The Beauty and Darkness of an Island

We recently reached the half way stage of the three month programme that I and all our volunteers are part of. Thus it was time to get away and have a review of how things were going up to this point. As a treat, we went five hours south from our usual base in Hagonoy, to the island of Puerto Gallera. Puerto Gallera is a popular spot with tourists, and for good reason – it is surrounded by stunning beaches and beautiful underwater wildlife.

However, we weren’t in Puerto just for a break (much to the annoyance of some of our volunteers!). We spent the first days running workshops, looking at how everyone was feeling, how their work was going and how they were working as a team. It was great for everyone to take a step back and try to find solutions to things that were worrying or irritating them.

After our work we had a day and a half to enjoy the island. We boarded little boats and went exploring… First stop was an underwater cave. The entrance would be easily missed to the untrained eye – a hidden gap in the hide of a hill. We descended downwards into the dark… It was really amazing to go swimming through caves, and to be able to pass through one chamber to another. Very atmospheric and fun!

After that, we went a bit further out to sea and then put on some snorkeling equipment. What followed was amazing – we saw beautiful coral reefs, the gigantic clams (which were so huge and menacing that they looked like something from outer space) and huge swarms of multicoloured fish and eels. It was fantastic to be so close to it all, and to be able to see them all so clearly. The fish gradually became used to our presence, and when I’d keep still they’d start nibbling at me! It was great to be so connected and close to the life under the sea.

Some of the Stairway Foundation's actors

The Stairway Foundation – our base for our four days in Puerto Gallera was the Stairway Foundation, an organization that works with street children, particularly those who have suffered from sexual abuse. It was the perfect location, as not only were the beds, food, meeting space and staff all superb, but the money we were spending was going directly to a good cause.

The Foundation also laid on a few extra activities for us. The highlight was a performance of a play exploring some of the struggles and emotions that sexually abused children may go through. It was a really hard hitting and excellent performance. All of us were completely silent at the end – we had been deeply moved by the stories portrayed.  It’s not often that a “hotel” would provide excellent value for money and excellent, educational entertainment, but that’s what we got – hats off to staying at ethical establishments!

The darker side to Puerto Gallera – Puerto is a popular spot for Western tourists, some of which unfortunately are not the kind that most countries would want to attract. Walking around the community, it was very easy to spot the 60 year old white men surrounded by two or three 20 year old prostitutes. Likewise, there were several westerners spending time in the company of children, and taking photographs of kids on the beach. Pedophilia/child abuse, both from what I have seen and from what local people tell me, is rife in Puerto Gallera.

Whilst this was shocking, perhaps worst of all was the seeming indifference of the local people.  I have spoken to many Filipinos about the pedophiles I saw, and yet the response I mostly get is a resigned shrug of the shoulders. People are so used to seeing westerners use prostitutes and abuse children that it is seemingly a non-issue. I find it difficult to understand this response – so far the only argument I have heard is that the general public don’t want to damage potential income streams for the children and young women engaged in sex work. Yet I still don’t quite understand how the general public can turn a blind eye to pedophilia when it is happening right in front of their eyes (however pious that might make me sound)...

As an aside, I was also saddened to hear the general stereotype that many Filipinos seem to have of Westerners. People have told me that they view Westerners as sex-obsessed, and that many Westerners are pedophiles. This, combined with the painful history of the Spanish and American occupations to the Philippines really makes me question how most Filipinos still welcome Westerners with kindness and such big smiles. It is a mystery to me!

So, quite an eye-opening week really. I hope all of you are well and enjoying each day. Lots of love and a big hug,

Robert

Birthday Time!

Yes, May the 14^th was my birthday. As the 14^th fell on a work day I did most of my celebrating the day before. My host family very kindly held a party in my honour, cooking loads and loads of food. The inevitable videoke (karaoke) machine was wheeled out, and songs were sung until the early hours. It was really kind of Mama Angel, my host mother, and her extended family to all come out to celebrate with me.

Waking up the following morning, my 29^th year was greeted by the sounds of yet more videoke (yes, Filipinos are addicted to singing!). After gulping down breakfast I made my way to the municipal library to meet my volunteers and start work. However, this day was a day with a difference – the group’s first Global Citizenship Day. Each week, a pair of volunteers has the responsibility of organizing a day on a development topic of their choice. This time the two volunteers chose to explore the theme of “Relative and Absolute Poverty” (for basic definitions of these terms please click here).  The day started off with a presentation on relative poverty, with a focus on the wealth divide in the UK. It’s fair to say that many of the Filipinos volunteers (and indeed British) were unaware of the poverty that exists in the United Kingdom. The high child poverty rates in the UK, and the comparison between other wealthier areas of the country, proved to be a shocking and interesting point of study.

Payatas – After digesting all of that, we all boarded the coach to Metro Manila to see a community in which absolute poverty is rife. Payatas is community in the north of Manila. It has gained notoriety not just for its poverty, but also because it is home to one of the biggest rubbish mountains in the country. The mountain towers about the community, and is controversial for two main reasons: 1). the growth of the mountain has led to the government forcibly evicting local residents, 2). large sections of the rubbish mountain collapsed in 2000, killing 218 people.

We were guided around the community by some local volunteer health workers, who gave us a real insight into the lives of some of the local people. It was surreal to be passing by shacks, all the time seeing the large rubbish mountain dominating the skyline.

Like much of the Philippines, unemployment is high in Payatas. Many of the local people thus turn to scavenging, going on daily trips to the rubbish mountain searching for any items that can be sold on. What might already sound like a difficult job recently became tougher when the government sold on the rights to the rubbish mountain to a local colonel. He has since started charging local people to access the mountain, and has struck up deals with the local recycling/scrap businesses so as to cut out the actual scavengers from the negotiating table. One local resident told me that this has led to a drop in wages, with scavengers now only earning about 40 Pesos per day (about 60 pence) for their tough work. I find it hard to believe that someone can charge the poorest of the poor to scavenge through public waste (which let’s not forget, has been dumped in the local residents’ community). Such an advanced form of capitalism was previously unknown to me!

Those who do not scavenge often turn to crime or prostitution. In both these situations, it is again the poor who suffer. Thefts primarily take place within the community, so the poor are stealing from the poor. Prostitutes have most of their earnings taken by pimps, and those that engage in cyber sex take home only 6-10% of the money paid by the watcher, whilst the person owning the computer and webcam walks away with the vast majority.

The wealth divide between the rich and poor Filipinos was highlighted during our short trip to Manila. After visiting Payatas we stopped off at a very posh and clean SM shopping mall. SM malls are the biggest shopping complexes I have ever seen, and are full of lots of designer clothes shops and restaurants. The malls seem a world away from the surroundings of Payatas. Indeed, a resident of Payatas would barely be able to afford the transport fee to the mall, let alone a cheap burger there (which, incidentally would cost about the same as an entire day’s work rummaging through rubbish). Residents of Payatas would joke that they have their own “SM” – their Smoky Mountain. I’m glad they can find humour in their situation, but it really is sad to see the contrast between the two worlds, just a 30 minute bus ride apart.

Anyway, I returned home feeling very happy at the way I spent my 29^th birthday. It was a fascinating day, I certainly learnt a lot about poverty and the human spirit. Some of the residents of Payatas were really inspiring, doing so much in the face of many challenges. They were so strong and had a real “goodness” about them. I hope that I will have the opportunity to visit them again sometime in the future. It was also a rare privilege to play my part as a group supervisor on this day, helping young people get more of an understanding of poverty. I hope that I’ll be doing similarly useful things during my future birthdays!

Phew, a bit of a long one this week – well done for reading this far! Lots of love and best wishes,

Robert

Atlantis (otherwise known as Hagonoy)

Hagonoy, being close to the sea, is prone to flooding. Areas are submerged for hours at a time; during the rainy season flooding can be quite severe. The ground floors of houses are often left knee deep in salty water, and so sleeping quarters are normally on the first floor. It is quite surreal to see a living room or kitchen regularly drenched. People just seem to get on with life, despite the difficulties that the daily flooding causes.

Navigating the floods – Local residents are faced with three options when wanting to travel around Hagonoy during high tide: 1). Wear wellington boots. Sloshing through the water can be fun and refreshing, but as the water is quite dirty it’s not a sensible option to wade without protection (especially if you’ve got any open wounds on your feet). Lovely rat urine is found in some of the water, and can lead to the development of leptospirosis. Thus boots, for those who can afford them, are a great help. However, as the water can get knee high, this technique doesn’t always work… 2). Use public transport. Tricycle drivers are willing to drive you through flooded areas, but will expect an increase in the fare to compensate for the damage that the salty water will have on their bikes. This method does not guarantee that you will still stay dry though… 3). Wait for the floods to subside! Most people carry tidal calendars, so they can predict when it will be ok to venture to certain flood-hit areas. It’s quite common for residents to plan their trips around the tidal flows.

Going overseas – The attached photo shows Doro, the son of my host mother, with his lovely family (his wife Jen, Angelo and Angelica).  Doro is someone I will not have the chance to get to know a bit better, as he has now left to go to work in Saudi Arabia for the next 18 months. Like many Filipinos, he has to make the difficult choice: whether to stay in the Philippines, or leave his family, his friends and his country behind in the search for work. It seems a tough economic reality that in order for Doro to ensure that his children get a good future he must leave them. I guess that people from richer countries are lucky, as most do not have to face such a choice.

One of the Philippines’ main exports are people – a quick glimpse at the world’s supply of nurses, sailors and nannies will prove this point. Certainly, the British National Health Service relies upon Filipinos. Most Filipinos have got used to the fact that family members are likely to spend years upon years in far flung places in the world. Almost all the families I have met have at least one relation working permanently overseas.

A Family Activity or Child Labour? – Yes, this is the dilemma that faces me most of the time when I do my laundry! My host family seems to find it amusing that I bother to do my own washing (perhaps it’s the combination of being a Westerner and a man). Thus, the whole activity often becomes a bit of a circus, with the children wanting to join in on the process. This week, the two girls pushed me aside and wanted to do the work. I’m not entirely comfortable with letting a 5 year old and a 6 year old do all the hard labour, but they seemed to be having fun!

A big hug to all of you from an internet café in central Hagonoy (luckily no flooding here!),

Robert

Hitting the ground running...

Work has now started properly, as my Filipina counterpart Maris and I have transported all the volunteers to Hagonoy. We’ve left the rest of the VSO staff behind in Manila, and are now in the town that we’ll be spending the next 11 weeks in together. The volunteers have now just spent their first few days in their own host homes, and have been getting to know the local area. We’ll be having a few days of in-community orientation, and then they’ll all be starting in their work placements. Hopefully they’ll all have a great time in the weeks ahead…

Street parties and street collections – our introduction to Hagonoy has been great so far. I experienced my first street fiesta, and was quickly dragged into a dance with a group of elderly dancing ladies. My dancing skills were so good/bad [delete as appropriate] that now many people stop me in the street saying “ah yes, you’re the British guy who was at the fiesta”! The streets were awash with colours, and the usual big floats with various saints stood proudly on them. I guess these street fiestas are part of the legacy of the Spanish colonial rule, but everyone seems to enjoy them.

Having had a good rest, I went the next day with the volunteers to an early morning street clean-up. The local head of government, Major Angel “Boy” Cruz, invited us all to join in the group of local people who go regularly to clean up neighbourhoods of the town. Armed with brushes, dustpans and rice sacks we headed off to the streets to clean, clean, clean! It was a hot day (it always seems to be a hot day at the moment, temperatures are usually around the 38C mark), but this didn’t stop us having a good time. We all felt satisfied afterwards, as we could really see the difference we had made to the neighbourhood.

But why are such street clean-ups needed? Well, unfortunately it’s quite common to see Filipinos dumping their rubbish in the streets or on the area near their house. I guess this is probably due to a mixture of cultural and practical reasons. The result: lots of rubbish lining the streets, and an unhealthy and unsightly environment to live in. The local mayor has made “solid waste management” a big focus of his term in power, and so has initiated a number of street clean-ups and recycling drives. Three of our volunteers will be assisting the local people in their solid waste management drives. Fingers crossed they’ll be able to encourage more people to deal with their waste responsibly.

I’ll write again soon. For now, love from the hot and sticky Hagonoy,

Robert