Trisha Sevilla, Island of Palawan, Philippines
Current Entries
Marine Camp
Monday May 12, 2008
Danjugan Island is a marine and wildlife reserve that is situated in the Sulu Sea approximately 3km from the Negros Occidental island. Three hours of driving from Bacolod City took us to Barangay Bulata, Cauayan from where we rode a pump boat to the 43 hectare island. The island is composed of limestone hills covered in tropical forests, five lagoons, mangroves, and beautiful beaches all surrounded by luscious coral reefs. The sub-tropical rain forests are important nesting and feeding sites for many species of birds. There are many small limestone caves dotting the island that are homes to at least six species of bats. With so much diversity, and the island being well managed in terms of sustainable development, it is easy to see how a Marine Camp for kids could be an extremely inspiring experience. The camp lasts for five days and four nights. The 29 campers were between the ages of 13 and 16 and in for the time of their lives.  | Welcome to Danjugan Island. |
With so much diversity, and the island being well managed in terms of sustainable development, it is easy to see how a Marine Camp for kids could be an extremely inspiring experience. The camp lasts for five days and four nights. The 29 campers were between the ages of 13 and 16 and in for the time of their lives.  | The view of the ocean from camp. |
My uncle was staying on the mainland for the night so my distant cousin and I along with a whale-shark specialist were sent on our way to spend two nights on what felt like an island overlooked by society. There were no inhabitants, human inhabitants that is, other than those affiliated with the camp or research managed by the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation Inc. (PRRCFI). A rather interesting scene awaited us as we approached Typhoon Beach i.e. base camp. We were well-received by the campers and staff members running towards the boat screaming hello’s and welcome’s. What was so interesting were the apparent costumes that the staff were wearing. Guys were running around in frilly yellow dresses, girls in suits. It was a great ice breaker to say the least. We were quickly brought up to date as to what the kids had been up to for the last two days and what was planned for the remaining three.  | Base Camp at Typhoon Beach. |
To list a few of the activities; they had gone bird watching, snorkeling, received lectures about tidal flats, mangroves, and even experienced catching bats with a bat expert. Before our arrival, they had just finished holding an auction whose underlying message was about the global climate change.
Things to be bought started out unnecessary, however desirable so many campers finished off all their money buying things like nice cars, private planes and air conditioners. By the time that practical, although exaggerated things were offered many were broke and disappointed since they missed out on life time supplies of water, sun block with SPF 350, and carbon credits. These were the things laden with the message that would lead into the following lecture about global warming and its inevitable catastrophic effects if the way that we live on this planet does not change. Being able to laugh and point fingers at their new found friends that bought the things like planes, cars and air conditioners, they identified the major culprits of the climate change. Being on a tiny island at that moment and all of them living in a country composed of over 7000 islands, they were also able to identify those that would suffer the consequences of the climate changing first – themselves being among them. At a young age, these kids were endowed with a sense of responsibility that many adults all over the world are either too ignorant or too indifferent to bear themselves. It was understood that all of us there were guilty of contributing to the global climate change and that all of us would have to face the consequences as well.  | A baby black-napped Oriole had fallen out of the tree since it had rained so much. Luckily the bird expert was able to rescue it. |
Obviously then, changing our relationship with the Earth is not simply for the good of the environment, it’s for the good of mankind.
I spent the rest of the day playing games with the campers that had ecological twists to them, eating and getting to know the other staff members, many of which were active conservationists, scientists, or volunteers just like me. In one of the games, the campers had to ‘paint a picture’ using themselves and props for scenes such as Little Mermaid and polluted waters, Lion King and poachers and Pocahontas and reforestration. As one of the judges, choosing between such creative and enthusiastic groups of kids proved to be very difficult.
That night I slept outside on a bed within the safety of a mosquito net. I was put to sleep by the rain pattering on the roof - my lullaby. My alarm clock in the morning was the melody of hundreds of birds singing while they began a fresh new day. It was the last real day of camp since the next morning we were leaving for Bacolod City after breakfast.  | The cast of Lion King being hunted by poachers. |
In the morning the kids had a lecture about whale sharks. These majestic animals did not find it difficult to capture the attention of 29 hyper kids. Hearing about them from a scientist that had lots of experience swimming with them and studying them gave the information just that much more validity and a huge wow-factor.  | Little Mermaid in polluted oceans. |
With some free time, a bunch of the staff and I went snorkeling in front of the camp. Hard coral covered the sea floor with hundreds of fish using them as their homes. There was a striking Pacific blue starfish that caught my attention due to its vibrant color and uniqueness.  | Whale shark lecture. |
A large area of the reef had been destroyed because of a typhoon several years back so I was informed that I was not even seeing Danjugan’s reefs at the height of their glory. All the same, it was absolutely beautiful. Later, a Russian scientist gave a lecture about coastal resource management – the challenges, the successes and most importantly the necessity of it being done properly. He talked about different endangered species and a variety of programs that have been implemented around the country. All was to have the kids understand that it’s not the wildlife or marine life itself that needs ‘managing’. It is us and our actions that need to be managed so that those terrestrial and marine ecosystems can function as they were well-able to do so before our presence disturbed the natural balance of things.
 | Turtle Beach. |
The expert was a man from the Czech Republic that had a degree in electrical engineering but who was now a self taught biologist working for the Negros Forest and Ecological Foundation Inc. (NFEFI). He had a passion for birds that was apparent in his knowledge of them. Every call, every sighting he was able to not only able to tell you the common name of the species, but the scientific name as well. In the same way I’d like my ideas and my perspectives to be contagious, his enthusiasm and love for the avifauna was creeping into me and I found myself astounded by the birds’ brilliant coloration and grace. The Amazing Race was a combination of mental and physical tasks. The campers were arranged into three groups that would compete against each other. Seven stations that challenged the campers included a bird call identification station, fish identification station, egg hunt at Turtle Beach, and a treasure hunt through mangroves with a quiz being the treasure. The camper’s competitive spirits flared and they ran as hard as they could, and swam as fast as they could. The final station was a kayak race back to Typhoon Beach. With their energy waning, the kayakers needed the non-stop encouragement from their teammates that were running back to camp on foot. After the race, the kids were more than thankful for some free time to chill out on the beach and prepare for the talent show that was to be held later that evening.
After an extremely entertaining talent show full of songs, comedy acts and a staff production reenacting the discovery of the Philippines, the campers stayed up all night savoring the last hours  | A comedy act at the talent show. |
that they will be able to spend together. Watching them all interact, I could see that many of them had made a strong connection. They told me about how uncomfortable and awkward they all were at the beginning of the camp and that now they were leaving as really good friends. It always seems that facing new and challenging situations with strangers and of course the | The staff’s interesting performance. |
The next morning concluded the camp. The last activity the campers had to perform were their pledges to Mother Earth. Around the circle, one by one they spoke about what they learnt and what they are going to do differently upon arrival at home. It was truly a lovely scene. A scene that offered a glimmer of hope in this deteriorating world that is often full of  | Pledges to Mother Earth. |
destruction and mayhem. Young people set forth on a mission to not only change the way they lived but to convince others to change as well. They would leave that camp with impressive stories to tell and a more important message for humanity nested within those stories that can capture the attention of people of all ages.  | Marine Camp 2008. |
A social revolution can only happens if we; a society as a whole believes that it can happen. It begins with ideas and can start in the hearts of young people – something that I witnessed at this camp. Perhaps if more of our youth can be given the chance to truly experience the natural world, to feel a sense of belongingness to the environment, the necessary change can happen in time. And so I left Danjugan Island with a huge sigh of relief and a new found hope that things can and will get better.
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Discovering My Roots
Thursday May 08, 2008
The 20 hours that it took me to travel here was equally matched by the distance in a cultural sense that I felt immediately after getting off the plane. This summer – one that will surely change my life – will be spent in the Philippine Islands. This is the country where I was born. This is the country where I can uncover my roots so that as I grow into a fully functioning adult in society, I may truly understand where it is that I came from and thus implications as to why I was raised the way I was.  | Bacolod City: ‘tricycles’ and ‘tricicads’ are a popular mode of the transportation in the country. |
A proper understanding of the foundation on which one’s character is built upon is of the utmost importance and the opportunity to do so has come forth with perfect timing for my life. The key word for this adventure I am beginning is perspective. I am here to gain and share different perspectives - to change not only my own but perhaps the perspectives of others as well.
The beginning of the longest time I will have spent away from home has been made easier by the extensive amount of family that I have here in the Philippines. Filipino hospitality is one of the best and I have been treated better than I am accustomed to, in fact far better than I need to be. I arrived in Bacolod City less than a week ago and already have had an amazing time. I must spend the first few weeks here in the Philippines visiting my family that I haven’t seen in TWELVE years. With no set plans and nobody’s schedule to follow but my own I am like a tumble weed going anywhere the wind blows.  | A small portion of my family here in Bacolod City. |
So, before I get down to business with volunteer work – it’s time to play. The first night that I arrived there was a party at my tita’s (aunt’s) house and I was reunited with aunts, uncles, and cousins I had missed dearly and also introduced to several members of my family that had been born since I had been here last. I spent the first few days catching up with my relatives and going on outings to see the surrounding area. Bacolod City has been reported as one of the best places to live in the Philippines since it is surrounded by very accessible natural beauties.
The first place we visited was Guintubdan Falls where I swam under waterfalls and slidi down rocks made smooth by the water flow.  | The first of many waterfalls on the slopes of Mount Kanlaon |  | Slippery Trails |
It was peculiar to hear an uncle of mine speak of this place as if he were tired of seeing it since he had visited Guintubdan the weekend before and had to take yet another visitor there the next weekend as well. I, on the other hand, had never in my life seen anyplace nor done anything so awesome.
Something that continues to make me giggle are the assumptions that are made about me because I am from North America. I was good-heartedly treated like I was high maintenance and fragile with much of my family being very protective while we were ambling about the slippery slopes and waterfalls.
While it was true that trekking through the bush, up and down difficult terrain in the rain was not exactly something that I did regularly, I hope that I proved to them that I was hardly the city-slicker, scared-of-getting-dirty type of girl.  | Sliding down waterfalls |
Instead, I enjoyed the feeling of the mud between my toes, I loved the ambiance the rain and fog gave the place and I did not mind in the least the lack of air conditioning. All my relatives, young and old were eager to show me things so often I heard people shouting my name with cool insects in their hands or a beautiful flower in sight.  | Posing with very interesting looking flowers called ‘angel’s trumpets’ |
I much appreciated them sharing these things with me and they appreciated the excitement that overcame me as a result of things that seemed so simple and so regular to them. I could sense the pride that they had in their home country.
Bacolod City is the home of most of my mother’s side of the family. The Lizares family has had a lot of history in the Negros Occidental province with many of my ancestors being involved in politics and owning plenty of land. A must-see was the ancestral house in Talisay, a neighboring town of Bacolod City. Known as Ang Balay ni Tana Dicang, it is one of the oldest ancestral houses in the area and perhaps the best preserved.It was built in the 1880’s and inhabited by my great-great-great-great grandparents. Having seen and survived history such as the invasion of the Japanese in World War II I could feel the history as soon as I walked inside. With much of the original furniture still in place, it was a trip into the past very different from any other museum visit. | The Reception Room with much of its original furniture. |
It was MY ancestors that lived here. It filled me with a sense of awe and pride. There was a genealogy book of the Lizares family sitting on a table in the house and once my aunt told me that my name was already in it I proceeded to flip through the pages and indeed found the names of all my aunts and uncles, my first cousins and so on. It was really exiting to feel a part of a family that was so important to the history of the region.
While flipping through the pages of this book I caught a glimpse of a familiar name. It was the name of a friend of a friend that I had been in contact with even before I left Canada. The NGO is called the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation Inc. and I had plans of joining a Marine Camp that they hold every summer for youth ages 12 to 16. The camp is held at Danjugan Island – an island owned by the NGO that is a microcosm of sustainable development.  | My name in the Lizares genealogy book. |
Unfortunately, the camp was starting a mere 4 days after I arrived in the Philippines and I had not heard back from him since I left home. I assumed after the camp had started that the opportunity was lost but was not overly upset since I was enjoying my time with my family.
When I saw his name in the genealogy book, I wondered out loud if this could possibly be the same man I had been in contact with and sure enough my aunt knew him and began to make phone calls. Within half an hour, we finished the tour and proceeded to meet him in person! My aunt being a very assertive woman positioned us on the route that they must take to go to a board meeting that was beginning shortly. Trading on our status as relatives I was able to find a ride with another newly found uncle of my mine to the Marine Camp the next morning even though I’d be arriving late. I am now able to participate in the camp as a member of staff and more importantly an observer of how good experiences and positive influence can affect people when you get them while their still young and extremely impressionable. Was this fate? Who knows? Am I simply lucky? Definitely.
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