Magic(al) Realism : September 2009

Bagyong Ondoy's Wreackage

10:45 AM

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Visiting M'lang, the rice granary of North Cot

7:40 PM

Going to a place for the first time could be a wondrous adventure. Much more if you are with your friends. But doing it alone is another matter. It is like being thrown to an entirely different place and with no one you know, it is uncomfortable.

But having this kind of work in an NGO, research institution for that matter is a challenge for me. As a researcher , I need to be resourceful. I need to be creative enough in my data gathering. It takes necessary skills and interpersonal skills in order for the people to be at ease with you. I need to personally investigate issues that I have to talk to and push for other sectors to support for.

You learn a lot by talking with the people- farmers, fisherfolks, the taxi driver. Talking with them social concerns like food security, poverty, hunger, corruption, you'll realized these people knows so much than you do. The talk is spontaneous. As a researcher, it is your duty to make your participants at ease for an easy sharing of information. Staying in the community is also a must. As for my research on public investment of Local Government Unit (LGU) in local rice production has just started, I choose M'lang North Cotabato as one of the research locale.

I was lucky, it's harvest time!

M'lang is one of the highest rice producing municipality together with Midsayap and Kabacan in North Cotabato. North Cotabato, on the other hand, is a consistent top ten rice producing province. I went to University of Southern Mindanao for a meeting with different networks for preparation for the World Food Day Celebration on Oct. 13. Meeting at Kabacan then data gathering at M'lang afterwards. It's idea of hitting two birds in one stone. :)

Then I went to M'lang armed with only two contact numbers of people I will be interviewing- the municipal agriculturist and the president of the irrigated rice farmers association. I planned to stay in an inn or lodge but I was surprised to learn that a small room for an overnight stay costs P300! Quite expensive lodging for a rural area, I thought. My budget is quite small. I texted my contacts and asked them if they know some place more affordable. The farmer president called me and asked me to spend the night at their house instead. Oh! I just meet him on that day. I put aside my shame and accepted the offer.

The house where I stayed. Hospitality at its best. I love my host family!

While I was waiting for my the kind farmer, the municipal agriculturist who happens to be an aunt of a sorority sis called me and offered their home too. Such hospitality overwhelmed me.

I stayed on the area for three days and I am not dislocated for it is an Ilonggo-dominated area. I speak their language which is one important factor in conducting research. I enjoyed hearing deep Ilonggo words like ayam (dog), igma (eat), kanugon (what a waste). My family host was so sweet and they treated me like their own granddaughter.

I will be coming back maybe next week and I'm glad I had this assignment.

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foodtrip

Pigging Out

11:57 AM

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musing

Spatial Relations disorientation

11:38 AM

I realized the other night that I can’t be a tour guide. I lack skills in terms of spatial orientation. Sometimes, I even have to use my hands when determining where is right. I confuse names and locations. And just last night are one of those times that I would rather hide my head in shame.

Jamir, our former intern from Kyoto University and now a friend (grins), came back for an additional data gathering for his masteral research. He went to Maragusan for three days and interviewed the people in the community. After that, he went to our office and tried to process his data when he realized his GPS software was corrupted. The crack code was missing. So while waiting for our systems administrator to download a replacement for his software, Jamir asked me to accompany him. We went to SM, stroll and have our usual talk. Then we ate dinner at Karlyn’s when his friend and a fellow also from Kyoto University was in town making his rounds on faultlines. Jeff, was from PhilVoc. Jamir asked his help regarding validating his areas and Jeff, a map master and a geology graduate is the answer. Jeff said he was staying in Emerald Inn.

Jamir asked me to accompany him at Emerald Inn. I asked him, what street was it?” “Camus Extension”. Honestly, I don’t know where it is. Even I stayed in Davao for five years now (4 years studying at the hinterlands of Mintal, and a year here at downtown working), I still don’t know some places here. Davao City is the largest city in the world in terms of land area, so please spare me the harsh judgment. Hehehe.

Then I remembered, I saw a green sign of a hotel in Uyanguren. Uyanguren is an old name of a street and just hearing Camus, I thought it’s the alternate name of Uyanguren. So I guided him to Davao’s Chinatown!

I remembered standing in front of the DCLA building and that green sign. When we got there, lo and behold! The hotel sign reads E-V-E-R-G-R-E-E-N!! Not Emerald! What a shame!

Oh well, Emerald is the same syllables with Evergreen and the I associated the color with emerald. I tried to reasoned out. We asked the bodyguard where the hell Camus Extension and Emerald Inn is. Good thing a jeepner driver knows and guided us. Then I texted some office mates asking them for confirmation of the information, which I should have done beforehand.

Well, we found the place and I met Jeff after asking so many people and after sweating profusely because of the humid weather. Other good thing is, we were able to discover a newly opened massage clinic just in between Sampaguitta Inn and Emerald Inn. A whole body Thai massage to cap the night and to lessen my shame. I promise myself, to ask longtime Davao friends first before assuming anything.