Some Filipino Psychology

While searching on the Internet for information on the Kapwa foundation I stumbled across a website dedicated to 'Filipino psychology'. Apparently, kapwa is a core value in Filipino psychology meaning 'togetherness'. Kapwa applies both to ibang tao (other people) and hindi ibang tao ('not other people' or people-you-know). In other words, one is expected to mix or bond with all people regardless of the type of relationship you have with them. Filipinos are indeed known for their hospitality towards 'strangers'.

Another interesting concept is that of hiya. Hiya is often loosely translated as 'shame' although 'propriety' seems a more suitable equivalent. Filipino people dread being put down in public and therefore it is considered immodest to publicly criticize other people or refuse requests. Hiya means refraining from doing acts that would harm other people's sense of self-esteem. This explains why 'yes' sometimes means 'no' or 'maybe' or 'who knows'. It is this sense of hiya that often makes tourists climb up the walls when they have difficulty decoding the message. Funny how a philosophy aimed at not offending people can stir such frustration among westerners. Apparently, the pervasiveness of hiya calls for a great deal of diplomacy and foreigners have to exercise themselves in picking up more subtle hints as overt discourse is often not quite what it seems.

Another funny thing: the Dutch word amok ('amok maken', to cause a row) derives from Malaysian and refers to a specific kind of mental illness found in South-East Asia (including the Philippines). People suffering from amok suddenly go into a killing frenzy, start hallucinating and eventually faint. Afterwards, they are incapable of remembering what happened during their frenzy. We might be tempted to call this a hangover, though I am quite sure it is not exactly the same thing :)

Cebuano anyone?

Tan-awa ra! Iho! (Look out! A shark!)

With these few words I will be able to save an unsuspecting Filipino from a certain death in the jaws of a vicious shark :) Don't you just love introductory guides to a new language? They presume people carry them around and start looking up the appropriate phrases while being held at gunpoint. One of the requirements for my work in the Philippines is that I learn a local language, 'Cebuano', and I must say that is no easy task. Apart from a few words that have clear Spanish or English roots ('tsikin' means 'chicken'), Cebuano is nothing like your average European language. Fortunately an intensive Cebuano course takes place shortly after my arrival in the Philippines. I bought a handbook of Cebuano on Amazon just to get an idea of what I can expect. Just to give you an idea of what Cebuano sentences look like: "Ang akong pinaka-maayong amigo ikaw" means "you are my best friend", but the literal translation is "the my most good friend you". Makes sense, no? By the way, if anyone asks you "kumusta ka?" ("how are you?"), the most appropriate reply would be "gwapo pa" ("handsome as always"). Back to my books!

Kapwa and Mount Apo National Park

Just to give you an idea of where I'll be working and what I'll be doing in the Philippines, a brief introduction to the Kapwa Upliftment Foundation. Kapwa's main concern is the improvement of the quality of life of indigenous groups and migrants who live from small-scale farming inside the Mount Apo National Park. Mount Apo is a stratovolcano - whatever that may be - but the date of its most recent eruption is unknown and unrecorded in history (I sincerely hope that I won't be witnessing its re-awakening, spectacular though that may be). Mount Apo is also the ancestral domain of the Bagobo Tabagawa, an indigenous group that holds an official title to this domain. Unfortunately, the indigenous people and migrant communities are becoming increasingly marginalized due to corporate activities, energy projects and - you'll never guess - tourism.

Kapwa wants to empower the communities by introducing agroforestry to enhance sustainability and biodiversity and to counter soil erosion due to deforestation. Kapwa also tries to emancipate the communities to defend their rights vis-á-vis local and national governments and voice their needs in government planning for the region.

My job description is still somewhat vague, though my main task is to document Kapwa's interventions in the region and publish on the projects. I will also have to document destructive projects of international investors in order to allow the people to make a case against soil degradation, social marginalisation and pollution. Although the Filipino government officially recognizes indigenous land titles, the reality shows an easy-access policy to these lands for mining and detrimental single-crop agriculture.

One flew East, one flew West...

... and one flew over the cuckoo's nest. Destination? Mindanao, the second largest island of the Philippines. The Philippines consist of some 7000 islands (7.107 to be precise), most of which too small to even be located on maps. Being the biggest island but one, Mindanao holds the largest city in the Philippines as far as land area is concerned, Davao City, and that's where I am heading towards. Kapwa Upliftment Foundation has its head quarters in the city centre, but as their main activity lies in agricultural development, I will be spending most of my time in rural areas near Mount Apo, the highest peak in the Philippines. Due to political unrest, Mindanao earned itself an unfavourable reputation as a hotbed of rebellion and opposition to president Arroyo's rule in Manila. Being the furthest removed from the leading island Luzon, Mindanao has always been somewhat seperate territory. It even features an autonomous Muslim region and harbours considerable communities of Japanese and Chinese migrants. It makes Mindanao a culturally diverse, but also conflictuous part of the Philippines. On the bright side, the island holds a fair share of the Philippines' natural resources and has great potential for economic development. Unfortunately, due to far-reaching liberalisation measures from the central government, the region is heavily exploited by foreign investors and international entrepeneurs who are little concerned with the ecological impact of their activities.

Long Way Home

Life is what happens when words fail. Everyone has stories to tell, things to share, moments to cherish. Yet true experiences are never to be found in books or diaries. They linger in the minds and hearts of people. I must admit I am no big fan of internetblogs. They always seem to be struggling with their own existence (as do the people that write them, I suppose). But as it is impossible to talk to all the people you know at once, blogs are just the next best thing.

This may seem like a gloomy introduction to a new blog, but I just needed to get that out :) Anyway, this blog will be my personal attempt to record - as best I can - some of my experiences while working as a volunteer in the Philippines. From May onwards I will be staying in and around Davao City to work for a local organisation called 'Kapwa Upliftment Foundation'. Kapwa is concerned with supporting, building and sustainaing capacities - this is NGO language, sorry for that - for farmers who own plots of land on the slopes of Mount Apo, a volcano overlooking Davao City. Kapwa has a partnership relation with Broederlijk Delen, a Belgian NGO.

This will be only my second experience in development work. My previous experience in South Africa left me with a mind full of questions, experiences and unfinished sympathies. Sometimes, questions are best answered by posing new ones. When I tell people I will be working for Broederlijk Delen in the Philippines, they are usually quite excited about it. When I tell them it'll be voluntary work, eyebrows are frowned and eyes turn worried: "voluntary work? Again?". I could make ringing statements here about commitment and self-sacrifice, but the truth is I feel there is so much to be learned and so much to discover that I am willing to make the jump.

As you may have noticed, I chose not to continue the blog I started for South Africa. As I never intended to record my every move in life, I think it's a good idea to dedicate this blog to one specific experience. In following posts I will try to tell you more about the work I'll be doing and the country I'll be staying in. Of course I hope this blog will find a few readers and that you will be one of them :)

Oh, before I forget, the title of this entry is taken from a song by Tom Waits. The chorus struck me because it sounded so familiar: "I love you, pretty baby, but I always take the long way home". Those who wonder why I am leaving for a far-away place again, try not to look at it as 'leaving', but simply as taking a long way home...