for a bus to take us back to Tagbilaran, all the while being approached by trikes and vans who wished to give us a ride at a special tourist price. (They quickly scurry off when we start speaking Cebuano.) Finally, our divemaster passed by and explained the busses stop running at 3pm. So we had to suck it up, and squeezed in the smoke-belching trike. We got back to Tagbilaran and killed a few hours waiting for Papa to finish selling peanuts. Then we hit "Sky's D Limit" where they sell disgusting meat on sticks and offer a pretty decent videoke machine.
The day after that: We'd been out quite late singing karaoke with Papa, but woke early again, in order to buy some produce at the organic tabo (market) at the provincial capitol building. Pickins were slim, seeing that there were only two farms vending, and organic bounties have never been counted by the truckload.
In the afternoon, Papa and I went on a field trip to Rubin Balistoy's Purple Life Farm, one of the two represented at the tabo. Rubin is the man! He is super knowledgeable about many facets of farming and biodiversity, and he was more than willing to teach us about his organic sasso chicken, his practically-free rice hull carbonization technique (for use as fertilizer.) He is the president of BISAD (Bohol Initiators for Sustainable Agriculture & Development) and indeed the right man for the post. He shared with me a whole slew of contacts that would help keep me busy for the next few days. He picked his last ripe buongon off the tree, and gave me a great deal. When we got home, Papa enthusiastically told Mama how wonderful organic farming is.
I got up bright and early the next day to visit the GTZ office. (GTZ with the "Z" pronounced "zed" is of course the short way to say Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit.) I had heard they were promoting Constructed Wetlands or Reed Beds, simple technology to suck up things that do not make for a happy, healthy water supply. They are promoting it specifically for communal wastewater concerns, such as fecal matter and laundry detergent. But it has been successfully implemented in factory settings, and I think it might work well for chemical dyes used in the yet-to-be-built loomweaving dyeing center. I left them a blank CD and they promised to burn me some PowerPoints when their computer was feeling better.
Next, I took a shortcut through the award-winning Provincial Library, and turned the corner, into the offices of BEMO, (Bohol Environmental Management Office) where I met with the head of the Solid Waste Division. They are ramping up efforts to promote proper separation and disposal of trash here in Bohol. They really seem to "get" the urgency of the matter, and have some good ideas for implementation of solutions. Still, they say they are a demand based agency, and have only really found success when they help people and municipalities who request assistance (as opposed to just showing up, saying "Hi, we're BEMO and we're gonna make your world a better place.") As my mom always says, "Daniel, god helps those who help themselves."
I am getting sick of hearing the excuse "we Filipinos are hard-headed," so I've decided that instead of getting upset with people who don't want to listen, I should try to work with those who are eager to hear me yap and then ask me plenty of questions. The least hard headed are the children. Especially the young children. Sure, they are used to throwing their junk food wrappers everywhere, and they are used to breathing burning plastic (to keep away dangerous mosquitoes) but they know nothing else, and will probably be least resistant to change if the reasons for change can be explained simply and provide direct benefit to them.
So I asked BEMO what municipalities in Bohol are taking proactive steps to educate the people and the kids about waste. Without having to think about it, the answer was Albur. I got the contact info for the Albur folks, chatted a while longer, and hurried to get some delicious organic veggies and rice from the stall Rubin's sister runs at MacJac, an outdoor cafeteria where food is cheap and served with no wait. While eating, I received a nice text from BEMO saying thanks for the visit and anyone who wishes to help the environment is always welcome in our office.
Before I had time to digest, I was on a jeepney headed for the Office of Provincial Agriculture to meet Salvio, a friend of Rubin. This guy is unlike any Filipino I've met before. He told me a story about running a month-long organic farm camp for rural farmers. He demonstrated the techniques and the farmers were able to see the positive results. However, when the farmers returned to their respective farms, they resumed use of expensive and harmful chemical fertilizers.
Salvio wondered why. He realized that he had simply told the farmers "this is the better way, this is how to do it," instead of letting the farmers arrive to this conclusion on their own From then on, he decided that if he were to see positive results from his trainings, he'd have to involve the participants in the Socratic method or critical thinking. I asked Salvio for an example of critical thinking. He likes to explain it like this: If I get really angry at you, and just punch you in the face, that is not critical thinking. However, if I think for a second that if I hurt you, I might have to pay for your medical bills, and not be able to feed my family. And if I kill you, then maybe I'll end up in jail, and won't be able to feed my family either.
He started telling me about a community gardening program that involves critical thinking, but I had to cut our meeting short, because I was late for an important date. I busted over to Island City Mall. I had promised Sonny I'd treat him to a movie at Screenville for his 45th (or maybe 46th) birthday, which was November 1. Sonny's wife, Bebie, brought him to Tagbilaran. I think it was Sonny's first trip to a mall, and first time to the movies. Sadly for Sonny, there were no real-live action movies playing, so he opted for the animated version, The Incredibles. Not a bad choice.
Then back in town to use the internet at Townsaver Internet Café, where they've installed Firefox on all the machines. (And at 10 pesos an hour, it's 50% cheaper and a heck of a lot faster than my rinky-dink dial-up connection at home. But hey, I wasn't expecting any internet access in the Peace Corps.) As I was leaving the place, I noticed the two other foreigners in the place staring at Hebrew websites. I don't usually talk to strangers, but I couldn't help but ask what they were doing in town. Just tourists. OK, fine, I've seen Israelis all over the world, but never in Bohol. Oh, well, we had a crazy friend who really recommended the Philippines. Is there anything to do in Bohol? So I gave them a list of possibilities, invited them to our upcoming Thanksgiving dinner, and told them they might be able to get in some moonlight kayaking. We got kicked out of the café because closing time came way too fast, and I introduced them to papa, who was still selling peanuts at 10pm. His co-vendors were all taking the night off, and so he was taking advantage of brisker-than-usual sales.
Early the next morning, Papa and I headed for another organic farming field trip. Reliable sources tell me that Mrs. Darunday spent twenty-five years as an executive at Shell, and decided it was time to give something back. On her farm, Cedar Farms, they raise pigs differently. Instead of using expensive commercial feeds with growth hormones, they feed the pigs rice hulls and vegetables, costing next to nothing. Instead of keeping the pigs in small cement pens, the pigs live and play in large, breezy, corral with a sawdust floor. The pigs don't need cleaning in this environment. And because they can run around, they grow strong, eliminating need for growth hormones. When the fiesta arrives, the poor things still must be slaughtered, but the meat is leaner, and commands a higher price at the market. (I wish people didn't slaughter pigs or goats or cows or dogs or chickens or fish, but I'd have better odds persuading Mr. Prez to sign the Kyoto Protocol than convincing a Filipino to change their viand. Having said that, there are scattered vegetarians sprouting up around the Philippines.)
Mrs. Darunday is experimenting with organic ube (like sweet potato) and other veggies. She's also got a swell compost pit going, and some of the nicest farmhands a farmer could want. BISAD is quite lucky to count her as a member and advocate.
From the farm, I called up the MPDC Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator) of Albur. I told her I'd heard good things about her programs, and that I wanted to meet her. She said "Not today, cuz I have visitors coming from BLDF (Bohol Livelihood Development Fund.)" So I said "Well, actually, that's perfect, I've been wanting to meet those folks, if it's alright with you and them." "Sure, great, hurry on over." So with no time for a sit-down lunch, I picked up some hot corn, a green mango, and some graham crackers from street vendors, and hopped another jeepney, for an hour-long dusty haul...
And for your sake and mine, I'll pick up from here later this week. I don't know how interesting this all is to anyone out there, but it's my life, and I'm sticking to it. After all, what other choice have I got? (I absolutely cannot write fiction.)
Posted by dbs at December 7, 2004 09:31 PM