Adjacent Leyte: The 2017 Bohol Update:

 This entry is mainly for public service purposes because relevant information was scarce when I researched my travel from Leyte to Bohol Island here in the Philippines. Here’s hoping this will be helpful to anyone traveling from Leyte who desires to venture to this all-encompassing island named Bohol.

Panglao Area
 

 First off, for those traveling with a vehicle, as of February 2017, there remains only 1 cargo ferry which traverses Leyte to Bohol and vice versa and that is provided by the Medallion Shipping Lines in the port of Bato, Leyte.  Departure is scheduled for 0900 but we didn’t get to leave until 1300 hrs. There are pump boats in Hilongos and Bato which sail up to 3 trips in one day if one is traveling without a vehicle. Single motorcycles can also be accommodated in the pump boats (believe it or not) but not 4-wheeled vehicles for obvious reasons. 

Bato's Plaza near the port.
 

For those who do not know, Bato is in the southwestern side of Leyte, right after the town of Hilongos and before Maasin. It is a small rural town and the port is it’s center, if you need to stay for a brief period here while on a budget, check out Three J’s Hotel for a little over P1400/night in Hilongos, it is clean (in a general sense) and is reasonable for an over-nighter. For splashier accommodations, the Citi Hotel which is foreign-owned and has a Shell petrol station in front of it, has better beds, sheets, is also very clean and has a restaurant on the first floor which features an international menu. If one does not wish to be bothered with the rigamarole of all that, simply schedule to arrive at 0700 at the Bato port because the Medallion office/window opens at this time.

The Ferry Ride: if traveling with a vehicle, it is imperative one makes a reservation the day prior to the departure as the ferry might already be at it’s maximum weight and there will be no guarantee one will make the trip. The cell phone number is: 0932 151 7908 and they will ask for info of your plates and make and model of your auto. Motorcycles cost P1,300.00 and  4-wheeled vehicles cost P2,400.00. Fare for a single person is around P240.00, this does not include the terminal fee of P15.00. On the whole, we paid P2,748.00 for a 4-wheeled vehicle and 2 travelers. As previously mentioned, the ferry was scheduled to leave at 0900 but did not do so until 1300. Travel time is 2 - 3 hours from the port of Bato to the port of Ubay, Bohol.


BOHOL:

The port of Ubay in Bohol (if one surveys the map) is at the opposite end of the swanky Panglao Beach and Tagbilaran City but be not dismayed; since the whole island is only roughly half the size of Leyte, the trip from Ubay to the other end of Panglao will only take 2 hours and 15 minutes. 

PANGLAO:
For all intents and purposes the tourist hive of Panglao specifically Alona is foreign and barely resembles the Philippines. Think an intimate beach village like the ones in Sarasota and the Keys but with an Asian flare. By "foreign" I mean this: the sari-sari stores, multicab transportation, sikad-sikad bicycles with sidecars, mounds of rubbish on the side roads, pot holes on the streets and shanty town clusters have all been done away with. There are only private vehicles, Vespa-type scooters for rent, convenient stores at every quarter of a kilometer and honest to goodness international gourmet restaurants. On a side note I did see single motorcycles which appear to transport people all over Panglao but they are unmarked. Big buses and jeepneys do exist but not around the tourist beltways. 

Information to directions. 

The beaches in Panglao except for the one open to the public located way out of the Alona area are governed by the resort hotels and can best be accessed if one is a part of their clientele. The roads on the nooks where the resorts are webbed through are not paved and perhaps they keep it this way on purpose to discourage the general public from readily venturing on these areas. I had a better beach experience in Anda as it was more intimate, relaxing and the sands are more sugar-y.

Cost for resorts range from: P3,000.00 to the upper P10 thousands OR $60 - $200 and up. 

Beach

 Average cost for restaurants in the Alona area range: P150’s - P800’s and up or $3’s - $16’s and up.
 

 Entrance to Luna Rossa, the village's most excellent vegetarian joint.

Pizza at Noah's

THE LOBOC RIVER CRUISE: 
Cost: P450.00 or $9.00, buffet meal included: 
This river cruise is straight forward but the route I believe has been shortened from when I was here last. Locals have informed us that the night river cruises are waning if not nil after the big earthquake in 2013. Located in the municipality of Carmen and closer to Bohol’s main city of Tagbiliran, the Loboc River cruise takes about 1 mile with bends and nature scenes through the boat ride. The cruise includes a nice lunch buffet meal and live lounge-y music in a makeshift catamaran. The river is pristine, a very far cry from any of ours in Leyte especially in the Eastern areas. There is only one station of performers left for the cruisers to watch, unlike before. Performances in said stop display Bohol’s hospitality and their sweet spirit. 
 

Loboc River

 

CHOCOLATE HILLS: Cost: P50.00 or $1. :
A majestic and mysterious creation of over 1700 mounds/hills spread all over a land area of 50 square km, the Chocolate Hills of Bohol is a sight to behold from where one will stand to view it and way far as the eyes can see. The grass of the hills are draped with greenish and brownish color and the mounds have that manicured-looking round shapes. One may view the hills at the highest peak at the Sagbayan Observation area.
 

Bohol's iconic Chocolate Hills. 

HABITAT CONSERVATION CENTER: Cost P45.00 or 90 cents:
For Lepidoptera and flora lovers, come visit this one. This butterfly garden houses many of the butterfly and moth species of the region. My sightings included eight beautiful kinds up close and personal. The center has hatcheries, breeding areas and an enclosure where one can admire the arthropods closely. A side note: butterfly gardens connote a peace about them right? So please try not to conduct business, yell at your cellphones or at each other especially when you are inside the enclosure. That really is just common sense isn’t it? Another area with butterflies is the Bonsai and Butterfly Farm which is in close proximity with the Habitat.
 

 Kite Paper Butterflies at Habitat.

 The conservation center also offers a night safari if one is interested in flying Lemurs and wild boar sightings; hiking and bird watching trips are also available. Got to spend one night of nature tripping in this 2-floor casita made of natural Amakan and wood materials. Though the casita includes the conveniences of a toilet and a hot and cold shower system, beware the palm-sized spiders falling while you shower and the Tuko (a 15-inch Gecko) keeping watch directly above your bed stuck to the nipa ceiling which may slip at anytime. It was a blessing to have the secret garden, the breeze, the moon (though only a quarter), and the sound of cicadas and all manner of crickets with different tones through our slumber. 

 Cost of Casita: P950.00 or $19/night

 

TARSIER MONKEY VIEWING: Cost: P50 or $1 :
Bohol’s Tarsier Conservation Center is located in the Loboc area. The tarsier is the smallest primate in the world which measures only from 3 inches to 6 inches in height as an adult. They are indigenous to Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and ours truly and is a threatened specie. The tarsiers are carnivores - bats, insects and some snakes are among their fare. They appear docile in the day as they are nocturnal; fuzzy, brown and cute-looking they are with their big round eyes and knobby knees and fingers clutching on trees. Caretakers of the conservation inform us their numbers indeed are dwindling as there are only 115 Tarsiers left in the breeding area. I wonder if exposure to homo sapiens are doing them harm? What with the microbes and viruses we harbor and all. 
 

Guys, meet my new friend Timmy the Tarsier. 

The Bohol Bee Farm or the BBF (as I will call it):

Bohol Bee Farm, a One Stop Shop Vacation Spot.

I only got to eat here and wasn’t able to tour the farm because we were on a rush headed for the Anda municipality; from what I was able to survey, this resort alone is a "one-stop shop.” It has a restaurant (Lantaw), coffee shop, extensive herb garden, bed and breakfast and offers boat trips to neighboring islands for snorkeling and diving, as well as diving courses. All food items are made from organic fruits and vegetables raised from their farm including coffee blends. I might be able to give a more extensive narrative if and when I am able to return, God willing. 

Lantaw Rastaurant

 Coffee Shop

 Herbs at BBF.

Meals at the BBF cost from the P100’s to P800’s or $2 to $16 or more.


 
ANDA:

Because I was entreated by an important person not to tell anyone about Anda (for fear of it becoming overexposed), I will only divulge that it doesn’t do Anda justice to refer to it as an alternative to Panglao because as far as beaches are concerned it is a quite contender. Except for the Alona section of Panglao, reasons why Anda will be preferred by quality vacationers include the sugar sandy beaches, cave pools and other aquatic activities, after that, my lips are sealed.

 Unspoilt Anda.

TAGBILARAN:

 Tagbilaran lights.
 
This is the capital city of Bohol and the center of commerce, this is the part of the island that has the congestion and a tad bit of dirt but their level of rubbish is practically non-existent compared to other cities including Cebu, Manila and Tacloban (sorry to report). They have one major mall which is not the usual mega malls like SM or Robinson’s but it will do the trick; also, because the island is inundated with expats, specialty stores like the food supplies in Panglao will suffice for your cheeses, fruit and vegetable preserves and deli meats. 

One can’t really find a worthy hotel in Tagbiliran itself, best just get the nature tripping huts by the river in Loboc or Carmen or luxe it up with the glam resorts in Dauis or Panglao. I want to mention the hotel atop the mountain in Dauis or right after the bridge heading to Panglao from Tagbilaran, it’s called the Bohol Plaza, the plus here is that it’s quiet, more or less clean and will give you the vista of the surroundings which is stellar. The downside, it’s old, a bit musty and the bathrooms aren’t designed efficiently. 

Vista of the mountains and the lake. 

Back to Leyte:
With the rebound trip to Leyte much like the preparations from Bato to Ubay, Bohol, one needs to make a reservation a day ahead for vehicles to make the ferry. The cell number for reservation is 0942 989 7093. The experience on the way back is like a mirror image of the trip coming to Bohol but in reverse. One will wait up to 2-3 hours before the ferry leaves and travel time is up to 2-3 hours as well. The cost also sums up to the same amount (rounded off to P2,800 or $56 in total). Perhaps because at this moment Medallion is the only player in the ferrying business in the aforementioned 2 ports, this cost is exorbitant even compared to the ferries bound for Cebu or Manila from Leyte or Samar; to borrow from Miss Daisy, "Ah, highway robbery.."

In it’s entirety one will never tire of Bohol, I think it is the most viable island in the Philippines, sure Palawan, Boracay and other islands maybe  snazzy but would a quality vacationer enjoy that quiescent, almost stress-free environment elsewhere? Not just the natural and man-made resources but the people too makes Bohol you see, for it is ingrained in them to be clean, courteous and to honor the resources God gave them. Pollution too was absent in the highways. It seems the citizens of Bohol are the ones taking the initiative to beautify the island so the success of their tourism is a reality and not merely wishful thinking. Here's hoping we all follow that example.

 The cascading mahoganies of Bohol.

I hope you find this entry invaluable for your Bohol travel plans coming from Leyte, if you do end up going and decide to stay behind, I wouldn’t take it against you. 

Bon Voyage!

Baybay: It’s Not Just the Place, It’s the People Too

Population: 102,841.
Land Area: 180 square miles.
Bay Area: Stunning as they come.
Rubbish Content: Discordant for a developing country.  

For all intents and purposes, Baybay is still untapped. I hope it stays this way forever and a day. And if it does bloom, here’s wishing it won’t change the inhabitants for her allure isn't just the awe-inspiring sunsets, the old-world ambience or that idyllic island stride of the day, but more so because people embrace you with their smiles and sense of rectitude. 

 

In the “smile” meter, we (Taclobanons) can learn from Baybayanons, I waved to an unknown gentleman sitting on the side road while passing through and he stood up not just to wave back but also to tip his hat off, so to speak, is this not a breath of fresh air? They do not have Tacloban’s razzmatazz but on my word, that air of courtesy is one I would trade in half of a heartbeat. 

Baybay has a spectacular nature scene, if you have the majestic mountains to your back the deep blue sea is to your front and the carbon by-products are certainly kept to a minimum. An established university named VSU is also here, the university itself is secluded near the mountains and appears to be serious with education, now this part I am hoping will get more favor with funding so it may be developed as one of the country’s premier universities because the potential already exists. 

And on to the streets, where is the rubbish? Yes there is a stray wrapper here and there but certainly not mounds of it like in Tacloban and other major cities. I have not checked Baybay’s footing in terms of politics but this will make one curious, could good governance and enforcement of the law be the reason for the impression of their orderly locale? For certain, if people live in a milieu of peace and order, courtesy and warmth is a sequelae. 

If I could wish some things for Baybay, it would be for a culinary revolution and a bona fide library or bookstore. The street barbecues are heralded as one of the best in our region and 2 coffee shops are in business here but it could use more. The coffee shop named "Ciudad" is the one that stands out as it is located foremost by the bay with coffee and tea to be enjoyed both indoors or al fresco. Other than that, it is as revitalizing as far as island living goes.

Baybay.
Population: 102,841 today, soon to be 102, 843?

Nice Babatngon

There is a mission work that the husband started in this town called Babatngon, Leyte and I have been a frequent visitor here. Babatngon is located at the northern tip of Leyte and has approximately 35 thousand inhabitants and has a languid feel to it as it is next to a cove. Fishing and farming are the common mode of enterprise here and it is thriving as a community. The town possesses a breathtaking nature scene on both the sea and mountain fronts. The forests are verdant, the crops fecund and I hope it stays this way for all time. 

If we can call it that, progress looms about with the arrival of the expansive housing project initiated by the National Housing Authority with 2,000 villas knit next to each other. These one-bedroom concrete villa subdivision is the proposed resettlement for those who are living very close to areas prone to storm surges and flooding. Word has it that the town will be further developed into a major port of the Leyte and as Tacloban City becomes more saturated, this might just become the suburb to be, in the not so distant future. 

Herewith are photos taken of the area from a park located on a mountain top that surveys the vista of Babatngon, 360 degrees. 

Living Leyte People Features: Jane Coughlin, All Hands Volunteer

NAME:  Jane Coughlin
AGE: 24
Originally from: Winnipeg, Canada

Sweet Canadian Jane is very affable. Her eyes shine very bright when she talks about anything, to me it signifies that the cup of her life here on Earth runneth over. This All Hands volunteer who in her own words has "no hurry" to complete college genuinely loves our island town and even has intentions of living here sometime in the future. That is very good news for us and here’s why.

LL: Jane, thanks for agreeing to this interview. Could you please describe the place and vibe where you come from?
JC: It’s ridiculously cold where I come from, it goes to extremes of negative 50 degrees in the winter to plus 40 in the summer. Where I come from has a small town feel but it has 800 thousand people. It’s like at the cusp of being a big city, it has neat coffee shops, different restaurants, underground music scene, the art scene is cool but we are shut in (our houses) 6 months out of the year.

LL: What was your life like before you came?
JC: I was in school for my undergrad, my major is in Microbiology, I have been at it for six to seven years already because I am also working full time. I was in insurance for years, I also did bar tending. I decided to have fun jobs for a while.
LL: Are you completing college as a working student?
JC: That and I have bursary.
LL: What’s a bursary? Is it like grants for students?
JC: Yes, they are the same.
LL: Are you going to be a doctor?
JC: Yes, my sister who is practicing Naturopathic Medicine is already a doctor.
LL: Is Naturopathic Medicine like Homeopathy?
JC: It’s more than that, there are additional certifications for it.
LL: It would be great if you practiced medicine here.
JC: I was discussing this with my sister that if she wanted to extend her Naturopathic practice here like in an international capacity, that would be good.

LL: What's your impression of our place?
JC: I am absolutely in love with Tacloban, I love the people. (Like Rosie Alberio, Jane is working on a project with Street Lights in the Tagpuro area). We went to the sea side of the Tagpuro area there one time, we spent time with the people and other volunteers there and it went far as us having a had blood pact where we promised that we would come back to live here. We already have a panday (carpenter), a contractor and so on! One of the girls who were with us already opened up a Facebook Page about coming back to live here, she’s serious, it’s like, “This is really happening.” *laughs excitedly.

LL: How did you end up volunteering here?
JC: I was traveling and I met this girl in Cebu, I told her that I was going to Australia but I had no where to go for a few days before my flight. Then we got into volunteering, she encouraged me to go to Leyte, I was supposed to be here only for five working days, but by day two, I extended immediately. I have now forfeited my plane ticket to Australia.

LL: What pivotal moment made you choose to become a volunteer/aid worker?
JC: Back home I have already volunteered in several places. I have always volunteered because one does this in high school. My grandma was sick with cancer for 1 year and I took care of her. She was my best friend growing up. She was the hardest working woman in the community and to see her not to be able to do anything for herself was heartbreaking.  I was so sad when she died so I volunteered in cancer centers, and I always wanted to do oversees volunteering. 

LL: Has your experiences here affected or changed you as a person? And do you think that your experience here will be useful for you in the future?
JC: Yeah, I don’t think you can be here and do what we are doing and not be affected. People we work with, I actually have love for them, and people from Tacloban just open up to us. I was shown images from the typhoon (Haiyan), seeing the images, it’s one of the craziest things, there was so much to be done. The resiliency (of the people) is incredible.

LL: Do you consider yourself as an activist or an advocate?
JC: Advocate.

LL: Given all that has happened in the world, the news we see, the political and religious wars between countries, ideologies, terrorism and the natural disasters which we cannot control. Do you feel there is hope for the future of our planet?
JC: Yes, If you’ve been here and you see how people keep enduring, there’s hope. The human spirit is cool, when people keep trying that’s when you have something better for the future.

LL: Given an opportunity to resolve one global issue or conflict happening in the world right now,  which one would you take a gander at?
JC: I don’ think I can pick one because it’s a chain reaction of everything. I think if you fix one, you'll fix everything.

LL: Apart from volunteer work or being an aid worker, what’s the next best thing that makes you eloquent or effusive with words?
JC: Animals, I love animals. Back home I foster cats, dogs and other animals. I get them when they are babies and when they open up their eyes, I am the first person they see, I am their mummy.  I also love to travel, I am an "experience seeker" and I like the countries that have great cultural backgrounds like India, Africa. 

LL: What’s next for you?
JC: Australia. 

LL: Wanna play one-word-answer questions and Bonus Q?
JC: Sure.
Moon or Sun?  Sun
Monochrome or Colored?  Color
Iceland or Australia?  Iceland
Fútbol or Football?  Soccer
Coffee or Tea?  Tea
Eagle or Dolphin? Eagle

Bonus Q: If you were given the power to spend 2 hours with someone who has passed on, who would it be and why?
JC: My grandma Lina (pronounced Lye-na), I want to chat with her about so many things. There are also a few people I want her to meet.

As we finish, Jane with her co-volunteer friend Rosie say goodbye and I feel that we are blessed to have everyone that has ever come to help us not only to rebuild, but also that they immersed themselves with our lives here in Leyte. I  hope we have a great and positive impact on them just as they have done with us.

Living Leyte Interviews: Daniel Rød, Anthropologist

Daniel Rød
AGE: 26
Born in Manila, Philippines,  grew up in the middle part of Norway,
Daniel was taken to Norway when he was 1 yr old by his adoptive parents along with another Filipino baby girl. 

The cue cards I had for this interview was practically thrown out the window, as it turns out, Daniel is an anthropologist who is currently working on his post-graduate thesis. He admits that part of his objective in coming to Leyte was to do research about our cultural structure in addition to doing volunteer work. The knowledge I was able to glean from this man in the hours I spoke with him was nothing short of remarkable; during the process, Daniel drew models and diagrams that pertained to his scientific observation about the dynamics of our culture and mind set as a people. Without further ado, here it is.

LL: Can you describe the place and vibe where you come from? (Daniel shows me a scene of a pristine lake surrounded by snow-peaked, deep green mountains on Instagram to clearly illustrate to me where he comes from. The photo of his hometown was picturesque and breathtaking, the sort we see in calendars).
DR: I grew up in Eresfjord (pronounced Eres-fyord), it's a very small town with 300 inhabitants, everyone takes care of you, people are helpful but at the same time you can’t escape gossip. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve been. It's frigid during the winter months and when it’s Christmas, snow comes down from the sky. You always have to shovel the snow in the wintertime. It snows from Nov - March. Currently though, I live in Tromsø which means land of “Troms", where it snows from October through June, sometimes through July. (Daniel also teaches me that the Nordic letter “Ø” is pronounced the same as “oe”).

LL: So Daniel, what was your life like before you came?
DR: I am doing masters in Anthropology in University of Tromsø
LL: Is there a sort of an Ivy League grading for universities in Norway?
DR: We don’t have that in Norway but I am familiar with the concept. Our university is in the top 5
LL: Is there a famous alumna that comes from your university?
DR: I’m not sure. The Norwegian language came from the Germans. Tromsø is a beautiful place I lived there for four years now, my girlfriend is there. Have you seen The Lord of the Rings?
LL: Yes.
DR: Well, Tromsø is like the Shire, the shire of Shire where the Hobbits live.

LL: What's your impression of our place?
DR: Tacloban is very full of beautiful people. I am here on a scientific quest, one can sense that Yolanda only happened two years ago. I find Tacloban to be both modern and traditional, I think a lot of the foreigners get caught in their own bubble and don’t experience Tacloban for what it can be, there are challenges here and I hear many of my co-volunteers tell their experiences of changed life and I am happy for them. It’s both beautiful and sad at the same time though all in all I find people beautiful.
LL: A dichotomy.

LL: Have you learned anything from here? From us?
DR: Oh, where to start... Filipinos really value their families, they value group opinion, this is something that goes really deep and this is different from the culture I grew up in, example, in Norway there is a welfare system that works; here, your family is your welfare system. Filipinos choose very differently, a lot of Filipino ways are different and people pick up on them but in the end, they are just as rational as what we do back home even though it’s different.

… Daniel draws the Grønhaug Model of his cultural observation:
PLEASE CLICK ON ILLUSTRATION FOR BETTER VIEWING:

DR: Typically, the focus of the Filipino does not extend outside of this two inner spheres; Filipino traits such as “bayanihan” and "utang na loob” are typically exercised within the inner two circles. The outer circles of the Filipino are the local community and the outermost sphere are the environment, political landscape or the financial realm of the country, but this is a far extension already for the Filipino. Interaction and involvement with the outer spheres are very rare.
LL:  If not nil (I agree). Now, given this scenario, how can this society survive in the long run, especially if there is lack of concern by the individual for his world?
DR: It works for now, but in the long run, it might not.
LL: How can we improve our place and as a people in general?
DR: Hard to say. To improve is relative because the Filipino is happy the way it is. What I think of as “good" is very different from what the Filipinos think as “good.”
LL: What about corruption? corruption here is practically institutionalized. Vote buying is the norm and I have seen where people register to vote so that when the election comes, they are ready to receive money from a candidate. 
DR: About corruption.  A lot of Filipinos like to have good relations and as what I understand about corruption here, it’s people giving favors to each other. One gives favors in exchange for favors. Even if it’s money that’s on the table, it’s still favor. Understand though that the longer the people sell their votes or cheat with their taxes for example, the longer the process is abused and it will all contribute to the collapse of the society.

… Daniel then draws another diagram called the Bourdieu - Grønhaug Model.
PLEASE CLICK ON ILLUSTRATION FOR BETTER VIEWING:

DR: In this model, we see the very rich people with the famous family names, politicians and the financial people on top, over here (at the bottom) are the poor or working class and the middle class, there is a divide between these groups of people. The ones on top mingle with each other and the ones on the bottom do that as well. The people at the top will not mix with the ones on the bottom unless maybe in church or through NGOs and when there's something that happens like big disasters, a good example is when I big company will do charitable work.
LL: Can a poor person or working class person go up the chain or cross over within the classes?
DR: Yes they can.
LL: But this is aberrant. 
DR: Yes, it's not the norm. 
LL: At that, really there are still classifications, the old rich will not accept the nouveau riche as their own. 
DR: Correct. 
LL:  Will this society last in this dynamic?
DR: It will for a short time, but as the gap grows bigger, it will eventually collapse.
LL: Wow, we haven't talked about the level of materialism here, our brand-name-worship. I know of some people who go in debt just to buy these brand name bags or shoes. Personally, I think it's a façade. 
DR: You are right, it's a façade, it's also a way to get "love."
LL: Love? How? 
DR: They think that by getting prestige (through these expensive things), they get power and people would love them more. They do what's called as strategic chores on to the society, then the society gives them feedback. See, prestige or pride with one's possessions is nothing if nobody sees it.
LL: That's sad.
DR: It may be a warped way to get love, but it's still "love."  The Filipino's agenda includes minimizing risks, maximizing profits and happiness in relations. by trying to please their family through money or doing things for them, they minimize risk even if it will cost them or it may even become abusive. In this aspect they maintain happiness in relations. They also like to maximize profits, an example is when they do favors for many people, these people in return are indebted to them and when the day comes when they are in trouble, they have a lot of areas to go to for resources. They are doing this for that one "big day." In this culture though, it works when there is big trouble, such as a big disaster like Yolanda. You have the culture for it. If something of this magnitude happened in Norway, I don't think we will have the culture for it. 
LL: Wow. I am astounded by these things because I really can see it for myself! 

At this point I see that I could speak to Daniel for days and he would have an adept representation of our ethos and he would be correct for it. Mind you, he does not postulate that all of his findings are gospel, merely scientific observations and there are individuals who are exceptions to the rule. I see this too, a lot of us do have the heart and the selflessness to extend ourselves outside of our social strata. 

If I had the means, I would commission Daniel to do talks all around the different areas of our community if only for educational purposes. I believe that if all of us can identify the areas by which we could be better then we might just be keyed up to pay attention and make changes. A part of me has hope for us yet a bigger part of me feels that this is a pipe dream.

LL: Well, I certainly learned so much by just interviewing you Daniel. And since I see that this interview has gone on to another direction, I am already happy with what you’ve imparted. I mustn't waste your time any further, you have so much to do. Just to end on a lighter note, wanna play one-word-answer questions?
DR: OK. *smiles. 
Moon or Sun?   Sun
Monochrome or Colored?   Colored
Iceland or Australia?  Iceland because I know the landscape.
Fútbol or Football?  Futbal
Coffee or Tea?  Coffee
Eagle or Dolphin?  Dolphin. 

The following day I learned that Daniel has also been consulted by other organizations to assist in the evaluation process of programs that have been implemented all over Leyte. This is not a surprise of course. It appears that this man is a windfall of knowledge and I am happy to have been a recipient of it.

 * Drawings were done by the blogger based on Daniel's illustrations of the models. 

Living Leyte People Features: Jayson Alexander Carr, All Hands Volunteer

Jayson Alexander Carr
AGE: 22
Originally from: California, USA
Position held prior to coming over to the Phillipines: Graduated in May of 2015, worked under a government contractor company cleaning up after the Avian Flu epidemic in the US for USDA.
 
One would need to do a double take on Californian Jayson Alexander Carr because he could very easily pass for Liam Helmsworth with a beard right? But make no mistake, this gentleman is worth his weight in California gold because of his big heart. Jason volunteered here in the Philippines because to put it in his own words, he wasn’t happy not doing anything at home in a humanitarian sense. This is his interview. 

LL: Can you describe the place and vibe where you come from?
JAC: I come from Orange City, California, a suburb, I live in a track home or a cookie cutter home where everything looks the same, it’s a  small, safe and nice little bubble of a neighborhood. 

LL: What was your major in college?
JAC: I majored in psychology.

LL: What was your life like before you came?
JAC: I was the intermediary between contractors and the government, we were in place to make sure there was no over charging of equipment and services. Life was great, my parents provided for everything, I had a private catholic education. I had plenty of opportunities to take. Living in Southern California, the weather is amazing, there’s the ocean, it has a relax feel.

LL: What's your impression of our place?
JAC: I was in Manila first, then when I came to Tacloban, there was this welcoming party of the porters who would clap (a rhyme) and bid us welcome. When I arrived, the sun was just rising, the fishermen were already out to sea. It was a great welcome. I find that the shops are distinguishable, the sari-sari shops, it’s redundant but it makes sense. I’d never seen the living conditions I have seen here, I visited in the coastal towns and to see so much trash… I saw toilets that are on the beach with kids just playing underneath it. It doesn’t make sense to me why there’s poop where you play. I also saw these signs on some barangays which said, “this is a public feces-free barangay,” I didn’t understand why the sign was even there. The way I see it, you start with a clean bedroom, your begin and end the day somewhere clean, then you extend this to your entire house, then your neighborhood, then your community.

LL: How can we improve our place and as a people in general?
JAC: Knowledge on cleaning up trash.

LL: What pivotal moment made you choose to become a volunteer/aid worker?
JAC: I heard about All Hands from a friend who went to Nepal, also a big reason was that I never traveled, and I think when you travel and make a home in a place, it would involve you in making a place better. Also, I am a huge follower of humanitarian efforts. Personally, I wasn’t happy, I was only sitting at home.

LL: Has your experiences here affected or changed you as a person? And do you think that your experience here will be useful for you in the future?
JAC: It has definitely helped me because it has actualized an idea I had with traveling. I didn’t know what I could do with my own hands. Regarding NGOs, you get ideas about how to do work and coming into All Hands, it’s different because you are doing labor, though I was expecting more locally sourced help, I didn’t realize the projects would take the whole day for the team.

LL: Are you an activist or an advocate?
JAC: I’m an advocate. I spread the knowledge that way.

LL: Given all that has happened in the world, the news we see, the political and religious upheavals between countries an ideologies, there’s terrorism and the natural disasters which we cannot control. Do you feel there is hope for the future of our planet?
JAC: Yes, I feel it in myself, everyday when I can control myself. Then I know that someone else can control their own selves. For me, there’s empathy out there, every human has the same biological grain and if i can do it, it’s possible for someone on the opposite end to do it too, if there’s a little hope than theres hope for the general sense. If you can do it in your way then anybody can do it.

LL: Given an opportunity to resolve one global issue or conflict happening in the world right now,  which one would you take a gander at?
JAC: The refugee crises in Syria through Europe.

LL: Apart from volunteer work or being an aid worker, what’s the next best thing that makes you eloquent or effusive with words?
JAC: Reading and writing, I like essays, I write from the stream of consciousness because that’s what people are, that’s why I studied psychology.
LL: What have you written?
JAC: Letters to people, essays from my own stream of consciousness.

LL: What’s next for you?
I have a flight booked to Vietnam and I will go to the Northern province to teach English in Hagiang (pronounced Hazhing), then I will go back home to pay my student loans and I want to help in the Syrian refugee crises.

LL: Wanna play one-word-answer questions and Bonus Q?
JAC: OK.
Moon or Sun?   Moon
Monochrome or Colored?   Colored
Iceland or Australia?  Australia
Fútbol or Football?  Soccer
Coffee or Tea?  Coffee
Eagle or Dolphin?  Eagle

Bonus Q: If you were given the power to spend 2 hours with someone who has passed on, who would it be and why?
JAC: Earnest Hemingway, I just want to know how did it, how he get there, what made him write what he wrote. I’m not even sure if I can say anything, it will be more like he will be the one who would talk and I listen. 
LL: Good choice.

As we conclude the interview, we wish Jayson all the best in the world and all his endeavors. What a fortuitous circumstance that we first got to know him while he was extending himself to us in such a selfless way. 

Jason, from all of us, Thank you very much!