Monthly Archives: January 2015

Local farmers look to even the economic playing field.

Earlier in the day we were in a southwestern region of Mindanao called the Sultan Kudarat province and it became a became very special learning experience. We met with some of the elected officials and village elders and they gave us a pretty thorough briefing on the state of affairs within their barangay. They appeared especially proud when they spoke of some of the new ideas that are being implemented to with the goal of empowering the local farmers with additional market options for their produce. With 1330 households and a growing population of 6515 people to feed, the farmers have decided to take a more proactive role they have in the past, when it comes to influencing the supply chain. In order to maximize the profit potential of the individual, the barangay farms have taken the measures to control of the pricing of the goods by regulating the output and production of some of the supply. The main crops in the area that the local farms produce are palay, banana and corn. There was usually enough food to go around, the farmers came to realize that planting crops all at the same time and reaping a mass harvest may be easier for major corporations to process, the sheer volume of produce has a direct and lowering effect on the pricing of the goods. A change in the process was forthcoming if there was to be a more equitable transfer of goods and services. These crops are now being planted on a rotational basis so that selected portions of the farmland can be harvested weekly or essentially as needed. The barangay officials said this change in economic paradigm has had a positive effect on the local farmers lives in that because market saturation of goods is mitigated by the planned harvesting period, a minimum of wasted or excess product has increased the of selling power for the farmers. This has helped to provide an ancillary income stream for the locals by opening alternate selling venues for the producers, such as farmers markets on weekends.

These pictures are of a local farmer and the palay, or rice that he drying. The process can last between 4 to 6 hours with as farmers contend with the occasional threat of brief but violent gusts of high wind.

Mindanao to Manila

Our class officially ended yesterday…and yes it was a bittersweet experience. Sweet because we have all gained so much knowledge and have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people. Bitter, because when you have an experience like the one I had, it is sad to see it come to an end. I just arrived in Manila yesterday, and after sleeping for 16 hours and having eaten, I am back to thinking and writing. In this post, I want to address the similarities and the differences between Mindanao and Manila that I noticed right of the bat and some curious conversations that I had.

View of Metro Manila from the roof of my hotel.

While we were in Mindanao, there were many different versions of the imperial Manila that we heard. The first being the notion that Manila is in control of Mindanao but it doesn’t know Mindanao, this is the view that people from Mindanao have had since the Spanish were in Manila. I think the people in Mindanao are just in their thinking because for over four hundred years the government in Manila has passed laws and decrees that have affected Mindanao negatively (forced migration, rights to aggressive mineral exploration to international companies, excessive military operations, etc.) and the trickle down effect from Manila to the south does not exactly happen the way it should. After just spending one day in Manila and observing the stark difference in the amount of development that has taken place and is going on is mind blowing to put it in the most apt terms. I wondered again how someone in Manila would see someone from Mindanao and curiously enough when I checked into my hotel, the receptionist asked where I was coming from and I said Davao (I don’t mean that I am from Mindanao, she was aware that I am American but had traveled through Philippines), she retorted back with, “Why, are you a missionary?”

Another idea that I had heard from a young lady in Cotabato city regarding Manila was that people in Manila do not like people in Mindanao. She had mentioned her previous job in hospitality was in Manila and people were purposely mean to her knowing that she was from Cotabato. I, off course did not take this too seriously; I assumed it was an isolated issue. However, upon being in Manila and having had conversations with people about Mindanao, I am beginning to see what this young lady was trying to convey to me. I don’t think people from Manila dislike everyone from Mindanao that is just a gross exaggeration. I do think that there is a certain detachment between the north and south, a sort lack of concern if I may say. I don’t think this wrong either, everyone is busy living their lives, who truly has the time and energy to expend on issues that they can do nothing about but then again I am pulled towards everything I saw and herd in Mindanao and I am left wondering, why doesn’t anyone care?

Now lets talk about the superficial differences and similarities. Manila is very big in every way compared to every part of Mindanao that we saw. The buildings, the ideas, the lifestyle, and the changes are all very big. There are so many high rises that are being built and so much road construction to build flyovers to decrease traffic. My taxi driver mentioned that one flyover project can take anywhere from 2-3 years, and they are all being built by private companies, that means people will have to pay a toll. This leads me into things that are similar; the people are exactly the same, hospitable. The language, the focus on learning from others, religious fervor, the bureaucracy, and the dilapidating civil service buildings are all exactly the same. I think the difference have stood out so much for me because of all that I saw and learned in the past two weeks and I found myself getting irritated by the bourgeois society that is very much part of Manila. I still have loads to think about, may be I will come back to this as I learn more and see more in the next two days.

Here we go…

[Written Jan. 6]

I woke up early and anxious to start the day, I have a feeling I will attempt this early morning routine the rest of the trip. Our room AC has us cool and refreshed, opening the door and going outside the reality of the warmth and humidity is drastic. My first impression, being aware of every new smell and sight, is quite stimulating. The hotel couldn’t be more ideal and after so much traveling it is nice to know we will be staying in this boutique hotel for the next few days.

Greeted by hotel concierge and the servers, every response is yes ma’am, thank you ma’am. The voices of their response are very soft and comforting. Getting to the little breakfast cafe we are warmly greeted, and although we have only been here for a day, I have yet to open my own door whether entering the hotel or the cafe. I was surprised to have the option of brewed coffee or instant. I thought that would be a no-brainer but I quickly discovered an appreciation for instant while 3-in-1 is even better. For me breakfast was ideal with scrambled eggs and rice. Growing up my parents were always amazed how much I enjoyed the simplicity of rice, I wonder if that enjoyment will remain throughout this trip.
Getting into the mindset as a researcher, our first meeting with our NGO host gave us an overview of what was to come while keeping in mind that everything had the possibility of changing and flexibility on our part is key. Our hosts amazed me with their knowledge and capability of working with our professor to organize this trip. Their roles in creating long standing peace building programs is inspiring. Looking at the Itinerary showed the amount of detail that has gone into this program and that the most will be made out of the next two weeks.

6 on a Bike = Day Maker

I am impressed at the effectiveness of the personal transportation system that has developed on the island of Mindanao. With a minimum of safety equipment but a maximum in collective balance and agility the preferred mode of transit here appears to be the motorcycle. Also, at first glance the traffic patterns within the cities appear to follow no obvious traffic laws. However, a very effective system of communication between drivers has evolved, by honking the car horn in different cadences between drivers to alert if passing or slowing. I believe that direct nonverbal dialogue is part of the reason that during my entire stay in Mindanao. I have not seen one car accident. Best of all, when it comes to personally owned vehicles there is an over riding sense of mentality that “if it was capable of moving, it is capable of carrying me and anyone else that needs a ride” and it is that ingenuity seems to serve the people well. I thought four people on a bike were pretty cool picture when I saw it for the first time but that proved to be the norm. To see a group of five on a motorcycle was to become somewhat common occurrence too. My personal day maker came a when I saw six dudes on one motorcycle, seated in perfect balance with one another and living in harmony with the world… and I was able to get a photograph of them.

Motorbikes and Fried Chicken

I have arrived! I hate to jinx myself but I had almost no complications with the flight; I wish all my other travels could have been this smooth. The first thought I had once I reached Mindanao was, this looks familiar. I saw tropical terrain and green everywhere. On the busy crowed roads, I often saw more than two passengers on a single motorbike, chaotic traffic, incessant honking of horns and street dogs. It seemed as if there is no apparent method to driving here. Rules do not seem to apply; it is a free for all. Strangely enough there seemed to be synchronicity and we managed to succeed in reaching the hotel. I could already feel beads of seat gathering around my forehead, and that noticeable moist feeling between your forearm and bicep. I was greeted with a hug from my professor, given my room info and told the time we would meet once the rest of the students had arrived. She was

a mind reader; she had a large bottle of water with her and handed it to me with a smile. I was told to get some rest and that we would be meeting at 7 pm. I lugged my backpack up the flights of stairs and entered my room. There I saw my roommate laying on the bed in the dark. The thought of sleep entered my mind but I quickly abandoned this idea, how could I sleep after arriving to a new land, I wanted to explore! I asked her why she was in bed when she could be out exploring. She sick without medicine. As I started un packing the thought of shower crossed my mind, but I realized I had forgot to pack shampoo ( I always forget something!). This was it, my chance to meander around the neighborhood, and looking for a pharmacy. I dodged cars, motorcycles and pedestrians; I was on a mission. As I walked from sidewalk to sidewalk I smelled the faint aroma of fried food, mixed with vehicle exhaust in the humid air. I began to see fried chicken everywhere, not something I necessarily crave on a hot day. After completing my mission at the pharmacy, out of desperation I purchased two pieces for 40 pesos. I practically inhaled them when once I returned to my room. While I sat on my bed I reflected, is this place really that dangerous, it seemed so calm, and I felt safe. Funny the initial thoughts we have. I wonder how I will feel at the end of the two weeks.

Mindanao Mentality

So I’m sitting on the floor at Gate 10 in the Manila Airport, my bag much heavier now than upon arrival due to all the packets and readings materials all our hosts gave us over the two weeks. I think my high school English teachers would appreciate my need to make that into a metaphor for how much heavier my brain also feels after all the work we’ve done. The last leg of the trip was really a challenge: between the lack of sleep, hot humid weather, long days and the constant struggle to stay hydrated, morning conversations between Evyn and me in the last couple of days disintegrated into either giggles or whines. I found myself day dreaming about Mexican food and Netflix, about sleeping in my own bed. But of course now that I’m in the airport, about to leave the Philippines for the foreseeable future, I kind of don’t want to leave.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not just because of the pre-semester jitters. But I’ve spent the last two weeks head-to-toe immersed in nothing but Mindanao and the Mindanao conflict, talking about the implementation of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, women’s rights and political participation, the New People’s Army, tri-people, rido, and international mining companies. Even during our meals, if we didn’t have a dinner meeting, we would ask clarifying questions to James or at least make small talk about what interesting cultural difference we’d experienced that day. In all honesty, I’m not sure if I’m ready to think about other subjects. Other than classes, I have preparations for work to start back up next week, a friend visiting from Spain in March, and all these other tasks coming up that are worlds away and simply don’t fit into my Mindanao mentality. In the short time I’ve been here I’ve normalized the schedule, the information, the food, and the weather of our time in Mindanao, and now it’s over as suddenly as it began.

But of course the work doesn’t end. As I spoke to briefly in my past blog post (as I’m sure others have in theirs) we’ll be continuing with this information well into the spring semester. Even though I’m out of Mindanao, I’ll keep posting, so keep checking to see more details about the conflict and how we end up processing all of what we saw, including more of the nitty-gritty and meat of the topics. I’m thinking the next post will probably be more in depth about my area of interest– the zones of peace– so watch out!

Guess which gate was mine?

A Changed Woman

[Written January 19]

We’re back in Davao for the end of our trip, staying in the same hotel as the first couple of nights, and it’s a very strange feeling because remembering that feels like a century ago. We have traveled all across the island at this point, and even stayed briefly on Samal island last night to have a day of swimming on the beach and allowing our brains to melt a little bit. It’s hard to describe all the ways in which I’ve changed in just two weeks, but I know that my eyes have been opened a little more to the Mindanao conflict. I’ve sat down and calculated, so here’s the rundown of our two jam-packed weeks spent here:

We’ve had meetings with 22 groups of various actors, including civil society organizations, NGOs both local and international, a military branch, religious leaders and organizations, and villages. We’ve stayed in 7 different hotels which I can barely remember, except for where we saw the biggest cockroaches and where the best (or worst) food was. We’ve tried durian and mangosteen, and eaten pounds upon pounds of mango, watermelon, pineapple, bananas – not to mention some of those bananas were boiled. We’ve spent at least 26 hours in debrief sessions within our own group, reviewing, absorbing, and processing all the information that we’ve accumulated. And, of course, having needed to go all across the island, we’ve spent about 40 hours riding in our cramped white van with a trusted and talented driver who could give the Queen’s Guard a run for their money, because none of our group could get him to talk.

For tonight, we’re going to our departure dinner with CRS, and tomorrow morning we’ll have our final meeting with them to present everything that we’ve learned. What has been floating around in my head is the question that two CRS staff members have apparently asked Dr. Iyer for the conclusion of our trip: how are we relating this trip with our studies? Are we applying what we’ve learned to the trip, or is the trip going to inspire or be a part of future projects and courses? I knew upon registering for the course that we’d be coming back to Monterey to share the stories that we’d heard while traveling here, that we’d have to do something with all the information we’d gathered. But beyond that, I hadn’t really thought in detail about what I wanted to do with this experience. Sure I want to use it for background and context as I continue my studies, but is that it?

I’ll have to keep thinking on those questions to fully be able to answer them, but I’ll try to siphon through where I’m at now. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of one conflict from all different and human perspectives; I enjoyed trying my hand at the art of questioning and researching; of feeling myself grow and improve, and of tasting what it might be like “in the field”. Lastly, of course, I really loved being out of the US again, and sharing the course with my group. We’ve undergone changes in our dynamics and it’s really incredible to see how the first day has differed from our more recent meetings. I think at this point, the best way to take advantage of this experience here on out is make sure that I don’t forget what I’ve learned here, to share the stories we’ve heard, and to keep those changes present in my mind as much as possible to remind me that there is a lot to be done in Conflict Resolution, and hopefully I can contribute a little.

The Plight of the IP

[Written January 17]

Traveling to various cities in Central Mindanao, we’ve been having the opportunities to talk with a few different organizations that represent the IPs of Mindanao – that is, the Indigenous Peoples (pronounced here as Ind-eye-genous) or the Lumads. Whether in their own exclusive communities or as a part of a tri-people barangay (Settlers/Christians, Moros/Muslims, and IPs), we heard stories of political exclusion, extreme poverty, and lower education rates alongside rich and proud cultural customs and traditions.

It was difficult for me to sit and listen to various organizations and barangay officials talk about how the Lumads have representation in their local governments to represent while the Lumad communities would express concerns for recognition of their rights, particularly what they call Ancestral Domain, which is their claim to lands that were theirs before the Moros and before the Christians settled in the areas. The story of Ancestral Domain is one of contradicting land titles and disputes, but what struck me most about the conversations we heard was that there was some conversation that needs to happen, that simply hasn’t yet.

There’s no way that, after such a short time learning about Ancestral Domain, I could suggest what that missing conversation is. What I do know, however, is that while many Moros referred to themselves also as indigenous, the IPs we met responded with a clearly negative answer when we brought up the same definition to them. Maybe this has to do with increasing legitimacy to land ownership, maybe it has to do, as so many have talked about, showing respect to one marginalized group or the other (because both the Moros and the IPs have a history in Mindanao of marginalization). Regardless, it was one of many examples that demonstrated just how differently various people we met saw the problems in Mindanao.

The reason the Lumads caught my attention so strongly is probably because I felt like I had heard this story before, time and time again. Tribal people across the globe face challenges like those of the Lumads— specifically I have learned about a number of Native America tribes in the US, and the Mapuches in Chile and Easter Island. While there is a rhetoric of respecting the people who are native to a place long before the settlers, the colonists, etc. arrived, the manifestation of such homages and reverence in mainstream cultures comes in the forms of casinos, tourist trinkets or attractions, or headdresses and Pocahontas garb as fashionable. There still seems to remain a gap– at least from my perspective— on enacting that respect in any socially- or economically-developmental manner, both in the story of Mindanao and around the world.

A Lumad display at a high-end restaurant with a view overlooking the city of Davao.

Mindanao’s future is dependent upon healthy children

The improvement of health infrastructure in Mindanao is a reflection on Mindanao’s ability to sustain peace. I believe with peace comes development; health infrastructure is a component of development.

The development of health infrastructure directly reflects the prevalence of peace that exists in one area or another. Health can be seen as an anchor for peace as stated by Kathryn Poethig, PhD.

The development of health infrastructure improves the quality of live in the surrounding communities. Mothers can give birth safely and children can receive nutrients they need. The government’s continued investment into the health infrastructure and health education of Mindanao’s populations further enable the children of those communities to continue to go to school and thus continue to learn about peace.

Proper health infrastructure allows families to focus on what’s important: providing food for their children and keeping them safe. Allowing children to remain in school allows more children to become advocates for peace.

Children are the future for Mindanao. Mindanao’s future is completely dependent on them. So why not give them the best chance? With the care these children are receiving in clinics coupled with the peace education provided by the dedicated and passionate teachers working in the school system, I believe that there can be sustainable peace in Mindanao’s future.

Travel List

Malaria pills

Mosquito net

Mosquito repellant

Ginger snacks

Casual business attire for hot humid weather

Etc…

Had no choice but to gamble on the typhoid medicine. Apparently you are supposed to take it two weeks prior to visiting areas with Typhoid. I have to admit, I do not feel well versed in the conflict situation going on in the Mindanao area, but it is impossible to be 100% prepared. Naturally I am excited, and occasionally dramatic thought of danger pops into my mind, but when is life ever not dangerous? I leave tomorrow evening and have butterflies in my stomach thinking about it. I am unbelievably excited to be in a new land, and receive guidance and support in researching the conflict, and peace efforts being made. I have no idea what to expect despite being told we would be meeting with lots of organizations. I don’t think Ill sleep very much tonight.