The Davao Diaries

2008-06-19T10:06:00.001-07:00

Exactly a year ago today, we asked Fr Alejo if he would take a second Fulbright cohort. Now, here we are, a year later, on our way back to ADDU with an exciting group of new teachers.

Melissa, from our 06 cohort, facilitated our bonding session during pre-departure orientation by starting with this exercise: write a six-word memoir that defines you.

This is who we are:
1. In search of language outside History
2. I'm a walnut farmer; I'm nuts
3. Multicultural woman giving laughter, light, love
4. Love the struggle, live for freedom
5. Standing at crossroads, everywhere to go
6. 50% for, 50% against, 10% ignore
7. Transplanted Seattlelite, educational cultural worker
8. Breezing, Dunes, Owing, Winning, Dancing, Naivete
9. Slurpie not casino, teacher not doctor!
10. Supernatural forcess buttress the visible world
11. Bartender, my cup's empty. fill her up
12 Bay Area rescues disillusioned suburbanite
13. Amazing journey for Detroit Jewish girl

Amazing, no?!!

2007-06-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

Tape 3: Cubales continued: To decolonize is to tell and write one's own story, that in the telling and writing others may be encouraged to tell their own (Strobel, 2000). Reproducing the process of decolonization through PEP. PEP sites in K-12. Decoloniation as Critical Race Pedagogy. Developing a Critical Creative Lesson Plan.

Penelope Flores: Teacher Education Programs. Group work on identifying subject matter to integrate into a lesson plan.

Melissa Ambrose: Dialogue around questions that come up in the classroom: Why are Filipinos also called Asians? Impact of the history of imperialism and colonialism on students' perception that "Filipinos haven't done anything important." So what are teachers teaching and what are students learning?

Fr. Alejo: Synthesis: Kapwa as theorya nd practice. Pakikipagkapwa as methodology.
Start from the experience of rejection of kapwa connectedness. As methodology - a liberating methodology, a deliberate mission and practice of empowering Pinoys.

Basic education issues in the Philippines: corruption (data: list of corrupt agencies in the Phil). monies lost to corruption. Haunting question to a State University (UP) - 90% of UP Medicine grads are coming to the US to serve Americans and not the Filipinos who sacrificed for their education and training.

Evening Program, June 15. Fr. Alejo: Contributions of Kapwa and Loob to Multicultural Education (transcript to follow)

2007-06-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

Wow -- seven tapes of the Kapwa conference to review today! Even though feeling a bit schizophrenic these days due to jetlag and other reasons I have a feeling that watching these tapes will bring me back to the Center of who I am and what I do.

Tape 1: Holly Calica - introducing the concept of KAPWA through art; Allyson Tintiangco Cubales and Dawn Mabalon - connecting community history (Little Manila in Stockton) to curriculum needs in an integral way and not just as "spice" to the curriculum.

Tape 2: Dawn: "The Philippines doesn't teach about racism so when immigrants come here, they don't understand the racial discourse here." Need to teach students how to ask critical questions.

Fr. Alejo: Kapwa is becoming, a process, an interaction; it's dynamic, it's moving, it's unfinished; attaches, reattaches, weaving bodies and arms and legs together...It has history, geography. It is developed at certain periods of migration, evacuation, being together during difficult times. It is narrated and mapped. It can be translated into novels, histories, jokes. Handed over from grandfathers to children and grandchildren.

It is experienced in collective experience and pain as in hard work, death, house demolition, discrimination, racism, and the peole's joint memory of pain. Also experience of joy, of being together, of being photographed together.

Kapwa is achieved in the collective movement of the body, in collective or communal work in the field, vineyards, sports, joining the army, etc.

Kapwa is denied through silence, through not being taught in the classrooms, not being mentioned in the textbooks, not being talked about.

PAtricia Halagao: Theorizing from Pain. Think about a painful experience in your life and how did it impact your present life. How do we theorize from pain? Theory as Liberatory Practice (bell hooks: I longed to passionately to teach differently from the way I had been taught since high school). Theory transforms our lives.

Experienced pain of racism, discrimination, marginalization, invisibility, disconnect. The colonial world is compartmentalized e.g. European quarters, native quarters.

Use of balagtasan/poetic jousting to express self.

Pinoy Teach (1996). Conceptual framework. Decolonizing Framework and Pedagogy (Strobel). Name, Reflect, Act (Strobel); Implications of a Decolonizing Curriculum

Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales: Ethnic Studies Perspective (vizaviz Multicultural Ed). History of PEP (Pinoy Educational Partnerships). Third World Liberation Front. Development of Asian American Studies/Fil Am Studies

2007-06-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

As the KAPWA conference at Sonoma State University on June 15 and 16, 2007 brought the Fulbright Hays grant to a formal close, our relationship with Fr. Alejo and all the projects he is involved in continues. A post conference blogpost will follow soon but first am posting a year-old letter below.

July 2006

Dear Paring Bert,

Back home safely and getting over jetlag. Classes started yesterday but it’s been difficult to concentrate. Instead I’ve started to read Derrick Jensen’s two-volume work on The Problem of Civilization. Jensen is an environmental activist, a poet-philosopher, an integral thinker and his works reflect a succinct critique of Modernity and Western Civilization via the lens of the indigenous world view. This current volume is an expansion of his previous works -–A Language Older Than Words, and The Culture of Make Believe.

I bring this to your attention because your work is part of a growing discourse on the morality and ethics required to bring the modern world back into a sane and sustainable path – one that honors the Land. I like your use of the language/theory of "cultural energy" as generated by the interstitial spaces occupied by indigenous peoples, peoples of color, and poor people who are often rendered invisible and powerless by the powerful; I appreciate this re-direction of energy away from opposition and resistance to energy that creates because it can and must.

In the case of Fil Ams, however, we continually struggle to develop a repertoire of simultaneous responses (creation plus resistance) because we live in the belly of the beast. In watching how you deal with the myriad demands on your time and energy by diverse causes and concerns, one lesson I draw from you is the sense of openness and nonjudgmental attitude that comes from the place of Faith in your life. This is what I meant when I said in one of our sessions that the people we have encountered in Davao inspire me and give me hope with their sense of spirituality – one that draws from a deeper well that I can only name as "indigenous and shamanic" even though it has the veneer of Catholic Christianity. (Or as Karl Gaspar would say – "organic mysticism.")

Our group’s sojourn to Davao was transformative on many levels. For sure the participants will not only develop curriculum materials but will be better teachers because of how they were personally invested (and challenged) to deal with the knowledge they had to take in, e.g. history of colonialism, imperialism, white supremacy, indigenous struggles, globalization, cultural survival, etc). I, too, feel an inner shift but the direction of that shift is currently ambiguous and will need more clarification in days/years to come.

As you celebrate your birthday, please remember us with fondness and affection and know that the gifts you have given us will have rippling consequential effects for a very long time. We can smile now as we look back on that dare more than a year ago: "will you host a Fulbright group of teachers?" like it was a shotgun sort of question. You said "yes" on faith…and then Melotte was given to you. Who knows what other gifts of Energy will come our way (or ADDU’s, or Mindanawon’s) as a result of our joint venture?

This is my long-winded but sincere way of thanking you again. As you are fond of declaring (and I paraphrase): Let our desires be known, be embodied, and brought into fruition!

Love and Peace,
Leny

2007-02-15T10:16:00.000-08:00

June 15 and 16 Filipino American curriculum conference information here:

2006-11-12T20:16:00.000-08:00

The San Francisco, CA Fil Am Ethno Tour
Tourguide: MC Canlas, Community Strategist
Organization: Bayanihan Community Center

Our Fulbright group decided to meet in San Francisco on Nov. 11, 2006 for an ethno tour of the Fil Am historical sites in San Francisco, Ca. Many of us are not from San Francisco, and even the teachers from San Francisco have never heard of the "Fil Am ethno tour."

The tour starts at the Bayanihan Community Center (BCC) located on 6th and Mission St in the South of Market. This is the building that houses the Veterans Equity Center, Arkipelago Books, and the BCC. It was owned by the Borja family and it was a residential hotel when it was sold. The Borja family negotiated with the buyer that the first floor and basement should remain as Filipino Community spaces. The entire building is called Bayanihan House. The Filipino American Development Foundation (FADF) is the main nonprofit organization that oversees the activities of the above resources.

Nov. 11 is Veterans Day. When we arrived at 10:30am, there were groups of college students and Fil Am vets with their families with the placards and banners about to board a San Francisco tram headed for the Veterans Day Parade. It was great to see this intergenerational gathering.

MC started the tour with a powerpoint presentation about Manila Town. Starting with a historical background about the structure and spatial arrangement of barangays/villages in precolonial times, MC shared how these arrangements shifted during Spanish colonial period where the plaza became the center of community life. The plaza-barangay relationship is reconfigured in Filipino diasporic communities in a sort of reversal. MC likens the plaza to the suburban community like Daly City and the South of Market as the barangay -- the center of rural life where bayanihan values are still strong as this is usually the entry point for newly-arrived immigrants from the Philippines.

Usually unbeknownst to the newly arrived immigrant is the rich Filipino history in San Francisco: the I-Hotel, Delta Hotel, the streets named after Mabini, Bonifacio, Lapi-lapu, the Filmore, the Dewey marker, The Filipino Education Center, Fil Am community service providers – health services, legal services, Victoria Manalo Graves Park, Tutubi Children’s Park, St Patrick’s Church, Bindlestiff Theater, KulArts.

As immigrants eventually move from the South of Market (barangay) to the suburbs (plaza), the immigrants take with them their cultural experiences and maintain an ongoing ties between the suburb and the city.

Until the Filipino American Development Foundation (where MC is the Community Strategist) conceptualized a Manila Town in the South of Market and framed it with indigenous concepts of Bayanihan (working together), Barangay (basic community unit), Looban (inner core community), Kanlungan (nurture), Karangalan (cultural integrity and pride), Malasakit (caring for each other), Katatagan (social sustainability) – was it able to articulate the need to appropriate and negotiate with development agencies, government agencies, developers, cultural agencies – the spaces of visibility for the Fil Am Community. What was even more important is the “buy-in” by the community – a vision that wasn’t really that difficult to invest in.

Perhaps I was merely witnessing a more mature community, a decolonized community, a community with a wealth of resources (financial, cultural, political, human capital, and intellectual), a community with a vision that transcends the common pitfalls of organizing projects of this scale. A community that is able to take its seat at the big table and stake its claim.

We dropped by St Patrick’s Church to check if MC has any participants for an 11:30am parol lantern workshops. We arrived just at the Catechism class was on its way out and we were introduced to a Filipino nun who taught the class. A buffet lunch was being served as we proceeded with the tour. But first a stop next door at a Fil Am-owned Japanese subsidiary of a cream puff store. We ordered the green tea flavor of the week. Next stop: Bloomingdale?

MC took us to the new Bloomingdale 5th Floor where the Filipino Cultural Center is (or is going to be) located. Bloomingdale has agreed to provide a space for FCC at the rental cost of $1/year. The catch? FCC will have to spend for the finishing touches to the space – about $1.5M. FADF will have to raise this amount of money. So far, the scheduled opening of FCC in January 2007 may be unlikely as the money is still being raised. But everywhere all the signs point the way to the Filipino Cultural Center.

This is the way MC explained it: Whereas ethnic towns are usually spatially-designated and demarcated, the imprint of Filipino American history and the continuing presence of Fil Ams in San Francisco (and beyond) can be seen in the spaces where Filipinos have made their mark within and among the city’s commercial and cultural heritage sites.

When we returned to the BCC, the veterans and the college students were having lunch, working on petitions for the passage of the Veteran Equity Bill, and college students taking cha-cha lessons from the Veterans or their wives. What a beautiful sight!

Next time you are in San Francisco, ask for an ethno tour.

2006-10-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

Today is COlumbus Day in the U.S.A. It is observed in some states and not in others. In Colorado, I'm keeping an eye on the American Indian Movement's response.

I'm reading American Holocaust by David Stannard. This is quite a revelation to me because, although I've read many books and watched movies about genocides and Holocausts, I must say I've not read detailed accounts of the gory details of how the 100M Indians on this continent were almost all exterminated. And even if I know something about Christian ideology being coopted by empire-builders, I've not quite delved into how "sex, race, and holy wars" go together.

And so today I'm glad that the Philippines hasn't yet declared Magellan Day. However, I am sad that until now, I have remained un-informed and mis-informed of the same gory details that Magellan in the Philippines inflicted on my people.

The memories of these atrocities are still alive in my subconscious. They haunt my dream world.

2006-10-01T15:47:00.000-07:00

Paring Bert wrote the lyrics to this anti-graft and corruption song. It is in Pilipino and challenges folks to become moral/ethical examples of anti-corruption. The song features a few real political figures and common folks who are transformed and now fight against corruption. Enjoy!

2006-09-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader --
This is my personal blogdiary of our Fulbright-Hays Study Tour to the Southern Philippines, July 12 to Aug 14, 2006. This is also a public diary so please bear that in mind when you are looking for more details or insight about the events on this trip. Please send me a comment if you have a question.

There were also a lot of things I wish I had time to be nosey about but didn't...and so couldn't write about them, e.g...

*There were many events at our hotel that made me curious but didn't have the time to explore: the various lavish weddings, debut, bday-parties, conferences (academic, NGOs, religious, etc) that kept the hotel buzzing with activity.

*There was an African American man who claimed to work for the US military who warned us: "The CIA is watching your group!" and I didn't have the time to find out if this was true or not. I would have wanted to talk to him more.

*I didn't get a chance to chat with the Lakbay-Aral group from the US/California who stayed at our hotel for a week.

*I was curious about the military presence at strategic places around downtown Davao City, usually near Marco Polo hotel. Once in a while a drug-sniffing dog kept watch at the hotel lobby. But I think he was just sniffing for smuggled durian (it is not permitted to bring in fresh durian inside the hotel). (And who owns that Hummer in front of the hotel?).

*What about the Koreans who are in Davao City (and Makati and Pampanga) who are learning English, setting up churches and schools? When I asked around I was told that "they are trying to find a place to go to in the event that North Korea attacks the South...also they think that learning to speak in English will be helpful in going to the West eventually." I don't know if this is true.

*Who is Apollo Quiboloy? He who claims to be the "son of God" and declares Davao as the "new Jerusalem" -- how did he create his religious empire (two television cable stations, a university, a media complex, etc).

*What about the ubiquity of skin-whitening ads and products including spa treatments that will bleach your entire body? WHY? WHY? WHY? I want to start a national campaign against this but how?...

*I wanted to learn more about the current controversial issues about mining in Mindanao.

* I wanted to spend more time with the local babaylans - Norma, Rosalie, Agnes, Geejay, Kublai, and the other women who were with them that night at Matina Town Square.

Indeed, Davao City deserves its name as a tri-people: the indigenous, settlers, and the Muslims who all seem to co-exist peaceably in this part of Mindanao.

We have been back for almost a month now. We are back in the classroom and our usual routines. But I find myself thinking about this journey...and what lies ahead.

Well, one thing for sure that lies ahead is the Fulbright conference that will be held at SSU on June 15 and 16, 2007. We are bringing Fr. Alejo to SSU and the participants and other guest lecturers will be able to share the curriculum materials they have developed from this study tour with other K-12 educators in Northern California.

Beyond that -- who knows what else is in the horizon?

2006-09-16T22:43:00.000-07:00

Day 24, Aug 6

Day off. The participants spent the day rehearsing for the Thanksgiving program that we are hosting on Aug 7 at Harana Restaurant. We are expecting 100 people -- all of the local people that participated in the Fulbright program.

Day 25, Aug 7, AM

Completion and Evaluation of Course Work. Each participant presented a lesson plan that they plan to use in their classroom using the materials that they've gathered from this trip. Since each participant represented a different grade level (K-12), we enjoyed the diversity of presentations: Examples: Helen's second graders will learn the different movements and sounds that birds make; Holly's art students will make storyboards out of Filipino myths, legends, and folklore; Virgel's high school political science students will learn about Phil. governance...

PM: Thanksgiving Party

Miriam and I took a backseat as the participants took charge of the evening's program. Cheena - Emcee; LeiLani, Alice, Melissa -- gifts, certificates of appreciation, t-shirts, banners, flowers, decors; Lea, Virgel, Kat, Holly, Cheena, Leilani - dancers; Katie - poet.

Our local hosts once again presented us with gifts and certificates of completion. The souvenir gift is a round wall-plaque made of bamboo inscribed with "Fulbright-Hays Study Tour, 2006, Davao City, Philippines." In return, we gave everyone a certificate of appreciation and a souvenir t-shirt inscribed with Fulbright logo and participants names and our local team.

We thanked Fr. Samson for honoring us with his presence along with all the lecturers, presenters, host families, teachers, and support staff. The food was overflowing and everyone was able to bring some of it home (Lea wouldn't let them leave without a take-out bag).

Picture-taking. Goodbyes. Tears. Hugs. Laughter. We didn't want to go home. We didn't want the evening to end. Paring Bert, Melotte, Miriam and I decided to go out for one last cup of coffee together and this time Paring Bert took us to the Davao Insular Hotel's waterfront coffee shop and enjoyed the sound of crashing waves.

Couldn't believe that we are leaving Davao...this city that embraced us, took care of us, fed our minds and hearts with generosity and warmth. We are bringing back so much materials!! But most of all -- we are transformed. We are in love with this homeland...and we bring this love with us as we return to California.

Day 26, Aug. 8

The grant allows for four free days after the formal study tour. Half of the group left today for Manila and elsewhere. Kat went to Thailand to meet a friend. Melissa, Alice, and Helen went to Palawan and others visited their families. Miriam, Melotte and I spent the day working on finances and last day of shopping for gifts to take home.

DAy 27 and 28, Aug 9 and 10
Miriam, Melotte, and I went to Sonia's Garden in Tagaytay for a two-day debriefing and relaxation. THis was a time of deeper bonding between sisters, reflections on the work we have done together during this Tour, and imagining future projects.

Day 29 and 30, Aug 11 and 12
Miriam and I went to Manila Hotel to attend the last two days the World Council on Curriculum and Instruction conference but when we arrived the conference had ended. The participants had just left for a City tour. I was able to contact Penelope Flores of San Francisco State, one of the key organizers of the conference, and she said the group was headed for Mindoro the next day to attend a local ethnic festival.

With two free days, Miriam and I decided to go to Makati and spend a day at the Ayala Museum and walk around the Makati Greenbelt -- this overwhelming city - the financial center of the Philippines - and the shopping malls and restaurants that ring the city. Day 2, we went on a brief walking tour of Ermita just across from Manila Hotel. The city was quiet on a Sunday morning; it was drizzling but we didn't mind. Our walk took us to the bayfront and for the first time I noticed the children and adults swimming amidst the garbage that washed up on the shore. At a closer look, they were actually picking out plastics and metals which they re-sell at recycling shops. When I asked if they were concerned about getting sick, they said that the floating debris is not a danger because it is in salt waterm so, no, they are not concerned about getting sick.

In the evening we met up with the group back in Makati and we had dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant. Around 9pm we had our first and only taste of heavy monsoon rains, thunder and lightning in Manila. We took a taxi back to Manila Hotel and I thought we would stall as we passed through flash-flooded streets but we didn't.

2006-09-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

Day 22 and 23, Aug 4 and 5

Trip to Lake Sebu, Cotabato

Started at 7am from our hotel. The trip included a stop at Koronadal in South Cotabato because the Superintendent of City Schools had made arrangements for us to visit a rural public school. This is what is amazing about people in Davao. When we told Dr. Labor that we haven't had a chance to visit a rural public school, she immediately arranged for a visit. So we stopped at the Dep Ed office to pick up Regional Supervisor Almeda and two local staff persons and they escorted us to Surallah Elementary School.

At the school we walked the grounds and observed children in physical education classes (basketball!). We visited with the principal and some of the teachers. Soon the children noticed our group and approached us with their open notebooks asking us for signatures. They also gladly posed for our cameras. As I was signing one notebook, I asked the little girl what she wants to do when she grows up and she shouted "caregiver!". I tried to hide my surprise and I asked her where she wants to work as a caregiver. She had no idea so I asked her if she has heard of Canada and she said "Canada! Canada!" and soon her little group was chanting "Ca-na-da!" Sigh.

Somehow the mayor of Surallah heard that we were at the school and he showed up to meet with us briefly. And since he is also the owner of Punta Isla resort in Lake Sebu he told us that he will arrange a cultural performance for us at his resort -- this at about 2pm and the performance was arranged at 4pm.

On the way to Lake Sebu, we stopped at the School of Indigenous Knowledge, Arts and Traditions. This is the school I've been dreaming about for years now and I couldn't believe I was there! We spent time with the teachers and children and the children so readily obliged us with a performance of Tiboli dances. Since the school didn't know we were arriving, we were asked to return the next day so they could have the arts and crafts for us. This is also the home of the Helobung Dance Troup which toured California a few years back.

At Punta Isla Resort, we enjoyed the dances performed for us...but this is not where we are checking in. Our lodging was next door at Estares resort. After check in, we had just enough time to take in a sunset boat trip on the lake. Now I know why they call this "living paradise."

(However, this paradise is threatened. There have been reports of the IPs struggling to stay on the land as corporate plantation owners and mining interests want to encroach on their ancestral domains. Even the lake's perimeter is ringed with tilapia farms as more and more the local folks have come to depend on this one staple.)

Dinner: three kinds of tilapia dishes: kinilaw, grilled, and guinataan! Yum! Eggplant salad, mango salad, and watermelon.

After dinner, Rosie Sula, Tiboli worker with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, told us about the lack of funding for her field worker position and how she has had to raise funds for the advocacy work she needs to do for Tibolis such as translation work (when they have to deal with governance issues at the city or provincial levels), mediating conflicts with the law, e.g. false charges, intimidation by law enforcement, etc.

We also met Jenita, a former volunteer at Mindanawon and a friend of Paring Bert, who arranged for us to visit the Tiboli women weavers at their tribal community the following day. She also said we can visit with the Bai - one of the remaining elders of this community. She warned us that the only way to get to the tribal community was via the habal-habal (motorcycle).

I thought she meant tricycle...no, these are motorcycles; they are called habal-habal in Visayan! -- two people behind the driver and possibly one in front of him. Miriam and I rode together. We were all nervous and fearful but soon we were speeding up and down rocky terrain deeper and deeper into Tiboli territory. Our caravan of eight motorcycles drew the stares of folks in these parts who haven't seen "foreigners" in years.

As soon as I relaxed into it, the ride became exhilarating (even if nervewracking in places)! The drivers were so skilled - they even gave instructions on what to do: lean forward! lean backward! - as the terrain changed.

At the village, the women were assembled and mats were laid on the dirt for a makeshift stage. Jenita gave us a background of the cooperative (LAWWASI) set up in 2001 -- how the women came together to preserve Tiboli weaving (tinalak) while updating (modernizing) the styles and colors for a high-end clientele. Indeed I've never seen these colors (orange, green, purple)before as their traditional designs are usually in black and white. Jenita said that since 2001, no group of teachers have ever visited this community. She expressed her concerns that the NGO workers who are educated and live in the city often become the representation of the TIbolis rather than the people speaking for themselves. NGOs proliferate and NGO professionals are able to make salaries on their supposed work with the Tibolis but the benefits are few for the IPs.

While the group went shopping for beads and textile, I sat with Bai Diwa Ofong with Leilani, Helen, and Jenita as translator. At first, Bai cried and apologized for not speaking any other language than Tiboli, for not having anything to give us because she is poor. She said that our visit gives her hope because we are teachers, because we can reach children. She appreciated our respect and interest in the community. Leilani had earlier paid her respects to the Bai with the mano po). We cried and hugged and cried some more -- as if we have been touched by the recognition of our primordial ties to each other in this ancient land. This "real presence" (are you listening, George Steiner?) is our unforgettable gift.

2006-09-09T15:29:00.000-07:00

Day 21, Aug 3, AM:

Lecturer: Dr. Marvin Cruz, School of Business and Government

Topic: Poverty in the Philippines Amidst GLobalization

"The cause of poverty in the Philippines is the result of poor economic performance and not globalization."

I think this thesis is hard to defend...but from an economist's perspective perhaps he was merely trying to narrow down and specify "poor economic performance" as an indicator of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product). After a lively discussion of the effects of corporate globalization on the global South, Dr. Cruz gave us some helpful statistics:

Rate of poverty: 50%
Philippine external debt: $55.3Billion as of March 2006
Major Source of Revenue: Overseas Remittance, $12B/year

PM:
Lunch with Paring Bert and Melotte at Lachi's. This is a family-owned bakery run by PAring Bert's cousins. Mae, the sister in Berkeley, furnishes the bakery with baking utensils. A sister and brother have quit their day jobs to become the fulltime bakers. They supply cakes and pastries to hotels and restaurants in Davao City so the storefront cafe is only a small part of the business. Great desserts!

Evening:
At MAtina Town Square to meet with Agnes Miclat, Geejay Arriola, Rosalie Zerrudo -- local babaylanes all. Geejay's group - Mebuyan Peace Project -- is tonight's performing group. Kublai's wife (of Ponce Suites)is also a member of Mebuyan. With her 10day old baby in tow, Kublai had to babysit while Mama performed.

2006-09-09T11:46:00.000-07:00

Day 20, Aug 2, AM

Lecturer: Dr. Gloria Labor, Superintendent, Davao City Schools
Topic: Issues in Philippine Education

Dr. Labor talked mostly about the BEAM program (Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao) funded by the Australian government to the tune of $30M. The focus of BEAM support is "capability building." Two of its notable programs are the Lumad Integrated Functional Education (LIFE) and Providing Educational Access for Cultural Enhancement (PEACE). Note that the Institute for Indigenous Peoples Education (IIPE) is also partly-funded by BEAM.

Sidenote:
During Dr. Labor's lecture, we noticed two corporate logos on the BEAM project and we asked who these corporations are. She didn't know. Later in the afternoon, one of our participants googled the names and found out that they were mining or mining-related corporations. (The Philippine government has recently re-issued the Mining Rights Act which opens up Mindanao to mining corporations).

As I listened to the discussion of educational issues, there was repeated reference to "economic poverty"...I wrote this in my journal:

poverty of spirit?
poverty of resources?
poverty of culture?

NO!

(As I write this, I am reminded of a comment made by a Nigerian working in the diamond mines: "We have diamonds...why are we poor?")

PM: Lecture by Dr. Bing Chan on Violence Against Women, Political Repressions

Topics:
*Patriarchy and Colonial History: shift away communal, egalitarian settings; introduction on monotheism; shift from the power of babaylan to patriarchy;
*Davao City passed the first local code on "Integrated Women and Children Development" (yes, there is prostitution and sex slavery in DAvao, sometimes generational)
*Political Repressions: Extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearance under GMA (worse than the Marcos regime)
*"EDSA 1986 (People Power) was a political revolution but not a social and cultural revolution."

2006-09-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Day 19, Aug 1, AM:

Courtesy Call: Office of Davao City Vice Mayor Bonguyan.

We learned that the Vice-mayor runs the day-to-day affairs of the City while the Mayor (Duterte) is in charge of the large issues like "peace and order." After meeting him in his office, he ushered us into the Council Chambers to have an official photo-op with him.

As we were waiting for the Council session to start, Councilor Peter Lavina was doing a live local television program and he asked me and Fr. Alejo to talk about the Fulbright program. Then prior to the session proper, we were individually introduced to the Council. We sat in the chamber with the rest of the public but I noticed that only our group was served snacks (juice and muffin). After watching the session for a few minutes, we got a note that the Vice Mayor wanted to host us for lunch at Grand Men Seng Hotel. We were always surprised by the generosity of Davaoenos and almost always people could spontaneously change their schedules in order to make time for us. It is humbling.

After lunch with the Vice Mayor, Melotte, Fr. Alejo and I decided to grab a cup of coffee before the afternoon session. We took a taxi to a coffee shop near the university and while I fumbled for fare in my wallet, I didn't realize that my safety deposit box key had fallen on the taxi floor. Minutes later, the taxi driver came back and brought the key to me at the coffee shop. He said that another passenger had picked it up and the driver remembered where he dropped us off.

Davao's taxi service is excellent...and not only because of this incident. On Day 1, Fr. Alejo said that taxi drivers in Davao are trained to give exact change and to not expect tips esp. from tourists. This is true.

PM: Lecture Exchange: Miriam Hutchins and Fulbright Participants on "Internationalizing the Curriculum"

This lecture was sponsored by the International Studies Program and was attended by students and faculty. Faculty members from the Ateneo High School and Elementary School were also present.

2006-09-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

Day 18, July 31, THE HEALING RITUAL

Earlier in the day, we told the group that we will meet in the evening at Ponce Suites. We didn't give any further information about the place. We told them they should plan on arriving an hour earlier. I went by myself two hours earlier so I could videotape and be alone before everyone arrived. I brought the candles that Paring Bert asked for.

The group walked up and down the hallways and up the stairs to view the art work and fortunately Kublai dropped by and chatted with the participants briefly. Virgel, who had just left the hospital that morning, walked slowly up the stairs holding on to his tummy, fragile but cheerful. Our group was complete that night.

Kublai created a labirynth on the top floor made of dark and pale round stones in the form of a lizard. We arranged the chairs on the edge and lighted three candles and placed them in the middle of the circle. (The wind kept blowing them out though).

Paring Bert tried to lighten up the now-quiet mood by saying: "well, what do you think?" and then he chuckled...and then began to speak slowly: why we were gathered in this place; he reminded us of his remarks on the first day that on this journey, many things will happen that are transformative, deeply transformative.

Paraphrasing Paring Bert: Now we are here. In the last few days you have learned a lot about the Philippines but you are also learning a lot about yourselves...as individuals and as members of this group. Your emotions are raw and on the surface; you have had a lot to think about; your interactions with each other elicit strong emotions. You have expressed your thoughts to each other. Now we need to have a sense of closure or a sense of forgiveness and healing.

Perhaps there are things you want to express individually but haven't done so. Maybe you want to say "thank you" or "i'm sorry" to each other. Maybe you want to say something that you've been holding back. So if you want to do that now, pick up a candle and approach the individual you want to speak to. Stand face to face and talk to each other. After you receive the candle, you may then return the candle to the center or you can bring it to another person.

A few moments of silence.

Paring Bert stood up and brought the first candle to me to say "thank you for being here." I took the candle and brought it to Cheena and I told her how happy I am that she went from Fear to Courage and am glad to have witnessed it. Slowly, one by one, we picked up the candles and passed them on. Soon everyone was standing face to face with one other person hugging tightly, tears flowing and once in a while you would hear Paring Bert's chuckle.

I was specially touched by Miriam who said: "I already know you have four sisters, but I want to be your sister, too." "You became my sister the first day I met you," I told her.

"Thank you..." "I am sorry..." "I am afraid...." -- when all was said and the tears have turned to laughter...we knew that was the transformative moment we had talked about and anticipated (we just didn't know how and when it would happen).

Melotte, Miriam, PBert and I stayed awhile at Ponce Suites after everyone returned to the hotel. We sipped chamomille tea and...smiled. Ritual had found us and we are whole again.

2006-09-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

Day 17, July 31

AM: Lecturer: Martin Escobido on Politics and Governance

To some participants, this is mostly new information about the characteristics of the existing features of governmental structure of the Philippines. Lively discussion followed the lecture, as you can imagine, as the participants posed these questions:

How should we (Fil Ams) address the question about the perception of the Phil. government as being fraught with corruption? How do you suggest we answer this question?

How can you say that the US governmental structure is working when most Americans are not politically engaged, don't vote, don't inform themselves about crucial issues especially foreign policy issues that affect countries like the Philippines?

If colonialism has imposed a governmental form that is not "used-friendly" to the people and the culture, why do we keep insisting that the form remains?

Why do you think the Philippines continues to look to the United States for "what works" when the rest of the world is becoming aware that most US economic and foreign policies are deeply flawed?

I felt that it was good for our group to wrestle with these questions even though we didn't always arrive at any complete answer (nor should it be expected). As we locate ourselves in the diaspora or as transnationals, we can at least develop a view from both sides and wonder aloud about how we should formulate our own positions. Lea always asked the kinds of questions that pushed us to think in ideological terms -- a good exercise!

2006-09-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

Day 15, July 29, Saturday

DAY OFF
Returned from homestay. Everyone had errands to do -- shopping, laundry, spa treatments, mailing postcards, browsing for materials at the National Book Store, meeting up with new local friends -- but we all found the time to visit Virgel at the hospital. He is good spirits, encouraged, no doubt, by the dr's prognosis that he is okay and he doesn't have to go home. On this day, he is the most popular patient on the Fourth Floor with the steady stream of visitors and...the nurses, of course!

Day 16, July 30, Sunday: All DAY TRIP TO Malagos

Except for Virgel and Miriam, the rest of us went to the Malagos Garden Resort and the Philippine Eagle Foundation. At Malagos, they have an educational program on conservation of wild life (esp. of local birds, flora, fauna). At the Philippine Eagle Foundation we learned about the efforts to save the endangered Philippine Eagle (the biggest in the world) and other raptors. Baby eagles (Pagasa) have been born in captivity and on their way to being released back in the wild.

At PEF, there was a young woman with a pet python and for a "donation" one can hold the python and pose for photo. I just had to try this as I've never been embraced by a python before...and I've never kissed one. I surprised myself...I didn't feel afraid but instead felt a little feeling of "being in love."

In the evening, Miriam, Melotte, Paring Bert and I met to discuss our group process. At our last meeting, Paring Bert suggested that we need a healing ritual.In this meeting we had to decide on where to hold the ritual. We visited several places including a videoke place where they rent ou private rooms for small groups. Not quite right for our group. We looked at a garden setting but decided that the mosquitoes might not be too friendly in the evening. By 10pm Paring Bert said there was one more place we need to see: Ponce Suites.

Paring Bert has a knack for surprises. Ponce Suites took my breath away and yes! this is the place for a healing ritual. We decided to have this ritual the next day.

Meeting Kublai, the resident artist at Ponce Suites

Paring Bert introduced us to Kublai's Mother - the owner/manager of the suites and she herself a dreamer/visionary. She is also very beautiful and youthful looking (she looked like a 20year old) in her 50s. When she decided to quit business world to create the Ponce Suites, her son, Kublai, was in Manila studying at UP Diliman/Fine Arts. Kublai decided to return to Mindanao and "populate" it with his art. Five years later, he has turned every corner of Ponce Suites into an art space and his outdoor sculptures can be found all over Mindanao -- in churches, in Sultan Kudarat (the 50ft statue of Sultan K in front of the capitol), in parks.

Kublai also sculpted the giant durian outside of Davao Airport (and Paring Bert is one of the figures in the sculpture). The Durian sculpture unfolds to reveal the tri-people of Davao: the Lumads, the Muslims, the Settlers.

As Kublai decribed his creative process that night on the rooftop of Ponce Suites (reminiscent of Gaudi's architecture), I felt his Fire envelop the space and I slowly felt it warming my tired bones and spirit. He works "very fast" he says because it all comes out of him as energy that needs to be released. As for the giant sculptures (in churches, parks, public spaces) he is usually able to harness the community's or parish members' cooperation to help him. He works with cement so he needs to work fast before it dries, so oftentimes he works continuously without pause, high up on the scaffolding. In one near-death accident where he fell from the scaffold, he hurt his back and today still works with excruciating pain on his back.

He spoke of his daughter (5years old) and his newborn son (10days old). When his daughter was three years old, he introduced her to paints. Kublai then ushered us into a room where 500 paintings by a three year old daughter were proudly displayed. Aside from the "public" walls of the suites, he also showed us the "private" rooms where he works and the rest of the art that is not on the walls.

Kublai doesn't like to talk about selling art (his own specially). He says it's not his job to sell art. However, he did speak of friends who have received gifts from him. His mother told us that she is supposed to do some marketing for him but so far, she hasn't gotten around to it either.

If I were a young graduate student today, I'd probably do a dissertation on this young Filipino artist -- to document his life, his work, his legacy. He is a culture-bearer but his work transcends culture. I don't think I know of any other artist who is simultaneously a poet, sculptor, photographer, painter (abstract, mixed media, collages) and varying themes: surrealistic, transcendental, indigenous, nature, people, religion, spirituality, technology, politics, resistance, etc. etc.

So much to say about Kublai...if you go to Davao, do not miss Ponce Suites.

2006-09-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

Day 14, July 28, AM

Visit Davao City Public Schools. I wasn't able to go with the group because Melotte and I had to take Virgel to the hospital. He had been sick and severely dehydrated. This is a teaching hospital for Nursing. As Virgel was wheeled into the emergency room, he was swarmed(!) by young female nursing students. I guess they were being trained to ask patients the basic questions about family medical history: Are you diabetic? Do you have high blood pressure? Has anyone in your family had cancer?diabetes? high blood? This scene repeated itself several times until the attending emergency room physician arrived. Virgel was only half awake and could barely talk but the students were performing their duties quite efficiently. The dr. recommended hydration and complete bed rest. At first, we were told that there were no available hospital rooms and we had to take the patient to another hospital. Melotte then put her "resources" to work and within an hour, a room had suddenly become available. Virgel stayed in the hospital for two nights and enjoyed the loving attention of the nurses especially one goodlooking male nurse (with blue contacts!) who made sure the IV was dripping just right. Just right.

Virgel was allowed to eat nothing but congee. The hospital doesn't supply congee. Luckily, it is located right next to the Gaisano Mall, so I was able to go to the mall and check out all the congee places. Chow King had congee, of course. And there is a Chow King in every mall.

The hospital requires a "watcher" to stay with the patient overnight. A "watcher" is the one who buys medication and food and whatever else the patient might need. Melissa was the first-night watcher and Miriam was the second-night watcher.

Evening:
My turn (and the other half of the group) to go home with a host family. I stayed with the Mata family and their three children. We had dinner at home (crabs in coconut cream (yum!), barbeque pork, banana heart salad, and mangoes. After dinner, they took me on a night-tour and we drove to Jack's Ridge for coffee and durian cake. Jack's Ridge overlooks the city so it's quite pretty in the evening. Cheena and Leilani's host families were also at Jack's Ridge that night. They took me to see the infamous David statue by the beach. This is a twenty-foot tall statue of David commissioned by a developer who wanted to build a motel. Apparently there was a lot of controversy about the project years ago but today there is a nearby motel and David keeps his watch over it.

For a finale of the night tour, we stopped at a Durian stand (open 24 hours!) and a quick make-shift table was set up for us. They opened two kinds of durian: local and imported (from Thailand) and I had a taste of both. The local durian is more delicious but has a very big seed and yields so little flesh...while the imported variety has a smaller seed but less flavor. We also took home a malang fruit for breakfast. This fruit has a milder flavor than the durian but equally tantalizing. It resembles a giant atis inside. Davao is indeed tropical fruit heaven!

2006-09-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

Day 13, July 27, AM

(Miriam and I had breakfast with Paring Bert at the Jesuit House to discuss the group's process and what we need to address the internal dynamics which have been fraying at the seams lately but overall we are strong at the core).

This morning we paid our courtesy call to Fr. Antonio Samson, President of Ateneo University. He welcomed us in the conference room which is adjacent to his office. He was interested in knowing what schools and grade levels the teachers were representing. He spoke to us about his travels across the US through the years. He spent almost an hour with us, even introducing us to his dog (who was waiting in his office), and showed us the presidential office with his memorabilia and souvenirs from his travels world-wide. We later heard that our reception was highly out-of-the-ordinary for a courtesy call; we were very pleased to know that he wanted to spend that much time with us.

We resumed the morning lectures with presentations by Paring Bert and Carol Arguillas, Journalist, on Mindanao Peace and Development Work.

Paring Bert's Topics:
Religion and Power
Religion, Texts, and Discrimination
Culture, DIalogue, Prejudice
Culture, Conflict and Kinship
Forgiveness as a Political Act
Corruption and Violence
Violence, Peace and Imagination
Vernacular Peace Strategies

PM: Visit the Ford Academy of the Arts

We met with Mrs. Aida Rivera Ford - the doyen of the arts in Mindanao. In her late 70s, she is still the Academy's director, an accredited fine arts school from K-college. While we were there the students were rehearsing a play that Mrs Ford wrote about the young Gregorio del Pilar. After the rehearsal we toured the academy --it houses a museum to some of the works of modern painter Victor Edades and memorabilia of the Ford family.

As a close friend of NVM Gonzalez and other literary figures in the Philippines, Mrs. Ford has also created a family resort/museum in Malagos where NVM's statue is an imposing figure. I told Mrs. Ford that NVM told me about her a long time ago, that she is someone I should meet...

I was a bit perplexed though by Mrs. Ford's amore for the colonial Americans who occupied Davao a century ago. She said that she would like to restore their faded glory by restoring the city's main streets in their names.

Evening:
Davao City Councilor Peter Lavina invited our group to a party. He said that he wanted us to meet some Californians who have retired in Davao. He had two drivers pick us up from the hotel and we were taken to Philip Quimpo's house located in one of the gated communities. "Oh, I thought you were Americans!" exclaimed one of the men who opened the car doors for us.

We learned that this is the "Thursday Group" -- a group of friends who love to eat,drink, sing, and dance. One of them used to own a piano bar and the keyboard player that night must have played been the bar's resident pianist. Indeed they had already started singing and dancing when we arrived. We were treated to a fiesta of lechon, tuna, lumpia, pancit, fruits, and assorted desserts.

There were young women, too, but we weren't formally introduced to all of them. I did find out that one of them, Daisy, was the best singer in Davao before she left for Korea and then met her German husband (he was at the party) and they now live in Davao. And yes - she can sing all those vintage songs!

We were coaxed into singing and dancing, too, but our group slowly moved to the garden patio to enjoy the moonlight and the breeze. Paring Bert and a few of us reminished the songs of the Beatles, Monkees, Chad and Jeremy, Dave Clark Five -- and sang without karaoke mikes.

2006-09-05T22:35:00.000-07:00

Day 12, July 26, AM

Lecturer: Alber Husin, Tausug and Muslim, PhD Candidate, U of San Carlos, Cebu
Topics: BangsaMoro, Islam, and Peace and Development in Mindanao

Notes worth remembering:
*100 years before Spain: three sultanates in Mindanao (1 in Sulu and 2 in Maguindanao).
*Spain used non-Muslims as footsoldiers against Muslim slave traders
* "American Pacification" campaign creates Moro Province
*End of slave trading in mid 18th century also ended power of the sultanate
*Was is Religion (Majul's theory) or Trade (James Warren's critique of Majul)?
*Who are the homogenized Moros? What does it mean to be "homogenized?"
*Five PIllars of Islam
*Postcolonial minoritization of the Moro
*Government shortcomings in relation to the Moro (meager allocation of resources)
*1960s Moro rebellion
*Moro National Liberation Front/Misuari - 1969
*Jabidah Massacre - 1968
*Tripoli Agreement in Libya -- peacetalks
*Ethnic Diversity over political unity
*How did Islam contribute to the Bangsamoro agenda in Mindanao?
*MNLF to MILF
*The Abu Sayyaf has no political agenda and is not part of the peace talks in Mindanao

This is one of the best lectures during our Tour. Well-researched and well-organized. Many participants commented on the linearity of the narrative which made it easy to follow. I think this response is more a reflection of our American orientation towards linearity. The orality/storytelling and non-circular narratives of the other equally brilliant lecturers always required a more intense kind of concentration and quality of attention. I enjoyed both types of presentations.

PM: Free afternoon. Some participants visited the Gabriela office to make local connections with the womens' groups.

Evening: We celebrated Melissa's 37th bday at Chef Claude -- a small, pricey French restaurant where, it seems, the city's elite and tourists get to hang-out. At another table, Ateneo President, Fr. Samson, was with a group of diners. Melotte introduced our group to him.

Earlier in the day, Leilani asked the group (when Melissa left the room) to fill 3x5 cards and write their bday greetings for M. When Melissa returned she asked what the cards were for so Leilani handed her a card and said that we were doing an evaluation of the lecture. At the party, Leilani put together a gift bag with the cards. Surprise!!

2006-09-05T22:17:00.000-07:00

Day 11, July 25, AM: Time off

PM: Agnes Locsin Dance Studio

Agnes Locsin is one of the treasures of Philippine Dance. This afternoon she gave us a historical background on the development of Dance in the Philippines: from ethnic folk dances to Spanish-influenced dances to ballet to modern dance. Agnes is an award-winning choreographer and she is well-known for her weaving of the West and ethnic influences such as Igorot, the Ballet, Engkantada, and Bagobo -- full-length theatre productions. LAtely she has collaborated with Joey Ayala in what they call "neo-ethnic" productions.

Nestor Horfilla shared the stage with Agnes and they both tried to teach us basic ethnic dance movements -- Tiboli, Bogobo, Maranao. Sweating and hard of breath, we all enjoyed the chance to dance/move our bodies to new rhythms.

I have to mention that Agnes' dance studio is a cultural landmark in Davao City. The beautiful garden, the aviary, the stately manor where Agnes and her Mom live, the studios -- makes for a green sanctuary in the midst of the city. There is also a stage in the grounds where regular performances and dance recitals are held. This afternoon, it was a treat to enjoy two of Agnes' students performance.

Evening: Matina Town Square (MTS) -- KAtara Cultural Troupe -- one of the best dance troupes in Mindanao and the performance is free!! The MTS was conceived by Joey Ayala and family as a venue for the freedom of creative expression. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the first set of performance is by a cultural troupe and the second set is for other kinds of bands (we didn't stay for the second set so I'm not sure what kinds of music and which bands perform).

2006-09-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

DAy 10, July 24, AM

Lecturer: Nestor Horfilla. Guest: Brian, Kulintang player
Topics: Mindanao Culture and the Arts:

Roots of Aesthetic Traditions
Routes of Performance Traditions
Cultural Harvest in Mindanao

THink on these things:
Culture as Mirror; Culture as Vision; Culture as Anchor; Culture as Capital; Culture as Engine of Growth

"Sustainable development and the fluorishing of culture, the changing flow of human meanings, memories, and bonds, should be seen as interdependent."

"By creating culture, human beings recreate their world...to deny people their role as cultural producers is to deny them the power to shape their reality."

Issues and Concerns in creating Sustainable Theatre
* Grounding cultural work in the social context
* Capability building and institutional development
* Development of internal champions within local government units
* Complementary program on Cultural tourism and the promotion of culture within economic context

PM: Class observations in Ateneo Elementary School classes.

2006-09-01T22:34:00.000-07:00

Day 8, July 22, AM:
Lecture Exchange at Ateneo. Topic: Transformative Education

This morning I gave a lecture on Transformative Education (as I practice it in my Ethnic Studies classroom) to the Graduate students and faculty of the School of Social Sciences at ADDU. After my lecture, 4 of the Fulbright participants shared examples of social justice projects, classroom practices, and lessons plans that they implement in their schools in the US.

One of the topics I mentioned in my lecture is Whiteness Studies. As I was talking, three of the Fulbright participants walked out of my lecture. Apparently, my remarks have made them feel defensive and angry. Their loud remarks outside of the lecture hall were heard by the attendees, causing the other Fulbrighters to feel embarrassed by behavior they considered disrespectful of the culture.

Perhaps it was a combination of many things: We were tired...and the honeymoon phase is over... and we are now faced with all of our differences (racial, class). I knew somehow that these stressors would emerge at some point, I just didn't know how and when. This was our opportunity to deal with these differences.

PM:
In the afternoon, we made our way to Samal Island Paradise Resort. Even though nerves were frayed, we still enjoyed the beach and the snorkeling and the trip to the bat caves. I didn't go snorkeling nor go to the batcaves...I was too stressed out by what happened on Saturday morning that I decided to just stay on the beach for some peace and quiet.

DAy 9,Samal Island
As we left the island the next day, we all agreed to meet in the evening to talk about the weekend. Since we had two hours to spare, four of us decided to go to a spa and get a massage. Consequently, we didn't make it to the meeting on time and the rest decide to cancel till the following night. I felt that I had let the group down this time by being late but I confessed to my codirector that I was not prepared to sit down and deal with the stress.

For the following night's meeting (day 10), we decided that we will not try to solve or analyze the issues. We will say our piece, put it on the table to be heard and honored and then respect the silence. I wrote the following in my journal and I decided to share it with the group: First: We honor each other just by listening...first to our own heart as it beats to the tune of the unfamiliar words of the Other...words that pierce a corner of our heart where nothing may have yet broken it open...when the heart breaks open, it is painful at first,like the pain of childbirth when something is being born within you...it enlarges the heart's capacity for compassion and empathy. Second: I will not always like what I hear but I can hear it, hold it in my heart with tenderness and charity. I can have a conversation with the inner self - the one who is baffled, confused perhaps, a tad frustrated and disappointed. even lonely. Third: I will ask for a soft touch, a kind glance, an open palm, a song, a gesture. A minor clue that you are still with me and I with you.

As we took turns in expressing our feelings and thoughts some of us were in tears. There was a sense of relief that night but something remained unfinished.

2006-09-01T16:32:00.001-07:00

Day 7, July 20, AM

Language Class with Mr. Darang. Interesting teacher. He began with talking about body parts and their Tagalog and Visayan equivalents. He was so enthusiastic about his lectures that he often forgot to allow us to speak/practice.

Today's Lecturer is Dr. Heidi GLoria of Ateneo de Davao. She talked about the Asian Roots of Mindanao, PreColonial Institutions, PreHispanic Traditions, Political Structures, and Introduction to Islam.

PM: Return visit to Ateneo High School for classroom observations. During one of these visits to the Ateneo high school and elementary schools, Miriam and I observed a group of pre-school children in the library and they were being taught how to check out library books. On a sun-lit corner of the library, children were sitting on colorful mats and behind them were DISNEY fairy tale books. Each child was told to stand up, go to the pile, pick up a book, form a line towards the check out counter. Miriam and I looked at each other and wondered: Are there no Filipino fairy tale books available? We asked the teacher and the librarian and they said the same thing: these are what's available, they are plentiful and inexpensive. Wow!!

Day 8, July 21, AM:
Language Class: Mr. Darang noted that in the class the day before, he skipped the "sensitive" parts of the body and so he returned to those parts and made sure we knew their names in Tagalog and Visayan.

Today's Lecturer: Dr. Mac Tiu. More on the History and Geography of the Southern Philippines. This time, we learn about the influence of the Hindu Empire, the Islamic Empire, the connection of Mindanao to the rest of Southeast Asia. I remember these quotes:

"We must redirect our attention to our interconnected with Southeast Asian neighbors since are cultural and geographical ties remain." (Imperial Manila - are you listening?)

"History is not destiny, especially when that history has been directed by others."

Evening: Dinner with Lumad Scholars; Matina Town Square
Virgel, Helen, Leilani, Lea, Cheena and I went to the Lumad dorm and the other half of our group went with their homestay families. The Lumad scholars prepared a feast of: pomelo, rice cakes, grilled tuna panga/jaw, pinakbet, sotanghon, tinola, kinilaw.

Retchor, Lumad artist and architecture student, (who has recently won the Petron Art Contest) had some of his drawings and paintings on display. I was blessed with a small pen and ink drawing! Thank you, Retchor!

Everyone was having an animated dialogue with the students and we didn't want to leave even as we were being prodded by Melotte to move on (many of them had classes the next day). This is one of the best nights of this trip.

When we left the dorm at 10pm, Melotte took us to Matina Town Square (MTS) for drinks and coffee. Eventually MTS would become our regular hang-out on Tuesdays for their cultural nights.

2006-08-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

Day 6,July 19, AM:

While waiting for everyone else at the hotel lobby, Lea suggested that we do a freewrite together for 10minutes. Topic: Morning in Another Land. THis is what I wrote in my journal.

In this other land, I wake up to the view of the mountains and the water.I think of you. Am I a stranger here or someone who has come home to embrace your Water and your Mountains? Are these mountains connected at the crust of the ocean's bottom to my oceans back there -- in my other home? I have written about islands and continents before -- how I straddle both, how I live in both, dream and imagine in both.Imagine that You do the same. We are not bound by time and space. Such mis-imaginations only create distances.
Always I need to feel connected to You and You to Me.

THis is our second day of lectures by Fr. Alejo, Dr. Tiu and today we went to the Institute for Indigenous Peoples' Education. Executive Director, Norma Gonos, full blooded Mandaya, filled two hours with information about IP Rights Act, IP curriculum, IP Human Rights Issues, IP Ancestral Domain Issues.

Sister Rose, Bogobo, spoke emotionally as the daughter of a Bogobo datu (Duhay Lungsod); how she saw her father struggle to preserve indigenous culture amidst colonial pressure to become civilized and christianized.. Now as a Catholic Nun she has come to embrace her indigeneity and now also works alongside IP advocates.

PM: Returned to Ateneo High School to observe classes in English, History, Filipino language class, and Social Studies. I went to a History class where the teacher was discussing the three colonial periods: SPanish, American, and Japanese. As she recapped the characteristics of colonial conquest, she posed this question to her students: If you were living during this colonial period, who would you have preferred to colonize you? WHOA, WHAT? I turned to the other observers -- did she really ask that question?? And what do you think the students' answer was?
Yeah. Right.

Day 5, July 18, AM: Davao Museum
Lecture by Dr. Macario Tiu and Fr. Alejo on Indigenous Peoples of Mindanao. This is a small ethnographic museum inside a well-appointed housing subdivision. This is our introduction to the history of Mindanao/Davao City: of Southeast Asian trade routes, colonial conquests, and the “tri-people” of Davao: indigenous peoples, Muslims and Settlers.

July 18, PM: Tour of Ateneo High School and Grade School Campus. As we entered the gates, a small group of high school students were singing and I thought they were welcoming us. It turns out that they were being punished for some infraction.

2006-08-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

Day 3, July 16 -- Travelled to Davao via Philippine Airlines. Settled into Royal Mandaya Hotel, 3 blocks away from Ateneo de Davao.

4am dream: I dreamt that I was falling in love with a dangerous man who is caring for a child. I want to approach him because I'm curious to know what the other side of danger might be -- what kind of a person is he? Can I seduce him enough so he is less of a threat to me? I do not know. I wake up tired. Called for massage service at 5am (24-hour massage service is available) and at 5:15 a young woman in a white uniform arrives. Ahhh....

During the massage, I kept thinking about the words I heard at CELL. One of them is the name of the Tibig tree: Alindog -- which means allure. I've been reading about this word in Brian Swimme's and Thomas Berry's work..."We are seduced by the allure of the universe."

Day 4, July 17, AM: Opening Ritual at Ateneo de Davao, 7th Floor -- overlooking Samal Island and the Davao Gulf. We are welcomed by the Lumad scholars with a dance; the Ateneo Choral group sings a prayer and then the National Anthem; greetings from the Mayor's office through Councilor Acosta; greetings from the University through Dr. Jesse Manlutac, Officer in Charge. We exchange presents. We brought Sonoma State University leather folders for our hosts. Fr. Alejo and Melotte present us with beautiful giant empty folders covered with indigenous fabric -- they promised us the folder will be full by the end of the program (and they were not kidding -- it filled up one suitcase!).

PM: After the ceremonies, we get into a Lawin jeepney for the hour-long trek to Eden Nature Park in Toril. A Lawin is an overstretched jeepney that can seat up to 20 people. A beautiful luncheon buffet awaits us. Some of us were ecstatic over the salad bar. We later find out that Eden grows the lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes in giant hydrophonic tents. They supply the city of Davao with these produce.

Roadside sign: Children waving. Please wave back.

We admired the aviary at Eden although some of us were not enamored to see birds in captivity. And the aviary has a monkey cage, too. Huh?

Those of us who weren't tired of the hike ventured into another part of the park and we were greeted with the most beautiful floral garden. I've never seen coral vines in their full burning red splendor and the bees were having a fiesta! There were jade vines, all kinds of bromeliads, herbs, medicinal plants...In the garden were meditation spots for the contemplative among us.

By the way, did you know that the sampaguita flower is good for healing eye irritation (sty, red eye)? Soak the flower in warm water and let it steep for a few minutes. Then use the water as eyewash. It works. Ask Miriam.

2006-08-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

During pre-departure orientation Enid Pickett asked us to meditate on these:

1. In the Philippines, you will be on indigenous soil. Think about the years of colonial trauma that has been visited on this soil and its peoples. What does "The Other" have to say to you as an American?

2. What is your dream classroom after this trip? What will be the impact of this trip on your Teaching Strategies, Student Achievement, Teacher Resource, Curriculum Structure? What are your short and long term goals? How does your support system look like? How do the personal and collective goals intersect?

Before this, I didn't know about "Posttraumatic Slave Syndrome"...or maybe I did but didn't have the same name.

2006-08-27T16:09:00.000-07:00

August 27, 2006

It has been extremely difficult to write – to just be in a mood of contemplation; to look back on the frenzy of the past few months of Fulbright preparations and the actual tour of 5 weeks in Davao City, Mindanao.

A year ago when Miriam raised the idea of bringing a group of teachers to the Philippines it was only a mirage. We didn’t know it would be feasible so soon; it was just an idea after all. When I went to work on the academic proposal and started communicating with Paring Bert about getting Ateneo de Davao as our host institution, he consented and began to form a team with Dr Marlina Lacuesta as the On-Site Coordinator. The details of the study tour had to be included in the Fulbright proposal and I used the Internet to do research on what was available in Davao as part of an educational tour. Thus, I found the websites for Lake Sebu, Eden Nature Park, Puentespina/Malagos Gardens, Davao Museum, and other sites and wrote them into the proposal with the appropriate educational rationale with Paring Bert's approval. These details had to be made available to Fulbright even before the approval of the grant so it was rather difficult trying to confirm the availability of lecturers, artists, and school sites at first. Nonetheless, it happened; the proposal went forward in November 2005 and we got notice of approval in late April 2006 which meant that we only had two months to advertise, recruit and interview eleven applicants, prepare travel arrangements, Memos of Understanding between SSU and ADDU, insurance, etc.

Eleven teachers: Melissa Ambrose, Virgel Paule, Katie Vevoda, Katherine Williams, Christina Chun, Lea Castro, Holly Calica, Alice Ira, Susanna Urias, Helen Serafino, Leilani Nisperos. One male, 10 females, 4 European Americans/whites, 7 Fil Ams. Five high school teachers/middle school, 6 k-12 teachers. San Francisco, Vallejo, Napa, Oakland school districts were all represented.

June 19-22 – predeparture orientation. This is the first time that the participants meet each other. Lots of anxieties, fears, doubts. We had a business meeting on the first day and Enid Pickett suggested that we need a process for dealing with the unknown -- we need to get to know each other. So Enid came in and helped us articulate and process – what a gift she is!

Our Fears: being a lesbian in a Catholic conservative country; fear of rejection; Mindanao is a dangerous place; not getting along with the participants; not being in control; not connecting with the other participants; not knowing the language; fear of offending others; fear of getting sick…

In the afternoons, Leo Paz did language lessons. Thank goodness, he is quite a dynamic and fun teacher!! On the fourth day of the orientation, we met at my house for luncheon. Before the day’s end, Cheena said: Let’s all have our picture taken while we still like each other! And Miriam said: No, no, no…we will all love each other at the end of this trip.

Katie, Helen, and Cheena set up their travel blogs.

Departure from SFO, July 12 and arrival in Manila on July 13 at midnight. I was quite uncertain on where to park ourselves outside of the airport. Somehow I was imagining that the local team would greet us with a sign or get special permission to access the upper loading space. After a few minutes, we saw Paring Bert, Melotte, Ate Deng with a small sign “Welcome, Fulbright teachers!” Breathe deeply. One van and three cars later, we all unload in front of Lotus Garden Hotel in Ermita – downtown Manila.

Day 1, Friday, July 14, AM: National Museum. Although the Museum had their docents, it was Paring Bert who walked us through the four floors and he annotated the exhibits for us. First and second floor: the remains of a sunken Spanish galleon brought to the surface by archeologists. Third floor: geology and geography. Fourth floor: indigenous peoples and cultures.

PM: Courtesy call to the US Embassy. Prior to meeting the Cultural Affairs officer Bruce Armstrong, we had to go through what seemed like the seven gates of Inanna -- we were stripped of our bags, cameras, phones, umbrellas (it's been raining!) -- before we could enter the main hall. The Officer gave us a tour of the Embassy and treated us to the Embassy version of the "special relationship" between the Philippines and the US. He said that the architectural beauty of the Embassy reflects this relationship...plus not to mention that it is one of the biggest US embassies around the world.

The newly arrived US Ambassador to the Philippines, Christie Kennedy, wanted to meet our group. She told us about the US Embassy's "Arms to Farms" Mindanao project of the US government. More benevolent projects. Then picture taking...and we were all given a lapel pin of the US and Phil flags before we were ushered out back into Manila streets. Breathe....

DAy 2, AM: Intramuros. I was surprised at how well-maintained this place is. I've never before visited the Rizal sections and I felt quite moved in visiting his holding cell, the hero's artifacts, and the room where his "Huling Paalam" is inscribed on marble. Even the Pasig River is almost clean.

PM: On to Silang, Cavite. Center for Ecozoic Living and Learning (CELL). This is the place I visited last year and a "must include" itinerary for our group. CELL is an educational demonstration site for zero-waste management, solar evergy, recycling, organic farming, etc. Its main focus are the "creation and cosmic walks" inspired by the work of Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme (The New Creation Story). Since my visit last year, I've read more of Brian Swimme's work in "The Universe is a Green Dragon." His thesis: we can have a mystical experience just by understanding the scientific explanations how how the universe was born. What the shamans of indigenous cultures understand about cosmology can now also be articulated in the scientific language of astronomers. I am made of stardust.

At CELL we ate on banana leaves. Feast: fried dalagang bukid, guinisang mongo, brown rice, pineapple and bananas, and passion fruit juice.

2006-08-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

Post 2 - on the occasion of Paring Bert's bday...

August 23, 2006

Dear Paring Bert,

Back home safely and getting over jetlag. Classes started yesterday but it’s been difficult to concentrate. Instead I’ve started to read Derrick Jensen’s two-volume work on The Problem of Civilization. Jensen is an environmental activist, a poet-philosopher, an integral thinker and his works reflect a succinct critique of Modernity and Western Civilization via the lens of the indigenous world view. This current volume is an expansion of his previous works -–A Language Older Than Words, and The Culture of Make Believe.

I bring this to your attention because your work is part of a growing discourse on the morality and ethics required to bring the modern world back into a sane and sustainable path – one that honors the Land. I like your use of the language/theory of “cultural energy” as generated by the interstitial spaces occupied by indigenous peoples, peoples of color, and poor people who are often rendered invisible and powerless by the powerful; I appreciate this re-direction of energy away from opposition and resistance to energy that creates because it can and must.

In the case of Fil Ams, however, we continually struggle to develop a repertoire of simultaneous responses (creation plus resistance) because we live in the belly of the beast. In watching how you deal with the myriad demands on your time and energy by diverse causes and concerns, one lesson I draw from you is the sense of openness and nonjudgmental attitude that comes from the place of Faith in your life. This is what I meant when I said in one of our sessions that the people we have encountered in Davao inspire me and give me hope with their sense of spirituality – one that draws from a deeper well that I can only name as “indigenous and shamanic” even though it has the veneer of Catholic Christianity. (Or as Karl Gaspar would say – “organic mysticism.”)

Our group’s sojourn to Davao was transformative on many levels. For sure the participants will not only develop curriculum materials but will be better teachers because of how they were personally invested (and challenged) to deal with the knowledge they had to take in, e.g. history of colonialism, imperialism, white supremacy, indigenous struggles, globalization, cultural survival, etc). I, too, feel an inner shift but the direction of that shift is currently ambiguous and will need more clarification in days/years to come.

As you celebrate your birthday, please remember us with fondness and affection and know that the gifts you have given us will have rippling consequential effects for a very long time. We can smile now as we look back on that dare more than a year ago: “will you host a Fulbright group of teachers?” like it was a shotgun sort of question. You said “yes” on faith…and then Melotte was given to you. Who knows what other gifts of Energy will come our way (or ADDU’s, or Mindanawon’s) as a result of our joint venture?

This is my long-winded but sincere way of thanking you again. As you are fond of declaring: Let our desires be known, be embodied, and brought into fruition!

Love and Peace,
Leny

2006-08-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

This is my place of personal reflection about the Fulbright Hays Study Tour to the Philippines, July 12-August 14, 2006. Hosted by Ateneo de Davao University's Research and Publication Office. Director: Fr. Albert Alejo, our In-Country Host. On-Site Coordinator: Melotte De Castro.

Post #1 - email sent to my online communities:

Dear communities --
MAny of you are waiting for my report on the Fulbright Experience. It may take a while to write these reflections but thank you so much for your interest. I just returned last Friday and classes start tomorrow so between jetlag naps, I've been trying to get my syllabi ready.

For now let me just say that our group Fulbright experience has been radically transformative and exceeded all of our expected outcomes. The program of study prepared for us by our hosts at Ateneo de Davao University was excellent and I can't wait to write about all of our resource persons like Dr. Mac Tiu, Agnes Locsin, Alber Husin, Bing Chan, Nestor Horfilla, and of course, our in-country host Fr Albert Alejo. Melotte de Castro, our on-site coordinator, is the calm in the center of it all - orchestrating her team and making on-the-spot decisions while meeting the various requests of 13 assertive folks from the US.

Much of the focus of our study was on the Indigenous Peoples/Lumads of Mindanao and we were very fortunate to have had dialogues with the group of Lumad scholars under Fr. Alejo's mentorship and care via the Mindanawon Initiatives for Cultural Dialogue. We also travelled to Lake Sebu in South Cotabato and met with an association of Tiboli women weavers in their communities (which can only be reached via a 20minute motorcycle ride on rugged mountain terrain). We were able to visit the TIboli site of Schools of Indigenous Knowledge and Traditions (SIKAT).

Here are the websites of other places we visited. The narrative will follow later.
http://www.poncesuites.com/index.htm

http://www.edennaturepark.com.ph/index.htm

http://www.malagosgarden.com/resort/

http://www.philippineeagle.org/

http://litera1no4.tripod.com/tboli_frame.html

http://www.acpc.ph/main.htm

http://www.batsanctuary.org/home.htm

http://www.paradiseislanddavao.com/

http://www.addu.edu.ph/gradeschool/

http://www.addu.edu.ph/highschool/