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.