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.

 A few of the travelers decided they wanted to attempt sitting on the roof of the jeepney like the locals sometimes do, and that became the modus operandi for as many as ten travelers throughout the day during every jeepney trip.

“Call a parent from the roof of a Jeepney, check!”

  We arrived at our first destination which was the Immaculate Heart of Mary School and were introduced to Sister Gia by fellow traveler Kushmin. Sister Gia talked about the school’s background, its establishment, the problems they faced and the current status quo of the school. She mentioned that the school did not charge a tuition fee and only charged a miscellaneous fee of PHP 600 which is primarily for the Parent-Teacher Association. Sister Gia also mentioned that the alumni of the school have gone on to pursue and graduate from many courses such as nursing and teaching. The school is being subsidized by the government, but this amount is not enough to sustain the school, and so they have had to look for sponsors outside. Many of the students live in the vicinity of the school and walk to school. About 20 percent of the school children are from the Ati tribe. These children sometimes get bullied on their journey to and from school due to their differences, particularly in appearances. Sister Gia reports that some of the new Ati tribe generation don't even know they belong to the tribe because they don’t speak the tribe language or engage in tribe customs. Sister Gia then showed us around the school. At every classroom we stopped at, the students got up and greeted us with “Good Morning and Welcome Visitors to Grade (insert grade here)!” in the most enthusiastic manner. She then showed us the library where we gave her a token of our appreciation before departing from the school.

Thank you for having us in your beautiful school, Sister!

  The travelers then took the jeepney down to Raymen Beach Resort which is owned by the aunt of Peter, our student guide. She was hospitable enough to give us an hour and a half on her beach resort for free, and we took full advantage of it. Whilst some of us went for a dip, others chose to practice yoga on the beach.

I am one with the beach.

  At 12.30pm the travelers packed up and moved to the lobby of the resort to await our jeepney. However, the jeepney did not arrive and soon we found ourselves wandering outside the compound of the beach resort. We then found something fantastic to pass the time – Filipino karaoke!

“WE MUST SHOUT INTO THE MIC TO GET 100 POINTS!”

  Others who were not so keen on karaoke just hung out outside at a local convenience stall next to the karaoke shack. The stall carried many everyday items such as cigarettes in a bottle and had a fridge filled with cold drinks such as Coca Cola and the very locally common San Miguel beer. As fellow traveler Chrish scanned the stall to pass the time, she uncovered a very contemporarily dressed baby Jesus.

Oh Mickey you’re so fine, may Jesus be with you always.

  When the jeepney finally arrived an hour later, it took us to the Ati tribe’s settlement. The session kicked off with an introduction by our very own student guide Noraisa, followed by a prayer and welcoming address. Then finally the speaker for the session, Manang Josephine, gave her talk on the Ati tribe. She talked about the physical appearances of the tribe members, the attributes that make them unique and their way of life. She then opened the floor for questions and many of our travelers gained valuable insight from her. Following that, the Ati tribe members thoughtfully provided us with snacks consisting of fresh bananas, ciku, yam and a special local delicacy.

Hospitality at its best

 After we left the tribe settlement, we returned to the main island by ferry and made our way back to the UPV dormitories. It was a very long day, but it was filled with incredible experiences, impromptu mini-adventures and a lot of lessons learnt. A day well spent by the Iloilo travelers, and we hope to have more days like these.

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As Sheril begins her second year in Communications & Int Studies at Monash, she will also strive to curb her constant appetite for food and focus more on her appetite for life.