Saturday, August 12, 2006

My Sorsogon Experience

As a college student, practicum is something I am excited about and that I had been waiting for. But then, after last summer, it was finally over.
My practicum was not the typical office work or hospital internship. It was community work and research with a lot of twists.
As an adventurous person, I had greatly appreciated and enjoyed my stay in Sorsogon. I think, one of the passions that my course had implanted in my heart is the passion to travel and to go to different parts of the Philippines that we have been studying, and to appreciate the beauty of the nature that our country has.
For me, of all the practicum destinations, Manila, Isabela, Cavite and Sorsogon; Sorsogon is the best. It is worthy of all the learning and experiences I had been through. They all happened beyond my expectations and beyond what my mind could think and imagine. I had faced certain overwhelming and challenging things while I was out of my comfort zone. I was exposed to the realities of life that a particular province usually goes through. I had seen realities of life that I could say I just watched in the news, seen in movies, and read in the newspapers and books – in Sorsogon I had experienced them.
First, I had experienced how hospitable the people in Sorsogon – the Sorsoganons. One of them is Barangay Captain Neal Futalan and his wife. I appreciated how they welcomed us in their home and how they would always want to treat us food and anything they could offer. I had encountered him for only 3 times but then I and my group mates were so much affected on his tragic death. He was assassinated in a concert in their barangay which my group mates also attended. It was quite traumatic because after just few hours of being with him, actually eating with him and his family during that day’s lunch and then, he was gone. Actually, “Kap” invited us in that concert, but only my other three friends watched the concert because I wasn’t feeling well that night. For me, as what I usually say, Kap. Neal is a local Mahatma Gandhi in his own simple way. He is a leader that is peace loving and without biases. He welcomed every kind of person in his home, both the leftist and the rightist; and even the ordinary persons. Even though he was educated and intellectual; and with authority, he only dressed simple with white t-shirt and maong shorts that made him accommodating and not intimidating. Ironically, he was also killed like how Gandhi was. Sorrow surrounds their family and place because of his death but for me his death is an eye opener that shows the reality of the insurgencies in Sorsogon and in the Bicol region. His death was also quite heroic, as people also tell that he is a hero for them. Dying at his peak of service or at the peak of his life has a positive side. Well, people will remember his legacy and he will never be forgotten. The people have really good things to tell about him which is quite flattering in the after life.
Second, in relation with the frequent volcanic eruption of the Bulusan volcano, I had actually witnessed a mild volcanic eruption because the place we stayed was within the 8 km danger zone. I began to realize the importance of what we had studied in our Geology class. I also began to appreciate the importance of history. As the saying goes, “History repeats itself.” They said that we need not to worry because historically the volcano only emits ashes and those ashes falls in Juban and Casiguran, not in Irosin. They also compared Bulusan Volcano to Mayon Volcano that violently emits magma and large rocks. More to that, my photo of the Bulusan Volcano eruption was published in the May 1, 2006 Philippine Daily Inquirer issue and in another broadsheet. That time of eruption, my group mates and I were actually calm because we saw the people calm. It was as if it was something ordinary for them. They considered it a simple ash fall. But now, although I am not there in the place anymore, I am quite afraid and worried for the people I met in Sorsogon, especially now that according to news, PHIVOLCS had raised the Alert Status of Bulusan Volcano into alert level 2 which could lead to frequent ash explosions or to hazardous magmatic eruption. Even if I just met some of these Sorsoganons in our trainings, interviews, surveys and in the neighborhood where we used to stay, I cannot help but have this certain fear of what might happen to them when the Bulusan volcano continues to become violent. Since, I have communication with some of them, they informed me that they are still all right but the volcano is very different now compared last summer when our group was there. Well, maybe that’s what happens in community works, experiencing and learning to become one with the people. And now, even though I wasn’t there anymore, I still feel affected whenever I heard news about Sorsogon. Well, maybe because, I had felt their warm welcome and was treated as one of their family members.
Third, I also experienced the harshness of the typhoon Caloy – the strong winds that turned down trees and houses. I had witnessed how pitiful the Bicol region particularly Sorsogon when typhoon passed on their province considering the fact that typhoons usually passed their place before reaching Manila and other provinces because they are near the Pacific Ocean. The typhoon left ruined houses and trees and the electricity was stopped for more than a week, which I and my group mates also experienced.
The volcanic eruption, typhoon Caloy and Captain Neal’s death was quite tolerable but his death was followed by several others which happened almost everyday. This brought fear in our group that time that we already want to go back to Manila. It actually showed the reality of what happened between the NPA and military - a reality that not only happens in Sorsogon but also in most parts of the Philippines. I was also able to feel the fear that most people in that province also undergo.
It was such a wonderful feeling to surpass all these things. It was like joining the “Extra Challenge” and winning on it. Through these experiences, I felt that I had achieved something; I felt that I had gained something and it was actually overflowing.
Moreover, I and my group mates also enjoyed the local tourism in Sorsogon. We had been to San Mateo Hotspring in San Benon, Irosin, a hotspring that contains sulfur from the Bulusan volcano; to Subic Saday Island in Matnog, a virgin island with white sand and a lot of corals on the sea shore; to Bulusan Lake, a part of the Bulusan volcano and to Palogtoc Falls, the coldest point in Sorsogon. We still missed a lot like some other falls and the Butanding in Donsol. When it comes to natural resources, Sorsogon is really abundant.
Aside from learning how to conduct perception study through surveys and researches, which was actually my job on the practicum, I had learned a lot more. I had experienced many things that I would not forget in my entire life.
Irosin, Sorsogon particularly that NGO where we held our practicum has been special to our group. Our stay with them was really memorable and fruitful despite the unusual circumstances our group had been through. They treated us as “kapamilya” and shared with us their own experiences and knowledge. Our group saw their dedication and heart to serve the people and for that we salute them. They trained us not only to attain our academic purpose but most importantly to improve our inner us. Our group also saw the importance of NGO in the community and how noble job it is. I am looking forward to meeting them again and to another Sorsogon experience.


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Here's are video presentation for the practicum.. kame gumawa nyan.. pinagpuyatan.. kahit birthday ko nun gumagawa pa din kame..





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