It's the End!

April 25, 2010

(no internet to post until now)

In the last stretch of my time here in the Philippines – a couple days left to finish everything I want to do, and then home again.  The rest of the training in Cagayan de Oro went well.  I interviewed teachers and heard again and again how the schools lack resources, teachers use their own money to buy supplies, children miss school again and again because they have no funds for transportation.  Below is the story of one teacher who has his five students living in his home, since otherwise they wouldn’t be able to attend school.  Talk about dedication! 

Following the training courses, I stayed with the LINK staff for their annual R&R – this time white water rafting and a couple nights on Camiguin Island. Rafting was a blast despite the mid-day heat and slow moving water.  Still gorgeous and fun to witness the daily life happening along the river banks – so many women washing clothes and laying them out on the rocks to dry, and children swimming nude or in their everyday clothes, enjoying the cool water.  On Camiguin, a small island with seven active volcanoes, we visited gorgeous hot springs, a number of cold springs, and ruins from the last eruption, including a sunken cemetery.  While the island’s beaches were full of black sand, just off shore was White Island, a pristine white sandbar surrounded by crystal blue water.  It was wonderful and beautiful at 6am, before the sun had a chance to pull out its full force.   It was interesting traveling with eight Filipinos – so many cultural differences!  First off, I don’t think I can watch another picture being taken!  Or pose, for that matter.  Wherever we’d be, at least 75% of the time was taken up behind cameras.  By almost everyone!  The resort we stayed at was also full of Filipinos – the foreigners, they told me, go to the other one (where I would have goneJ with the native huts, beach and peace and quite. Instead we had cement houses with TVs, a pool, and kereoke).  Ah well, it was still wonderful with plenty of hammocks and gorgeous views.  And lots of new experiences helping me to see my own culture in a different wayJ

Interview with one teacher (name changed) in Mindanao

John is not only a teacher of hearing impaired (HI) students, but he is deaf himself.  And not only does John teach five HI children each day, but he gives these students a place to live and eat, in his own home.  Since 2000, John has been in search of HI students throughout his island.  When he learns of a child, whether through word of mouth or talking with other teachers, John starts out on his motorbike in search of the child.  He then uses gestures to communicate with the child’s family, since many of the families are illiterate themselves.  Through his gestures, John requests to take the child to his home, where he will be given a place to live, and he will be provided with food and an education.  All of this: out of John’s own pocket. 

When John successfully brings a child into school, the first step is to teach basic language, at the preschool level.  Luckily for the students, they have a deaf adult role model, an indispensible resource and language model that many students never get the chance to tap.  During the school day, all five students are in the classroom with John.  His students, by grade level, include:  Preschool – one boy (age 7); Grade 2 – one boy (age 21); Grade 3 – one boy (age 30), one girl (age 22); and Grade 4 – one boy (age 13), one girl (age 17).  According to John, English, Science and Math are relatively easy subjects for the students, yet Filipino is difficult, particularly with their confusion between Tagalog and Visayan. 

John has been teaching for 10 years, but he only has a provisional license to teach.  He graduated from college and has taken the licensing test 10 times, yet he has been unable to pass because of the level of difficulty.  However, he maintains his position because he is needed, and because he has connections within the division. 

In terms of needs, John emphasizes his need for funds to help feed the students, books and materials for use in school, and money for transportation. While at one time he had eight students, John now houses five students, a considerable number of additional mouths to feed.  Additionally, he would like to continue his training in sign language and communication; John is very interested in using Signing Exact English (SEE) in the classroom.  He now uses a mixture of American Sign Language and Filipino Sign Language that he learned while in school at Cebu University.

And some photos...

Teacher Training in Mindanao

Ready to go!  Unloading from the jeepney for our rafting trip

Down the Cagayan River

The LINK Center group on White Island, overlooking Camiguin Island 

Camiguin Island - view from our room

Hot springs!

April 30, 2010

After 26 hours of travel, I’m home!  Luckily not all 26 hours were spent on a plane, as I got all Thursday morning to wander the streets of Seoul.  What a clean and pristine city – although that could just be in comparison to Manila!  But already, it made me miss the crazy streets in Manila, with so much going on.  Busses and jeepneys speeding down the streets before abruptly stopping to pick up or drop off passengers, piles of fruit and vegetables wheeled around on carts (fresh mangos!), and taho man calling out to sell that  delicious morning treat, and friendly people ready to offer a smile and hello every step of the way.  And the more I learned of how to get around, the more fun it all became!  It was pretty exciting to be able to navigate through the city on my own, using any number of busses, jeeps and light rail trains.  With the occasional, needed taxi:)

During my last week, I met up with a friend of a friend, a foreigner, working in a bank in Manila for the year.  We ate in Serendra, an upscale restaurant/shopping/condo area very popular with expats.  What a different existence he has there! It made me feel very lucky to have the experience I did - I don't think I even saw another Westerner my first month there - I stayed mainly near my home in Commonwealth and was so involved in all the school activities, there no chance for anything else.  In Serendra, aside from a couple jeepneys that go though, there's no public transportation, which is just mind-boggling for me after seeing the millions of options in every other part of Manila.  No local eateries or shops or anything...just so different.  It felt so sterile visiting, and living there, too, he agreed.

It's nice to be home, but I do look forward to my next visit back to the Philippines:)