Philippines: An Experience of a Lifetime

After leaving India, everything had been a rush to get to and travel through. Philippines wasn't an exception. I didn't even get to read through my welcome packet properly before arriving in Tagbilaran. I spent a night in Manila before flying there, but had to find internet to find out where I was going after. After getting to the All Hands Bohol camp, I was finally able to rest the backpack for five weeks and do rewarding back-breaking work lol. What is it that All Hands does? Well, it began with the faithful jeepney ride at seven in the morning, followed by either a safeing or rubble and decon site. Safeing involved making an unsafe house safe for the next team to come in and salvage the materials for the homeowner. For concrete houses, we would slege all of the windows, doors, walls, and finally the bottom of the columns before pulling the house down by hand or with a come along. For wooden houses, the windows, doors and walls would be taken apart with crowbars, hammers, mallets and screwdrivers. Some houses were a combination of these building materials so, it was a mix of the techniques. For the steel structures, generally schools, we would bring in wrenches, vice grips, WD-40 and angle grinders. Depending on the site, the work would vary and get creative. The rubble and decon team would come in and take apart the roof, save all materials into neat piles and clear the rubble. It wasn't only the work but the people that you worked with, and the people you helped that made it difficult not to fall in love. I didn't think I took enough pictures for the five weeks duration but I still have a fair bit of pictures. These are a mix of my Canon and my iPhone since my dslr was on the fritz and took pictures when it felt like it.

So I have a soft spot for breakdancing and had to stop and chat with these kids when I was in the Rizal Park. They were also playing with the street kids. Really warmed my heart.

The light show in the park.

All of the jeepney drivers arrange their pesos differently, but they are usually in nice neat piles/slots.

The day I arrived, I was recruited for rubbling in the afternoon by the base manager Big Dan Chant. Let the five weeks adventure begin, with as I mentioned, the faithful jeepney.

My first deconstruction and rubble site led by 哥哥 Cory Marshman.

This site was called riverside. Alex and Nuala were separating the wood into good and bad piles.

The mother of the landowner making coconut thatching to sell.

Riding on the back of a motorbike on one of the Sundays, days off.

Lechon outside of the cock fighting arena.

A cock fight, where people yell and throw money to bet on which one wins. It happened so fast, I have to say I didn't even see it happen.

Beautiful Bohol.

More evidence of the earthquake.

Joshua! This kid is the best. He runs after the jeepney waving to us everyday. We happened to stop by his home looking for gas.

A lot of landslides can be seen throughout the island.

A team being picked up by the jeepney. The white tent you see in the back is a shelter box. They were provided to many people who had lost their homes.

Signs on the street by locals requesting help after the earthquake.

More signage. Really pulled my heart strings.

School bus jeepney.

Playing basketball with the locals before the daily meeting at 6PM. These were smaller kids who learned my name so quickly, I felt so ashamed to keep asking them for theirs. To be fair, their names are all like three names.

Taking a snack break during a safeing job. The families we help are always so gracious to offer us snacks and coconuts even though it's not required.

Kids day! Yep, that's a pinata. Yep, all kids go wild for candy.

They love basketball here.

The drawing station.

Sack racing...Houston, I think we lost one.

My first wood safeing site. This house was built in the '60s but was termite ridden. The columns were the sturdiest things ever though.

After removing the windows, doors and walls.

After it was pulled down. The relatives of the family that owned the house were there to help the whole time. They would pick up wood, give us lots of snacks and helped us pull it down.

At a school in Loon. Snack and lunch times were always filled with delicious food.

I interrupted the classes for pictures during snack time :P.

All of their classrooms were makeshift until they could start rebuilding. Tearing down the buildings, our job, was the step before the rebuild.

Enthusiastic kids at Pig-ot Elementary School, helping us cover the makeshift classroom ground with rubble so that it would not flood during rains. I felt bad having them work but I have to say they were really efficient.

Helping one of our volunteers, Romel, rebuild his house. It's nice to know he was able to rebuild because of previous All Hands teams work of tearing down his old house.

The owner of this house had cut down this coconut tree and was possibly going to use the wood to rebuild. Our jeepney driver, Victor, is cutting out the heart for us to try. Heart of palm happens to be known as the million dollar salad. In Philippines, they also call it coconut bread. It has a refreshing, coconuty and creamy flavor but I think too much might make you feel sick, or it's just me.

My last site: safeing the President's building at Cogon Norte. Half of it was deconstructed to avoid killing a lot of vegetation in the direction of the pull.

The team of monkeys on the second day. (Photo courtesy of Sabrina Dattrino)

After it was pulled down. It fell exactly as planned but took ages because I swear the columns were constructed of diamonds. (Photo courtesy of Sabrina Dattrino)

I miss this part of the day the most: the jeepney rides. I was sitting on the hood on the way back to base from a long day while high-fiving some kids. (Photo courtesy of Mel Tejada)

The best part of the day was the jeepney ride because of all the enthusiastic children that waved to you.

A great end to the five week adventure. A trip to Oslob with the crew to swim with whale sharks as a last Sunday event. I nearly got sucked into their mouths because I didn't see them coming up from behind me several times. The young sharks are fed by the boats so they are constantly circling you but you aren't meant to touch them. Still awesome! (Photo courtesy of Ben Price)

In the end, we are reminded that all things come to an end (天下沒有不散的筵席). Thinking back to Shantaram, suffering may be an antidote to happiness but happiness in itself can create suffering. It's the feeling that something is too good to be true. The feeling that so much happiness isn't possible to exist in one place. How is it that only golden citizens existed here? Who knew heaven consisted of fighting over sledgehammers and rope?

But seriously, this community gave me more happiness than I felt I deserved. More acceptance, patience and love than I've ever felt or was given. So yes, though my departure speech came out as choked tears, you knew why. You were yet again a reliant shoulder to lean on. I love all of you, my new brothers and sisters, and I hope to see you again at a fantastic All Hands Family Reunion. <3 <3 <3

The organization is still looking for donations. If you were inspired, make a donation through their site here. Is it worth it? Definitely. Your money goes towards much needed tools, jeepney costs, food for volunteers, site running costs, wages for staff members who keep the gears running smoothly, families to get their homes back and the experience of a lifetime.

After All Hands, I went into a deep sleep after getting to Cebu from Tagbilaran but still got to see some volcanoes before leaving the country for Thailand once again.

Visiting the Kawasan Falls on the island of Cebu.

On the long boat ride to Manila.

A biking group that had also done volunteering of their own for the earthquake. They were on their way to meet up with other bikers and head to an island south of Manila. Can't remember their group name anymore :/.

On the way to the Taal volcano. How to get there? Well, I ended up joining another tour by heading to a resort and asking. I figured it would be cheaper to go with a group than hire a boat on my own. The resort I asked was Korean, and the manager let me go for free. Yipee! They really are the most 热情 (passionate, enthusiastic) bunch I've ever met. Otherwise, follow Calvin's concise directions.

Half hiking and half running up the volcano. I actually was quicker than the group I came with and they all rode horses up and down. I saw them at the top, and came down the same time they did but made it back just before the first horse. Ha, take that!

At the top with a view of the island on a lake on an island on a lake on an island. Now say that five times fast :P

On the way back. I think a storm's a brewing.

Anyone else see a business monopoly?

Streets of Intramuros, Manila.

While in Clark, the only thing there is to do is check out Mount Pinatubo. However, that proved a lot harder than I anticipated. First, I was staying in Angeles, so I still had to get to Tarlac. This involved taking several Jeepneys starting at 4 AM. It was meant to take only two hours but took twice as long so I couldn't find any jeeps to share with. I also refused to pay for one to take only me. In the end, I wasted two hours waiting at the tourism center before I took off to attempt walking all the way to the crater.

He saw me walking and offered to give me a ride. This was after two hours of walking in the heat. It was an unfulfilling walk because it was so flat! I was so grateful for the ride. It took another hour on the bike through lots of these little streams. I would not recommend doing what I did since it was really tough and the guy could have gotten into a lot of trouble from the tourism center (found this out after running into one of the tour guides with a radio). Unfortunately, it is better to call the tourism center at least a day before and reserve a seat on a jeep or rent a bike the night before and ride to the center rather than taking the jeepneys in the morning (some don't run until they are full so I had waited in one for an hour). This was definitely a great adventure.

Enjoying a ChocoMucho at the crater after the long hike and drive.

Visiting his village on the way back to Tarlac/Patlin. They were all ecstatic to see a foreigner. The two girls on the left were the teachers and spoke great English.