Epilogue: Journeying Through Iloilo

Written by Dr. Yeoh Seng Guan
Picture by Sarah Chong

Like the crafty wizard Gandalf (of The Lord of the Rings fame), I found myself resorting to an array of methods to spur our motley cohort of travellers ever forward and onward during their sojourn in Iloilo, a journey which in fact began several months earlier when they decided to respond to the call for participation.

Seeing things differently...

Through a combination of persuasion, coercion, and even trickery, I entreated these young gifted individuals to forsake familiar comforts and routines in order to coalesce into a team for a greater collective purpose. At an organizational level, this visibly revolved around a contemporary social media vehicle aptly called http://insearchofiloilo,blogspot.com. At an intangible and affective level, the fellowship of the blog was forged through the many battles that each of them had to encounter. 

Unlike Gandalf I do not possess the magical powers to ward off the many potent foes of the mind that confronted the student travellers this past week– the beguiling trappings of elite social privilege; the superficial grasp of issues drawn from an array of well-meaning but ill-informed family members and friends; and the stereotypical representations of the powerful mainstream media. They also had to do battle with bodily and mental fatigue borne out of the long hours of work and play deep into the night. 

These nourishing and inspiring powers came from elsewhere and from many sources: 

- the lectures and experiences shared by knowledgeable and passionate speakers 

- the interviews and interactions with the indigenous Ati community (in Jordan, Guimaras) and several urban poor communities in Iloilo City 

- the conversations with shopkeepers, jeepney drivers, sidewalk vendors, the performers of the Dinagyang Festival and many others 

*** 

To begin at the beginning, this journey would not have possible in the absence of the support of key individuals. When I first broached the idea of having a study trip in Iloilo nearly two years ago, Dr Rosalie Arcala Hall was warmly receptive, perhaps not aware of the amount of preparatory work that she had to do since. In August 2011 when I visited Iloilo for the first time to conduct a scoping mission, the dynamic duo of Rosalie and Bruce, her partner, took time off to drive me around the city to visit various churches and organisations. Their many suggestions and insights eventually formed the skeleton of this year’s study trip. 

Dr Rosalie Arcala Hall was also instrumental in paving the way for the use of the Gender Development Building and Balay Ilongo based in the city campus of the University of the Philippines, Visayas as accommodation for the student travellers. In particular, I thank Professor Diane Aure for kindly allowing the women student travellers to be the first occupants of the Gender Development Building, a historic moment that I am sure that would be proudly recast in a legendary mode by these students for years to come. Similarly, for the use of the magnificent Cinematheque to screen an inaugural selection of Malaysian independent and student short films, I thank Professor Martin Genodepa for his kind generosity. 

In the genre of an epic journey, it is usually the case that besides the wise guide/sage unlocking the travellers’ true potentialities, there are other colourful characters inhabiting this dramatic landscape. They play the varied roles of the loyal sidekick, the jester/joker and inspiring friend to the intrepid travellers. For the “In Search of Iloilo” journey, this would be Paolo Onor Javier, Peter Glen Rapiz, Lucille Ann Octavio, Zherluck Shaen Rodriguez and Noraisa Simpal. They have been exemplary guides in helping the travellers navigate the landscape of Iloilo with fun, grace and ease. 

As in previous study trips, the many “battles” in the form of quickly learning to navigate through the landscape of unfamiliarity are faithfully documented (textually and visually) in this blog. It serves as a tangible archive and cipher of their special time in a vibrant city steeped in history, belief and culture. And much more besides... 

This is your Editor-in-Chief, signing off

Written by Chrishandra Sebastiampillai
Pictures by Sarah Chong and Vince Cheong

The first thing my parents did when I stepped back into my house was to bundle me off to the hospital. I’d spent the last two days of the trip locked up in my room with a high fever and wheezing, so they weren’t taking any chances with me. What I thought would be a regular jaunt to the doctor resulting in antibiotics ended up being a return to my childhood inhalations, something I hadn’t done since primary school. Sitting in the new Emergency room of Assunta Hospital and steadily sucking in a mixture of oxygen and steroids, I was confronted with the mural that the management had put in the ‘Inhalation Corner’. It depicted an ‘Under The Sea’ theme, with a variety of sea creatures grinning manically and blowing bubbles. Alright, so the seahorse wasn’t smiling, and the octopus had more of a smirk than anything else, but the general idea was clear: just breathe.

Unsurprisingly, Guimaras will remain a fantastic memory to all of us

Almost two weeks earlier, I’d had the exact same thought while sitting on the roof of a jeepney, flying along the deserted roads of Guimaras. Here I am, I thought, with these 17 other Malaysians, literally in paradise. The sea, visible on the horizon was a gorgeous mix of green to blue jewel tones, and the breeze was whipping my hair and blowing my worries away. And we were singing “Do Re Mi” for the third time. Forget that the lack of internet means that you can’t upload all the articles you have, forget that you have a huge street festival to cover in a few days, and just breathe, I tell myself. This was after all the spirit of a text message received from Dr. Yeoh at 11 pm the previous night- “If there is no internet, there is nothing you can do. Go to sleep and get to it tomorrow”.

I Left My Heart In Iloilo City

Written by Sheril A. Bustaman

Photographs by Melissa Chia & Sarah Chong

    Like thieves in the night, the travelers had packed up to leave the University of Philippines Visayas, our home for the past ten days. We hugged our student guides, who had woken up at 4am despite not really having to do so, exchanged promises to see each other soon and to keep in touch. Despite my protesting eyelids, I kept myself awake to absorb just once again all the places we’ve been to over the past ten days. As we passed the Esplanade, Smallville, SM City Iloilo, and moved on to the road to the airport, I felt a horrid sinking feeling in my stomach, almost as if I was leaving my real home to go away.

The evolution of the young traveller

Written by Lestari Hairul
Photograph by Peter Glenn Rapiz

     The pre-dawn flight to Manila got me questioning myself about what I’d gotten myself into as our ears were assaulted by the voices of the way too spirited members of our group. I was the cranky, seasoned traveller who was rolling her eyes at the antics of the younger, less-travelled students.

    Several mistakes were made through the trip. Small, slightly unnoticeable ones that would have landed one in trouble if we weren’t in such a big group. Perhaps it was the strength in numbers that emboldened them or perhaps the absence of parental presence but whatever it was, I’d chalked it down to the wide-eyed inquisitiveness of youth just recently released into the wider world.

When tour guides become tourists

Written by Lucille Anne Octavio 

     I have lived for seventeen years in Iloilo. I have been staying in Iloilo City for almost eight months. I have traveled in Manila, Baguio, Boracay, Butuan and many local places around my area. Basically, I have stepped across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao—I have toured the Philippines. However, despite all the places I have visited, I found myself a tourist in my own land. 

    Supposedly, I am a student guide. The study trip of Monash University here in Iloilo City put me in charge of Malaysian students who knew very little about the place. For ten days, I have been a tourist myself in my own home. And yes, I really did enjoy hosting the open house. I have learned a lot about the Philippines , especially in Iloilo City. I have come to know a lot about Malaysia. I have made lots of self-realizations. I know I have grown because of this tour. 

    The unique and amazing Gamot Cogon School has existed for almost seven years already, but I just found out about it last week. Heritage houses here in Iloilo City have stood for almost a century, but I only visited them last week. I have seen the Ati people, but never visited their community- I just did it last week. I have passed by several urban poor sites, but never stepped in there- until last week. Dinagyang has been so popular internationally through the years, but I watched it live for the first time on Sunday. 

It's More Fun With The Malaysians!

Written by Noraisa Simpal
Photographs by Melissa Chia

    I remember the first time I saw them. They were all stressed out because of the 12-hour journey they had to endure to reach Iloilo City. Because of the blog, I immediately recognized them the minute they got out of the vans when they parked outside the dorm. A lot of thoughts swarmed into my mind at that exact moment. “Will they be friendly?” “Will they be disappointed?” “Will this trip be a memorable one?” “What if something goes terribly wrong?” I was really nervous. Nonetheless, we, the student guides, rushed to meet and welcome them. “Hi, I’m Helen! And you are..?” After answering this question, all my worries immediately vanished. 

Daily Diary Day 12

Written by Esther Ho and Emily Choong
Photographs by Cultural Center of the Philippines Website, Openbuildings.com, Melissa Chia and Emily Choong

Sun, Sea, Sand and Scenes 

   Today, after enjoying a good night’s rest, we travelers woke up to a splendid surprise - complimentary breakfast at Rosa’s Garden Hotel’s restaurant! On offer were the classic big American breakfast (Toast, bacon, eggs, coffee and juice); Filipino Favorite (Longanisa, corned beef, egg, rice) and Mercedes breakfast (pancakes, butter, maple syrup, fresh fruit). Feeling indulgent, most of us opted for the big American breakfast and some of us learnt that while the restaurant prided themselves in being able to do eggs any style, poached eggs was just out of their reach. 

     Alas, breakfasts on study trips are never a fine dining experience. We were hurried out of the hotel in straggling groups on foot towards the Cultural Center of the Philippines via Manila Bay. Those who were too late would take a taxi.

Session 8: Filipino Films

Written by Lestari Hairul

Photographed by Melissa Chia and Sarah Chong

    For our final scheduled session, we visited the Cultural Centre of the Philippines (CCP) for a tour, talk and short screening of Filipino independent cinema. Our host for the day was Mr Edward Cabagnot, a writer and 27 year veteran of the arts scene who will be retiring from his position as the head of the CCP film department soon.

Mr Edward Cabagnot

     We were given a tour of the building that was built during the Marcos’ reign by decree of Imelda Marcos as the premier arts and cultural institution for the elites of Manila. The CCP is a sprawling building of modernist architecture, decorated by several paintings and sculptures produced by Filipino maestros; art installations; art exhibitions and small cultural museums.

Our Last Night in Manila, Moby Style

Written by Anis Nadia Jilid

Photographs by Melissa Chia

     Ever had that feeling when you’ve finally realized how everything is about to end in less than 24 hours? How your usual routine of waking up and looking forward to new adventures with friends can abruptly end? In this case, our 12 days of the Philippines had an impermanent turn and all that was left is absorbing in what you can. 

      A spontaneous, fast-track tour had ensued after our film session at the Cultural Center. A few of us were very delighted to have been able to follow Tracey and her relatives on a spur-of-the-moment sightseeing trip around Makati, Manila.

Living In A Gendered Environment

Written by Andrea Tee

Photograph by Andrea Tee

     This year’s "In Search Of" study trip was graciously hosted by the University of the Philippines Visayas campus. 14 girls and 4 guys (including our intrepid lecturer pathfinder) and our student guides were housed in the on-campus accommodation. 

    While the male travelers and guides were put up in Balay Illongo, the university’s unisex dorm, the ladies of the trip were housed in UPV’s Gender and Development Programme (GDP) building--a gloriously pink two-storey building at the far end of the campus.

    Constructed through the Countrywide Development Fund of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago--a 1965 alumni of UPV, the GDP building was formally opened on March 7th, 2008, marking the celebration of International Women’s Month. Built as the epicentre of gender-related events on the campus, the building houses the Gender and Development Program Office, the Balay-Balay (a child-minding centre), the Usgad Regional Resource Centre, the National Women Fisheries Network of the Philippines, the Anti-Sexual Harassment Office, a Gender-based library, a Teen centre, a Women’s Gallery and Museum, a Nook for Retired Personnel, and a mini-dormitory.

The suitably pink GDP Building.

A Conversation with a Hairdresser

Written by Helen Sneha 

*Names have been changed to protect the individuals' privacy.

     Not too long into our stay in Iloilo, we discovered a salon at SM City Mall, our favorite haunt only minutes away from the UPV campus, that would shampoo and blow dry your hair for only PHP100, half the price than the same would cost in Malaysia. Naturally, after the first two visitors from our cohort had been there and passed the word around, they were visited by a couple of our travellers from Malaysia almost every other day, as we went in twos and threes to get our hair done. One hairdresser in particular would invariably strike up a conversation with the person waiting around for their friend to finish getting their hair dried. He was inordinately friendly and remembered most of our names, even though many of us had only been there once. Following a particularly long discussion with him one day, I decided to interview him and document some of his experiences and thoughts on current issues.

Daily Diary: Day Eleven

Written by Emily Choong

Photographs by Emily Choong and Dr Yeoh Seng Guan

     4 a.m. on the 29th January 2013 was a fairly emotional morning. We had no more than two hours of sleep the previous night and some of us were pretty much drained from an epic karaoke session to wrap up our stay in Iloilo. Our amazing student guides woke up at such an odd hour just to bid us farewell, which we were all very touched by. After many hugs, teary eyes and goodbyes, we immediately left for the airport as we were running late. During the ride to the airport, I was personally constantly having flashbacks of the many events which happened during those ten days which flew by so quickly.

"5J452 is now ready for boarding."

   We were still in the midst of paying our airport taxes when that announcement came in. True enough, we were nearly late due to an unexpectedly long queue entering the airport. Despite the slight delay and rush in our schedule, we took off at sunrise.

Video Diary: Day 11

Video Diary: Day 11 from ISOiloilo on Vimeo.

Manila: Editor's Note

In the place of a daily diary, our first day in Manila has been ably chronicled by three travellers in their posts describing the morning, when we arrived in Manila to the point we wandered around Quiapo, the afternoon, which we spent on a food tour of Binondo (Manila's Chinatown), and a reflection written at the end of the day. 

Session 7.1: Good Morning Manila

Written by Helen Sneha
Pictures by Jonathan Lim, Sarah Chong and Melissa Chia

2. The Big Binondo Food Wok >>

The architecture of the church is gorgeous

     We headed out into Manila on our first day feeling fresh and upbeat after a short, comfortable flight, a breakfast at Jollibee's, and a few hours of shut-eye. As we took a drive around the city, it gave us great pleasure to point out and compare jeepneys, various words, and buildings with the ones we had grown familiar with in Iloilo. We stopped by The Church of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, and spent some time inside marveling at the architecture and the grandeur. I, for one, had not been aware of what the Black Nazarene was, and learned about it for the first time in the church on that day. It is a statue of Jesus Christ that had apparently turned dark when it survived a fire on its way to the Philippines, and is believed by many to be miraculous. We also spent some time looking upward at the panels on the ceiling depicting the birth of Christ on one hand and his crucifixion on the other.

Session 7.2: The Big Binondo Food Wok

Written by Gwyneth Liew

Pictures by Sarah Chong, Gwyneth Liew and vivafilipans.tumblr.com

<< 1. First Morning in Manila                                    3. Same same but different >>

      The Big Binondo Food Wok is one of many tours offered by the Old Manila Walks tour company that provides tourists with an experience of the rich histories of Manila which include areas like Intramuros, Binondo, San Miguel, Quiapo, the Chinese Cemetery and more. Although our pathfinder, Dr. Yeoh Seng Guan had originally planned for us to go on a different tour; it was switched to the Binondo Food Wok by popular vote when the original tour became unavailable. Our tour guide for the day was Mr. Ivan, a local who is of Chinese and Filipino descent. He is also a friend of Mr. Eugene Jamerlan, our previous tour guide who brought us to the magnificent and historic mansions in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

Session 7.3: Same same but different

Same Same But Different: Close cultural proximities of the Chinese in Malaysia and the Philippines 

Written by Low Jia Wei 

Photographs by Jonathan Lim, Sarah Chong and Melissa Chia

<<  2. The Big Binondo Food Wok                             1. First Morning in Manila >>

      It never fails to amaze me how the Chinese diaspora in all parts of the world manage to maintain their unique cultural heritage amidst the assimilation and acculturation processes that usually consume minority cultures into mainstream ones. However, the Chinese culture proves to be a resilient one, bending and adopting other cultural practices into its fold, rather than breaking and becoming absorbed. Of course, I realize that China is a vast empire and as such its culture varies greatly from region to region, but for the purposes of this article, I refer to culture that originates from Fujian in China, a region from which the Chinese communities of Manila and my hometown, Penang, hail from.

A familiar sight

Daily Diary Day 10: Cultural Night and Karaoke

Written by Helen Sneha 

Pictures by Jonathan Lim 

     On the tenth and final night of our stay in Iloilo, we held our cultural night performance. Attendees included our host from the University of the Philippines Visayas, Dr Rosalie Arcala-Hall, and many other individuals to whom we owed the success of our trip. Everyone gathered in the foyer of the UPV Cinematheque (where we had had our first international film screening a few nights prior) to mingle with one another and partake of some Malaysian snacks and finger food which we had brought with us. After dinner, which we spent chatting with our guests on the one hand and conducting hushed last-minute-preparations on the other, we all headed into the cinematheque for the cultural night performances to begin.

Interview with Dr Rosalie A. Hall

Written by Low Jia Wei 

Photograph by Melissa Chia

     The success of our trip to Iloilo is in no small part thanks to several key individuals, one of whom is Dr. Rosalie A. Hall, our host and organizer in the Philippines. The energetic professor and Chair of the Division of Social Sciences at the University of Philippines Visayas (UPV) was an instrumental figure in the Philippines side of preparations for the trip. An undertaking done for the sake of friendship with our own intrepid pathfinder, Dr. Yeoh, she agreed to help with the planning and preparation of our stay here with the university which included securing permission from the Chancellor of UPV (which hit some snags along the way, with the transition of a new administration), planning our stay at the dormitories, liaising with speakers for our sessions and looking for able and competent student guides to show the way. All of which Dr. Hall has done a stellar job with, if this writer was to judge.

Iloilo Street Food

Written by Kushmin Perera

Photographs by Melissa Chia and Emily Choong

     As we embarked on our journey to the Philippines one thing all the travellers had in common was FOOD! This meant we were all eager to try anything and everything Iloilo had to offer us without any restriction and Iloilo did in fact have so much to offer. From the aromas of the many meats marinating in the streets to the juicy mangoes and buko (coconut) shake- we tried and enjoyed them all! 

     We had already heard about the very famous balut, which is an 18 day old chick/duck egg, (not for the weak stomach), a challenge we were willing to accept. On our very first day just outside the University we were able to see the many vendors selling all types of food ranging from the oh so SWEET Guimaras mangoes to chicken intestines, balut and lechon (BBQ pork) and so much more! Everything was basically at our door step.

Dancing till the sunrise

Written by Emily Choong

Photographs by Emily Choong

Background

     Iloilo Esplanade was originally an alternative route for bikers to ease the traffic during peak hours. This 1.3-kilometer long stretch, completed in August 2012, became a popular spot for locals to jog and do aerobics. It has also become a popular area for tourists to take a stroll and appreciate the view of life along the riverside. According to one of the student guides, dragon boat practices are also held at the river nearing competitions.

The morning crowd at the Esplanade

In Search of the Perfect Polvoron

Written by Maxine Lim

Photographs by Maxine Lim

     Everyone has that one special thing that ties them to a certain place. Philippines for me is Polvoron. So what exactly is Polvoron?

Polvoron 101 
     A local delicacy and popular childhood treat, Polvoron is everything that a comfort food should for someone with a sweet tooth. Polvoron (or Pulburon in Tagalog) is a powery, heavy milk shortbread and its origins in the Philippines can be traced back to the Spanish, where it is commonly found in Andalusia.

    My love affair with Polvoron started in 2007, during the Monash University study trip to Baguio and Sagada where I chanced upon Goldilocks, the famous bakeshop/restaurant there and bought my first piece of the buttery, sugary goodness. Six years on, a trip to the Philippines as an Alumni student presented a chance to rediscover this local delicacy.

   Such is life, that when you put your mind and thoughts on a particular subject, you start seeing it everywhere. Manila, Boracay and Iloilo 2013 – I was Charlie in a veritable Polvoron factory.

My quest to find Polvoron begins here.

Operation STOM: Editor's Note

To adequately cover the parade route on the Dinagyang Festival weekend, travellers broke up into four smaller teams inspired by James Bond films- Skyfall, Thunderball, Octopussy and Moonraker. Tasked with recording the festival, team members filmed, photographed and interviewed the people and the things they encountered. Some of these encounters have been reproduced in the Operation STOM articles that follow, while still more are to be used in the making of our documentary.

Operation STOM: Octopussy Dinagyang Field Report

Written by Lestari Hairul

Photographs by Lestari Hairul and Emily Choong (collage)

     The Octopussy team was assigned to cover the Dinagyang Festival on the ground over the two days we were there. We were a roving team of one videographer, Anis, impromptu photographer, Emily and a motley crew of girls and a guy excited to experience the festival (Andrea, Tracey, Gwyn, Paolo and myself).

Operation STOM: Moonraker Dinagyang Field Report

Written by Helen Sneha and Esther Ho

Photographs by Melissa Chia

*Names in this article have been changed to protect their identities.

     During days eight and nine of the In Search of Iloilo City study trip, the six-person Team Moonraker was assigned to the Capitol area of town. Having arrived there and discovered that good seats were hard to come by, we decided that it would be more productive to split into two separate groups. While Team Moon obtained a birds-eye view of the proceedings for a while (see ‘We Storm the Capitol’), Team Raker remained on the ground to sift through the crowds and speak to people. The following are some of the people we spoke to, and what they had to say about this year’s Dinagyang, its crowds, and its performances.

Operation STOM: Thunderball Dinagyang Field Report

Written by Team Leader Sheril A. Bustaman
Photographed by Sarah Chong

*Names in this article have been changed to protect minors’ identities.

     Beneath the scorching heat of the Iloilo sun, four students, a student guide and their pathfinder were struggling to find a nice spot to watch the Kasadyahan Street Dancing that was to begin in an hour. Whilst walking down the streets of Iloilo’s Chinatown, team Thunderball had an encounter with the boy who was to play the child Jesus, in the flesh.

The boy who was to play the Child Jesus in the festival.

     This little boy was getting made up by a professional make-up artist at the back of his parents’ car when our team happened to walk by. Judging by the fuss that was being made by the people around him, we decided he’d be a good subject to interview. Being Malaysian, we always think people who a fuss is being made of are important, and almost always we are never wrong.

One With The Tribe: Part 3

Written by Chrishandra Sebastiampillai

Pictures by Jonathan Lim, Sarah Chong and Melissa Chia

<< One With The Tribe: Part 2                                  One With The Tribe: Part 1>>

     Last night, we attended the last dress rehearsal of Tribu Panayanon in their school hall. We managed to speak with some of the dancers, and caught a glimpse of their preparations for today, the morning of the Dinagyang Ati-ati competition.

******

     We are up bright and early, sitting in our jeepney and heading into the heart of the city. As part of Team Moonraker, I am headed to the Capitol judging stage. Traffic is heavy, and roads on the parade route have been shut, which means that we will have to continue on foot. The way is not entirely unfamiliar, as we spent yesterday covering the same area for the Kasadyahan parade- read about our adventure in pursuit of a good vantage point for filming HERE, and the rest of our team’s encounters HERE. 

Video Diary: Day 8

We Storm the Capitol

Written by Chrishandra Sebastiampillai   

Pictures by Melissa Chia

The night before the Kasadyahan parade, we held a council of war in the Conference Room. We had to plan an all-out assault on the city of Iloilo. The mission: cover a complex and sprawling street festival as comprehensively as possible, with just four camera teams dispatched to various locations the parade would pass. We decided unanimously on a James Bond theme: we would be teams Skyfall, Thunderball, Octopussy and Moonraker conducting Operation STOM (take Iloilo City by storm).

Teams Skyfall, Thunderball, Octopussy and Moonraker. STOM. Yes, really.

And I think you’ll agree that we succeeded.

One With The Tribe: Part 2

Written by Chrishandra Sebastiampillai

Pictures by Jonathan Lim, Sarah Chong and Melissa Chia

<< One With The Tribe: Part 1                                  One With The Tribe: Part 3 >>

   On Saturday, 26th January, we were invited by Mr. Rommel Flogen to watch the last full dress rehearsal of Tribu Panayanon. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we were not able to make it in time to watch the full rehearsals, but caught the tail end of it, and managed to interview some of the student participants.

A Visit to the University of Philippines Visayas, Miagao Campus

Written by Sarah Chong

Photographs by Sarah Chong

UPV

     During our trip in the city of Iloilo, we were hosted by the wonderful students and lecturers of the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV). The University of the Philippines Visayas is a public research university in the Philippines which comprises three campuses located in Miagao, Iloilo City and Tacloban. I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the main campus in Miagao.

Churches of Iloilo: A photo essay

Words by Lestari Hairul

Photographs by Sarah Chong and Lestari Hairul

     The Philippines is home to some of the most beautiful churches in Asia and Iloilo City itself contains a high concentration of old churches. They boast amazing architecture that cross several periods and styles from Romanesque to Gothic and containing design syncretism of Spanish, Filipino, Chinese and even Muslim influences.

This photo essay highlights 4 churches that were visited in the course of a day.

Moving fast against the wind – Transportation around Manila, Boracay and Iloilo.

Written by Maxine Lim
Photographs by Maxine Lim

     When we, the Monash University alumni students, decided to coincide our holiday plans with this year’s Monash Arts study trip to Iloilo, we knew that getting around was going to be an interesting adventure. Most of us were no strangers to hard travelling – the previous study trip to Baguio and Sagada in 2007 brought to mind 6 hour bus-rides from Baguio to Sagada, winding around breath-taking and hair-raising rice terrace cliffs. Evidently, five years out in the working field blurs memories of motion-sickness and makes one nostalgic for some backpacking escapades. 

    Nine days and nine types of transportation later, this is one woman’s experience in transportation from Manila to Boracay to Iloilo.

Video Diary: Day 7

Session 6.1: Nanark Darbur - The Sikh Temple of Iloilo

Written by Kushmin Perera
Photographs by Melissa Chia

     Located in the corner of Mandurriao,Western Visayas, the Sikh temple of Iloilo -'Nanark Darbur'- is one of the very few non-Catholic/ Christian establishments in the province, and has stood for 50 years. With an incense-infused scent upon entrance, you are introduced to a completely new side of Iloilo- away from the countless churches and Dinagyang festival fever to a little touch of India. Initially, we were greeted by the devotees who were already present for their daily prayers, who instructed us to wear headscarves before entering. We were then directed towards the prayer chamber, where we all sat respectfully before the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book.

Session 6.2: A Taste of Home, Our Langar Experience in Iloilo

Written by Anis Nadia Jilid
Photographs by Melissa Chia

Granthi Amrik Singh offering us Karah Parshad

     After the conclusion of the Q&A session, all of us were offered a sweet called karah parshad by Granthi. In Sikhism, this sweet is made with equal portions of whole-wheat flour, butter and sugar. It is offered to all visitors to the Darbar Sahib (main hall of the Gurdwara) and should not be refused when given. This is because the food itself is regarded as having been blessed, and as a sign of humility and respect, visitors accept the karah parshad while sitting and their hands raised and cupped. The offering and acceptance of this food is an important part of hospitality customs in Sikhism.

The Fluvial Procession-ish

Written by Esther Ho

Photographs by Sarah Choong

So close, but no cigar. 

     The guards stopped us just as it came our turn to board the last of the 150 boats that will join the fluvial procession welcoming Santo Niño. What a pity, we thought as we watched the rest of the boats sail away to spirited drumbeats and salutary fire crackers. Maybe we should have come in suits, like Hermana and Hermano Mayor. Or maybe in costume, since several boats featured Ati tribe dancers, an entourage in Spanish getup and even beauty queens in their elaborate gowns and sparkling platform stilettos. Or maybe we should have come hours earlier instead of arriving punctually, and saved ourselves some of the wild jostling of people with Santo Niño figurines across the narrow pier hacked rough and ruined by daily port traffic. No matter, it was worth the try, and our guide Peter told us that we could simply catch up with the procession on land.

Boats heading out to the Fluvial Procession

Beauty queens preparing to board the boat

Traditional Ati Dance Performance

Written by Lestari Hairul 

Photographs by Melissa Chia 

An Ati man in full costume

     When we visited the Ati community of Guimaras Island on Tuesday, the village chief had told us of a presentation of authentic Ati culture at the Dinagyang festival when we related our experience of a ‘tribe’ rehearsal at the Freedom Grandstand. The chief was emphatic that the tribal dance competition portrayed nothing of true Ati culture and wanted us to witness what they truly have to offer in performance. Thus we were invited to watch the dance presentation on Friday.

Video Diary: Day 6

Video Diary: Day 6 from ISOiloilo on Vimeo.

Urban Poor: Editor's Note

For our journey to meet Iloilo's urban poor, we split up into three groups that would go to different sites accompanied by representatives from KADAMAY. At the end of our three separate journeys, we met up at a central point to discuss all that we had seen and experienced. The three articles that follow are the reports from the leaders of the three groups who were instructed to conduct interviews with members of the community at their respective sites.

Session 5.1: The Urban Poor of Iloilo : North Baluarte & the Sooc Project 5 Site

Written by Sheril A. Bustaman 

Photographs by Joyce Ng and Jonathan Lim

     Iloilo is a vibrant thriving city that is developing at its own pace. Hidden within the developing city however are squatter areas and project sites populated by the urban poor. On the sixth day of our journey, the travellers split into three different groups to visit the places where the urban poor lived and worked. This article is about two such areas: North Baluarte and the Sooc Project Site.

Session 5.2: The Cast outs of Iloilo City

Written by Traceline Choo

Photographs by Melissa Chia

     Jaro is one of the areas where relocation sites in Iloilo city are located. Relocation sites are places where citizens are placed when their houses are demolished for urban development purposes by the government. But, as organizations like Kadamay would agree, these citizens are not given attention by the government and most of them are facing financial problems and lack access to clean water. 

The San Isidro Jaro relocation

Session 5.3: Down in the Dumps

Written by Sarah Chong

Photographs by Sarah Chong

     As Iloilo city continues to develop into a  beautiful city, urban poor communities are caught in the middle of things-often, they are displaced and relocated by the urban planning efforts of the local authorities. With the assistance of Kadamay, our group of 10 were able to take a walk through the urban poor area of the dumpsite and slums in Calajunan, Mandurriao and Lapuz Norte, Lapuz respectively.

What lies behind the Esplanade

Written by Zherluck Shaen Rodriguez
Photographs by Vince Cheong

   Teamed up with an organization called Kadamay, the Malaysian travelers along with us student guides went to see different urban poor communities. I have never been to an urban poor community before, and so I didn’t know what I was going to experience. Led by Tracey, we were assigned to see the relocation sites. 

    As an unaware citizen of the Philippines, I was really shocked when I saw the state of the people who are relocated in the area. The local authorities have been telling us that "everything is fine", do not worry about the people who are relocated because they are in "good condition", but what I saw was the total opposite.

The people we don't see

A Possible Dream

Written by Peter Glenn Rapiz

Photographs by Vince Cheong

     Every human being has the tendency to live within a four-walled boundary keeping in mind a fairy-tale fantasy of becoming the next Bill Gates or maybe the future Mark Zuckerberg. Means, method and money have become the mirrors of the famous phrase behind the theory of evolution – survival of the fittest.

    The moment a ray of light strikes the eyes of every individual, there is no escape from the upfront revelation of a colorful yet undeniable photograph of reality. 

     The world is bombarded with issues, be it social, economic, political, etc., which tend to increase the imbalance of the system of the major stakeholders of the universe – the people. Specifically, we cannot deny the fact that the most pressing issue of today is poverty within a majority of nations.

   Poverty is the core of a pessimistic view relative to security, stability and predictability of the continuous availability of the basic needs in order to survive. But it varies among nations due to the uniqueness of cultures, backgrounds, traditions and even geography. But can it be possible to achieve a world without poverty? Idealism and positivism would say nothing is impossible but when confronted with a reality, the answer would probably be hanging in between the lines.

Daily Diary: Day 5

Written by Lestari Hairul
Photographs by Sarah Chong and Lestari Hairul

A day of churches

    The day started out pretty late today as we had no special sessions in the morning, so most had taken the opportunity to sleep in while Sarah and I got up bright and early to make the trip to the various churches of Iloilo with one of the student guides, Noraisa. This is a record of our short adventure.

Video Diary Day 5

The Wedding

Written by Esther Ho

Photographs by Melissa Chia

   A coronation of a boy and a wedding of two pageant winners meets a Mass. A trip down to San Jose Church in downtown Iloilo reveals an evening of liveliness and sanctity that reflects a lot more than one extraordinary sunset Mass.

San Jose church

Tita Luvizminda – a lady who has been weaving for 50 years

Written by Traceline Choo

Photographs by Melissa Chia

Me (right) interviewing Tita Luvizminda with the help of Zherluck as a translator.

    I was honored to interview Tita Luvizminda Jacoba, a 61 year old weaver who has been weaving for more than 50 years.  She is currently working at Lola Rutina, Iloilo.  The weaving skills that Tita acquired could be best described as a “gift” that had been passed down from generation to generation since her grandmother’s years.  She as a mother of seven has also passed down her weaving skills to all seven of her children, one of whom is Ate Jovelyn Jacoba, also a weaver who works at Lola Rutina.

All You Need To Know About Jeepneys and Jeepney Drivers

Written by Emily Choong
Photographs by Melissa Chia

 
  I had the great opportunity to interview two jeepney drivers in Iloilo during the trip. With the help of the student guides, namely Zherluck and Paolo in translating, I managed to find out a little more about this particular form of public transport as well as the background of the two drivers.

An example of a jeepney

Gamot Cogon: An Education System for all Filipinos

Written by Gwyneth Liew

Pictures by Joyce Ng & Gamot Cogon Institute
            

     With a student population of 50:50 in terms of middle income versus lower income groups, the Gamot Cogon Institution is one of the few schools in the Waldorf education system offering education to children from lower income families. Also formally known as the Steiner education system, it endorses holistic education with an innovative method that acts as an alternative to mainstream education. Although it is registered as a private school with the Philippines Department of Education, it’s run as a non-profit and non-sectarian institution. It was established in the year 2005 with a start-up number of four students in a third grade classroom. Since then, new classes up till year 10 in high school have been added to the system, with a total student population of 168 students to date.

Daily Diary: Day Four

Written by Sheril  A. Bustaman 

Pictures by Joyce Ng, Sarah Chong, Melissa Chia & Jonathan Lim 

  Today was by far the earliest start we’ve had so far- the travelers convened at 7.30am and made their way via jeepney ride to the Ortiz Pier where Joyce bought us ferry tickets to the island of Guimaras. Our chief editor Chrishandra had to register us all by name before we could board the boat. A short fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the Guimaras Roro Pier and arranged a jeepney to take us to our first destination of the day. While waiting, Dr Rosalie Hall pointed out the balik bayan goods that were being unloaded onto the pier. The travelers learnt that balik bayan (literally translated as “to return home”) were goods sent from people living overseas for their family and friends or even their own things because they are now returning back to their homeland. What is so special about the balik bayan is that it has no weight limit and has a flat rate that varies according to the country the goods are being sent from. The jeepney finally arrived, and the travelers then piled in.

Now this is where things got interesting.

Video Diary: Day 4

Video Diary: Day 4 from ISOiloilo on Vimeo.

Session 4: The Indigenous People of Jordan, Guimaras

Written and photographed by Melissa Chia

Guimaras shoreline

     Guimaras is an island located on the Western Visayas of the Philippines, framed by beautiful beaches with three-toned seawater. The Ati community of Guimaras Island was very welcoming, with their chieftain, Ms. Josephine Tahan giving us an introduction on the life and times of the Ati.

Josephine's Wish for the Ati

Written by Melissa Chia

Photographs by Melissa Chia

 As I walked into the Immaculate Heart of Mary School, I realized that I am very privileged and fortunate to have a proper and most importantly, comfortable environment for my education. The headmistress, Sister Gia, warmly welcomed us with love in the same way she welcomes her own students.

Sister Gia 

The Ati Community of Jordan, Guimaras in Pictures

Written and photographed by Jonathan Lim

 Considered as one of the earliest inhabitants of the Philippines, the Ati community has a population of about three hundred people. We spent the afternoon with them learning about their history, traditions and way of life. While I should have been in session - I played with the children, met the old folks and familiarized myself with the place.

Everything about the village was beautiful.

A Snapshot of Boracay

Written by Mindy

Photographs by Mindy

     There are certain expectations when going on beach holidays - blue skies, clear waters, and a bonus when getting tanned in the right parts.

     During the four days spent in Boracay, the White Beach had promising weather as forecasted. If my feet could taste, burying them in the fine sands was like taking mouthfuls of powdered icing.

Daily Diary: Day Three

Written by Gwyneth Liew

Photographs by Melissa Chia, tumblr.com

     Our day started with a feast kindly provided by Prof. Rosalie Hall, our host at the University of the Philippines Visayas. The feast consisted of a serving of rice cakes referred to as ibus as well as juicy mangoes, a favorite among locals. Ibus is a rice cake which is similar to the Malaysian's nasi pulut (starchy rice). During the feast, some of us learned from our female student guides that there was a special way to open the ibus from its leafy packaging. One would first have to push down the ribbon and outer layers before using a fork to slice it halfway down. It felt like a peculiar way of peeling bananas.

Video Diary: Day 3

Video Diary Day 3 from ISOiloilo on Vimeo.

Session 2.1: Visayan Culture and Practices

Written by: Joyce Ng
Photographs by: Jonathan Lim, Orthofill.com, 123rf.com

Speech given by Professor Melanie 

(Picture taken by Jonathan) 

  

     On the third day of our study trip, Professor Melanie Padilla, a lecturer in history and culture from the University of Philippines Visayas spoke about the nation’s history and culture to the travelers. Professor Padilla broke her session into two parts, one focusing mainly on the history of Iloilo, and the other focusing on the culture of Iloilo. This article will feature Iloilo’s culture.

Session 2.2: A brief history of Iloilo

Written by Emily Choong 
Photographs by Jonathan Lim

Professor Melanie 

     The 'In Search of Iloilo' team along with their respective student guides attended a lecture regarding the history and culture of Iloilo presented by Professor Melanie J. Padilla, the Director for the Centre for Visayan Studies at the University of Philippines, Visayas.

Session 3: Catholicism and Social Action

Written by Esther Ho

Photographs by Melissa Chia and Sarah Chong

     We spent the afternoon with Monsignor Oso discussing the role his parish plays in impacting the Filipino laypeople.

Monsignor Meliton Oso

     In Iloilo, the Archdiocese of Jaro is pioneering numerous efforts to better the lives of 27 million Filipinos living in poverty. Monsignor Meliton Oso, a priest for 27 years and Associate Director of the Archdiocese for 20 years, presented the nation’s problems and his five-fold project to address them. Monsignor Oso began with an overview of Christian Monsod’s critical presentation entitled “The National Situationer”. Monsod’s presentation was presented at the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP-NASSA) in 2011.

One With The Tribe: Part 1

Written by Chrishandra Sebastiampillai

Photographs by Jonathan Lim, Sarah Chong and Melissa Chia

One with the Tribe: Part 2 >>

     When I first found out that our trip to the Philippines was to see a street festival, the immediate thought I had was food, dancing and music. When I found out that the street festival was in honour of Señor Santo Niño, I found myself struggling to insert the child Jesus into the mix. As a born Catholic raised in a conservative family, attending a conservative church, I had to wonder how Jesus would go with body paint, tribal drums, war cries and San Miguel’s. This three-part story chronicles my journey from polite disbelief to absolute acceptance- in the Philippines, Jesus does come with the works.

The Freedom Grandstand Children

Written by Sheril A. Bustaman

Photographs by Melissa Chia

*Names in this article have been changed to protect identities of minors. 

     The atmosphere was loud. The humid night sky loomed above everyone present in the Freedom Grandstand. As people attempted to secure the best seats, in ran eight little boys. Skinny yet full of life, these boys ran around the grand stand, weaving their way through throngs of people and causing a kind of ruckus only young boys could cause. Out of the blue, one of these young boys decided to sit in the small space I had left vacant for a friend of mine. Petite in a NYC cap too big for his head and shades (despite it being eight o clock at night) the boy sat silently. The other boys then came up to him, tugging at his arm screaming what I assumed were invitations for him to join them, but he just shook his head, indicating he did not want to move. With the help of Aisa (one of the student guides), I decided to attempt to have a conversation with him, hence unearthing the story of the Freedom Grandstand Children.

Daily Diary: Day 2 - City Heritage Tour

Written by Chrishandra Sebastiampillai   

Pictures by Melissa Chia

     We were met by Mr. Eugene Jamerlan, who was to be our guide for the day.  He gave us a brief description of the history and geography of Iloilo, which he described as four separate towns joined together. We began where we stood, on the UPV campus grounds, which used to be the Iloilo City Hall, and was donated by the Mayor of Iloilo in the 1930s to ultimately become the city campus of UPV. The Mayor himself went on to become the Vice President of the Philippines. 

We really enjoyed ourselves

Video Diary: Day 2

Introducing Mr. Oliver Exmundo

Written by Lestari Hairul

Photograph by Vince Cheong
 
   

Chatting with Mr. Exmundo

    After the film festival was screened, we sat with the owner of the Cinematheque for a very short interview. Mr Oliver Exmundo of Cinema Exmundo (a.k.a  UPV Cinematheque) grew up in Canada and had his formal training in traditional 2D animation at Sheraton College. Having worked on the visual effects of several big name films like The Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers; Return of the King; King Kong, Avatar, John Carter and the recently completed Man of Steel, Mr Exmundo is currently back in his native Philippines for a short sabbatical. His parents’ alma mater is UPV and the Cinematheque was built as part of one of the school’s centennial year projects. The building is currently still in the process of refurbishing and according to Mr Exmundo, more film props will be placed around the gallery and lobby area (including, but not limited to a life-sized replica of a frozen Han Solo and Hannibal Lecter’s iconic prison mask from the Silence of the Lambs) to make it a film museum. As it stands now, several film posters from Hollywood’s Classic Era decorate the lobby area and they are a good representation of the type of screenings that Cinema Exmundo will be holding in the future. The UPV will also be using the facilities as part of the curriculum, with programs based around local films; independent films; student-made films and film festivals.

   When asked to comment about the Monash-UPV film festival, Mr Exmundo praised the screenings and the level of discussion that followed. He was particularly happy that the Cinematheque was filled to full capacity further commenting that the students seemed “pretty inspired by the work, you could tell”. He expressed the hope that we would visit again for future screenings and in fact, if our schedule goes well this week, we will be dropping by again for a special screening of The Wizard of Oz. Watch this space! 

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Lestari just completed her first year and is determined to make her second year even more exciting and interesting. Lestari also likes reading, writing and 'rithmetic.

Monash-UPV Film Festival

Written by Paolo Javier
Photographs by Sarah Chong

     With over 90 visitors in attendance, the Monash-UPV Film Festival paved the way as the introduction  of Filipino youth to the diverse world of filmmaking. The event opened the eyes of the youth to the intricate Malaysian independent short film community. The Monash-UPV Film Festival kicked off at the UPV Cinematheque at 5pm on the 20th of January 2013. Breaking the local's usual Sunday evening routine, the film festival had the Cinematheque filled up to its full capacity of 70 people, making it the most illustrious event in the history of the UPV Cinematheque.

We made the news!

On January 20, 2013- In Search of Iloilo made it into the front third and fourth pages of Panay News Philippines, the local newspaper. We made history, guys! 

Moslem Discount

Written by Dyah Ayu Nurina Malinda

Photographs by Dyah Ayu Nurina Malinda 

    Every time you look around d’mall at Boracay, you always find t-shirt sellers, and all kinds of souvenirs sellers that you can imagine. Don’t picture d’mall as a fancy mall in Kuala Lumpur or other major cities. D’mall is actually an area full of street vendors, food sellers and stalls.

    One thing that is quite amazing here is the courtesy of the Moslem discount. As a Moslem woman who wears the hijab, Moslem sellers immediately give me a good price- a discount price. The other good thing is I am able to make that good price even lower, with my witty smile and determined way of bargaining.

Daily Diary: Day One

Written by Helen Jambunathan 

Pictures by Emily Choong & Sarah Chong 

            Having left Monash University at 10 pm on Friday night, we travelers found ourselves arriving in Iloilo City after nearly 12 hours of being on the move. In between, some of us had managed to catch some shut-eye sleeping on three plane seats with the armrests up, but for the most part we were all bleary-eyed, having missed a night’s worth of sleep.

 The sun glinting off the plane wing.

Session 1: Philanthropy in Iloilo

Written & Photographed by Jonathan Lim

The quest of discovering Iloilo City begins with the conclusion of its first session, entitled Philanthropy in Iloilo. 

Professor Bruce Hall

      In addressing this topic, Professor Bruce Hall, lecturer of American History at the University of the Philippines Visayas, dove into the history of the Philippines and how pre-Hispanic structures were instrumental in shaping its society of today. Convenience stores that are attached to village homes, more commonly known as sari-sari in Tagalog, are a long-standing example of a structure that was a part of the community back then and one that still plays a big role now. Apart from being an important economic location that provides basic needs for the people, sari-sari stores also serve as a place of informal exchanges – benches set outside these stores allow the people to socialize and forge friendships. Sari-sari stores remain an important backbone of the grassroots economy and the Philippines culture. Professor Hall then explained the bayanihan tradition, which described any communal act of helping families within the community, such as move their homes by literally carrying houses, building barns communally and how that helped to foster solidarity within communities.

It's more fun in the Philippines!

Our student guides are back! And well, this time we'll let them do the talking...

Alumni Travellers

This year, we are proud to include Monash SASS alumni as contributors on our blog. Go check our their profiles under the 'Alumni' tab, and be sure to read their unique perspective on our study trip!

The Monash-UPV Film Festival

We are proud to present the Monash-UPV Film Festival, featuring

"Majidee"
Azharr Rudin
15 Minutes
A tale of trust between two strangers. 

"South of South"

Tan Chui Mui

10 Minutes

Chinese diasporas and how centuries of war and famine has made eating a ritual.

"Checkpoint"

Amir Muhammad

7 Minutes

The perils of cheap travelling post 9/11. 

"I AM"

Sheril A. Bustaman

30 Minutes

The search for her birth parents leads Amirah Mei Ling Muhammad Lee to finding more than she bargained for.

"Cassandra"

Lestari Hairul

10 Minutes

The dreary existence of a lonely librarian is changed forever when she meets a stranger online on ChatRoulette.

We hope to see you there!