The Sights that lighten my heart

Mirelle, a wild duck, chose to lay her eggs in a corner of my garden in Gouda. I watched her everyday laying her eggs. On a bright Easter Sunday 2006, the eggs were hatched. It was a sight to behold when Mirelle finally left her nest and led her brood to the nearby canal.



When I arrived in my home in Bansalan, I was surprised to see this hen laying eggs in a corner of my front garden. She reminded me of Mirelle. A few days after Christmas the eggs were hatched.



This is a carabao or water buffalo. Carabao is considered as a farmer's best friend in the Philippines. She is pregnant.




The bird of Paradise
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG106

http://www.thewisegardener.com/Bird_of_Paradise.htm

Sunchild's Favorite Pictures

The villa of the Rockefeller Foundation

Lake Coumo, Bellagio, Italy
July 2006

Sunset in Fort Myers, Florida
July 2006

Literary Collections

Two Wars
(and I just sit and watch)


Let there be love
But no one listens, no one hears
Let there be peace, but no one cares
No one dares.

Let there be war!
Suddenly tanks rumble on,
Cluster bombs fall
Mortal targets hit
Young and old
And they claim they charge
With surgical precision

The Devil's Pact is broken
"Shock and awe" the battle cry
I shiver with disbelief
Brothers against brothers
From the fertile land of Mindanao
to the glowing desert of Baghdad
The ground trembles
As the fighting goes on.

Blood spatters
Mangled bodies everywhere
Desperate, hallow cries of
Innocent men, women and children
But no one hears them in the wilderness
Their faint voices snuffed by
Drumfire of the raging war

War turns love songs into dirge
Laughter into bitter tears
The greed to wage war
In the name of peace
It is a shame
Will peace really come?
Will it be soon?

I see crimson fireballs as the
night falls in Baghdad
I sit and watch until I hear another
explosion and destruction in Mindanao
I sit and watch in shocked and awe
I see Mindanao through
the night sky over Baghdad
Two wars thousands of miles apart
And I just sit and watch
I just sit and watch

24 March 2003
(after watching CNN)


Women Peacemakers

We, women from distant lands
War, injustice, poverty and intolerance
Separated us from our loved ones
We fled, we crossed the seven seas
We sought refuge
We left our tormented countries behind
Hoping to find warmth and helping hand
A better place to find rest
Bitter memories we tend to forget
But like the rushing waves of the ocean
They keep on coming back.

The colors of our skin differ
Our religion is not the same
You are what you are
And I am what I am
Although I have not understood all this
Why for some being different really matters
What I know, we are women.

We give love, we build peace
While others make war
We know we cannot just close our eyes
There’s so much goodness in this world
A just and lasting peace is worth fighting for.

One day peace will come
Someday justice prevails
It will because we will make it happen
This is our undying promise
To make the difference
Women of peace
We must not pause, we must not be quiescent
Until our weary soul finds rest.

28 June 2003

Stand up and be counted

You count how many peddlers
walk in a dusty pebbled road
under the scorching heat of the sun
arms outstretched
his own fate he could not command.

You count how many paupers
plunge into darkness
amidst daylight and
lose a thousand hopes
a thousand dreams
for even the right to hope
is no longer his own.

You count how many mothers
cry in anguish
in so much pain
for her right to caress her child
could never be the same.

You count how many lilies
open their petals not in springtime
You count how many wild birds
Singing tunes out of rhyme.

You count how many thousand lives
struggle for a piece of bread
in order to survive.
You count how many deaths have been offered
to give meaning to a wretched
meaningless life.

And yet it is when life is full of miseries
of anguish
of pain
of hunger
and of poverty
that each man and woman stands up
to give hope to a morbid sorrow
to give life to a dying promise
to give rhyme to a song and
to be counted.

Remember 17th of April

one day in april summer
the fiery sun angrily radiates
its glaring rays
a huge ball of fire
giving life but also drying both land and fields.

One day in april summer
Grasses in the meadow
Turned green then golden hue
Flowers vainly spread their petals
Vanity even mortals envy.

One day in april summer
You were with me
Scheming, dreaming dreams that can never be
The gentle strokes on my hair
The touch on my blushing cheeks
The hurrays I heard for every victory
Bring me back to the good old days.

April comes, april goes
Come 17th of april
The promise reached its fulfillment.

You were there
Calm. Not moving. Lifeless.
The countenance I’ll never forget.
Death has finally come to you
Succumb to the eternal quiescence
Obedient to the will of the Maker
Or is it really His will?

Ah death in april how will I forget even
Amidst my most silent contemplation
The Wednesday’s child
I adore, love and behold
A child of the Maker
Who dreams nothing but to live
And transcends his life to the Maker
Just to be dust once again.

Rain in unforgettable april summer
Listening to the music
Driving me insane
It is the dirge
My dirge
Who has been deserted

All because of 17th of april.
Remember?

The construction of Kapatiran Multipurpose Center

Since 1998, I have been supporting women organisations in various villages of Davao del Sur and North Cotabato. The poor enterprising women took the initiatives in finding meaningful ways to improve their economic condition. They initiatied pig dispersal projects, nursery seedling, sewing cooperatives, and basic literacy program. They have been supported by various donors in the Netherlands.

In 2003, seeing the need for a steady source of capital, the Kapatiran Microfinance program was set up. The program is still going on run and managed by a small staff. To improve their service delivery and to have a space for their office and various
development skills training, the idea of constructing a multi-purpose center was born.

Thanks to the assistance of Economic Center for Migrants and Overseas Employees (ERCMOVE) which is based in the Netherlands, Kapatiran Philippines' dream to have a center will soon be materialised. the Mayor of the Municipality of Bansalan also provided significant support by providing sand, earth, and gravel to fill the lot. He provided 40 trips of dump truck loaded with sand, earth and gravel.

Financial supported has been extended by ETWA, Wilde Ganzen, NCDO, Seva Network, and several other individuals.

Our gratitude to the following people who have contributed to this project:

Nes and Ceny Duldulao, USA
Art and Essie Claveria, USA
Ceasar Torres, USA
Efrain Jimenez, USA
Gil Acaba, Australia
Ozden Yalim, The Netherlands
Eddie Cruz, The Netherlands
Rolando Calizo, The Netherlands
Corazon Dee, The Netherlands
Gerard and Saskia de Vries, The Netherlands
Frans and Heleen Hess, The Netherlands
Warner and Strategy, The Netherlands

The construction of the building finally started last December. From the pictures below, you will see the progress of the construction. I will aim post more pictures as soon as I receive new ones.



February 22, 2007







January 2007






December 2006

The most-awaited ground-breaking finally started.

Views of Mt. Apo: At least from the foothills

When you part from your friend,
you grieve not;
for that which you love most in him
may be clearer in his absence,
as the mountain to the climber
is clearer from the plain.
--Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931), The Prophet (1923), On Friendship





When you leave your hometown, a part of you is left behind. Childhood memories remained etched in ones memories. I love the mountains and the simple life the village people lead. The villagers are hard-working people. They live with what they have but they always have smiles on their faces. Tired and weary of poverty and yet full of spirit and hope for the future. There must be a way for them to rise up from poverty.

I am happy I had a chance to visit the village of Balutakay, the "vegetable garden of Bansalan."




Mount Apo is the highest mountain in the Philippines and overlooks Davao City, a few kilometres to the northeast.

Mt. Apo was first climbed on October 10, 1880 by a party led by Don Joaquin Rajal.

Mount Apo is one of the most popular climbing destinations in the country. The summit is very easy to reach, unlike other mountains such as Mount Halcon and Mount Banahaw. On May 9, 1936, Mount Apo was declared a national park by President Manuel L. Quezon. The mountain is home to over 270 bird species, with more than a hundred that are endemic.

A stratovolcano, Apo is flat topped, with three peaks. A source of geothermal energy, the time of its most recent eruption is unknown, and none are verified in historic times.

From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Apo

My Son and Bansalan

(I’ve been writing my journals since I was 19. From time to time I re-read some of my entries, the period when my two boys were just small kids. I remembered that when my eldest son Michael was just 5 years old we had an interesting conversation about my hometown Bansalan, Davao Del Sur. The mother-and-son conversation went more or less this way…)

Why is the color of your eyes black, Mamma?

Because I am a Filipino.

What is a Filipino?

Look, son. The people here in the Netherlands are called Dutch just like your Papa. I am from the Philippines and so I am Filipino. Every country – and there are many countries all over the world – has a name for their own people.

But where is the Philippines located, Mamma?

It’s a distant country, far from where we are now. That’s where your grandma lives. You only reach it if you take the plane and travel night and day.

How come you are here in Holland?

Oh, that’s a long story. Maybe I will tell you next time.

Are there tigers and elephants in the Philippines?

Oh no, where did you get the idea?

What about monkeys?

Sure there are still monkeys!

What about snakes? Do you have snakes in the Philippines?

Yes. I remember when I was your age, I saw snakes a couple of times crawling by the riverbank not far from your grandma’s house. I was told they were not of the dangerous type, but just the same, I was terribly scared.

Are there plenty of big trees where Oma Helen (Lola Helen) lives?

Yes. A long time ago, I used to climb our guava and mango trees, but the fruit trees are not there anymore. They cut the trees because we needed space for our house and garden. We had also plenty of trees, really big ones in the forests. You know your grandma lives near the foothills of Mt. Apo, the highest mountain in the Philippines. We don’t have mountains here in Holland so I cannot make a comparison. You know the tall Euromast in Rotterdam, don’t you? Well, our mountains are much taller than the Euromast. But there are not much trees anymore in our forests.

Where have all the trees gone?

Where? I remember there was a logging company operating in our town. Your grandpa used to work in the sawmill as a mechanic. Everyday large trucks transported many trozos, big timbers from the mountain and brought them to the sawmill. Where they brought the lumber I exactly don’t know. But I vaguely heard stories when his workmates came to our house for a drink; I still remember they talked about some Japanese guests visiting the sawmill. Funny, but I was six or maybe seven years old then, almost like your age, and somehow I still remember their faces.

When we visit Oma, can I take a swim in the river?

What about the river? Oh yes, the river. I remember taking a bath there early in the morning before going to school. We also washed our clothes there especially on Saturdays. You know what? I also enjoyed catching small fish called paitan with friends in the neighborhood. Alas, there are no fish anymore, and the water has become very dirty and shallow. Too bad, you cannot swim in the river anymore.

Why is your hair black, Mamma?

Because I am a Filipino and most Filipinos have black hair.

Is the Philippines near Africa? The people there also have black eyes and black hair. I saw them on TV?

Oh no. The Philippines is located on the opposite side of the globe. Let me show you. It’s here, down here. See that group of islands? It’s called an archipelago.

Are there also soldiers in the Philippines? There are plenty of them in Africa.

Oh yes, my son. Plenty of them.

Do they shoot and kill people?

Yes, they do. Sometimes. Several times. Many times, I guess. There are people who carry guns in the Philippines and just shoot anyone.

But why? Are the Filipinos bad?

No, they are not bad my son. It’s actually like this. There are plenty of people in the Philippines who are poor, very poor. They have no money to buy food, clothes and medicine. Parents have no money to send their children to school and to buy them toys. They want to change the situation. They want to improve their lives and to have a better future for their children. But some people do not like that the poor will change the situation. Some want change and they use guns to.... But why are you asking so many questions?

Because I want to know!

But why do you want to know so much? I can’t go on answering all of them.

Because I wonder why I have brown eyes. Your eyes are black, and Pappa has blue. Where did I come from Mamma?

My son, that’s all for today. Next time I will tell you more. When you are a bit bigger you will find out for yourself the answers to your questions. Now, do you already know why your Mamma has black eyes?

What about your eyes? I don’t remember what you said. I’m so sleepy.

Go to bed my son. Someday I hope you will remember. I really hope so just like I remember.

Published in MindaNews, 17 December 2005

Making a Difference: Bansaleño Expats Give Back

My present job provides me with rare opportunities to work with African, Asian and Latin migrant organizations which actively support small development projects in their countries of origin. Watching them how they help their own communities made me wonder whether my fellow Bansaleño expats have also inclinations to help our hometown. Beyond sending money to their direct families, are they also willing to contribute to the development of our hometown?

For several years now, I was mulling over linking Bansaleño expats with Kapatiran Philippines, Inc (KPI), a small non-governmental organization which I helped set up in Bansalan in 1998. However, it was a daunting task to get their addresses until I came across the Bansalan website, which was constructed by Edwin Bibera, a fellow Bansaleño now living in Fullerton, California. After giving some comments about the website, I tried to ask him if he was willing to maintain – on a voluntary basis – the website of KPI. “No problem,” Edwin assured. “At least I can do something for our hometown.”

Great! Now, there were two of us doing something for our hometown. But the question is: Where are the rest?

Unknowingly, on the first week of November 2005, Edwin’s website was noticed by some Bansaleños and even those now living in other parts of the world. This was when Edwin posted new articles and pictures of popular places of our town. One particular picture – that of the ABC Gym – caught the attention of Imee Mabandos-Schneider of Frankfurt, Germany. Her compelling message urging Bansaleños to help renovate the dilapidated gym triggered off a series of e-mail exchanges.

In her e-mail message, Imee warm-heartedly recalled various events – such as basketball tournaments, dances, and large official functions and other activities of the various schools and community, among others – were held in the gym. “ABC had been a great part of our growing up years in Bansalan,” she wrote. “In the spirit of (forthcoming) Christmas, we can give back to our hometown by raising the amount of Ph20,000 to at least repaint the façade of the gym.”

The snowball effect of Imee’s initial posting was overwhelming. In no time, Bansaleños residing abroad – Toronto in Canada; Alaska, New York, California, Ohio, and Virginia in the United States; Rotterdam and Gouda in the Netherlands; and Frankfurt in Germany – and even those in Manila and Davao started sending their pledges.


The awe-inspiring response of the Bansaleños resulted to the formation of the virtual community called the Association of Bansaleños or www.Bansaleños.com with “Give Back Campaign: ABC Gym Project” as its initial project. In less than a month, our group raised the amount of Php155,212.00 - almost 8 times more than Imee’s original request.

Curiously enough, the members of Association of Bansaleños have different professional backgrounds and they are doing different types of jobs. While implementing the project, we were discovering our untapped talents, hobbies and interests. We found out we have excellent fund raisers and event organizers in our midst. All these proved to be useful in our campaign.

Aside from renovating the gym, some Bansaleños also decided to raise funds to support the education of poor children our hometown. As of this writing, the “Give Back: Literacy Project” received pledges amounting to Ph 63,500– enough to support the education of 73 elementary school pupils in school year 2006-2007. In fact, some even committed themselves to support the children until they finish their elementary education.

While older folks are very much willing to help, younger generation is also involved. Jane Nique, who now lives in New York, related her conversation with her 17-year-old daughter Nikki: “Nikki shed a tear when she heard the story about the poor children in Bansalan. She offered to sponsor one child. I asked her how she would do it since she’s still a student and without an income. She replied that she can set aside some money from her weekly allowance. She also want to write to a child to encourage him or her to study hard because by the time the child would graduate from elementary, she would already be a nurse. By then, she could support the child’s college education.”

Nikki, however, is not alone. During our visit in Bansalan five years ago, my two sons – Michael and Richard – asked their uncle Joselito why there so many out-of school children in the neighborhood. My brother, a barangay captain, told my two sons that the parents of these children are too poor to send them to school. In fact, he was supporting some of them but had a hard time sustaining the support due to lack of funds.

My two sons offered to help and came up with an idea on where to get the money. “Richard and I just won’t go to McDonalds four times a year Mamma and the money we would save would be given to some children to help them go to school,” Michael volunteered. I told them that if they would do that, I would match what they would have saved. They did – and their initial donation actually started the basic literacy program of Bansalan’s KPI.

I am aware that my fellow Bansaleños have bigger plans for our hometown but they know their contribution is limited. They are willing to support any worthy community projects but they would like also to see local government officials to match what they would do. Hence, taking advantage of her recent Christmas vacation in Bansalan, Imee together with some Davao and Bansalan-based residents presented the plan to the town mayor and his council. Mayor Melchor Arches warmly welcomed the proposed initiative. Today, the renovation of the ABC Gym has become a joint project of the local government unit and the Bansaleño expats.

In the future, the Bansaleños would like to embark on more sustainable development projects in tandem with KPI. (KPI also receives support from Filipino migrant groups based in the United States, the Netherlands and Japan. Kapatiran provides non-collateral micro-credit assistance to about 800 borrowers, 90% of whom are women. With the participation of Bansaleño expats, this makes KPI an example of what hometown associations can do to develop its community of origin.)

Through regular e-mail contacts, I learned several stories about their gift-giving practices. I heard that long before the “Give Back Campaign” was launched, a few were already involved in various family and community projects. For instance, the list of donors who contributed to the renovation of our church included many names of families who have relatives overseas. Thanks to the “start-up capital” from relatives abroad, new small businesses (restaurants, photo services, bakeries, grocery stores, transports, etc) have been set up which stimulate local economic activities and create jobs in the town.

Fact: Those who are working abroad are spending their remittances for the improvement of the economic condition of their families. A case in point is the “Japayuki village,” a small enclave in Bansalan where nice and well-appointed row of houses were built from the money sent to their families by Bansaleños working in Japan. In building the houses, temporary jobs are created for local carpenters and laborers.

Another example is the Nique family – with three siblings now living in New
York – who distributes Christmas gifts (cash money, rice, canned goods, T-shirts, bicycles) every year to indigent children and parents in their barangay.

More recently, I learned that a fellow Bansaleña, who married a German, is now busy developing her small farming village. After building her own house and that of her family, she also purchased a land and subdivided it into small parcels, which she sold to homeless families in our hometown at very low price. Likewise, she opened a grocery store and a bakery in her village and hired local people.

With the aforementioned examples, it finally dawned on me that the Bansaleños are not different from the African, Latinos and Asian migrants whom I worked with. They give back because they feel they still feel they are very much part of the community. They also want to share the blessings they enjoy with those whom they left behind. Perhaps, some unconsciously give back because one day they might return. Whatever their motives are, the Bansaleños are making a difference but not without reason.

In his recollection, Edwin wrote: “So many memories and some of them pass to oblivion. But in retrospect, I didn't really regret living in Bansalan. In fact, I love it there. Like a tree which roots are firmly grounded in that old town, my travels were like branching out to reach new heights: to see more of the world. But it seems like I never left at all. I am always home.”

Daday Amor-Cintron of New Jersey summed up the sentiments of most Bansaleño expats when she wrote: “Seriously, because of the choices we made (and choices we did not make) some of us have ‘wow’ lives and some just plain ‘blah’ lives. Some of our lives are glorious, and others not so glorious. But no matter where in the world we are, we have these experiences and all of God’s graciousness to be thankful for. When I am overwhelmed with the routine drudgery of the fast lane we call life, I think of all the simple things of our past, the humble beginnings of Bansalan. It is safe there.”

Note: The Give Back Campaign is an on-going project of Bansaleños. For more information, please visit: www.bansalan.com. -- ***